rufous
Well-Known Member
I have a bit of a dilemma. I have a Sarovski 3-9 AV scope that I plan to install on my 300 Win Mag that I intend to use for all of my big game hunting. My other big game rifle (a 7mm Rem Mag) will basically be retired. It has a Leupold 2.5-8X scope with a Stoney Point Target Knob on the elevation adjustment. The problem is that the Swarovski knobs only has 32 hash marks. There are 60 clicks per full 360 degree revolution but the knob is only marked halfway around. Yes I could mount the Leupold on the 300 Winchester but I did buy the Swarovski with the idea of using it on my high end gun. Also the Leupold has failed me twice during hunting seasons. The first time it would not hold its zero back in 1996 on a bear hunt. Then it fogged up internally while out cougar hunting a couple weeks ago. Now I have to sight it in again. Basically I have low confidence in that scope. The Swarovski is unproven so who knows but what it may fail on me at some point in the future. The load I am shooting is the 220 Sierra Matchking at 2830 fps zeroed at 250 yards so that the high point in the trajectory will not be more than about 3". As mentioned before in other posts I hunt on foot, not with the use of a bench and sandbag rests so I do not expect to ever shoot at game beyond about 600 yards. Here is the rub: 32 clicks up will only get me rezeroed at 550 yards (it actually takes 33 clicks up). If I spot an animal at 575 or 600 and have a good solid rest (prone with bipod and sling) and conditions are such that I am confident in putting a bullet into its vitals I would not be able to rezero for that range and still be using the hash marks. I suppose I could just count clicks beyond where the hash marks are but am obviously more comfortable if I can stay on the marks. I could hold over the required amount, but again much prefer to hold dead on with the rifle rezeroed for that range. I could just be content to pass up shots beyond 550 yards (I have only attempted shooting at big game twice beyond that range- once on a cougar at 575 at once on a bear at 600 yards- both were not successful). A couple other options would be to see if Swarovski could modify or replace the existing knob with one that has hash marks all the way around or if some other company can do this. A final option would be to shoot a flatter shooting bullet, which is something I may end up doing. I have some of Gerard Schultz's GS Custom 160 grain HV bullets on order. They have a bc supposedly of 0.515 and he says I should be able to get them going 3400+ fps. With that load I could have its baseline zero at 300 yards and still be only 3.3" high at 150 yards and then 30 clicks up would get me rezeroed at 650 yards. I wonder if any of you have any thoughts or advice. Particularly do any of you know if the elevation knob on the Swarovski scope could be replaced or modified so that it would have hash marks all the way around? Thanks, Rufous.