Sticking with Leupold

I had been waffling on the idea of keeping my big caliber rifle, selling or trading it in favor of finishing my AR build or buying a Mossy 590, something basically, that would see a lot more active duty and use than a big bore rifle.

The 300 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) is something of a niche caliber out this way, with most devotees sticking with the more popular 300 Win Mag or more frequently a .308. This is why, I think, I have not been able to move this gun very easily at a reasonable price online. You gotta want a 300 WSM in a Remmy 700 SPS, just like I did.

But the WSM is a good caliber by all reports. It will get it done in the field. One reason I have not shot my gun is because I had not yet invested in some serious glass.

There has been a recurring discussion over at Wethearmed.com regarding optics and best bang for the buck, with the end result recommendation of going out to a gun store and looking through as many scopes as possible to get a feel and sense of what you are paying for in each price range.

To my happy surprise, I found that Gander Mt. in Winchester has revamped their weapons area, which now includes a small section of dummy stocks and mounted scopes. It's a brilliant idea, IMO, since it allows the consumer to look through at his leisure all the available scopes without having to pester and feel pressured by the guy behind the gun counter.

To my surprise, I liked Leupold's top end VX-1 the best. The glass was shockingly clear and put everything in nice relief. I'll be purchasing the VX-II in 3-9x40 since that is the top end of what I can afford come tax time. The new VX-IIs are actually the world class vx-IIIs of a several years ago, according to what I have read on the interwebs.

It was also recommended to the check out Nikon. Nikon was nice and clear but not to my taste. I actually preffered the VX-I over Nikon's Monarch and Buckmaster. Maybe that's because I couldn't see them out in the field, but alas, that was to my surprise after everything I've read.

Anyway, I just wanted to put that out there as food for thought. I will also be purchasing a Harris bipod for the rifle and maybe a few other goodies. But right now it's time to think about Turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving!

--Nick-Dog