I've been shooting rifles now since Ike was President but it was mostly plinking or carry when hiking or the very occasional target shooting. Iron sights were the norm and I did have a couple scopes on some 22s but it's been a half century since I bought a rifle scope. The different guns ran from some 8mm Mausers and 30-30 levers to an SKS as well as several 22LR.
As I think I mentioned around here I did buy a new scope to try out on the 10/22 to see if I could turn it into something useful and enjoyable.; and boy is it an eye opener.
I've never found that there was much difference between personal firearms made recently and those made even a century or more ago. There are a few new materials that are different but necessarily any better than what has been available for near forever. In fact so many "new improved" things on modern guns seem to be simply a short attention span and ignorance of what came before. Lots of folk tout striker fired as something new even though it was very popular well over 100 years ago.
There have been some real advances in the overall safety but even there it's more the general ubiquitous presence across many or most makes rather than anything new.
But the new scope was really surprising. The ease of use, flexibility but most of all forgiving nature is truly amazing. Granted I am comparing it to some basic pretty cheap scopes I got over a half century ago but they also worked well for for over a half century. The difference is so great I simply can't imagine going back. Instead of the human modifying his behavior depending on distance or light the new scopes seem to have provided easy adjustment capabilities to make the scope meet the uses needs at the time rather than the shooter changing to meet the limits of the tool.
When it comes to revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, rifles themselves I cannot see any major significant differences between those I've owned and been shooting for a half century or more and new ones made recently or in the last decade or three.
Firearms new, firearms old, all jess fine with me.
But scopes I definitely need to put the past away and leap into the current state of the art.
As I think I mentioned around here I did buy a new scope to try out on the 10/22 to see if I could turn it into something useful and enjoyable.; and boy is it an eye opener.
I've never found that there was much difference between personal firearms made recently and those made even a century or more ago. There are a few new materials that are different but necessarily any better than what has been available for near forever. In fact so many "new improved" things on modern guns seem to be simply a short attention span and ignorance of what came before. Lots of folk tout striker fired as something new even though it was very popular well over 100 years ago.
There have been some real advances in the overall safety but even there it's more the general ubiquitous presence across many or most makes rather than anything new.
But the new scope was really surprising. The ease of use, flexibility but most of all forgiving nature is truly amazing. Granted I am comparing it to some basic pretty cheap scopes I got over a half century ago but they also worked well for for over a half century. The difference is so great I simply can't imagine going back. Instead of the human modifying his behavior depending on distance or light the new scopes seem to have provided easy adjustment capabilities to make the scope meet the uses needs at the time rather than the shooter changing to meet the limits of the tool.
When it comes to revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, rifles themselves I cannot see any major significant differences between those I've owned and been shooting for a half century or more and new ones made recently or in the last decade or three.
Firearms new, firearms old, all jess fine with me.
But scopes I definitely need to put the past away and leap into the current state of the art.