I doubt this cheap adapter will work on anything larger than .22lr, However, I have not tried it.
The adapter was too large to fit on my son’s microscope without adaptation. Instead of doing anything permanent, I simply took painter’s tape and wrapped it around the objective tube. This was to increase its diameter.
I went slow so I could keep the tape in the same area. This ensured a smooth wrap and no wrinkles.
It was not hard, and did not take long. However, it was tedious.
The do make commercial adapters and lenses specially for microscopes. Unfortunately, they cost several hundred dollars and are for specific cameras and microscopes.
I wanted something universal and cheap so I had to be okay with a less elegant solution.
Once I had done his scope, I went back to try it on his rifle.
There are three different adjustments, and none are very fine. It takes a minute to get everything lined up and the screws tightened.
Actually, the installation part is a true PITA. Getting the reticle level and lined up on the scope to reduce parallax and allow the bolt to be thrown takes patience.
It also disallows the use of the actual scope when completed, but this setup allows me to watch over his shoulder and see what he sees. With the phone set to video, it also can be used to go back and look at trigger control and follow through.
For the price I am pretty satisfied with the setup, and if he gets into using it I may buy a better setup – something specific to his rifle scope.
If you can do so legally, building your own rifle is a very worthwhile experience. In this post we will show how we completed our own AR-15 lower build for much cheaper than what the same rifle would have cost already assembled.
When I bought my stripped AR-15 Lower Receiver, I had to give my $10 background check and thumbprint just like I was buying a functional firearm. According to BATFE, a receiver is considered a firearm even if it is is not functional. All the other parts are just “accessories”.
This is the second AR-15 lower I have built. It took me less than an hour. I did not have any specialty tools to make it easier. I would say that this is a simple project if you have good instructions.
You Can get Good Information from Military Manuals
You can use the military technical manual (TM-9-1005-319-23&P) but remember its for M-16s so some of the fire control parts will look different because your rifle is semi-automatic. A simple search search on the internet for AR-15 construction guides will help. Also you can always buy a book on the AR-15 in your local bookstore.
TM 9-1005-249-14 is the operator manual for the M16 Rifle. Like the technical manual, it is not exactly the AR-15, but it is close enough to work
In our free downloads section I have a good amount of manuals and blueprints for the AR-15/M-16. I post them with the hope the manuals will help you. I suggest you visit AR-15.com and look in their forums as they have great step by step instructions.
Some Things Need to Be Done in Order
Some steps can be done in any order, and some pins can be installed from either side, but some steps need to be done in sequence, and certain pins need to be placed a specific way, so be sure you get a decent set of instructions and follow them.
I build my own lowers for two reasons, the first is cost. I save about 100 dollars (sometimes more) by DIYing them, but I also like the feeling of taking MY gun to the range. By putting one together you learn a lot about your rifle which makes troubleshooting and repair a lot easier.
I had to split up the video into two parts and seriously cut it for time, as youtube has a strict 10 minute video policy. Also for those that get torqued over someone calling a magazine a clip, there are several occasions where I misspoke a part name, you make me nervous….
Part 1 of 2
Magazine Catch, Trigger Guard, Bolt Catch Assembly, Pivot Pin Assembly
Part 2 of 2
Trigger Assembly, Hammer, Selector, Pistol Grip Assembly, Rase Stock, and function check
It’s hard to describe the joyful feeling when you finally have the opportunity to enjoy yourself and pursue your shooting/hunting hobby. However, you need a proper scope that fits your needs and a scope that fits your gun; in other words, you need a top quality rifle scope that performs 100% without breaking your bank.
You will find so many rifle scopes out there being sold today, and you might wonder exactly how you are going to choose the perfect scope. That will all depend on what kind of gun you plan on shooting with, shooting you plan on doing, and what type of reticle you need/want.
Let’s browse through the fundamentals that you need to keep in mind when choosing your rifle scope and once you know the basic principles of how the rifle scope work, it will be easier for you to select the perfect scope that fits you the best. It is also important to get a scope designed for your rifle caliber. A rimfire scope won’t last on a large centerfire rifle. If you have a larger rifle you need a stronger scope. Here is an article on how to choose the best scope for a 308
How Does a Rifle Scope Function?
What the rifle scope does is to magnify the image of your target and the area surrounding your target. Depending on your scope’s type, the scope will magnify the image significantly to what the naked eye can see.
Lower power scopes will have smaller lenses, and they are usually shorter while the higher powered scopes include bigger lenses and will come in bigger sizes as well.
All scopes will include reticle (cross-hairs or a dot) that are built in feature to easily mark the center of the Field-of-View that you see when you look through the scope. It will take you a lot of practice to properly shoot accurately using open sights, and there are things that you need to be aware of at the same time you are focused and waiting for your target.
You might be comfortably waiting in complete silence in your spot, having everything ready and set for your target to appear in your scope and then you suddenly start to “panic” and wonder if the front blade is perfectly aligned with the rear for elevation. Exactly at that moment, your prey suddenly appears but is way out of focus because it is farther away from your eye than the sites.
You rush quickly to set the focus, and then suddenly your crosshair appear completely out of focus! Evidently, to avoid this, you need to prepare, do your homework, learn how to use your scope perfectly and practice if you want to be able to shoot perfectly.
A quality rifle scope removes and completely eliminates all these problems. What you are supposed to do with a scope is to focus on the target and align the center where you want the bullet to hit and then squeeze the trigger. That’s all there is to it! Furthermore, a scope will magnify your target prey, and therefore you will see your target clearly. This will give you plenty of space to perform a precise shot. With a scope, it will be significantly easier to shoot and hit bulls-eye of a target than without one.
What Is The Main Parts of the Rifle Scope?
Eye-Piece:
This is the metal unit that holds and supports the ocular lens.
Ocular-Lens:
This is the lens that is closest to your eye when you are looking through the scope.
Power-Ring:
This is the ring that will allow you to change the magnification of the scope, in other words, this feature allows to you change the distance of the internal lenses.
Windage:
Windage adjustment is measured in Mintue-of-Angle (MOA). When you turn the knob on your scope, you will “feel/hear” a click and each click changes the aim point to a certain amount that is measured at every hundred yards. For instance, a ¼ Minute-of-Angel (MOA) will change the aim point ¼ of an inch to the left or right at hundred yards.
Eye-Relief:
This is the distance measured from your eye and to the ocular lens. What you should do is look for a scope that will offer you plenty of eye relief to avoid experiencing the recoil of your gun when it slams back and hits you very hard, then you will end up with a Scope-Eye! Look for plenty of eye relief to avoid the Scope-Eye!
Tube:
The rifle scope is a tube assembled into another tube. The inner tube is made of lenses that work out what to do with the light that enters the scope. On the other hand, the outer tube is intended more for protection purpose and provides a strong objective bell and eye piece bell.
When searching for the perfect rifle scope, it is extremely important for you to know the tube’s diameter because the rings that are attached to the mounts come in different tube diameters.
Nearly all scopes that are made in the United States include tubes with 1-inch diameter (measured just above 30millimeters). It is NEVER recommended to force or tighten down 1inch ring on a tube that is measured 30 millimeters because that will most definitely damage your scope.
Eye-Bell:
This is the house of the eye-piece and tube.
Objective-Bell:
This is the housing of the objective-lens.
Objective-Lens:
This is the lens that gathers the light that will enter your scope. Generally speaking, if the scope has higher magnification, then the objective-lens diameter will be larger. If you happen to own a 4-12x scope, then 40-millimeter objective lens will be fine.
However, if you are interested in buying 50-millimeter objective lens then have in mind that it will be significantly more expensive and most probably not very beneficial for you regarding light transmission. It is not only more expensive but also you have to deal with more weight and higher mount weight.
Elevation-Adjustment:
Elevation Adjustment will shift the aiming point up or down and is used to sight in your scope.
Adjustable –Objective-Lens (AO)
This is the lens that will correct parallax error (more on parallax error below).
Exit-Pupil:
Exit pupil is the diameter of the light that leaves the eye piece and most of the time it is measured in millimeters (mm). A large exit pupil is extremely beneficial under low-light conditions and during the night. The more the exit pupils increase, the brighter image will appear in your scope.
You will need a scope with at least same diameter as the dilation of your eye’s pupil. Your eye will dilate around 2 millimeters during bright sunshine and in darkness around 7 millimeters. It is extremely easy to calculate the exit pupil.
What you have to do is simply divide the diameter of the scope’s objective lens by the magnification that the scope is set at any giving time. For instance: 50-millimeter scope, 50mm/10. A 3-9x40mm scope has an exit pupil of 13 millimeters and 4.4 millimeters at 9x.
Obviously, a 50 mm objective scope will give you considerably more magnification in low light situations than 40mm will offer. Generally speaking, standard eight times (8x) magnification should be enough, but that’s just my opinion. You should investigate and find the magnification that you think will fit your needs the best.
What Else do you need to Know?
Magnification:
Basically, all the rifle scopes out there come with some magnification. Some with fixed with marked with a number and an X (For example, 4x). This means that the scope will magnify the image four times (4x) more than you can see with the naked eye.
Another example: Scope that is marked like this, 3-9x50mm, means that the scope will magnify the image between 3 and nine times (3-9x) more than you could see with the naked eye.
The 50mm (millimeters) means that the objective-lens come with a 50mm diameter. It is extremely beneficial to have variable power rifle scope rather than fixed one because it will allow you to adjust the magnification and adapt to any situation that you are in.
However, the downside is the hefty price tag. If you plan on buying a variable power scope, you have to make sure you are investing in a good quality variable scope. The bottom line is that once you get a great quality scope, you won’t have to worry about losing your –zero- and you won’t require frequent sighting in. If you can afford a good quality variable power scope, by all means, get one!
Field-of-View (FOV)
What you see through your scope when you look through it.
Parallax-Error:
If your scope is not perfectly centered when you look through the lens, a small error can appear that is called parallax error. This usually happens when you shoot at a distance that your scope is NOT factory set for. High power scopes of, for example, 12x and more, are quite affected by parallax error.
Parallax error is not something that you should worry too much about because it’s so minimal and if you are a long-range shooter (over 500 yards), you should buy a scope with adjustable objective lens. If so, you just set the range that you think the target is from you, and you are all set no more parallax error.
Light-Transmission:
Light transmission calculates precisely how much of the light enters through the objective lens and exits the ocular lens. Every top quality scope will let almost all the light enter through the lens which makes the scope easier to use when you are shooting in low light conditions.
Transmission numbers are quoted in % (like 95% resolution), but you should consider that those numbers are hyped by manufacturers of poor quality scopes, they tend to inflate this number significantly. You should be fine by trusting the numbers from the big reputable rifle scope manufacturers.
Resolution:
A top quality scope will, of course, come with good resolution and will have a crystal clear, sharp sight picture, while on the other hand, poor quality scopes will have blurry and reflect bad quality image through your scope. Those poor quality manufacturers can easily fake high-resolution number on their scopes, but it is impossible for them to fake a good resolution.
Reticles:
Generally, part of the scope that shows the center of the Field-of-View. This is where you select where you want the bullet to hit. Not too long ago, all you could get was just a simple cross-hair, but nowadays, the choices are endless. Basically, the reticle that people go for is the Duplex, and there are others top quality products available on the market that you should thoroughly research.
Top quality scopes today include a wide variety of reticle, so it is important for you to choose the one that you think will fit your hunting style the best and if you are a long range shooter, you might want to go for Ballistic Mil-Dot, they are exceptionally easy to use.
Lens-Coatings:
If the scope you plan on buying does not come with coated lenses, please, by all means, don’t buy it! Just about all scope lenses have materials to reduce glare, make a better resolution and protect the scopes from scratching. Also, always use lens covers when you store your scope.
Sealed, Water and Fog Proof:
You should make sure that your scope is properly sealed and also water and fog proof to avoid any small things (dust, moisture, humidity, etc.) entering your scope.
Do I Need a Powerful Scope? What Power Should I get?
That will entirely depend on what type of shooting you plan on doing and how you plan on using your scope. Here are some key points for reference:
100 yards or less = 7x
100-200 yards = 7x-9x
200 yards and more = 9x-12x
You Get What you Pay for!
Like with all products that you buy, you will most definitely get what you pay for. It is obvious that you cannot expect a $150 scope to perform just like a $1000 scope. Spend what you can in your scope, it will pay off eventually. Invest in a good quality scope. Your rifle will always shoot when you pull the trigger, but without a good quality scope, your rifle is useless!
Good quality scopes for the average hunter can range from $400-$1000. If you need a scope with high magnification and you want to shoot +400 yards, then the price tag will significantly increase.
Final Thoughts
Always, no matter what, go for quality! You won’t regret that you did. After you have done your research and found your quality scope that you want to buy, go for something just a little bit better. You will never regret buying something that is a little bit too good. Don’t knock your head on the wall afterward, wondering why the heck you didn’t buy a scope that was good enough!
Douglas Brooks is the founder of ProReviewly.com. He was enthusiastic about hunting from the first shot. He is also Rifle optic guru.
Have you prepared enough? Do you have enough food? Does your family have enough protection? Do you have a plan? Will you survive?
One of the most important things to consider if ever caught in a survival situation is to make sure that you have a dependable firearm.
The right equipment to help aid the firearm, like the best rifle scope is also necessary.
Preferably, you will want a rifle that can take on several different tasks, from hunting for food to self defense for protection.
Though there is no “perfect” survival gun, popular survival rifles out there to have for an SHTF situation is a rimfire rifle or some form of a .22 LR.
Factors to Consider When Choosing The Best Rifle Scope For Survival
Regardless of the type of rifle you choose, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the best survival rifle, including:
- Ammo costs (ammo costs are usually determined by the caliber size. The bigger the size the more expensive the round.)
- Killing power (You want a caliber that kill varmint for food, and potentially bigger game like a deer)
- Protection (not considered a ‘man stopper’ but it will get the job done if you need it to)
- Long Range (A rifle with range at least up to 100 yards for defense or hunting. A handgun is really only effective within 25 yards)
- Cost (depending on your prepper budget, you may want to find a rifle that is at a lower cost but still built well)
- Weight and Mobility (You may need a lightweight rifle because you’ll be using it a lot for hunting and potentially for defense)
- Equipment (the equipment needs to be top quality and durable to aid your rifle so you can be more efficient)
What’s the most important factor to consider?
The reasons above are ALL important factors when picking a firearm. One of the most important things that will help you in almost every area is by getting a high quality rifle scope
Even if a .22LR wasn’t your top choice, having a rifle scope equipped to your survival rifle may be the difference between food for the next few days or not.
Is a rifle optic really that important?
The answer is a big YES! A rifle scope does so many things for you and makes your survival situation that much easier to bear.
Basically, a scope improves accuracy and allows you to see your target with clarity, even at long distances. Improvements in rifle scope design have allowed even entry level scopes to be high quality.
Let’s explain more reasons why an optic is important for survival:
Needed for hunting
Obviously, a scope isn’t the only thing that will aid you when you are hunting. Consider these essential items no hunter should be without. But a rifle scope is valuable to your success rate.
A rifle scope can allow you to in low light conditions.
Like hunting later in the evening, when it’s dark and way past the time that you would normally be able to see your target with just the iron sights. The same is true at dawn. Sure, you would be able to see with the iron sights, but not as quick nor as early as with a scope.
When you and your family are hungry, and there are no grocery stores open and you need some food, you need to go hunting for it. Using a rifle scope will help with higher precision and accuracy. Your success rate of getting food on the table greatly increases with the proper rifle scope.
Depending on what you are hunting for, you need to be able to have proper shot placement for a clean and fast kill. Having a rifle scope will increase your chances of hitting the proper spot of the animal. This will also increase your chances to actually kill the animal in less shots.
You’ll likely be shooting more varmint than big game, but in either case, the animal will likely run away if you miss after the first shot. This makes precision and accuracy an important factor. Even if you hit the target, but miss your spot, it may still run and even get away.
Long Range Shooting
When hunting for food in survival mode, you’ll likely be shooting animals up to 100 yards away. If you want an accurate and efficient kill, using a scope is essential. A scope can also help those of whose vision is not what it used to be.
Most scopes on the market have a magnification power setting that will allow you to see very clear up to 100 yards, no problem.
Depending on your budget, you can find a scope that can even reach up to 500 yards or more. Keep in mind that you will need to consider which rifle caliber you choose for survival if you are going to shoot targets at long distances of 200 yards or more.
For example, if you got a scope for a .22 LR, 100 yards is about as far as you should go for the highest efficiency, especially if you were going to shoot a deer.
Cost
Scope prices vary greatly. From as low as $30 in some cases all the way up in the thousands of dollars. For survival, you need a high quality scope that is durable, will hold its zero, and is clear with enough focus and power to get the job done when needed.
You just need a rifle scope that does the basics, without any fancy features and add-ons. The extra features on a scope are what drive the price of the optic up dramatically.
The old rule of thumb was that a scope should cost at least half of what your gun did in order to get a quality scope for your rifle. Nowadays, this isn’t the case. You can find a high quality scope for under $200 and even under $100 in some cases.
$100-$200 is a small price to pay for the value you will be getting by adding an optic on your rifle.
How to choose the best rifle scope
Choosing the best rifle scope for an SHTF situation can be difficult, as there are a lot of different factors that determine the best rifle scope.
Assuming that you are limited and need an all around great scope for survival narrows the choices down.
The best way to prepare yourself for an important purchase like this is to learn how a scope works so you can fully understand the mechanics behind it. Below is a quick diagram for your reference.
Now that you have an idea of where things are located and the important terms on an optic, there are a few things to consider when choosing the best optic:
Objective Lens
An objective lens is the front lens of the scope. It gathers the light and its size gives the field of view. The bigger the objective lens, the more light is able to come into the scope allowing for greater clarity and a brighter sight picture. This is especially important if you are hunting at dusk or dawn or in other low-light conditions.
A bigger objective lens also affects the field of view (FOV). The bigger the lens the more ground you will be able to see through the optic. For example, a FOV of 100 yards means that you can see 100 yards from left to right through your scope.
The best objective lens size for a scope in survival mode is probably between 30mm and 40mm. Anything bigger and the scope starts to get too bulky making it hard for mobility and ease of use.
Also, if the objective lens gets too big you will need higher mounts and scope rings in order for the objective lens to avoid touching the gun barrel, making it seem even bulkier when on your rifle. Cost usually goes up as well if you go higher than 40mm.
Optic Style and Tube Size
The best type of scope style you can get for survival is a tube body style. These are more high quality and best all around scopes. The other style to get for your optic is a heads up style or holographic style, but with these scopes there is no variable magnification setting. Instead, you are stuck focusing at a specific magnification (fixed magnification).
30mm tube style size is pretty standard and a great size for a survival situations. Anything bigger will start getting too heavy and bulky and less mobile. Remember that the scope rings you buy must match the diameter of the scope body.
Variable or Fixed Magnification
Magnification power allows the user to adjust the power given. A typical scope you will see is 3-9x40mm. What this means is that at 3x, you will see 3 times larger than the naked eye and at 9x, 9 times larger than the naked eye. 40 refers to a 40mm wide objective lens.
This magnification set is a variable magnification as you can adjust the power between 3x and 9x allowing you to shoot at short and long distances with great focus and clarity.
Some scopes are single or fixed power (1×25 or 4×30 for example) which means no adjustments.
Make sure you choose a variable magnification scope. The best variable magnification scope that you can get is probably the 3-9x40mm. This allows you to shoot at very long distances (up to 500+ yards if needed at the 9x) but still be able to have great clarity and focus at shorter distances (50 to 100 yards with the 3x)
Adjustments
You don’t need anything fancy when it comes to adjustments. All it does is raise the price of the scope by adding unnecessary features. You just need the basics. All you need on your optic for survival is elevation and windage adjustments, parallax adjustments if you choose a higher magnification, and eyepiece focus adjustments capabilities. For windage and elevation, the standard is one click changes impact ¼” at 100 yards.
Reticle
Choosing the right type of reticle is extremely important as well. There are all types of reticles like simple cross hair, mil dots, duplex reticles, BDCs, and many other variations. Some reticles are even illuminated or light up using a battery or ambient light.
Having the correct reticle is extremely important, especially for survival. When choosing the right reticle, you don’t want so much going on that you lose focus on what is really important, which is simply hitting your target.
The best reticle for survival is a Duplex reticle. Manufacturers making variations of the duplex reticle but the concept is the same. It’s a modified crosshair style that features thick bold lines on the outer part of the crosshair for fast target acquisition, but at the center where the two lines cross are much finer lines so you can still see the target you are shooting at. Some duplex reticles have dots that help measure the distance for bullet drop (BDC) at longer distances.
Durability
You need a scope with some necessary features for long term use and durability. Pick a scope with lens coatings. This block different wavelengths and repels water.
Also make sure the scope is seals for air tight use or it will get foggy with moisture and you won’t be able to see through the glass.
Getting high quality mounts and scope rings are also important. Don’t buy cheap scope rings. Cheaper scope rings are more likely to cause the scope to lose its zero from getting loose after long term use.
The downside to scopes
The downside to scopes is that they are more fragile than iron sights. You must keep your iron sights for backup. Redundancy is the name of the game in survival preparations and could save your life in a survival situation.
Though a good quality scope can last a long time, things happen. You could drop your rifle and damage the scope. The scope could for some reason lose its zero after a few hundred rounds. The glass could fog up on a cold day if the seal breaks. These are all things to consider.
Due to some of these unplanned scenarios, having back up scopes is something that a lot of shooters live by. Some hunters have 2 to 3 scopes just for one rifle depending on the situation and perfect as backups in case something happens.
Having easy off mounts can be a solution to increase the life of your rifle scope. You can make sure to take the scope off of the rifle and carry it in your pack when you are traveling. Wrap it with something soft, like blankets or extra clothes for some cushion. Taking it off and on may be a hassle without easy off mounts. What’s important is that the scope should not change zero when it is reattached.
Take good care of your rifle as well. If you drop your rifle with the scope attached, the scope is much more fragile and will break easier and faster than your rifle will.
Choosing the best rifle scope for survival
Find the best rifle scope for survival is tough. With so many factors to consider and so many different scopes to choose from it can be a daunting task. To makes things easier, just be sure to understand the situation you are in when SHTF. You will need a good all around scope that will get the job done. Get a great scope for the money that is still high quality and durable and will help you put food on the table and for protection when trying to survive.
In the end, I recommend a scope that is a 3-9x40mm. This is a great scope for a variety of calibers and environments.
Which size of scope would you recommend for survival? Do you have any specific scopes models that you would recommend for an SHTF situation?
Guest post by Gary Fretwell, rifle optics guru and big game tracker at GoShootGuns.com. He is a 33-year-old die hard hunter from Wyoming. He served in Iraq, loves his Ar-15, and is an Asset Protection Officer and a big game tracker who helps hunters like himself find big game.