121 results
Scope Cleaning 101
When you’re using a scope, let’s be honest - you’re going to be outside… and the outside world is full of grit, grime, dust, mud, strange little fibers. There’s stuff out there, and it’s going to get on your scope. Today, we’re going to be looking at how to get your scope to look as pretty as when you first laid eyes on it.
Leatherwood ART Army Qualification - 1968
In 1968, the 9th Infantry Division in the US Army officially began their Sniper Training and Employment. During the last two days of the course, recruits were to complete the qualification firing.
We decided to try our own version of this ART qualification. To make things interesting, we put the M1000-PRO against our PentaLux TAC-VF 4-20X50 FFP scope. Additionally, we added a shot timer for induced stress.
Hi-Lux Optics Uni-Dial Scope Delivers Life-Time Hunting Experiences
... That next year, I drew an antelope tag and was lucky enough to find a Boone & Crockett buck...but he was 501 yard away. I had the confidence in the gun and your scope, so I dropped the big boy! Next was my wife's hunt where she took a Coues-Whitetail buck at 584 yards...with 7 of family and friends watching...she dropped the buck! Everybody couldn't believe it! That's the day the rifle got its neck name "Freak Nasty"! That year I also took a 3x3 desert mule deer buck at 375 yards...
All About LER (Long Eye Relief) Scopes
A few scopes are built to sit much farther away. They have a much longer eye relief than is standard. For this very simple reason, they're called long eye relief scopes. Sometimes, you'll see that written as LER.
The Essential Features to Look for in a Reflex Sight
A reflex sight (also known as a red dot sight) is an essential tool for shooters across various disciplines, from tactical and competitive shooting to hunting and self-defense. Its primary function is to provide a fast and accurate aiming solution, offering ease of use over traditional iron sights.
The Effects of Wind on a Bullet
At the range, you may hear someone ask for a wind call. This is them asking for the speed and direction of the wind, and potentially how much adjustment they’ll have to make to account for the wind.
Sandbags - Use and Function
Sandbags are wonderful and squishy bags of usefulness. On an especially long day, a proper sandbag may even serve as a quick pillow. However, for the purposes of your rifle, a sandbag is meant to provide support.
What is Illumination?
An illuminated scope does not mean night vision or infrared or a flashlight. Instead, illumination means that there’s a small light inside the scope, set up to illuminate the reticle.
Installing the M14/M1A Picatinny Rail
The M14 and M1A rifles do not normally have a Picatinny rail. They're not quite built for easy installation of a scope by other means, either. Still, these rifles are not without hope in the field of attached optics. Using the existing architecture of the rifle, it's possible to attach all the mounting equipment necessary to install a rail.
Where the Action Is
In a nutshell; the action is the portion of the rifle that performs the action of firing the round and ejecting the cartridge. The action is the mechanical structure responsible for loading a cartridge into the chamber, firing, and ejecting a cartridge. Let’s just say - this is literally where the action happens. Make all the puns you want.
Powder
Powder is the stuff that really sends the bullet flying. Once the primer sets off the reaction, powder burns. As the powder burns, the pressure and temperature in the chamber and the barrel skyrocket. The rising temperature and pressure cause more powder to burn, speeding up the process until it completes.
Straight-Wall vs Bottleneck
Cases come in many sizes, but only two general shapes: bottlenecked and straight walled.
The Gun that Won the West
The story of The Winchester 1873 rifle is not one of startling, ground sweeping change. Instead, it was a series of well-made decisions that boosted this rifle to great popularity, at a time when people in the Wild West were looking for a rifle just like it.
The Memory of Memorial Day
“We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”General Logan, 1868
The Long History of the 1903
The 1903 is a rifle. Chambered in .30-06 (‘thirty ought six’), it’s made of wood, metal, and a firm butt plate and weighs a bit over 8 ½ lbs. It’s a bolt action rifle that has been around since (you guessed it) 1903. Originally named the “United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903”, it’s now colloquially (and officially) named the “Springfield M1903.”
How to Choose a Rifle Scope
A handy set of questions for you to consider before you go picking a scope:
What is the size of your expected target?
What is the expected maximum distance?
What sort of environment and lighting conditions will you be shooting in?
Do you find metric or imperial measurements easier?
Do you want more information in the reticle, or do you prefer a cleaner view?
Is the scope’s weight or size an important factor?
The Birth of the Spider Silk Reticle
The first usable spider silk reticles were invented in either 1639, 1662, 1755, (a little before) 1785, or in 1802, each with their own unique spin. Considering that Rittenhouse and Peale’s 1776 “Riffle with a Tellescope to it” was the first recorded scoped rifle shot… and that this is a rifle scope blog... it’s reasonable that Rittenhouse would get credit for the first ‘practical’ application of a spider silk reticle.
The Totally Revamped M-1200 XLR Auto Ranging & Trajectory Scope Is NOW Available!
A couple of years back, the M-600 was replaced by the 2.5-10x44mm updated and upgraded M-1000 model. Now, the M-1200 has also been totally revamped – including a 30mm scope tube and switching to the new multi-cal “CAMputer” system, which is easier to use and more user friendly than the original Leatherwood system. The new system is also more compatible with a much wider range of popular cartridges as well – from the .223 Remington to the .50 BMG.
Old School Technology Meets New School Performance...
When it comes to recreating older style rifle scopes from the past, Hi-Lux Optics has done an outstanding job of maintaining the "Old School" look, while also incorporating modern up-to-date optics and internal construction to make the company's contemporary copies of older rifle optics far superior to the originals. One such "re-introduction" that has gotten a lot of attention, especially from "Old School" Marines, has been the re-make of the M40 USMC sniper scope - the original of which da...
Royal Army Museum WWI "Trench of Death" Reenactment
The Royal Army Museum in Belgium recently held a World War I reenactment at the Trench of Death in Dixmude, Belgium. The Trench of Death is famous for being the site at which the German Army retreated during the Battle of Yser. After sustaining heavy casualties, the Belgian Army along with French and British reinforcements, were able to successfully hold off the German Army due to torrential downpour and flooding in the German Trenches.
Scoping The Swiss K31 Rifle
Minimum eye relief of the Hi-Lux scope is 8.7″ at 7X and is perfect for the K31. Most scout scopes are low power optics good for a quick shot at shorter ranges but not so good for target shooting at distance. With a variable power scope like the Hi-Lux I have the best of both worlds. I can turn it down to 2X and hammer targets off-hand at 50 yards or I can sit at the bench at 100 yards and test my handloads at 7X.
Thanks To Hi-Lux TB-ML Scope, Iowa Muzzleloading Hunter Makes 242-Yard Shot On A Whitetail Buck!
Iowa resident Mike Ross, hunting the late muzzleloader season this past January, pulled off a great 242-yard off-hand shot with his Knight .50 caliber Long Range Hunter, taking a nice buck with a single bullet centered through the chest cavity. He attributed the success of that shot to spending a lot of time on the range with the rifle and the Hi-Lux Optics multi-reticle TB-ML scope - and to the precise placement of those reticles in the scope.
Hi-Lux Optics Recreates Vietnam Era USMC Sniper Scope
Hi-Lux Optics is now recreating this 1960's era scope for all of those "old school" sharpshooters among us, those who take the time to know the trajectory of the loads they shoot. However, Hi-Lux Optics has made some major internal improvements.
The finishing touches are now being made to this recreation of a vintage scope from the past, and should be on display at the SHOT Show.
The Hi-Lux Optics 2-7x LER - A Special Scope For Special Needs
Recently, the Davide Pedersoli arms making firm of Brescia, Italy shipped me one of the coolest looking modern in-line ignition muzzleloading rifles I've ever seen for test shooting. What makes this rifle so different from other No. 209 primer ignition in-line rifles on the market is that it is actually built to look like something that "could have" existed back in the 1860's. This .50 caliber modern muzzle-loaded big game rifle is being built on a modified variation of the old Remington Ro...
A Collection of Strange and Exciting Stories
Every so often, I’ll come across an old article that seems far too interesting to just leave behind. I’ve gathered up a few segments here that never made it into an article, though they may at some point in the future.
I hope you enjoy this rather unusual collection of stories, mostly from the 1800s.
Reaching out to 1000 Yards
You might imagine that finding a range in the city is hard enough. That’s certainly true. Even out past the edge of the city, most ranges taper off around 600 or 650 yards. Chris had been getting too comfortable with those distances, so we needed to find a stretch of land to give him a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, Southern California has a pretty good patch of desert that calls it home.
Newsletter - February 2025
February saw a number of new releases among our scope lineup: the new Sporter 3-12 and M40 Mk2 are hitting the shelves. We've put up some videos about the scopes after taking them out for a nice range day in the desert, which also yielded some fun photo opportunities.
6X Long Scope Reticles
The 6X Long Scope Gen ii has a small and sometimes overlooked upgrade : the ability to swap out reticles.
How Do I Swap a Reticle?
If you're looking to swap from the plain crosshairs to another style, here's everything you need to know.
Angular Measurements - MOA, MIL, and More!
Adjustments made to your aim and your scope are often discussed in angular measurements such as MOA (and MIL, which we’ll talk about in a bit). Angular measurements are used for a very important reason
Turrets - How do they work?
If you’ve ever asked, “Am I moving my point of view when I dial? What does impact L or U mean? What is being adjusted in there?,” then it’s time to learn about turrets.
The Barrel
The barrel is the place where the bullet builds up speed, starts to spin, and gets going on the right path. Once the primer is struck, the powder burns and heats, the reaction speeding up as more powder heats up yet more powder and sets it off too. This expanding mass of hot air and burning propellant shoves the bullet down the barrel, burning more as it goes.
Scope Selector
Having trouble deciding on a scope? Use this handy online tool to narrow down our scopes by whatever factors you consider important!
The Briefly-Lived Mann Accuracy Device
For most of the shots you take with a rifle, you, the ‘squishy human component,’ are responsible for much of the lost accuracy. Now imagine that we’ve removed the human from the equation.
Shooting Two Miles in 1879
Imagine, if you will, two miles of sandy beach. At one end is you, with a selection of rifles featuring prototype cartridges and heavyweight bullets. At the far end is your target, up to 3200 yards away. The target is made of wood, layered in one-inch thick sections. The goal is to test bullet penetration at great distance, which now means you have to hit the darn thing. Repeatedly. Without a scope. This was the job for Mr. R. T. Hare of Springfield Armory.
An Early History of Rifle Scopes, 1776-1930
Peale proved precision optics were possible, but painful. Chapman and James championed cold-drawn chassis. Malcolm made masterful glass coatings and commercially successful scopes. Warner and Swasey’s scopes went to war, but wrestled with mechanical issues. Winchester’s scopes went to war too, but better because of better blocks. Bausch & Lomb made good glass for a while, then great glass with Zeiss’ knowledge. Stevens stuck with domestic glass and bought Winchester tooling, but was bough...
From Telescopes to Rifle Scopes - An Early History
As ubiquitous and varied as rifle scopes are today, there was a time when a “Riffle with a Tellescope to it” was quite a sight indeed. Don’t worry folks, we’ve got more puns in store for you. We’ll take a look into the very early history of rifle scopes.
Boresighting for Faster Zeroing
The quickest way to get on paper - 1. Unload your rifle, 2. Remove the bolt, 3. Look down the barrel, line up with target, 4. Dial scope to line up with target, 5. Replace bolt and fire.
Welcome to Hi-Lux Leatherwood Optics
For over 50 years, we’ve focused on one thing - hitting stuff really far away. Since the inception of the Leatherwood CAMputer, we’ve done more than just expand its capabilities. We’ve brought Jim’s vision to bear on a wide lineup of optics.
Leatherwood ART X-BOW Crossbow Scope
The ART X-BOW features an extremely accurate cam that can be calibrated to point of aim - point of impact for modern crossbows.
Using holdovers obscures the sight picture and degrades the optical clarity when looking through the scope.With the Frame Aim Shoot Technique (FAST), the ART X-BOW will compensate for your bolt's trajectory out to the target.
Checking Mounting Screws on Lyman-style 8X USMC Scope
The Malcolm 8X USMC scope comes with Lyman style micrometer rear mount and front ring. In this video, we’ll be going over what you need to periodically check to ensure that the mounts work properly.
Wm. Malcolm 6X Long Rifle Telescope - Fine Elevation Adjustment Set Installation
If you expect to frequently adjust elevation on your Malcolm 6X Long Rifle Telescope, you may opt to use the Fine Elevation Adjustment Set.
The FEASET is a bolt on upgrade to the rear scope mount. It allows you to adjust the elevation on the Malcolm 6X Long Scope without having to manually loosen and raise the scope block.
Wm. Malcolm 6X Long Rifle Telescope - Higher Front Ring Installation
To install the front ring on to the scope tube, slide the front ring on to the objective end sunshade, with the flat spring facing the back of the scope.
The front ring will slide into the front dovetail by the muzzle.
FFP / SFP Explained
Once again we’re in the shop, and today we’re talking about optics. It's time to look at the differences between FFP and SFP (First Focal Plane and Second Focal Plane) scopes.
Scope Mounting - Practical Methods
Today I want to talk about mounting an optic you finally purchased. I’m sure you shopped around, got the style you like. There’s a lot of options you had to decide before you bought that piece of glass. Now let’s talk about how you’re going to mount it to the rifle, the proper way - to keep it from losing zero and from scratching the tube up when you’re adjusting it, trying to get it just how you want it.
Best Scope Options for Shooters with Poor Vision or Old Eyes
Being an expert marksman is hard enough, but poor vision adds another challenging element to the equation. It’s particularly difficult when your vision deteriorates from aging, because then you need to learn to adjust. Targets that you could previously see with ease are suddenly blurry, and you find yourself squinting for clarity.
Hi-Lux CMR 1-4X Scope Review
One of the reasons 1-4X scope have been taking the AR industry by storm is that at 1X magnification, the scope can take the place of a both eyes open red-dot sight and with higher magnification setting it provides the power for reliable hits at longer distances.
Put Together A Dual Sight System for Your Modern In-Line Muzzleloading Big Game Rifle!
This rifle is now definitely set for the season, with a Dual Sight System that will allow me to make those longer shots out to 250 yards, using the multi-reticle TB-ML muzzleloader hunting scope...and to be able to pull that scope off and replace it with the zero magnification TAC-DOT sight for those times when I have to head into thick cover to get game to move.