Is bigger and more complex always better when it comes to modern riflescopes for stalking? Kit envy would certainly have you think so, says Alasdair Mitchell
I recently felt the need to get a new riflescope. The definition of ‘need’ is, of course, subjective. But you know what I mean. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, did I really ‘need’ a new scope, given that my old one still functions perfectly? It’s matter of priorities. As WC Fields said: “I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted.” (Read more on riflescopes here.)
The scope I have used on my main deer rifle is a 6×42 fixed-power American Leupold. It must be about 20 years old. I’ve used it everywhere: in the African bushveld, for woodland stalking in the UK and Hungary, as well as among the barren hills of the Scottish Highlands. It has withstood high humidity and scorching heat, hours of lashing rain, as well as glazing ice, snow and temperatures as low as -20°C. It has never let me down. So why, given its exemplary service, am I looking to retire it?
Well, because when it comes to kit, you could say that I am a dedicated follower of fashion. In my case, this means I am usually a couple of decades…
