"Scope Whores?" Wow, that's... pleasant. No worries though. I've got thick skin.
I'm not sure exactly who Dave Anderson (the author) is nor what are his qualifications but, it was an interesting stroll down "history lane." Some of his statements were a bit ammusing to me. For example:
Dave Anderson wrote:
In the 1920s buying a scope was not a matter undertaken lightly. A Zeiss scope with base cost around $100 installed, at a time when $5 a day was a good workingman's wage, Want to spend 20 days wages on a scope today? Me neither... |
I know a lot of people who are active sportsmen (and woment) who make at or below $10/hr. At that wage, the top-of-the-line Zeiss, Swarovski, Schmidt and Bender, Leupold, etc. riflescopes (costing at or above $2000) represents the equal of at least 25 days wages (before taxes.) That price also doesn't necessarily include bases, rings, mounting, etc. To get down to the 20-days-wages level they would need to make about 12.50/hr. I'm sure many of us are very thankful that we make more than $10/hr (and even more than $12.50/hr) and are not in this predicament but, when we give people advise as to what optics to buy and they've given us a "meager" budget to work with, maybe we should be bit more careful about saying they'll "never regret" buying the most expensive thing on the market - especially when so many excellent, low cost options are available. In fact, the proliferation of high-quality, low-cost optics is a true blessing for all such sportspeople that really cannot be overestimated or overstated, though Dave only mentions it rather briefly and only in passing.
Dave Anderson wrote:
If prices had increased as fast as wages, a 1950s-era Weaver K4 today would cost about $560, a Leupold over $700, a Lyman Challenger or Bear Cub over $1,000. In fact, a first-rate 4X scope such as the Leupold M8 or Nikon Monarch, or a 4.75X Weaver Grand Slam can be purchased for $200 to $250.
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So, has he seen the current prices for Leupold, Zeiss, Swarovski, etc.? $700 - $1000 is considered only a "mid-priced" scope by today's standards.
Dave Anderson wrote:
Scope power is a rough indicator of shooter age. Low power = old-timer, high power = youngster. |
Which of course, very adequately explains the 6.5-20x40 Leupold Vari-X III scope sitting atop my 65 yr. old dad's primary hunting rifle.
------------- What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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