A recent happy customer - Neil Heron - shares the benefits of a change to a new brand of Rifle Scope from a recent Stalk in the Scottish Highlands.

 

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The latest lockdown has been devastating for shooting and with the latest restrictions where I live requiring you to go no more than 5 miles beyond your council area and only exercise outdoors with one other person, it has put a very early end to my winter game shooting.

 

Thankfully I live in a massive council area which is the gateway to the Scottish Highlands where I go Stalking. With foreign clients prevented from coming and Deer needing to be culled, this has left some very welcome and cheap opportunities for me in place of my other Shooting.

 

I’ve been able to secure numerous Stalks due to this but it left me thinking about my equipment. I’ve been using a factory Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in .308 with a Schmidt and Bender 8x56 IR for many years but I have never had the confidence to take shots much beyond 100 meters with it. 

 

This left me thinking about an upgrade to what is a great rifle. First was the Scope. I wanted more magnification without trading optical quality and the ability to ‘dial-up’ corrections. I had never heard of Sightron, an American brand, but saw a fellow Stalker using one and thought I should investigate further. 

 

So they offer a lifetime warranty with highly-rated Japanese Optics but surely this was way out of my small budget? 

 

Optics Warehouse offered a £1200 RRP Sightron SIII 6-24x50 IR SFP for £699 AND on interest-free credit for 1 year! Almost too good to be true but it gets better. I also traded in my old scope for almost as much as I bought it for second hand and was able to buy a nice laminate thumbhole Stock to complete the Rifle Upgrade.

 

[IMAGE: Sightron SIII 6-24x50 IR SFP Rifle Scope]

 

The first outing was a 200 meter shot at a Hind after a very challenging Stalk that left us unable to get any closer. Using the elevation adjustment I managed to place a shot directly into her heart. A shot I’d never have taken before.

 

Given I’d earned reward points from Optics Warehouse for the Scope purchase it had me browsing their website for what to spend them on. What I really needed was a new Stalking Jacket. My old jacket was literally disintegrating and the Scottish Highlands in Winter is no place to be underdressed. I needed something properly wind and waterproof but light enough to allow me to move all day and drag heavy deer.

 

Surely a website that sells Optics couldn’t help me here?

 

To my astonishment Optics Warehouse not only stock Shooting Clothing but they offer the top stalking brand Ridgeline from New Zealand. It gets better again though. They also had the cheapest price of anywhere I could find the jacket AND I got a FREE Backpack, which is the perfect size for days on the hill.

 

[IMAGE: Ridgeline Monsoon Classic Jacket]

 

So, one upside of COVID restrictions is being able to do so much Stalking, which has been made all the better by my new kit from a great retailer who has provided exemplary customer service and at the best price.

 

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Please note: Prices and Special Offers apply at the time of this post and are subject to change.