Redfield Widefield 3x9

B

Braddock VC

New member
I have a Ruger #3 in 223 rem and have fitted a variety of scopes to it to suit my needs, eg burris 1.5x5 which was fantastic in woodland dim conditions, changed it out to a burris 3x12 cheapo which has been fine for varmints etc but many years ago I got a redfield widefeld 3x9 which I removed from the gun it came with and popped it back in its original foam packing in its box with the manual and poked it in the back of my gun safe.
I was clearing the ammo shelf out the other day and it came to light. It was early evening and getting dusk so I looked through it, after cleaning the lens, and was amazed by the clarity, on a par with my Zeiss and much better than the burris 1.5x5 but how much this is due to the higher magnification I don't know.
I know Redfield ceased to exist so my life time warranty is invalid but I'm thinking about mounting it on my Ruger #3.
Does anyone down the line have any experience of these scopes in the field?
The gun will mainly continue in its varmint incarnation with the occasional foray out to harvest some munctjac deer which are one of the two deer species for which it's calibre is legal in England, so it's not going to be heavily used.
All info welcome.
 
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It is a good scope for hunting deer or larger varmint out to 250yd or so. For small varmints at longer distance, scope with bigger objective and higher magnification will probably do better.

-TL

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We have three of them. I gave my boys my childhood big game rifles, one a R700 .30-06 and the other a Win 670A in .243Win and both have Redfield 3-9 Widefields on them. I have another unmounted. They are good scopes well suited to Big Game and such. For small rodents, I'd agree that it might be limited past 200 or so. I'd want more mag on a .223 if I was shooting small stuff past 200.
 
It's a 3-9X, 1.5-5X, etc. A 3X9 would be a fixed power 3X scope with a tiny 9mm front objective. All fixed power optics are listed as 4X, 10X etc. If you include the objective size that comes after the X.

For example, binoculars, or a fixed power scope with 40mm objectives would be written 4X40 or 10X40. If a variable power you list the range of magnification as 3-9X or 4-12X, etc. If you also include objective size it always comes after the X. So 3-9X40 or 4-12X50 etc.

The old Redfield's are good scopes. I'd use it in a minute with one limiting factor. The rubber seals in all scopes can go bad over time and the scope may leak if used in wet conditions. That's true of just about any scope much over 30 years old.

Leupold and some others will take an old scope and refurbish it. There may be a 3rd party repair possibility for that older Redfield. Seems like I've read of someone doing that.

They can still be used as is, but I wouldn't trust an older scope on an expensive out of state hunt for a trophy animal where I'd be upset over missing an opportunity because of a scope failure. For range use, or meat hunting around home yes.

Sounds like it will be fine for what you want to do.
 
I tried similar route before. It costs quite a bit to restore a scope properly, including nitrogen purging. I decided to redirect the money towards a new scope instead.

Still keeping the old scope. It just retires from critical role to leisure role.

-TL

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Paul B. said:
I googled this place. They repair scopes and Redfield is one brand they do. Not sure if the link will work. I'm not too computer savvy. :(

https://ironsightinc.com/

Paul B.
Click to expand...
I thought about sending one to them a few years ago. $100+ for a refurb and maybe a BDC reticle.

Basically asked myself if I would buy a new, no warranty 3-9 with those features for $100 and I answered no. So I just let them be what they are.
 
Redfield

The original Redfield USA scopes were entirely functional and were manufactured in Denver, CO. The company ran into some sort of financial and EPA trouble and folded. That is a brief summary from faded memory.

The Redfield name continued on a series of import scopes which were not in the same league as the USA models, but still could suffice for light duty, about on line with other imports of the day, Simmons, Tasco.

Redfield returned to the USA maybe a decade ago, owned by Leupold, and they started making scopes here, like,....... just down the road from the Leupold facility. I hear that operation has folded, although the sports chain Academy is still selling Redfield optics, I believe they are again imported. Could be wrong about all that.

The Widefields had a following, and I still have one mounted on a .223 Mini-Mauser. It continues to serve, but the little bolt rifle does not see any hard use and is mostly a centerfire trainer. I've sent 2 Redfields to Ironsight Inc, back when a rebuild cost $50-60 and turn around was measured in a couple of weeks to a month at worst. I still have them, but they are not mounted on rifles at present. I began to see a distinct difference in brightness from that 1970's glass and entry level 'scopes from the present day, and retired the Redfields, except on the MiniMauser.
 
When I first seen the product line of weaver's in the showcase of my local hardware store. Oh how I wanted a Wide-field model. Just couldn't afford one. New baby in the house and wages of $2.21 hr it was hard to make ends meet during those first years.
When I did have the money. No longer did I have the interest in a wide-field as there so many scopes by then on the shelves. Japan out sold all the scope manufactures it appeared. Bushnell, Nikon and American made Leupold had the best clarity glass back then. Then came the European scopes manufactures and the market place for scopes changed again.
 
To be frank, the widescreen is more of a gimmick. I'd rather to have a normal scope with 36mm objective lens. It brings more light and FOV area. The real advantage of such a design is the possibility to mount the scope lower, if you can find the rings for it.

-TL

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