I'm not a rifle guy. My new No 1 in .45-70 will be my only rifle, and 100 yds is very likely the longest range I'll shoot it, at least most of the time. I'm shooting paper only, I'm old and my eyes suck, and I'm not going to shoot competitively, if there is such a thing. My fantasy right now is that I'll shoot mostly cast, and I'll hoof 'em out there at whatever produces decent accuracy at loads that are worthy of the No 1. I'm not super-interested in trying to withstand .458 Winchester equivalent loads, and I have no interest in 19th century black powder loads. I 'think' I want Ruger No 1 50,000 cup loads, min to max, that produce decent 100 yd accuracy.
My desire for the past 50 years has been to have a single-shot falling block rifle. Don't know why. My desire for the past 5 years or so has been to throw a big fat cast bullet downrange from a big fat rifle that isn't a muzzle loader. Don't know why. The No 1 in .45-70 seemed like the right thing to do.
Okay. Not going to hunt hogs, black bear, rabbits or elk. Going to shoot paper. What are the options? Red dots, scopes, open sights are all just fine suggestions. I ask about optics because my eyes aren't all that great these days--I'm 60.
I'm quite clueless, but so far I'm thinking relatively low power fixed is a good way to go, but I don't want to end up with a rifle that has a dumb scope mounted 8 feet above the barrel on little sticks. If at all possible, I'd like a setup that suggests 'working rifle'...not 'pretty rifle'. I don't like gadgetry.
If 'optics' isn't the answer and 'learn to shoot' is, I'm okay with that.
My desire for the past 50 years has been to have a single-shot falling block rifle. Don't know why. My desire for the past 5 years or so has been to throw a big fat cast bullet downrange from a big fat rifle that isn't a muzzle loader. Don't know why. The No 1 in .45-70 seemed like the right thing to do.
Okay. Not going to hunt hogs, black bear, rabbits or elk. Going to shoot paper. What are the options? Red dots, scopes, open sights are all just fine suggestions. I ask about optics because my eyes aren't all that great these days--I'm 60.
I'm quite clueless, but so far I'm thinking relatively low power fixed is a good way to go, but I don't want to end up with a rifle that has a dumb scope mounted 8 feet above the barrel on little sticks. If at all possible, I'd like a setup that suggests 'working rifle'...not 'pretty rifle'. I don't like gadgetry.
If 'optics' isn't the answer and 'learn to shoot' is, I'm okay with that.