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Old November 29, 2012, 05:53 PM   #10
Bart B.
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Join Date: February 15, 2009
Posts: 8,927
My wife bought me a new Unertl 1.5" 20X target scope for Christmas in 1969 costing about $120 as I remember. It was near the pinnacle of target scopes and on par with the Lyman 20X Targetspots.

The very best target scope of the late 1960's was a 20X one hand made by a retired USN Chief Warrant Officer (formerly chief petty officer opticalman) Al DiSimone (smallbore shooter) who made his own steel tube and lens mounts, used excellent glass from American Optical Company and Unertl external mounts. No other target scope made then was as clear, sharp and bright. The DiSimone cost about $200 back then. The Unertl external mounts/adjustments were better than Lyman, but the Lyman Supertargetspot had better optics than the Unertl.

In the summer of 1971, the USN Rifle Team training for the Nationals in Annapolis, MD, was shipped one of the new Redfield 3200's to test on a 7mm Rem Mag I was to shoot in 1000 yard matches. Mounted that scope on the rifle and fired two shots to refine the boresight. Made a correction, loaded the third round then shot it. Coming out of recoil, I noticed two wires twisted into the field of view. The reticule had broke. I shipped that scope back to Redfield in Denver at their request as they sent another one to us. The second one broke its reticule on the first round from the 7mm Rem Mag. We gave up and used a DiSimone scope.

I replaced my 20X Unertl with a Weaver T20 in 1981 after John Unertl (yes, the man himself) told me of a test made that compared all the target scopes used on high power rifles showing the Weaver Micro Trac system was the best by far for repeatability and not shaken loose from recoil. A couple dozen were tested on an M1A for 50 shots of recoil punishment, then tested ona 1/3 MOA rifle/ammo system at 300 yards. He said he was working on something to equal what Weaver had done.

A friend bought a Redfield 6400 in the late 1980's, it was the replacement for their 3200. He showed it to me at the first long range match he shot with it. Lasted about a dozen shots on his .30-.338 before the reticule broke.

Last edited by Bart B.; November 30, 2012 at 08:37 AM.
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