Older Lyman All American, Perma center scopes

[mikeystew]

Can anyone shed some light on this scope for me? It came with my most recent rifle purchase and I'm not sure how well regarded it was as a scope in its day. It seems like great quality glass, very clear, and the reticle is very fine. It's a 6x with fixed parallax and what I would guess is a 30-35mm objective. Don't feel like breaking out the measuring tape just now...

 

[Hitzy]

Fine old steel tube scopes, not worth a lot of money today, but perfectly usable if you like it. I run a 2.5x with German reticle on an 8x57 and it's held up fine.
Both tubes are screwed into the center housing, not made like the 1 piece tubes of today.

 

[kamlooky]

I guess in a nut shell........yah gotta like'im tuh enjoy'im.
I do.
If the parallax is okay or you can adjust it to be okay, they make swell
eyes furr growse 22's.
That fine + hair makes the center of the target easy to find.

What are you going to put it on Mikey?
Photos of said shooter and a target oar two would sure spicen up this tread...........

 

[mikeystew]

It came mounted on a Remington 788 in .308 I picked up a couple months ago. Plan to take it out for deer this year if I'm lucky enough to sneak away for a weekend or two. It shot pretty good last time I took it out. About 3/4" at 50m for my first 3 shots out of it, then a hair over an inch at 100 before a stray round made me examine the scope and I noticed it was loose in the mounts. My shooting day was over, as I didn't have tools with me.
And that was with 20 year old ammo too. I'm confident now that I have it snugged up properly, it'll shoot even better. I'll find out Friday when I take it to the range.

 

[9.3mauser]

Lyman was a well respected name in it's day. I wouldn't expect it to be waterproof/fogproof if you have it out in the weather though. A lot of older scopes weren't sealed very well, if at all.

 

[kamlooky]

I'd bet Phil at Trace Scope Repair could tighten the britches of that old scope back up.
I would wait until after hunting season though as with the two old glasses I sent in it
was a kupple three months to get them back.
He did state the turn around time and almost bang on the money.

If you like the scope, the cost of freight is the only thing to consider that adds to
the economy of the tune up they do.

 

[Leeper]

First off, it's not a steel tube.
The Lyman scopes were one of the best scopes available in the 1970's. Optically, they were excellent and the adjustments were equal to any. I don't think the tube was quite as strong as that of the Leupolds or Weavers. This largely because the objective bell is threaded to the main tube and this can be a weak point. Don't drop the rifle on the scope and it isn't a problem.
They were very well sealed and I would expect it to be as waterproof as any other. I would rather have one of these scopes than many of the over-weight, over-sized variables which are so popular today.

 

[mikeystew]

Thanks Leeper. It is a really clear scope to look through, though I haven't had it out in cold rain yet. But I'm not too concerned about it fogging. It doesn't get terribly cold in BC and I don't do much hunting in a downpour.

Also I'd have to agree, I'm much happier with this scope than I have been with many of the modern scopes. It's sleek, extremely clear, superfine crosshairs, and I think looks right at home on the old 788.

 

[mikeystew]

Here is a shot of the view, looking out about 50 yds to a fishing net bouy sitting on a sand pile. Nice and bright optics. And I must say the eye relief is pretty generous. I had my camera about 5" away from the eyepiece to get it focused.