Fun with the CZ.

[jkingrph]

I worked this morning in a little town about 50 miles from home, turns out the range I use was only about 18 miles from it, and it's again about 50 miles from the range to home, so after I got off, I headed for the range. Took 3 guns, my little CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel, a 550 Safari American in 375 H&H and a little Ruger 1a single shot in 7x57. Honestly the .375 is the most accurate, but I can only take about 10-12 rounds off a bench with it. The Ruger is one of the early red pad models, not the most accurate , plus I have one of the small 1-5x Leupolds on it, thinking the small straight ocular scope looks best one the small light rifle, still fun to shoot, and it has a Kepplinger set trigger also. I had done some work on the Grendel so checked the zero at 50 yards, did not set up targets any further. The range had some hanging steel plates at 150 and 300 yards. I was really bouncing the one at 150 but the 300 ones evaded me. I was close, very close by dust cloud. Next time out I told my Wife I am going to take a couple of big pieces of packing paper, put behind a target down there and get it zeroed at that range for some longer range fun. I had really not shot at that distance before and am rather interested in it now. The hanging plates were more fun than I have had shooting in a long time, much more than paper targets, reminds me of bouncing tin cans around when I was a lot younger.

[LRRPF52]

Yeah, shooting steel is way more fun and rewarding that shooting paper since you get immediate feedback that can be heard and seen at distance.

300yds is really boring for 6.5 Grendel even from the shortest of barrels.

What you will find is that your optic will be the most critical factor in what kind of work you can do at greater distances, but pretty much any basic duplex reticle scope will handle 300yds all day long. Once you start getting out beyond 500yds, you need to either dial or have a reticle that has precise-enough holds that will allow you to maintain a clear visual reference to the target.

The Leupold 1-5x24 scopes I’m familiar with have a duplex reticle. They are excellent scopes for a light hunting rifle, but don’t have any real way to compensate for trajectory.

[jkingrph]

My little CZ has a 3.5-10 Leupold vx3i 40mm. Not the best but by no means the worst. One limiting factor is my eyes, 75 years old with cataracts and thousands of floaters. I really do not get the chance to shoot enough to be as good as I was in my younger years. My current 50 yard groups are not as good as I could do back in my late teens/early 20's shooting a Win M70 featherweight 30-06 at 100 and 200 yards, the longest range available to me at the time, using a simple Leupold 4x scope. Right now for 300 yards, I need some better targets than the little 8 1/2x11 models I run off on my copier/scanner, and put a big fresh sheet behind it so I can identify fresh hits if off the target. The way I was hitting at 150 makes me think I cannot be off a lot at 300. I do have a couple of big AR bench guns in 6.5 Grendel, just never have gotten them on that range. They have a couple of different models of the Leupold AR scopes, mil dot on them, but again have not used them to be proficient in their use. 300 yards for a lot of us who grew up in the deep south with thick woods and swamps were places few and far between for shooting, some hunting clubs had set ups on fields, but again fairly few. Most of our hunting shots would be 75 yards and less. Most people who had rifles capable of long range shots, were not proficient enough to make such shots and would wait and try to get in close.

The little Leupold on my Ruger is a VX3 1.5-5, like you say excellent for a light hunting rifle, the thing is I no longer hunt, but lik Moe nice rifles, and tend to target shoot with them. This one has a rather long throat and the ammo I was using was not best for that situation, 139 gr Federal spier points. I would do much better with a longer, heaveir bullet out of this paticular gun, something along the order of the 175 gr round nose.

I do wish my CZ had a heavier barrel, it would make it a little more stable shooting off a bench and not heat up so quickly, but as it is it is a trim little rifle that carries easily.

[VASCAR2]

I highly recommend the cataract surgery. I had my second eye done last Wednesday. I have stigmatism in both eyes and still far sighted so I’ll get new glasses in about three more weeks. I had a check up Friday and my eye sight uncorrected was 20-25 or one line worse than 20-20. I’ve worn glasses since I was fifteen and have been fighting poor vision the last couple of years. The surgery has also improved my vision in low light.

Hopefully the better eye sight will help in my shooting as it is my favorite hobby.

[jkingrph]

I am planning on pursuing the cataract surgery option in early Jan. I have a VA appoint for an eye exam and they area aware of the cataracts. I checked with the ophthalmologist that did my wife's back in early summer and they do work with the VA. If problems with that I will still go with him using medicare and private insurance.
What lenses did you get, my wife went with the basic as the fancy models were something like $4000/eye extra, I think that was per eye but not sure. I have been nearsighted all my life, started with glasses at age thirteen. Would love to have uncorrected distance vision and would have no problem just needing reading glasses. We figured that we could buy a lot of reading glasses for the price of the the fancier lens implants, and lucked out on my wife as an older pair of glasses were the perfect prescription for her.

[Old Bob]

My first consultation with a cataract surgeon is on Dec 11th. Exactly when I'll have the operation is an "I don't know" as of yet. Looking forward to renewed vision though. My older brother had cataract surgery on both eyes two years ago which enabled him to put away his prescription glasses. Don't know if I'll have both eyes done in one operation like he did. The optometrist I saw last month says the cataracts in my left eye were barely visible when she examined my eyes. She said the cataracts in my right eye were about as bad as she's ever seen. I'm right-eye dominate so fixing that eye is a no brainer.

[jkingrph]

I have been in medical care, pharmacist for 52 years now, and have know quite a few ophthalmologists. None that I have known would operate on both eyes at once. I could possibly see it if a persons vision had deteriorated enough that he could not see irreguardless of what the outcome of the surgery would be. The generally prefer to operate on one eye at a time in case problems arise, preferring to address any potential problem before putting the other eye at any risk.

Several years back I awoke one morning barely seeing much out of my right, dominate eye. I called the eye docs office, and they wanted me there quick. Found out I had what they called a detached viterous humor, the sac that holds the gel, viterous fluid, in the eye. Apparently it is attached to the inside of the eyeball in 3 places and two had torn loose during my sleep. That morning it looked like I was seeing through the broken end of a coke bottle, swirled glass, best way I can describe it. I was told I could do one of two things, get used to it, or have the sac removed which might cause other problems. I chose to live with it, result is that I have thousands of tiny floaters and afew big ones. Everytime I get the eyes checked the optometrist says he can see the big ones and wishes he could reach in and pluck them out. A couple of years later same thing happened to the other eye. You simply learn to ignore the floaters for the most part, they are most noticeable in certain lighting conditions. Right now I am having trouble with bright lights, reflections off car windhshields, chrome work, ect. really annoying.

[VASCAR2]

Sorry to hear about your vision problems jkinggrph. As far as the replacement lenses I got the standard lens as I knew I had stigmatism in both eyes. There were other lens options but I was used to wearing glasses. I think my insurance will cover most everything but my deductible for the out patient surgeries.

A good Friend lost his hearing and lost one eye in an accident. He required eye surgery on his one eye and was blind for a short time. He said if he had to choose he’d rather be blind than deaf. Hopefully none of us will ever have to deal with either. Most people can learn to adapt but I really missed having good vision. With my stigmatism I can’t comfortably use off the shelf reading glasses. I’m still struggling with reading but it should be about a month till I can get new prescription glasses.

[jkingrph]

Thanks Vascar2, Not so much a problem but annoyance. I can still see and shoot good, Thanksgiving I was using peep sights and doing as well if not better than my 44 year old son using a scope. I'm sure insurance will cover cataract surgery, it did for my wife, and I always have the VA. I'm going in there next month for an eye exam and will bring it up. The optometrist keeps say it's getting closer so maybe.

[kmon]

Also having that problem with bright lights/sun reflections etc. I had the cararacts done with the standard lenses in 2018 about 2 1/2 months apart with the standard lenses, I have been using reading glasses for several years so no big deal for the closeup stuff. Right eye did good which was the first eye done then the left eye had a little trouble and gla the right eye was about 20/30 after the surgery. Left eye got bad enough that I could not read the Big E so basically legally blind in that eye.
I also have Fuchs Dystrophy in both eyes or at least had, surgery for the left eye on Sept 17, looking to get the stitches out from that In January. Vision has improved to 20/25 in the left eye now (right eye has dropped to 20/60 or so) and the starbursts from bright lights are about half the size in the left eye as in the right. Going to try to get the right eye done in Feb 2021, or perhaps the end of Jan. I have not driven t night in about 3 years just cannot meet a car with bright headlights and see the road. My main place to hunt is an hour drive away so that really puts a damper on hunting early or late in the day, oh well still getting out there. I could shoot from either shoulder about the same but now it is getting harder to see the targets with the right eye and with a De-fib on the left side that cuts out shooting left handed with the good eye. But still hunting.

Good luck with the eyes and shooting, we usually find a way to enjoy what we love.

[cwmoss]

I had cataract surgery about 3 years ago. I have had to wear glasses since I was 10. I had a bad stigmatism and was very near sighted. They did an eye examination and used that prescription when they replaced my lenses. The cataract surgery was covered, but I had to pay for the "upgraded" lenses. They said I might need to wear readers, but I only have to have help with seeing or reading things that are very very small. The worst part of the procedure was all of the eye drops they give you before the actual surgery. You won't feel a thing other than some tugging getting the old lenses out.

[Sinclair]

jkkingrph,

Go for it, bro. The worst thing about my first cataract surgery was that the Doctor and the Anithesiologist were unfamiliar with me and really put my into a deep sleep. The Doctor had to keep waking me up and tell me to look at the light and , please stop snoring! Other than that, they were both a piece of cake. Now I have 20/20 in the right eye and 20/15 in the left. By the way don't let your age interfere with shooting. Two years ago, I won our clubs 300 yd match against 30-40 year olds and I am 76!

[jkingrph]

jkkingrph,

Go for it, bro. The worst thing about my first cataract surgery was that the Doctor and the Anithesiologist were unfamiliar with me and really put my into a deep sleep. The Doctor had to keep waking me up and tell me to look at the light and , please stop snoring! Other than that, they were both a piece of cake. Now I have 20/20 in the right eye and 20/15 in the left. By the way don't let your age interfere with shooting. Two years ago, I won our clubs 300 yd match against 30-40 year olds and I am 76!

Thanks Sinclair, I have no intention of giving up shooting. Over the Thanksgiving weekend my son and grandson made it over. Grandson just turned 9 a couple of months ago and all he wanted to do was go shooting, never shot a gun before. First day carried a Ruger 77/22, 10/22, my Marlin 1894 in 32-20, and a CZ527 in 6.5 Grendel. He liked the 77/22 best and was doing ok for a first time, burned through a lot of ammo and wanted to go back the next day, so we did, This time left the Marlin home and carried my big AR 15 bench gun in 6.5 Grendel also, and he shot it, still liking the 77/22 best. We then let him try a few handguns S&W K 22 and K38, no problem with the K38. Then he tried a little Ruger single six, slow loadin, and he shot one round through my Sig P365 9mm, did not care for it with a red dot sight, although I think that will change if he gains experience. Probably burned through 750-800 rounds of ammo that weekend , an extremely high number for me. Son has a 10/22 I fixed up for him when he was still a legal resident here in TX although he was going to law school in MS. He had been checking an has found a range where they can shoot, so gave him a carton of 325 rounds of Federal match for the grandson an extra Christmas present. From the looks of things I may have a shooting partner, just wish they were a lot closer.