Walnut and blue steel are my passion, but so are accurate rifles. Now that peripheral neuropathy is ruining my ability to climb our high and rough mountains I have given in and got a Weatherby Vanguard in 6.5-300 Wby off an internet site at a great price. Its 26" barrel slings out 129gr SSTs at 3,500 FPS, and the KUIU Vias camo blends in well with my terrain.

I will always believe in getting close, or you're not a hunter, but I need a little edge now. Sighted in at 300 yards gives me a hold on a deer's heart/lung area out to 400 yards. A modestly priced Burris FFII 4.5-14 is all the scope I need for the ranges I'll be shooting.

I have several FFII scopes, two 3-9 and another 4.5-14 that's on my 25-06, and I have nothing bad to say about any of them. A good friend and American gun writer told me to keep using the Philippine made scopes. He tests scopes and reports on them for several publications.