Scopes on a percussion....

[Dean2]

If eyesight is good enough then taditional or peep sites seem to be the right approach. It is what I currently use on my muzzle loaders, and I have no muzzle loader that isn't a sidelock.

When eyesight is not so good, a guy has a choice, quit hunting or go to optical assist. I never want to quit hunting and I don't want to wound animals so PC or not, I will do what I have to to ensure I can hit my targets, even if it means putting a modern scope on the gun.

These more PC correct scopes are fine, till your eyes are not as good. I have Unertls on a couple of rifles and as good as they are, and they are far suuperior to the new Malcolms which I have also tried, they are no where near as good as the new Leupolds, Swaros and Zeiss. Just my 2 cents, everyone else is free to do exactly as they please.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Not quite the very last words. But he died of a gunshot wound during the battle of Spotsylvania the same day as having made the remarks:

The general said laughingly, "What! What! Men, dodging this way for single bullets! What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance.

And later repeated:

"Why, my man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way" and repeated the remark, " They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

It goes down as a stupid remark in the retelling, but if you review the day he was a brave man, hiding whatever fear he knew from his troops.

(No evidence scopes were used by the Confederates in the incedent).
http://www.civilwarhome.com/sedgwickdeath.htm[/quote]

Agreed, Sedgwick was a brave man and a good leader who cared for his men. But there is, as Stumpy said, no evidence whatsoever that a scope was used in this case. For that matter, the scoped arm was extremely rare and fragile during the era, scopes of the day could not stand up to military use - open sights and good eyesight were the "sniper's" tools of the day and this shot was no exception.

 

[ebiggs1]

... I never want to quit hunting and I don't want to wound animals so PC or not, I will do what I have to to ensure I can hit my targets, even if it means putting a modern scope on the gun. ...

Absolutely! Too bad everyone does not share your high morals as a hunter. Some are just "killers"!