[Sergio Natali]

Originally Posted by danielsand

I know what you're saying.

ZF41 is my favorite for that period, but we all have to remember,......the rifles, AND the accessories, we are talking about here, belong to the certain time in history. Zeiss 41 was THE scope of the day, but just like weaponry advanced (in some ways), so did the optics.

It's unfair to compare ZF41 to the modern optics, just like it's unfair to compare a modern Mercedes to the one that drove Hitler around.

As far as "sore shoulder"........there is a way to hold the rifle to minimize the impact. Some people even wear shoulder pads over the shooting shoulder (I don't). I fire 3-4 magloads out of my M48, and I can feel the effects of it for few days, but it makes me "feel like a man" in some stupid way. I feel I'm closer to my ancestors when I shoot it.

Today's optics have features that help in the zeroing, range finding, trajectory paths, etc. ZF41 was VERY simple, with masterfully ground lenses (Zeiss is famous for that), and it took a great deal of training and skill to place that "perfect shot".

If you want to see this rifle/scope combo in action, rent "The Enemy at The Gates" and see it against Russian set up.

Daniel and Eric,

I did see that film not long ago really, beautiful but sad like many war films, thank God at least it had an happy ending!
Still on ZF41 / ZF42 here they are called "sniper scopes", but I think at the time they were only for sharpshooters, as they weren't magnifying enough and almost "mass produced".

Sergio