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Old 01-07-2021, 07:44 PM
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Default Vintage Kollmorgen rifle scope

I have found that this forum has a diverse group of members, age wise and knowledge wise. For that reason, I thought I would post this question here before going to a rifle forum.
I have a Kollmorgen 2 ¾ power Bear Cub scope that is on my late fathers hunting rifle. This rifle has been in my possession for decades now.
This has a reticle that I have never seen on any other scope or even in scope advertisements or on the internet.
My 1956 Shooters Bible (47th Edition) has the Bear Cub listed and says it comes with a “Cross-hair” or “Post & Cross-hair” reticle. For an additional $12.50 it can be had with a “Lee Dot” reticle.
I have not been able find any images for the Lee Dot reticle anywhere.
I am assuming that my scope has the Lee Dot reticle. If my old memory serves me correctly, my dad had told me this was a range finding reticle of some sort.
Attached is a photo of the reticle.
Any and all comments are welcome.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg reticle.JPG (142.6 KB, 123 views)
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Old 01-07-2021, 08:41 PM
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Google "lee dot reticle" or "T K Lee dot". There's a lot of info.
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Old 01-07-2021, 10:58 PM
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I have a 4x Kollmorgen Bear Cub on a Sako L57 in 243. It has the standard cross-hair reticle. It consistently shoots under 1" groups and the zero stays within 1" from season-to-season. It is an amazing combination.

The dot reticle can be used as a range finder of sorts if you can do the math. Look at a 100 yard target marked with a 1" grid and see the size of the dot. A 3moa dot will be about 3" at 100 yards, 6" at 200yds and 9" at 300. If you know the size of the target and the bullet drop, you can use all that inforamtion to estimate the range and "hold over".
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Old 01-08-2021, 08:22 PM
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Below is info I have gathered over the years.
"In 1956 the Kollmorgen Optical Company, Northampton, Mass., began marketing scopes under its own name. Previously, it had been producing the Bear Cub line of scopes for the M.L. Stitch Co. These Kollmorgen-branded scopes were available only from 1956 until 1959, when the Redfield Gunsight Co. purchased Kollmorgen and began marketing the scopes under the Redfield label.

"All Kollmorgen scopes featured constantly centered reticles, weatherproofed lens systems, and windage and elevation systems that were adjustable to zero."

What I have seen about "T K Lee dot" is that this business puts dots in reticles for customers.
The reticle I have shown consists of 2 concentric circles with a post below them.
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Old 01-08-2021, 08:35 PM
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That’s not a Lee dot...

Kollmorgen made periscopes for the USA and branched out into civilian rifle scopes after the war, so they could keep their workforce employed. They also produced a sniper scope for the US military around 1952, which brings big money (thousands). Yours is not one of them.

They produced quality products and were soon acquired by Redfield, as previously mentioned. You’ll also find Stith Kollmorgen scopes. The similarities are obvious.

Be advised, their main tubes on these are 26mm, not 1”. You’ll crush the tube if you try to mount it in 1” rings (25.4mm). 26mm rotary dovetail rings are available, but you may need to purchase them used at auction.
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