Eons ago, when I bought my Model 340 Savage (the No. 1 song at the time was “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini�?if that gives you some idea), the only scope I could afford to mount on it was a rimfire model.

As I recall, it was a pretty dismal thing even for the little it cost. These days we are much more fortunate.

The scope I mounted on the Savage Model 40 (rifle review posted yesterday) was a Nikon Buckmasters 3X�?X (631-547-8607; nikonusa.com), which has a real-world price of $200 and is a prime example of what a lot you can get for that modest sum.

No bells and whistles, just bright, sharp optics and excellent adjustments. I wish I’d had one then. I wish I’d had a lot of things then.

SPECIAL THANKS TO FIELD AND STREAM MAGAZINE