8 Months and 4.5 Miles of the Toughest White Water in the Northwest: 

A fall rafting accident claimed this rifle in Oregon’s Grande Ronde River. It was found 8 months later and 4.5 miles downstream. The Vari-X II scope is as functional as the day it left the factory.

Survival At 4,000 ft. For 11 Years in Idaho:

This Weatherby Mark V was found at 4,000 ft. elevation and brought into a sporting goods store where it was later identified by the owner as the rifle he had lost on a hunting trip 11 years earlier. The Leupold 2-7 scope is fog-free and fully functional.

3 1/2 Year Endurance Test in Alaska

A moose hunter lost this rifle after falling into a stream in Alaska’s Copper River Delta. The rifle was found in a beaver dam 3 1/2 years later by a friend hunting the same unit. The Gold Ring scope performs as good as the day it was made.

Over 2 Years In A Georgia Ground Blind

This Ruger 77 was found in a ground blind in southern Georgia by a hunter who had hunted out of the same blind 2 years earlier. Who the original gun owner was may never be known, but what is known is that the 3-9 Leupold still works flawlessly.

So let this be a public service announcement: don’t leave your guns behind, and if you get them back: check your optics! They may still be functional, or find a new life on display to serve as a warning to others.