Help Support Long Range Hunting

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robertstevens
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Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by robertstevens »

I’m looking for a long range hunting scope. Purchasing a new gun here soon and can’t decide on scope. Will be mounted on a Christensen ridgeline 7mm rem mag. Main use will be hunting, will be a occasional target gun but nothing serious and probably not past 600 yards. Price range is $2000ish. Only requirement is must have a 3-4 power as minimum.
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BobinNC
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Re: Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by BobinNC »

I can only recommend scopes I've owned:

Vortex Razor Gen II 3-18x50mm

Steiner 3-15x50 T5Xi

Both are solid. The Steiner is quite a bit lighter than the Vortex, but the Vortex has the better reticle. Both are in your price range.

I had the Vortex on my Custom 26" barreled 6.5x47 Lapua.

The Steiner road on my Tikka CTR 20" barreled 260 Rem Stainless.

Scopes I haven't used but show some promise and are in your price range are:

Sig Sauer Tango 6 3-18x44mm
Burris 3-18x50mm XTR III

Scopes I've used but Don't recommend:

Leupold Tactical Scopes (always over priced and under delivered)

IOR Valdada 3-18x42 MX-6 Tactical ( It had one of the best reticles MP8 Dot and clearest glass (Schott) in it's price range, but overall it was a fail). It was my first FFP scope back in 2008. It never failed me, but many friends and fellow shooters had theirs fail during comps or in the field, it was like a epidemic. In fact i bought mine (a Gen 3) new from a shooter who's Gen 2 failed and this was the replacement sent by IOR from Romania. It was a bargain at the time. I paid him $1200. to take it off his hands. I sold it 2 years later and got all my money back. I replaced it in 2010 with a US Optics 3.2-17x44mm that costs double the Ior's price. Great scope also BTW but out of your price range. I had it on my Rem 700 7mm-08 with 26" barrel for about 3 years.

As you can see I really like scopes with a 3x in the bottom and 15 to 18x on top. I find these are most useful in all field shooting situations. I also like objectives 50mm or less.

Scopes greater than 20x really require a 56mm objective, which I find is too large for low mounting. Great for a range or comp only rifle not so much for humping around.

IMHO and YMMV....
BlogSarge
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Re: Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by BlogSarge »

I’m really liking my Nightforce NX8 2.5-20.

I wish it had been offered in second focal plane when I got it, but that is an option now so you can take your pick.
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BobinNC
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Re: Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by BobinNC »

BlogSarge wrote: Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:35 am I’m really liking my Nightforce NX8 2.5-20.

I wish it had been offered in second focal plane when I got it, but that is an option now so you can take your pick.

Just curious why would you want a SFP scope that goes to 20X?? Unless your only shooting on a square range with known distances.......
hntbambi
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Re: Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by hntbambi »

I shoot long range with a variety of different guns/chamberings. One scope I have been impressed by is the Burris Veracity. I have it in 3-15x50 and 4x20x50. The 3-5x50 is on a smokeless muzzleloader that has very stout recoil with high end loads. I'm talking about 325 gr bullets going 3000 fps. These guns eat scopes but my Veracity has been holding up for 5 years with many rounds shot under it. It still tracks true and retains zero just fine. It is offered in FFP as that is the only configuration I will purchase going forward. I trust to use it on my once in a lifetime hunt. The optics are very fine and compare to my Leica and Swarovski glass when it comes to clarity. There may be some color aberration but I can identify targets well past legal shooting time.

I agree with Bob when talking about Leupold scopes. Way over rated. They do have a great warranty but I have had to use it too many times to trust them going forward. I won't trust them to use on a hunt when tags are so hard to get.

Nightforce scopes are outstanding as well just a lot more expensive. Also look at the weight of the scopes. Sure they are super strong, but I do not want to have a >2 pound scope on my hunting rifle. Dang sure not on a elk or mountain rifle. If you ride a quad to a treestand a heavy gun is ok but not for trecking 5-7 miles per day in the mountains at 10k feet ASL.
BlogSarge
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Re: Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by BlogSarge »

BobinNC wrote: Fri Oct 09, 2020 2:11 pm
BlogSarge wrote: Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:35 am I’m really liking my Nightforce NX8 2.5-20.

I wish it had been offered in second focal plane when I got it, but that is an option now so you can take your pick.

Just curious why would you want a SFP scope that goes to 20X?? Unless your only shooting on a square range with known distances.......
I don’t use the ranging feature and almost always am at a known range so the SFP scopes serve me well. In truth, I rarely shoot past 200yds anyway because it is hard to find longer ranges around me anywhere. At closer distances, especially for a fast shot, the larger reticle at low power would be to my liking.

I definitely see the place for the FFP. In fact, I have no plans to trade mine away. I plan to do a few potentially longer range hunts in a few years (pronghorn and elk, and maybe moose) and will polish up on my ranging skills with the reticle for that. I have a laser range finder, but it is always best to have the raw skills to use when the tech gadgets poop out on you!

Cheers!
robertstevens
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Re: Help Support Long Range Hunting

Post by robertstevens »

Thanks All
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