[hawkeye680]

What kinds of scopes are you hunters using and on what? I just ordered my Rem 700 LSS in .30-'06 and now have to scope it. Give me your opinions on them.

Thanks.

 

[JT]

What's your price range?

 

[rocky]

Guess it depends on your $$$ range and purpose. I use a Mil. dot 3-9x40.

 

[Euclidean]

Here is the first thing I have learned about optics:

If it doesn't have to be taken out of a glass case for you to look at it, it's not a good scope.

 

[hawkeye680]

No price range, I was just looking for opinions on different models/brands of scopes.

Hunting whitetail. I will probably try to shoot on the range too when I get the chance.

 

[hawkeye680]

Here is the first thing I have learned about optics:

If it doesn't have to be taken out of a glass case for you to look at it, it's not a good scope.

So just buy one out of a glass case and be done with it?

Nice post count.

Real world evals guys, I can read magazine reviews all day but I like the info I get from this place a lot better.

 

[RSSZ]

In scopes as in bino's,basically,you get what you pay for. If you pay $79 for a scope,you'll be gettin' about $79 worth of scope. Any ol' scope will do-------------just as long as it's a Leupold. For the fairly close to moderate ranges, the 3X9 is the most common. If you plan to be hunting early morning or late afternoon consider buying a scope with a 50mm objective. My wife has a 3.5X10x50 on her deer rifle and it's an excellent scope for darkish shooting.I never saw the need for paying $1200-$1600 for a scope,but,I don't have any $79. ones either.-----------

 

[hawkeye680]

Any ol' scope will do-------------just as long as it's a Leupold.

Yeah, I was already kind of leaning to them anyway because my dad has one on his Browning and he likes it a lot. Plus from what I have read they really stand behind their warranty, and they are made here at home.

 

[RSSZ]

During my years as a guide in Maine,I got to look through/use alot of scopes and bino's. That's why I made the above statement. I hunted coyotes in Maine and wolves in Canada at night,on the snow or a frozen lake,during a full moon. That's when your optics have to be at their very best. The prime time to hunt(very early morning and late afternoon) is what brings out the best or worse in optics.Especially if your trying to see an animal standing in timber or in tall brush. This is where the money that you just spent for optics really pays off. I have approx. 15 Leupolds,from 2X7's all the way up to a 8.5X25X50 that I have sittin' atop a .30-378 Weatherby mag. Have never had a problem with any of them. One of them(a 2X7X33) has felt the recoil from about 300rds of more than full power .458 Win Mag's with no damage or leakage. These are the scopes that I would reccommend. Good Luck ----------

 

[P95Carry]

I have optics on most long arms - sometimes red dots for carbines. I must say I have ''gotten away with'' quite a few upper price range Simmons and even Tasco's - guess I have been quite lucky.

Top of list tho are Leupolds for me. I have two or three, one here is on my Ruger #1. I reckon also because I have had one or two - Bushnell, and Redfield are worth consideration.

If cash will run to it tho - a Leupold will be a great buy - see if you can find something on the auction sites - I got one which had ring marks but had supposedly seen little use - it was fine and saved me a bunch of cash.

3-9x40 is is for me a good alaround set-up. 50 object lens of course better but up goes price.

Reticle choice is another aspect with scopes. I find most acceptable - usually cross hairs but - have one with cross hairs and post - and a couple of mil dots.

 

[hawkeye680]

I have optics on most long arms - sometimes red dots for carbines. I must say I have ''gotten away with'' quite a few upper price range Simmons and even Tasco's - guess I have been quite lucky.

Top of list tho are Leupolds for me. I have two or three, one here is on my Ruger #1. I reckon also because I have had one or two - Bushnell, and Redfield are worth consideration.

If cash will run to it tho - a Leupold will be a great buy - see if you can find something on the auction sites - I got one which had ring marks but had supposedly seen little use - it was fine and saved me a bunch of cash.

3-9x40 is is for me a good alaround set-up. 50 object lens of course better but up goes price.

Reticle choice is another aspect with scopes. I find most acceptable - usually cross hairs but - have one with cross hairs and post - and a couple of mil dots.

I love those guns- I almost bought one instead of the 700. Maybe next time.

 

[blacksan]

I have always had a real sweet spot for Burris. It is one of the few scopes on the market with all steel internal adjustment components and glass lenses through the entire tube. It would simply shock you to see how many big $$$ scopes have plastic guts for adjustments and even plastic center lenses. The real test for me is two simply mount the scope and make a series of even vertical and horizontal adjustments to in essence draw a box on the target with approximately three rounds in each string of fire. If the last string is at the point of impact where I started then I am assured of even and consistent adjustment hence proper scope performance. The lens grind and coatings are very important also. Once again the Burris quality allows me to shot my varmint rigs without using a sunshade during the late afternoon when the sun is low. You get scope flair with a crapy scope but the quality optics negate most of that. Is Burris the only scope worth owning? No, but they have served me well for many years. When you decide what you want, check out SWFA on the net as they dam good prices.

 

[Euclidean]

So just buy one out of a glass case and be done with it?

No, but I did want to bump your topic to spur more conversation because I fond it interesting. And I was trying to be funny and guess I came across like a dork instead. Sorry about that.

I think I'd want something by Leupold in 3x9-40 in all likelihood, not sure of exact model. My cousin Phillip is quite the avid deer hunter and swears by that brand, and he's pretty rough on his equipment. I've been to his place enough to see first hand how he treats his stuff. He throws around Remington 700s like I might throw around a cheap milsurp.

I've had a couple of Tascos in the past that were given to me or I got free with something... junk. Honestly. I won't ever touch this brand again.

The point I guess I'm trying to make is optics cost money. It's like a digital camera: the best value is seldom the cheapest one.

Better answer?

 

[hawkeye680]

Better answer?

Yeah, I was just returning the sarcasm bro. I can appreciate it.

I do have one Tasco though- they didn't make them for too long, called an EXP. I really liked it because of the oval bell and the fact that because of the oval it stayed close to the gun.

 

[Kompact9]

IOR Valdada scopes are excellent and are intermediately priced. I have an 8x56 on my .308 and it does well in any light conditions. I also use a 6x40 Burris scope on a .223 as well with good results. I suppose fixed powers are not in vogue, but I like the idea that I can judge distance/game size better with a fixed sight picture than trying to remember where I set a variable power scope. Funny things can happen in hunting situations...SWFA is a good source for information and good prices.

 

[rocky]

I have found the biggr power 12-16 is too much for me . i can see wobble, but cannot hold steady with power turned up. Seems most of the $80 + scopes should be ok for reliability . Also consider a batt. light up cross hairs .

 

[gregarat]

I have a Leupold Veri-X III 3.5-10x, on my Ruger 6.5x55mm Swedish. Ive used it for 8 years. It was originally on my Remington 700, when the rifle was dropped from a cliff. Leupold fixed the scope with a three week turnover. Since then Leupold has been on most of my rifles, except a Bushnell 4200 Elite 16x on my varmint rifle, and a old Tasco varmint/tactical 10x on my 10/22.

Buy the best you can, its well worth it. Glass is NOT something you want to skimp on.

 

[gregarat]

Chris,
How well does your Ruger #1 45-70 shoot? Im a Ruger nut + I also love single shot firearms.
But I hear that the accuracy on the Ruger #1 rifles are either close to or even true M.O.A., or they are passable.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

The Burris Fullfield II is a GREAT scope for the money (about $200). I've got one on my new/old .270 AI.

I have a thirty year old Weaver Widefield 3-9 on my 25-06. I wish I had bought more than one at the time.

My .17 HMR wears a $80 Tasco 4-12. It works fine for that gun, and is very clear. The gun has no recoil and is only used in good weather though.

 

[hawkeye680]

This is exactly the info I was looking for, and I appreciate it.

Now an add-on question- what types of rings to you use? The kind that screw on the side, the ones that screw on the top, or the ones that meet at 10 and 2 on the tube?