Back Country Hunting Scope

[effendude]

A 6 dasher or a 25-06 at 600 yards is a bit light for mule deer.

A "backcountry" hunt, must mean a high country hunt? Typically deer above treeline will allow you to get well under 600 yards without much effort. You can't just walk up on them, they are very wary, but the terrain allows for a pretty easy stalk. Getting to within bow range is pretty hard, but getting to within 200 is pretty easy. Above treeline, you will almost certainly have a little bit of wind to contend with as well.
I have a 243 set up for above treeline goat, sheep, and deer hunting. It has a 3.5-10 on it. If for some strange reason I need to shoot over 300 yards, where I might have to hold over, I can estimate the hold over pretty easily. No need to "dial it in", deer are pretty big targets. At over 300 I think the 243 gets kind of light for deer anyway.

Sorry, but I am not in agreement there. If you run the ballistics on a cartridge, even the fast ones with VLD bullets, you will see how fast a bullet starts dropping past 300 yards. A simple range estimation of 25 yards will result in a change of impact of nearly a MOA starting around 400 yards. Nearly 16" of drop between 400 and 500 yards away with a 7mm Mag with a 168 VLD. There are many tall tales of long shots made by holding above an animal, and I believe most were pure luck.

Scott

 

[B23]

For a light weight scope with VERY good optics, the Vortex Razor HD LH 3-15x42 is a really nice scope. I'm no particular fan of Vortex rifle scopes. I think you have to get up into their Razor line before their optics is very good and by then, I'll go NF, but I bought a couple of these Razor HD LH 3-15x42 scopes awhile back and they have very good optics and for a light weight build, they would definitely be one to consider.

 

[Falfan2017]

I'll second the 3-24 March. You get excellent glass and ergonomics including 24 moa in one turn of the dial and in a small lightweight package.

 

[MQ1]

I'm planning a back country mule deer hunt this fall. I'll take two rifles just in case of the unlikely event one should fail. One rifle sports a NF NXS 5.5-22X56. I absolutely love the scope but it is Heavy! Been looking at Leupold's VX6 HD series. I've only looked through them inside of a big store, but I was impressed with the clarity. I'm a dial up guy and am not fully on board with the turrets. My first concern is how small and close together the lines are. I'm older and my distance vision is still great, but I need reading glasses for the small stuff. My NF has low speed turrets, big lines with adequate spacing. So with it, I have no need for glasses while hunting. My other concern with the turrets is that the clicks feel a little soft, at least compared to my NXS. For a big game hunting scope I'm thinking maybe I could get by with something like the B&C reticle and not "dial up"? I don't have any experience with the Leupold custom dials that can be installed. Perhaps they are easily readable and would solve the turret issue for me? I'm really fussy about reticles and detest those that completely fill my sight picture. I have 3 illuminated LRV reticles in Leupold VX6 Scopes and like these. They are essentially 3 dots. Simple and effective, but not available with the VX HD series. Help me out here guys!

A couple years back, after squirrel shooting I had the chance to shoot a coyote to help my rancher friend out. It was a hurry-up opportunity, as we had already packed the truck, and inside a 15 seconds I had the rifle out and I was prone. I had dialed the scope back off about 30x, because I could not find the coyote, and once I got a good field of view I asked my partner to range me. The coyote was exactly 500 yards away, and I dialed my yardage, settled and shot.

One dead coyote later, and after we drove across two valleys in the evening sun to confirm the kill, I realized that I had killed the coyote with the 8-32 Burris Black Diamond scope set to 8 power. I vividly recalled that the coyote seemed big in my sight picture, and I was not in the least under-scoped. It was an important lesson to be learned...for any reasonable hunting shots, high magnifaction is not as necessary as understanding my equipment and my dope. A bonus was that I spotted the hit (I was shooting a 243AI with a 80gr Nosler Ballstic Tip...the rifle with glass weighed 13.5 lbs).

IMHO, you can lighten up your hunting rig by getting off the 56mm objective and get something more convienant for the hunting purpose...32-40mm objective in 3-9 or 3-10 power scope is all a marksman will really need for a back country hunt.

After dedicating my high power scopes to my varmint / target rifles, I have been exceedingly happy with the performance of my 3-9 Burris and Leupold scopes for coyote and big game hunting.

IMHO, if you want the best chance of success on your hunt, put a high quality 3-9x Leupold Firedot scope (with CDS) on your rifle. Sight it in to the MPBR that best fits your chosen caliber and then either get a CDS dial that matches your trajectory, or build your own dope card with your dial ups to match your known furthest distance you are capable of, and shoot no animal further than that distance. I have 1 Firedot, but it is a 2-7 on my .270 Winchester. My .270WSM and 25-06 both have older Burris Electro-Dots in 3-9....I wish they still made that scope!

If you like Nightforce glass and have the cash, look at their 2-10 (32mm Objective) scopes. They are tank heavy, but stout like a Nightforce. Again, sight in at your MPBR, know your dial ups from there, and you are stacking the odds of a successful hunt in your favor.

Chances are, you find your quarry 180-225 yards away...or 50 yards away...and you aim quickly with no dialing and place your shot in the boiler-room for a clean kill. You may only have 15 seconds to get that shot off, and if you are only relying on dialing your yardage you stand a good chance to miss your shooting opportunity before you get set and dialed in.

Lastly, get the illuminated reticle option...you are more likely to need that than higher magnification, IMHO.

MQ1

 

[timeout]

A couple years back, after squirrel shooting I had the chance to shoot a coyote to help my rancher friend out. It was a hurry-up opportunity, as we had already packed the truck, and inside a 15 seconds I had the rifle out and I was prone. I had dialed the scope back off about 30x, because I could not find the coyote, and once I got a good field of view I asked my partner to range me. The coyote was exactly 500 yards away, and I dialed my yardage, settled and shot.

One dead coyote later, and after we drove across two valleys in the evening sun to confirm the kill, I realized that I had killed the coyote with the 8-32 Burris Black Diamond scope set to 8 power. I vividly recalled that the coyote seemed big in my sight picture, and I was not in the least under-scoped. It was an important lesson to be learned...for any reasonable hunting shots, high magnifaction is not as necessary as understanding my equipment and my dope. A bonus was that I spotted the hit (I was shooting a 243AI with a 80gr Nosler Ballstic Tip...the rifle with glass weighed 13.5 lbs).

IMHO, you can lighten up your hunting rig by getting off the 56mm objective and get something more convienant for the hunting purpose...32-40mm objective in 3-9 or 3-10 power scope is all a marksman will really need for a back country hunt.

After dedicating my high power scopes to my varmint / target rifles, I have been exceedingly happy with the performance of my 3-9 Burris and Leupold scopes for coyote and big game hunting.

IMHO, if you want the best chance of success on your hunt, put a high quality 3-9x Leupold Firedot scope (with CDS) on your rifle. Sight it in to the MPBR that best fits your chosen caliber and then either get a CDS dial that matches your trajectory, or build your own dope card with your dial ups to match your known furthest distance you are capable of, and shoot no animal further than that distance. I have 1 Firedot, but it is a 2-7 on my .270 Winchester. My .270WSM and 25-06 both have older Burris Electro-Dots in 3-9....I wish they still made that scope!

If you like Nightforce glass and have the cash, look at their 2-10 (32mm Objective) scopes. They are tank heavy, but stout like a Nightforce. Again, sight in at your MPBR, know your dial ups from there, and you are stacking the odds of a successful hunt in your favor.

Chances are, you find your quarry 180-225 yards away...or 50 yards away...and you aim quickly with no dialing and place your shot in the boiler-room for a clean kill. You may only have 15 seconds to get that shot off, and if you are only relying on dialing your yardage you stand a good chance to miss your shooting opportunity before you get set and dialed in.

Lastly, get the illuminated reticle option...you are more likely to need that than higher magnification, IMHO.

MQ1

While I am looking to lighten my rifle for this particular hunt, the scope I decide on will be used for many hunts. My intended magnification with the HD Leupold would be the 3-18. Yes, it will have illumination.

 

[K22]

Who said anything about fine cross hairs?

Leupold - The VX 2 12x and 18X came standard w/ fine cross hairs - difficult to see in dim light.

 

[roadkill61]

I have used a 25-06 for years on mule deer. 400 yds would be about max for responsible shooting for that cartridge. On that note I can't think of a better scope than a 4-14 leupold vx3. I have a NX 3-10 on my coyote rifle and can easily shoot them to 600 yds. It would be very good but they are pricey.

 

[hammerjack]

Here is a custom dial on a 3x18 VX-6

 

[JRS]

Don't over-scope yourself for big game hunting. FOV is your friend.

 

[Bc'z]

While I am looking to lighten my rifle for this particular hunt, the scope I decide on will be used for many hunts. My intended magnification with the HD Leupold would be the 3-18. Yes, it will have illumination.

Be sure to check hunting regs if your hunting out of your home state. Illuminated reticals are not allowed in all states. Illegal in Oregon.

 

[timeout]

Be sure to check hunting regs if your hunting out of your home state. Illuminated reticals are not allowed in all states. Illegal in Oregon.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check it. Do they allow for carrying it in the field without batteries in the scope or on your person?

 

[Bc'z]

Thanks for the tip. I'll check it. Do they allow for carrying it in the field without batteries in the scope or on your person?

Regs just say no illuminated scopes.
Also not allowed to bow hunt with a side arm here either.
I had a state cop tell me ignorance is no excuse to the law as he handed me a $300 ticket for fishing in closed waters that weren't posted or in regs.
I feel quality glass with a 40- 44mm objective should gather enough light for low light conditions.
If it's to dark to see then the buck lives another day, put him to bed, hunt him in the morning.

 

[timeout]

Regs just say no illuminated scopes.
Also not allowed to bow hunt with a side arm here either.
I had a state cop tell me ignorance is no excuse to the law as he handed me a $300 ticket for fishing in closed waters that weren't posted or in regs.
I feel quality glass with a 40- 44mm objective should gather enough light for low light conditions.
If it's to dark to see then the buck lives another day, put him to bed, hunt him in the morning.

OT, I never was an ardent fisherman, but I'm even less so in the last couple of decades. In order to go fishing you first must hire a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher the regulations. What can you catch where, when does the season on that species begin and end, is it too long or too short to keep? All I want to do is drown a worm or two and enjoy the day Glad I was born 70 years ago when a guy could hunt and fish in peace!

 

[spencerhenry]

Sorry, but I am not in agreement there. If you run the ballistics on a cartridge, even the fast ones with VLD bullets, you will see how fast a bullet starts dropping past 300 yards. A simple range estimation of 25 yards will result in a change of impact of nearly a MOA starting around 400 yards. Nearly 16" of drop between 400 and 500 yards away with a 7mm Mag with a 168 VLD. There are many tall tales of long shots made by holding above an animal, and I believe most were pure luck.

Scott

Well, I must be lucky then.
I killed a mountain goat in 2001 with a 270 winchester at 450 yards, 3-9x50 leupold, holding over.
I killed a mule deer in 2004 holding high with a 270, 369 yards.
I killed a mule deer at 396 using a 300wsm with a 4.5-14 leupold, holding high.
I killed an antelope in 2000 at 1282 yards with a 50bmg, 6.5-20 leupold, holding over (800 yard zero).
I killed a cow elk with a 7mmBR xp100 at 410, holding over.
I have killed probably a couple dozen coyotes over 350 yards holding over, with 1 kill over 600, two right near 580, and a whole pile in the high 300's to 400's.
I can't even begin to guess at how many ground squirrels and prairie dogs I have killed using hold over.
In some of those instances there was time to "dial in" a scope, but with others there was not. I have never "dialed in" a hunting rifle, only a couple even have that capability. BUT, I know my drop charts and I can estimate hold over pretty well using the known size of the animal and 35 years of practice. And, deer or larger game present large targets. An elk kill zone is the size of a beach ball, hit several inches either way from center and its just as dead.

I have a friend who wanted me to set up his 50 with a scope so that he could just "dial in" for every hundred yards out to 1200. I asked him if he planned to shoot it in Minnesota or Colorado. He looked at me puzzled. I said, "look, you're a pilot, how much different is density altitude from 800 feet at -20 in the winter compared to 80 degrees at 8000' in the summer". Doesn't matter at shorter ranges, but sight in your big game rifle at 1000' elevation in the summer time in the midwest, and then come out to colorado and take a shot at a deer standing above treeline at 12,500' with temperature of 60 degrees.
Its about knowing your equipment.

Or maybe you disagreed with my assessment of the two calibers being light for deer?

 

[Shrek]

Might look at the Swarovski Z5 3-18x44 BT sheep hunter. It has 14.5 moa elevation lock to lock with the BT turret but no windage turret. Just under 16oz. I have one and like it very much. I shoot a 6.5 saum with 150gr Matrix VLDs and run out of dial at @ 800 yards. Plenty for a very light mountain rifle that will be shot off of a lightweight bipod in the field.

 

[agr516]

I think you already have one of the very best hunting scopes there are. Personally, i would gladly carry the extra few ounces that come with the Nightforce. Since i cried the first time and bought my first Nightforce, I have come to find that it is well worth it to know that my scope stays exactly where i leave it (i do still check frequently), clicks to the exact elevation that i tell it to, and returns to zero each and every time. I have not owned many of the higher end scopes but i trust my Nightforces.

 

[Hydenseek]

I fell on a hunt climbing in some badlands and landed on my vx-3 6.5x20x50 30mm tube. The scope took a pretty good lick and was knocked off about 2 inches at 100. I went back the next time with a NF.

 

[alinwa]

I fell on a hunt climbing in some badlands and landed on my vx-3 6.5x20x50 30mm tube. The scope took a pretty good lick and was knocked off about 2 inches at 100. I went back the next time with a NF.

Did you fall down again?

 

[Hydenseek]

Yep on the same exact rock

 

[Bc'z]

I just checked out my brothers in laws new Barrett light weight sporter in 6.5 creedmoor.
SWFA fixed 6x. Rifle was super light if I had to guess 5.5- 6lbs.