Help Me Choose a Hunting Rifle Scope

[treillw]

I'm looking for a scope to put on a 7.5 pound .300 win mag hunting rifle that will be used primarily for elk and deer. I want it to be first focal plane. I want the minimum magnification not much higher than 3x. I want to have the maximum magnification in the 20x range for spotting shots and shooting around 1200 yards. I am willing to spend $2000 to $3000.

I have done a lot of reading and research and have two scopes in mind at this point. The US optics LR-17 3.2-17 x 44 mm and the March 3-24 x 52mm. These are my thoughts on the two scopes based on what I've read (I haven't found a lot of reviews on the US Optics scope):

March Pros:
Large zoom range
Lightweight

March Cons:
Finicky parallax adjustment
I heard it can be blurry at higher magnifications
I can see repairs being a hassle if anything goes wrong with it

US Optics Pros:
Lifetime Warranty with supposed great customer service
Anti cant level inside the scope - seems like it would be really nice to not have to look outside the scope to see the level.

US Optics Cons:
Supposed to tunnel at lower magnifications
haven't seen many reviews

Random Thoughts:
I can get the March for 20% off MSRP. Does US Optics ever have sales?
I wish the Nightforce scopes had a broader magnification range.

Which do you guys think would be the better choice? Any other scope recommendations are welcomed.

Thank you!

 

[dkhunt14]

I can tell you spotting shots with a 7 1/2 pound magnum is not going to be easy. What is wrong with a 5.5x22 50mm NXS Night force? I would rather have reliability. Matt

 

[treillw]

I can tell you spotting shots with a 7 1/2 pound magnum is not going to be easy. What is wrong with a 5.5x22 50mm NXS Night force? I would rather have reliability. Matt

5.5 is way too high for me on the low end of the magnification. I will be able to hit an animal 1000 yards away, but will miss when it's at 30 yards running. Also NXS is SFP, I prefer FFP. If the NF scopes had a little broader magnification range, I'd be all over them. The 4-16 ATACR is tempting.

Are there reliability issues with the scopes I mentioned? As far as I have heard the US Optics scopes were supposed to be pretty bombproof. I did hear that the March scope had "tracking issues", but I thought this was attributed to confusion with the .6400 rounded mil.

 

[dkhunt14]

I am not sure about US OPTICS scopes, only ever saw one used. I did see a WSM shake a March apart. Cost the guy a little over 100.00 to send back. He also owns the us optics scope but it is on a 60 pound heavy hunting gun and he doesn't shoot it much. You have to go by FOV and not power. Some scopes at the same power have half the FOV. Check your PM. Matt

 

[Toolbreaker]

Another option that falls in your price range. No first hand experience with them, though.

https://www.leupold.com/tactical/scopes/mark-6-riflescopes/mark-6-3-18x44mm-m5b2-34mm/

 

[olympian]

My USOs have been extremely solid scopes and I would recommend the 3.2-17x scope to anyone. It is not as big as some models and has good low-end power and the higher end is as much as I have ever really wanted on whitetails (fine out to 600 yds). They are reliable, they track, and can take serious abuse. But you may want to consider weight on a really lightweight rifle. I like the weight but I am not hauling it across canyon chasing elk.

I would stay away from a Leupold Mark scope.

 

[fredo]

Surf classifieds for a used Premier 3-15x50. Either the 'Lite Tac' ,or 'Hunter' model.

FFP, very hunter friendly Gen 2Mildot reticle, outstanding glass, huge field of view, and no tunneling at 3x. And the eyebox remains forgiving at max. mag., unlike the March.

The LT has exposed turrets, the 'Hunter' model turrets are capped.

Premier has been acquired by AT, which has agreed to honor Premier's lifetime warranty. So, no worries about repair, should an issue arise...

Short of dropping coin for a new TT 3-15x50, a used Premier is a solid contender. Have owned a few USOs, and there is no comparision. A new ATACR 4-16x42 would be another option, but the Premier's larger 5x zoom range & bigger objective make for a better mousetrap. Plus, a used Premier would save you ~$800-1K over an new ATACR...

Good luck!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Valdada is a rock solid scope. Youre looking at extremely heavy scopes for a light rifle though. If you dont want to pack a heavy gun in the mountains you should back up a bit.

 

[savagedasher]

3 thing I want in a hunting scope Best clear glass with high light transmission . Long eye relief. Wide field of view. No more power then 3 at the low end.
Best clear glass and light transmission is number one the list First light and last light. Is where most game trophy game is shot . Larry

 

[CADDIE5]

I have found the Sightron S Tac 2.5x17.5x56mm (30mm main tube)model 26005 to be an excellent scope for my hunting rifles. It has an illuminated crosshair with MOA reticle for use in the dark timber. This is more than enough magnification for 1000 yds.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Yeah you definitely wont be spotting shots with a 7.5 lb 300 WM unless you have it bolted into a vice on a concrete bench.

Hunting scopes have no need for the "best glass" in my opinion. I dont sit behind my rifle scope to find game. I like good clear glass that draws in light well, but it doesnt have to be NASA grade optics. Now your spotting scope and binoculars are a different story. Thats where you need the best glass you can afford. Once you find the game you want, all a scope needs to be is clear enough to see the animal with good detail to place the shot where you want it, have good parallax adjustment, and be repeatable with adjustments. You will never find a FFP scope on any of my hunting rifles either. They do not allow for the level if precision that a second focal plane scope will at long range.

That being said, my current favorite hunting scope is the Zeiss HD5 5-25x50mm. The 5x with a 50mm objective works fine for close 50 yard timber shots and the 25x helps you reach out and touch animals at long range. But my favorite part is the 18 MOA per revolution "locking" turrets. Cant bump them when locked, no need to spin off a knob cap, and 18 MOA will get you way out there while staying in the same revolution if you are zeroed at 300-600 yards. Glass is really clear and draws in light very well. Really nothing bad to say about them.

 

[treillw]

I did see a WSM shake a March apart.

Anybody else hear of this happening?

 

[treillw]

3 thing I want in a hunting scope Best clear glass with high light transmission . Long eye relief. Wide field of view. No more power then 3 at the low end.
Best clear glass and light transmission is number one the list First light and last light. Is where most game trophy game is shot . Larry

Agreed 100%. What is your recommendation? ;D

 

[treillw]

Yeah you definitely wont be spotting shots with a 7.5 lb 300 WM unless you have it bolted into a vice on a concrete bench.

You will never find a FFP scope on any of my hunting rifles either. They do not allow for the level if precision that a second focal plane scope will at long range.

Thank you for the insight. I'm still relatively new to all this!

The thing that draws me to the FFP is that I anticipate holding for wind adjustments and I would like the scope to measuring accurately at all powers in case a scenario arises that I'm shooting at something somewhat closer and not able to use max scope power. Say 200 or 300 yards with a screaming wind, or something like that.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Yeah you definitely wont be spotting shots with a 7.5 lb 300 WM unless you have it bolted into a vice on a concrete bench.

You will never find a FFP scope on any of my hunting rifles either. They do not allow for the level if precision that a second focal plane scope will at long range.

Thank you for the insight. I'm still relatively new to all this!

The thing that draws me to the FFP is that I anticipate holding for wind adjustments and I would like the scope to measuring accurately at all powers in case a scenario arises that I'm shooting at something somewhat closer and not able to use max scope power. Say 200 or 300 yards with a screaming wind, or something like that.

You can always dial for wind with your windage turret using a second focal plane. I just dont like my reticle getting larger when trying to make precision shots at long range. For shots as close as 200-300 yards, its gonna take a TON of wind to make a 30 cal 180 gr or heavier bullet drift more than 1 ft. Its pretty easy to judge a correction hold on the reticle of 2-4 MOA for wind at 300 yards when using a high magnification scope. If you are having to correct for 4 MOA of wind or more at 1000 yards or more, and have not practiced those shots in the wind many times, you probably shouldnt take the shot.

 

[boltfluter]

Your graduated reticle will all but dissapear at low power and in low light with a FFP. Be sure and look before you buy.

Regards, Paul

www.boltfluting.com

 

[fredo]

This is a Premier 3-15x50 'Lite Tac', Gen2Mildot on 15x. Just held my phone up and snapped a pic thru the scope, hence the less than crisp image. The glass is actually quite a bit better than shown.
First light, deer are 745yds away...

That is a FFP scope, yet the center + is plenty usable to engage a deer at that distance.
Not all reticles are created equal...

 

[treillw]

I found a good deal on a Schmidt & Bender 3-20 x 50mm. It has the H2CMR reticle. I’ve seen that a lot of people like this reticle for various reasons. I was wondering if any of you have experience with it? How is the visibility of the reticle on 3x? Does it get too thick at 20x? It is illuminated, but I prefer to not have to rely on that. I have plans to go check it out in person soon – just wondering if there is a general consensus on it in the meantime.

Thanks!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

S$b are great scopes. Very high quality

 

[treillw]

Well I made a trip this weekend to check out some scopes. I looked at a bunch from Nightforce, S&B, Swarovski, US optics, etc. I figured I’d summarize my findings to help anybody else out who may use this thread in the future.

I had high hopes for the S&B 3-20 with the H2CMR reticle. The field of view on the scope is awesome – better than the others I compared it to. I would have and wanted to take it home with me, but the H2CMR reticle was just way too fine on 3 power. It looked like a spider web. Even with the illumination turned on, the aiming point was still very faint. The illumination isn’t very bright for the day time on low power. I looked at a 3-12 S&B scope with a reticle similar to the P3 (not sure which one it was exactly). I liked that one for low power. The thicker lines at the sides come into the middle of the scope at lower magnification and do a much better job of drawing your eye to the center of the reticle. On high power, the thicker side lines go outward and better reveal the fine inner crosshairs, but they do cover up a bit of the target. I think I would be able to work with a reticle of this type.

The US optics LR-17 3.2-17 seemed to have a small eye box. The field of view is pretty much the same as the Nightforce ATACR 4-16, but the ATACR eye box felt much more forgiving. I would choose the NF over the USO.

March scopes are out of the lineup, because of their 5 year warranty.

Right now my thoughts are to keep looking for a FFP with a reticle that I can deal with at low and high magnifications (Similar to the S&B P3 – I need to check one out in their 3-20 in person), or just start over and go second focal plane.

Hope this helps somebody and additional suggestions are always welcomed!

Thanks