Scope for hunting out west.?

[ISS]

EEP,

I have hunted Elk here in Idaho since 1979. 20 to 25X MINIMUM? Maximum, yes. You might perhaps rethink that. You will have trouble with it. 5-25X is more realistic. I have a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25 x56 with a 34mm tube on my 338 LAPUA for late in the season.

Rich

 

[5spd]

All my scopes are 4-16x, exposed target dials, covers my game shooting in open wyoming.

 

[Fast14riot]

I've been hunting the Western States with a fixed 10x for over a decade. Its plenty for even coyotes to 750y. However, I took a coastal blacktail at 30y with it and it was difficult to discern exactly where I was going to shoot. Ended up with a neck shot because I could trace the profile from his ears/antlers down his neck and just let it rip.

Anything up to about 15/16x top end and minimum 5x on bottom end. Keep the scope dialed down at all times. If its a long shot you normally have time to zoom in anyway.

I like Leupold scopes for hunting.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

10-12x top end is fine to 500 yards on plates as small as 6" across. An elk heart lung is more than double that. If you think you need, more 14-16.

 

[209jones]

I've gotten by fine with a 2-7x33 and a 3-9x40 for many years, didn't want a big heavy scope to haul up and down the hills here in BC and AB. I graduated to 2-10x42 now, got rid of most of my Leupolds, Z3 is more money, but, the VX3 couldn't compete. Never had a need to dial when out hunting.

 

[Lefty2506]

My only experience is with prairie dogs, so not very relatable. I do run 4.5-27x on my rifles, but most of the time I have them setting in the 15-18 range. Anything much above 15x on a warm sunny day and the mirage makes it hard to see. Even on the hot, sunny days 15x-18x is plenty for shooting PDs at 300 yds, and an elk is quite a bit bigger than a PD. That said, I WOULD absolutely require a FFP Christmas tree reticle of some kind (moa or mrad) along with a zero stop and side parallax adjustment. Cranking knobs is fine when you have time, but when you don't these reticles make it super easy to apply the correct hold over without having to take your eye's off the animal. After trying them, I'll never put anything else on a rifle that might need to shoot past 250 yds ever again.