Scope for PD hunting

[stretch257]

I would sure like to try a Nightforce on a dog rifle. I Know I like more power than most. But you can only turn it up till your out of power. I would rather have to much as not enough. I think 12-42 would be great with a velocity reticle. I take my Sightron 10-50 and no complaints about to much power. You can always turn it down.

Plus I like red mist close ups.

 

[redrockranger]

Leupold VX 2. 6 x 18,fine duplex, target turrets. If i remember correctly the small of the duplex covers 3.2" at 100 yards.. Leopold site has the sub tensions.

 

[powderbrake]

For my prairie dog guns I have a Leupold VX3 6.5 -20 on my .223, a Leupold 8 X 25 on my 22-250, and have gone to a Nightforce NXS 8-32 on my 6mmBR. All are Target DOT reticles, as I range , and wind check and use my ballistics app on all shots, so I don't use a holdoff.

The handle on the Nightforce is almost required, as it is stiff, and you will use the scope at lower power to find dogs, and crank it up to hit them.

 

[dkhunt14]

The finding part is easy. I got one of those ring mounts with a small picatinney rail. I mounted a red dot on. Now I have a red dot with a gigantic field of view. It really helps when hunting longrange deer in the mountain. I can find them in my Kowas, range it and look at my red dot on the other side of my Highlanders. Then I can go to the gun and move it there. Matt

 

[carnivore]

Zeiss 5-25 with the varmint hunters reticle or a nightforce with the moar reticle......


Phil.

Zeiss 5 - 25 x 2....

 

[GrocMax]

Have a strong preference to FFP grids, but have 2 non-FFP rigs work well. Rarely if ever shoot above 12x, but 24x plus is good for spotting.
Tried a 36x fine dot target style ONCE, worst PD scope experience ever.

I tried dialing a few times, couldn't keep track of zero thru all the myriad changes over a short period of time, leave the turrets alone and use the grid, much more practical for us, frequent and constant changes in shooting direction vs. sitting at a bench in one position.

Have a Burris Elim III it works quite well for PD's, only complaint is reticle stadia are a bit large for small objects. The ranging works very well, just wish mine had the remote button. Zeiss HD5 5-25x RZ800, wish I would have got the varmint reticle, stadia are a bit large on it as well, but I like it. It sits on a 6BR shooting 58's at 3900 and it just doesn't miss very often.

Viper HS LR 6-24x XLR FFP on the way.

Have had a couple Horus Predators, love the SMOA reticle, don't love the glass.

Gave up on trying to optically range PD's, there's just too much difference in individual size to be able to range optically reliably. From juvenile to adult they could be 6" nose to butt or 14" nose to butt can't tell until you try to range and miss.

FFP grid and a low recoil flat shooting round so the hit/miss can be seen, set up about 2" high at 100yds/zero at 200, go.

 

[dkhunt14]

I tried dialing a few times, couldn't keep track of zero thru all the myriad changes over a short period of time, leave the turrets alone and use the grid, much more practical for us, frequent and constant changes in shooting direction vs. sitting at a bench in one position.

.

That is why they make zero stops. If you don't have a zero stop. Once you zero your scope knob there are lines below the cap. All you need to know is which line is showing and you can return to zero. Most of my scopes have a 20 MOA base and my zero is within one turn off the bottom. Another way is you could count how many turns to bottom out. That would make it easy to return to zero. I write the number down on the scope base. Matt

 

[dragman]

On the cheap:
Vortex HDTV
Medium:
Leupold vxiii 8.5-25, SIII 8-32, NXS 5.5-22
HIGH:
ATACR, razor gen I I

 

[Phil]

That is why they make zero stops. If you don't have a zero stop. Once you zero your scope knob there are lines below the cap. All you need to know is which line is showing and you can return to zero. Most of my scopes have a 20 MOA base and my zero is within one turn off the bottom. Another way is you could count how many turns to bottom out. That would make it easy to return to zero. I write the number down on the scope base. Matt

Matt,

This is kind of what i do...

On my switch barrel rifles, i bottom out the scope and count the turns to zero for each barrel, that way when i switch i just go through the motions and shoot.

I have the info on my phone, each log book and wrote down on a laminated piece of paper right on my shooting bench...

Phil.

 

[nakneker]

Like you, I've had a lot of Leupolds. They are good scopes and can be bought used for a great value, their warranty is one of the best. However I just wanted to try something new a couple years ago. That led to a bunch of different scopes on a lot of different varmint rifles. I tried a lot of scopes with adjustable turrets in MOA and Mil. Nightforce are great scopes if you have the $$$, but there's some great options for a lot less. Here's some of my favorites.

SWFA, probably my favorite scope for the money. Their 3-15 is my favorite but I also have some fixed powers on rifles that are used for long distance critter splatter, the fixed 16 being my favorite. The fixed powers are reasonable at 300.00 BNIB.

Sightron III scopes are great. Clear and repeatable. Bigsupplyshop had the best price. I regret selling one of those. Personally I liked them better than the vortex PST but that's like a Chevy/Ford thing.

Someone mentioned Weaver Grand Slams. I think they are an amazing value. Clear and repeatable.

If your budget allows for Nightforce, you'll enjoy them. They have it all and if you buy used you won't lose much if anything when you want to sell it. Probably the scope you see the most in the classifieds and everyone seems to love them, myself included.

Have fun.

 

[Dan Hall]

Some of the brightest scopes I've ever seen are the Zeiss Conquest line of scopes. The old 6.5-20x50s are available used for about $600 and they are my favorite for Prairie Dogs.

 

[1raggedhole]

I am quite happy with Leupold VX3 6.5-20x50 on my mid range guns like 204 Ruger, and Leupold VX3 8.5-25x50 on my 6BR. Both with varmint reticle.

 

[stinnett1981]

I really like my Nightforce SHV 5-20 with illuminated MOAR reticle. I have 4 NXS and my SHV is just as good optically. I like it so much I'm gonna get a 3-10x42 for my 20 Practical AR.

 

[GrocMax]

Viper HS LR 6-24x XLR FFP on the way.

Got it today. Glass looks pretty good, reticle might be TOO fine, can't see it at 6x. Shows up clear 16x and up, but I almost never shoot PD's at that magnification. Field test 1st weekend in April.

 

[ratbuster]

I have a NF SHV 5-20 on a 20 Vartarg and a Sightron Siii 6-24 on my 20 Practical. The NF is decidedly better than the Sightron but at nearly $1200 it should be; I got the Sightron for only $600 delivered from SWFA on a Good Friday deal. The NF SHV glass is better which makes a real difference when you are staring through the thing for hours on end. The glass is brighter, crisper, has more contrast, is easier on my eyes, the reticle is sharper and when it comes to trying to tell if a distant blob obscured by grass is a dirt clod or a squirrel's head the NF reveals the answer better. Last week I ordered 2 more SHV's (they are on their way) and I know in the bottom of my heart that I absolutely made the right decision.

 

[Iowa Fox]

Got it today. Glass looks pretty good, reticle might be TOO fine, can't see it at 6x. Shows up clear 16x and up, but I almost never shoot PD's at that magnification. Field test 1st weekend in April.

Everyone is telling me the first week of May before they have the 6x24 FFP back in stock.

 

[halfmile]

I have them all.......4200, Nikon, Weaver V169 (not bad for the money), Leupy, Buckmaster, but the one that doesn't make my eyes tired or give me a headache after shooting all day is the Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14. It's on a 223 which I shoot the most.

For the 22-250 a little more power is nice.

HM

 

[stinnett1981]

I have a NF SHV 5-20 on a 20 Vartarg and a Sightron Siii 6-24 on my 20 Practical. The NF is decidedly better than the Sightron but at nearly $1200 it should be; I got the Sightron for only $600 delivered from SWFA on a Good Friday deal. The NF SHV glass is better which makes a real difference when you are staring through the thing for hours on end. The glass is brighter, crisper, has more contrast, is easier on my eyes, the reticle is sharper and when it comes to trying to tell if a distant blob obscured by grass is a dirt clod or a squirrel's head the NF reveals the answer better. Last week I ordered 2 more SHV's (they are on their way) and I know in the bottom of my heart that I absolutely made the right decision.

Yep! Like I said these Nightforce SHV are awesome scopes! I'm gonna get another for my 20 Practical AR15. Thinking about getting the new 3-10x42. The glass on these are just as good as the NXS. After owning Nightforce optics I sold ALL my Bushnells, Nikons and Leopolds. There is just no comparison.