Advice on sticking with scope I own, or buying new one for new mountain gun

[dtchhuntr]

Ok, here's my conundrum. I have been using a heavier setup (wood stock 7x57 Mauser with a Strike Eagle 5x25x56). Not light.

Im not getting younger and decided to lighten my setup and get a lighter gun. So I purchased the Seekins Element Hunter M3 in 7PRC. Putting a tbac ultra on it that weighs around 10ozs and gun is in the 5.5 pound neighborhood before that.
Where my conflicting feelings are is do I put that 30.4 Oz Strike Eagle back on it? Id still be lighter than before, but that does seem like im defeating part the purpose of going lighter.

Biggest things I love on the Strike Eagle are FFP and mrad reticle. Dont need ability to zoom to 25, but would like to be able to do 15x to 18x still. Illuminated reticle is nice but honestly never had to use it. Prefer to stay 1,500 or less as im already in the dog house for the gun and can purchase, lol.

What would you do?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I would read up on zero retention and then buy a new scope.

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

 

[akhunter3]

You can pick up a Trijicon in that magnification range that will be reliable for <1K if you look around

 

[LightFoot]

Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44 FFP w/ MRAD Precision Tree (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Matte Black Riflescope 3000002 For Sale | SHIPS FREE - EuroOptic

FREE SHIPPING on Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44 FFP w/ MRAD Precision Tree (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Matte Black Riflescope 3000002

www.eurooptic.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LightFoot]

https://www.eurooptic.com/c557-nf-nightforce-shv-4-14x50-f1-1-mil--illuminated-mil-r-r

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dtchhuntr]

Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44 FFP w/ MRAD Precision Tree (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Matte Black Riflescope 3000002 For Sale | SHIPS FREE - EuroOptic

FREE SHIPPING on Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44 FFP w/ MRAD Precision Tree (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Matte Black Riflescope 3000002

www.eurooptic.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really appreciate the link. That checks some boxes, but is it worth it to save 6 ozs? It comes in at 24.4 ozs?

 

[LightFoot]

Really appreciate the link. That checks some boxes, but is it worth it to save 6 ozs? It comes in at 24.4 ozs?

I think so. Better glass, more reliable, and weight savings…

Gonna be hard to find a sub-20oz scope that is FFP, dials, and is reliable.

Leupold’s Gen 2 VX6HD and VX5HD seem like a good value but they have a bad reputation for zero retention and durability.

My “lightweight” rifle wears a NF SHV 3-10x42. I have a couple other “lightweight” rifles with the Trijicon 3-18 and a Zeiss V4 3-12x44.

Take my advice with a grain of salt. My experience is half of what some of these other guys have. So far I’ve spent more on shopping season than hunting season… but that will change soon.


Jake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dtchhuntr]

I think so. Better glass, more reliable, and weight savings…

Gonna be hard to find a sub-20oz scope that is FFP, dials, and is reliable.

Leupold’s Gen 2 VX6HD and VX5HD seem like a good value but they have a bad reputation for zero retention and durability.

My “lightweight” rifle wears a NF SHV 3-10x42. I have a couple other “lightweight” rifles with the Trijicon 3-18 and a Zeiss V4 3-12x44.

Take my advice with a grain of salt. My experience is half of what some of these other guys have. So far I’ve spent more on shopping season than hunting season… but that will change soon.


Jake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a few Leupold that ive been generally happy with but definitely have had some zero issues. Honestly haven't had any issue with the SE, glass is acceptable. Just a weight concern and possibly balance on such a light gun.

I really fell in love with the FFP. I know its not 100 percent necessary but it sure made things simple for me last year antelope hunting

 

[Dave Thomas]

I would put a different scope on it. I would worry more about durability than weight savings.

 

[SDHNTR]

Yes, I too recommend a different scope but before that, I would strongly reconsider the wisdom of a 5 1/2 pound 7 prc.

 

[Spoonbill]

Really appreciate the link. That checks some boxes, but is it worth it to save 6 ozs? It comes in at 24.4 ozs?

I have this scope and like it, glass is nice, I don’t find the eyebox too restrictive and I’ve dropped it a few times on accident and it didn’t lose zero. I don’t have near the time behind it as others but my experience tracks with what other people have posted.
SWFA 3-9 is 19 or 20 ounces, FFP and around $600 I think. It may be a better scope for a lightweight rifle.

 

[MT762]

SWFA 3-9 is 19 or 20 ounces, FFP and around $600 I think. It may be a better scope for a lightweight rifle.

This is prob the best answer. If you're running a suppressor you're already adding weight...running a 19 oz vs a 30 oz scope is a pretty big difference. I have owned a ton of SS 3-9's, sold them because they weren't sexy, and bought new ones. They are 19 oz, they track, the glass is decent, they are FFP AND have a reticle that works past legal shooting light. You can get shims on Ebay that function as a decent (if soft-feeling) zero stop.

They don't have parallax adjustment but if you have a high comb/good cheek weld, it doesn't matter that much out to 600 yards or so.

 

[mtnbound]

Ok, here's my conundrum. I have been using a heavier setup (wood stock 7x57 Mauser with a Strike Eagle 5x25x56). Not light.

Im not getting younger and decided to lighten my setup and get a lighter gun. So I purchased the Seekins Element Hunter M3 in 7PRC. Putting a tbac ultra on it that weighs around 10ozs and gun is in the 5.5 pound neighborhood before that.
Where my conflicting feelings are is do I put that 30.4 Oz Strike Eagle back on it? Id still be lighter than before, but that does seem like im defeating part the purpose of going lighter.

Biggest things I love on the Strike Eagle are FFP and mrad reticle. Dont need ability to zoom to 25, but would like to be able to do 15x to 18x still. Illuminated reticle is nice but honestly never had to use it. Prefer to stay 1,500 or less as im already in the dog house for the gun and can purchase, lol.

What would you do?

A sub 6lb 7PRC is gonna have some recoil. I would add weight where you can.

 

[dtchhuntr]

Yes, I too recommend a different scope but before that, I would strongly reconsider the wisdom of a 5 1/2 pound 7 prc.

I definitely understand and it certainly isn't a range gun to plink with. But 5.5 pounds is bare gun before suppressor, which im hoping tames it slightly, plus the scope, and I'll put a gunwerks bipod on. With suppressor its is 6 pounds 3 ozs. If new scope is 20 ozs, you are at 7.5 lbs if my math is right. If I kept current scope, 8 lbs, 2 ozs, pre bipod. Honestly typing that out maybe the current scope isn't too heavy, lol.

 

[dtchhuntr]

A sub 6lb 7PRC is gonna have some recoil. I would add weight where you can.

Very true.

 

[betelgeuse]

SWFA 3-15 FFP is 22.72 Oz. Not much different than the Ten Mile. Def cheaper though

 

[Spoonbill]

This is prob the best answer. If you're running a suppressor you're already adding weight...running a 19 oz vs a 30 oz scope is a pretty big difference. I have owned a ton of SS 3-9's, sold them because they weren't sexy, and bought new ones. They are 19 oz, they track, the glass is decent, they are FFP AND have a reticle that works past legal shooting light. You can get shims on Ebay that function as a decent (if soft-feeling) zero stop.

They don't have parallax adjustment but if you have a high comb/good cheek weld, it doesn't matter that much out to 600 yards or so.

@pods8 (Rugged Stitching) 3d prints shims for the 3-9 as well

 

[270-300]

Illuminated reticle depends on if its legal where you hunt and if you use it. For me its a big waste of weight.

Of the 5-25 where do you normally use it for your shots hunting? I have a 300 win mag set up with a 6-20. I set it at 16x onetime to shoot an antelope at 487 yards. 20x is nice to see holes on paper at 200 yards. Last year i passed a shot on a walking elk at 85 yards because i could not find it in my scope at 6x. I later shot an elk in the same spot at 3x on another rifle.

For myself, I would get a 2.5-10x40 for big game.

For varmits, or an open flats on smaller game such as antelope, id look hard at 4-16.

I have a magnum set up at 6-20x44 for hunting open flats, and a smaller rifle set up with 3-9x40 for general hunting in and out of tight areas. The only scope limitation i have ever found is having too high of mag up close.

 

[dtchhuntr]

Illuminated reticle depends on if its legal where you hunt and if you use it. For me its a big waste of weight.

Of the 5-25 where do you normally use it for your shots hunting? I have a 300 win mag set up with a 6-20. I set it at 16x onetime to shoot an antelope at 487 yards. 20x is nice to see holes on paper at 200 yards. Last year i passed a shot on a walking elk at 85 yards because i could not find it in my scope at 6x. I later shot an elk in the same spot at 3x on another rifle.

For myself, I would get a 2.5-10x40 for big game.

For varmits, or an open flats on smaller game such as antelope, id look hard at 4-16.

I have a magnum set up at 6-20x44 for hunting open flats, and a smaller rifle set up with 3-9x40 for general hunting in and out of tight areas. The only scope limitation i have ever found is having too high of mag up close.

Yeah I dont need the illuminated reticle part. Like you, I used it at 15 or 16X on an antelope. I dont really need or care to go all the way to 20-25X. Id prefer to still be able to do around 15 though.