Alpha scope for hunting really worth it?

[USNGUNNER]

I’m having either a 7 PRC or 300 PRC built very soon by the guys at GAP. Coin toss at this point on which one. What would your “buy once cry once” hunting scope be if money was no issue? TT down, what would you buy?

 

[Gone4Days]

NF ATACR

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Minox zp5 thlr

 

[hereinaz]

Mine is a 3.6-18 MK5, has been for years. Been swapped around a bunch too. Didn’t have TT money then.

 

[sndmn11]

built very soon by the guys at GAP.

What would your “buy once cry once” hunting scope be if money was no issue?

1) Nightforce shv f1
2) Maven RS1.2
3) Bushnell LRHS2 from GAP, and I'd try to work a deal on it since that's where the rifle is from

4) SWFA 6X/3-9/10X side focus

From my perspective, once price point buys something that "should" hold zero, I don't have any reason to look further. I wouldn't want with any of #1-3 above for anything, and the only want for #4 is a real zero stop and availability.

 

[LightFoot]

NF ATACR or ZCO.


>>>——JAKE——>

 

[Mike 338]

Nobody ever buys once.

 

[sdupontjr]

Depends on your hunting situation. I hunt hardwoods and open areas as well as out in SW Texas. I needed the best low light optic I could get so I opted for the Schmidt Bender Polar 4-16x56. Gives me enough on the high end for longer shots but also the low end and superior low light capability. Your needs will dictate which route you need to go.

 

[CougarSlayer]

Schmidt Bender Polar for 4-16 or Exos for 3-21. Have used NF , and Zeis also, but S&B to my eye is the best glass.

 

[Weldor]

Nightforce or check out Maven's upper tier. There's always Trijicon too.

 

[CougarSlayer]

Depends on your hunting situation. I hunt hardwoods and open areas as well as out in SW Texas. I needed the best low light optic I could get so I opted for the Schmidt Bender Polar 4-16x56. Gives me enough on the high end for longer shots but also the low end and superior low light capability. Your needs will dictate which route you need to go.

Concur, nothing else has matched polar for low light that I have used.

 

[180ls1]

It's worth it. So is the bigger objective to gather a little more light.

Some of my best animals recently I've needed every sliver of performance possible.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I suppose it depends on the kind of hunting you're doing. A Tangent Theta hunter scope in 3-15 seems like it'd be impossible to beat but it's also insanely expensive. Below that a ZCO of your preferred mag range would be second best optically I suppose. Below that it's more competitive.

 

[Browninglover1]

There is no "perfect" scope as every situation may require something else. How important is weight? How important is magnification? What features do you feel are "must have" for your style of shooting/hunting?

For me, I could get by very easily with a NF NXS in 2.5-10x, 3.5-15x, or 5.5-22x. I would prefer something FFP so I'd rather look at NX8 4-32x, Burris XTR3, Leupold Mark4HD or Mark5HD, or a Kahles 525i.


The 30-35 oz range of the optics listed above in FFP are likely what I would pick, any more weight than that and I'd just bitch about it the the whole time I hunted. If ultralightweight was my goal, the 2.5-10x NXS would be my pick.

 

[NickyD]

I upgraded from a vortex diamondback to a Zeiss v4 after not being able to get a shot off on a nice buck because my scope didn’t resolve well enough to get a clean shot off. It was about an hour after legal light and sun was to the side of me, I believe there’s no excuse for this to have happened.

No longer an issue and I can actually field judge better with my scope than I can my (lower end Maven) binos or spotting scope in most situations within my effective range.

To me it was absolutely worth the upgrade.

 

[rodney747]

Zeiss V8 and done!

 

[seand]

SWFA 3-9

 

[KenLee]

Depends on your hunting situation. I hunt hardwoods and open areas as well as out in SW Texas. I needed the best low light optic I could get so I opted for the Schmidt Bender Polar 4-16x56. Gives me enough on the high end for longer shots but also the low end and superior low light capability. Your needs will dictate which route you need to go.

That's the one...unless you can find a Leica magnus i 2.4-16x56 that aren't sold in the US anymore. I prefer the color and lower end magnification of the Leica, but your eyes may vary. The Polar is available and a spectacular hunting scope.

 

[WKR]

TT long range hunter 3-15
ATACR 4-16
Zco 4-20

I just went through this same dilemma and landed on the atacr. Weight and reliability came before price. The tangent theta almost had me but the torque limit on the main tube had me concerned.

 

[Longleaf]

I’ll throw March in the mix, their tactical 3-24 is around 21oz, glass is on par with my Atacr.