Complete beginner

[COhunterDave]

Hello everyone,

I have been living in the mountains in Colorado for 5 years and will be going on my first elk hunt this fall. I will be hunting second season rifle. I saved money and am ready to purchase some optics for my hunt.

A little background. I grew up in Illinois hunting mostly waterfowl, pheasants, and a few turkey seasons. I haven’t hunted in a while and I am overwhelmed by the information that’s out there. I thought buying this stuff would be straightforward. I can either buy a rifle (thinking 7mm rem or 300 win mag) or I could use a friends 308 or my brothers 30 06. Neither have a scope, which leads me to my long winded question.

I have been reading forum posts like crazy and seeing mixed opinions on EVERYTHING, so I’m wondering if anyone will give me a basic rundown of what to look for in a riflescope and spotting scope. I would also love some reference of literature I can read to learn about the terminology I keep seeing. For example, different reticle types, dialing, holdover, mounting etc.

Every time I feel like I’ve found a good basic riflescope that people trust, I find what feels to be a million people that DESPISE that same one.

My head is spinning and I really could use some guidance.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I think you should take a look at the various Trijicon options from EuroOptic and you'll be happy. I just bought a used Credo and next up will be a 2.5-12.5x42 Accupoint. No need to spend a lot, especially if you don't have preferences yet. May pickup something low end and hunt for a season then spring for something better.

 

[Snowhunter11]

It really all depends on budget. However follow the “buy once cry once” rule on main items such as firearm, optics, pack, etc.

You are on the correct forum. Take your time and research you will find most answers you need.

 

[COhunterDave]

I think you should take a look at the various Trijicon options from EuroOptic and you'll be happy. I just bought a used Credo and next up will be a 2.5-12.5x42 Accupoint. No need to spend a lot, especially if you don't have preferences yet. May pickup something low end and hunt for a season then spring for something better.

Thank you, I will check out your recommendations.

 

[COhunterDave]

It really all depends on budget. However follow the “buy once cry once” rule on main items such as firearm, optics, pack, etc.

You are on the correct forum. Take your time and research you will find most answers you need.

I intend to follow that rule for sure. I was thinking that, like you said, for optics, firearm, pack, boots. My budget is flexible as I have been saving for this for about 2 years and I already have some equipment. I just want to be careful when it comes to optics. Thanks for your advice.

 

[TomJoad]

My $.02 would be spend your money on quality binos, 8x42. You’re a new elk hunter, focus on learning to glass, learning about their habitat and finding elk. You don’t need a spotter to judge trophies you need a wide field of view that you can easily deploy and steady without a tripod to find animals.

Second advice is get into the backcountry. As much as you can. Put miles on.

As for rifle, if this hobby sticks you’ll likely go through a lot of evolution around what you like and what works for you. For now just buy a 6.5cm in a reliable platform and shoot it as much as time allows. No need for magnums. You can read up on all the small caliber threads but your in CO so below 6mm isn’t legal anyway. You want easy to access ammo + low recoil.

 

[COhunterDave]

Hello everyone,

I have been living in the mountains in Colorado for 5 years and will be going on my first elk hunt this fall. I will be hunting second season rifle. I saved money and am ready to purchase some optics for my hunt.

A little background. I grew up in Illinois hunting mostly waterfowl, pheasants, and a few turkey seasons. I haven’t hunted in a while and I am overwhelmed by the information that’s out there. I thought buying this stuff would be straightforward. I can either buy a rifle (thinking 7mm rem or 300 win mag) or I could use a friends 308 or my brothers 30 06. Neither have a scope, which leads me to my long winded question.

I have been reading forum posts like crazy and seeing mixed opinions on EVERYTHING, so I’m wondering if anyone will give me a basic rundown of what to look for in a riflescope and spotting scope. I would also love some reference of literature I can read to learn about the terminology I keep seeing. For example, different reticle types, dialing, holdover, mounting etc.

Every time I feel like I’ve found a good basic riflescope that people trust, I find what feels to be a million people that DESPISE that same one.

My head is spinning and I really could use some guidance.

My $.02 would be spend your money on quality binos, 8x42. You’re a new elk hunter, focus on learning to glass, learning about their habitat and finding elk. You don’t need a spotter to judge trophies you need a wide field of view that you can easily deploy and steady without a tripod to find animals.

Second advice is get into the backcountry. As much as you can. Put miles on.

As for rifle, if this hobby sticks you’ll likely go through a lot of evolution around what you like and what works for you. For now just buy a 6.5cm in a reliable platform and shoot it as much as time allows. No need for magnums. You can read up on all the small caliber threads but your in CO so below 6mm isn’t legal anyway. You want easy to access ammo + low recoil.

I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time in the backcountry as I live very close to the unit I’m hunting. I also have a friend who works for the forest service in that unit and is going to help me get a decent start scouting. I wish we were hunting together but he’s hunted that unit for years and is going elsewhere this year.

I have a decent amount of time behind different kinds of rifles due to a unique job I had a few years back, but none of them were my own. Recoil on the larger calibers never bothered me.

From turkey hunting I have some 10x42 but they aren’t the best. Vortex diamondback. Do you think I’m better off upgrading or is that sufficient for now?

 

[TomJoad]

I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time in the backcountry as I live very close to the unit I’m hunting. I also have a friend who works for the forest service in that unit and is going to help me get a decent start scouting. I wish we were hunting together but he’s hunted that unit for years and is going elsewhere this year.

I have a decent amount of time behind different kinds of rifles due to a unique job I had a few years back, but none of them were my own. Recoil on the larger calibers never bothered me.

From turkey hunting I have some 10x42 but they aren’t the best. Vortex diamondback. Do you think I’m better off upgrading or is that sufficient for now?

If you can afford to, I would pick up used Leica or Swaro. I like integrated rangefinder for speed and fewer devices and run Leica geovids with no complaints. Any alpha glass is worth moving on from the vortex imo.

 

[Snowhunter11]

Easy button options that you won’t regret-
Rifle- is tikka 6.5cm.
Ammo- hornady eldm or x 147 or 143
Rings- Mountain tech or UM direct to rail
Scope-Maven rs1.2 mil 2.5-15, SWFA 3-9hd, trijicon tenmile 3-18. Look up drop testing for more if you want sfp options.

This is what I use and is a golden child rifle of this forum. You can easily upgrade it in the future if you so choose to make it semi custom.

Binoculars I use Zeiss conquest hd 10x42. They are great glass for the money imo. If you had time you could wait for a sale. If I had an unlimited budget I would use Swaro EL range 10x42 for an all in one package..

 

[bnsafe]

there are several zeiss conquest for 600 now. I dont own any but they seem to get good reviews. eurooptics has the 8x42 razor uhd on sale for 900 also, dont wont those either but hear good things other than weight for the money. you can pick up a good used pair of leupold bx4 on here for 325 ish which I do own. I want something better but cant get myself to drop more money, they do very well for me. most my elk hunting in co is so thick I dont use them alot anyway and here in mo I use them a ton but its almost all fairly close stuff, the bx4 does just fine. none is close to top tier but doesnt carry the price tag either. I bought a trijicon accupoint last year and like it alot, good glass and trijicon did well in the tests. euro has the huron for cheap if money is an issue. if money is not an issue, most will point you to nightforce scope and swaro glass.
with all that said, take a deep breath, dont put yourself into a stressful state. enjoy the ride, this is part of the fun. i guarantee you elk will be killed with every scope and rifle combo you can think of from alpha glass to walmart glass.
I will say get a great gps unit, my opinion, and learn how to use it. that is more important than what glass you put on the gun.

 

[Kurts86]

How much money do you have to spend?

Spend your money on a good rifle scope and good 8/10x42 binoculars. Do not spend any money on a spotting scope for years to come.

 

[Davyalabama]

Quoted: My $.02 would be spend your money on quality binos, 8x42. You’re a new elk hunter, focus on learning to glass, learning about their habitat and finding elk. You don’t need a spotter to judge trophies you need a wide field of view that you can easily deploy and steady without a tripod to find animals.

Second advice is get into the backcountry. As much as you can. Put miles on.

Rifle - buy a used 270, (I'm old, I still like the old calibers, 270, 308, 300wm) with a decent mid range scope (500-600, maybe a little less used)- Leupold, Meopta, etc. (You could go all in with decent glass and a gun for less than 500 if you look) Yes, you can't go wrong with Zeiss, S&B or Swaro, but ... The buy once cry once is going to be hard just starting out, you don't know what you will like or dislike. Think of it like running shoes, you go through a bunch before finding what fits you or if you will keep running, hunting is a little like that with more toys. As the other poster stated, put money into your binos, time in the field and, in my opinion, ammo and time shooting.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

It's our pleasure, as a long standing supporting vendor here, to discuss the different available options and special opportunities with you. Please give a call, 516-217-1000, when you have the time. Thanks

 

[taskswap]

If I can just offer a counterpoint, "high end rifle scope + high end spotting scope" was my first assumption as well when I was starting out. But with some experience I believe even a modest rifle scope is a better choice. Unless you're a sniper or truly interested in long-range shooting, even a $300 rifle scope is more than enough to do the job. I currently run with a 4-14x and rarely have it zoomed past 6x. You have to be REALLY confident before you take a shot at a bull 800 yards away across a nasty canyon - you're going to have to hike that same canyon after that shot, so you'd better not wound it. I personally believe a beginner elk hunter can do very well even focusing on <300yd shots. In a lot of the hunt zones in Colorado, at least, 200 yards is a long way. (I would have a different answer for something like pronghorn in more open terrain, obviously).

The same goes for the spotting scope. Unless you really want to eat tag soup for 4-5 seasons while you build enough experience to not only find the elk, but pass them OVER waiting for that big 7x7 for your den wall, I think binoculars are way more important than spotters. 10x-12x seems to be the sweet spot for most and that's more than enough to glass a lot of terrain to decide where you want to go, then positively ID a legal bull before you shoot.

I think folks that have strong opinions on one type or brand of scope or other optic over another are folks that have enough experience for a minor difference to affect them. When I first moved here from the Northeast I was as inexperienced as you. Where I used to live, you couldn't even hunt with a centerfire rifle - it had to be a shotgun with slugs. I took my first bull with a $120 pair of Vortex Crossfire 10x42 bino's and a $200 Cabela's Covenant 3x-9x scope. Spend all the money on high end gear that you want, but if I can do that, you can, too.

If you want the data point, lately I hunt with a pair of 15x56 Diamondback bino's mostly because I had the money, really wanted them, and the "shakiness" you get with higher-zoom bino's doesn't bother me very much. I never carry my spotter any more. I'm not saying the trophy hunters who do are wrong, it's just not necessary for me personally. My shooting skill has increased, but I'm still no sniper and have to admit I never will be - I'd say 500 yards is my max "ethical range" now, but it doesn't matter. Where I hunt, ranges of 100-200yds is still the norm because the elk tend to be holed up in nasty (smaller) canyons and timber stands. At 15x I can easily glass out to beyond my effective HUNTING range which matters a lot. Who cares if you can see a 7x7 a mile away if you can't get to him quickly and quietly enough that he doesn't disappear over the 2 hours it takes you to do it?

Scout scout scout scout scout.

 

[nobody]

I’m wondering if anyone will give me a basic rundown of what to look for in a riflescope and spotting scope. I would also love some reference of literature I can read to learn about the terminology I keep seeing. For example, different reticle types, dialing, holdover, mounting etc.

Rifle scope: zero retention is king. Period. Full stop. End of story. Tracking ability doesn’t matter, Glass quality doesn’t matter, reticle doesn’t matter, zoom range doesn’t matter, and even the warranty doesn’t matter UNTIL a scope is proven to hold zero effectively. Walk into any sporting goods store and all the gun counter cowboys want to discuss are glass and features. But the question becomes “does glass quality matter if my scope won’t maintain zero on a washboard road or when it’s strapped to the side of my pack for a week?” Spoiler alert, your answer should be no.

Read through all of these:

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

Your options are nightforce, Trijicon, SWFA, Maven RS1.2, and Schmidt Bender klassik models. Beyond that you’re rolling the dice.


Spotting scope: ask yourself how much you’ll be using your spotter, and spend accordingly. The alpha glass reigns supreme, but lots of us have found some mid-tier gems through digging and trial and error.

If money is of no object, buy the most expensive spotter that has glass you like and features you want and be happy. If it was me, I would buy a Leica Televid.

If money is tighter, there are a few solid options that seem to be popular and perform well for their price point. The Athlon Ares 15-45, Maven CS1 15-45, and the Vortex Razor Gen 1 (dual focus knob) 16-48 are all under a grand and are fantastic spotting scopes for the money. Straight or angled is up to you and is a personal preference.

EDIT TO ADD: if you don’t already own a solid, mid-tier or better pair of 8x or higher powered binos, do that WAY before a spotter. I would rather a guy go multiple seasons WITHOUT a spotter because he’s trying to save back up after spending his whole observation optic budget on binos, an adapter, and tripod. You CAN hunt without a spotter. A spotter is a valuable tool, but you’ll miss exponentially more game foregoing a solid pair of binos than you will foregoing a spotter.

 

[ElGuapo]

I can help you, if you’d like to chat over the phone. Your head will probably be spinning even more after reading all the responses to your request! PM me if you’d like to chat

 

[Bugger]

Your first scope will not be your favorite scope. Best bet is to buy one that you can reliably use on just about anything in the future or sell for what you paid. SWFA’s 3-15 in your preferred measuring system is usually for sale on one of the major secondhand sites at any time. You’ll either love it or you’ll get your money back selling it. Spend the rest of your budget on 8/10x binos. You’ll find more animals with your eyes in the glass, and you’ll spend more time behind your binos when they’re comfortable and have an attractive view. Hopefully you’re close to a store with a large optics selection because bino preference is more about feel than stats.

 

[COhunterDave]

I think you should take a look at the various Trijicon options from EuroOptic and you'll be happy. I just bought a used Credo and next up will be a 2.5-12.5x42 Accupoint. No need to spend a lot, especially if you don't have preferences yet. May pickup something low end and hunt for a season then spring for something better.

This sounds perfect. Thank you.

If you can afford to, I would pick up used Leica or Swaro. I like integrated rangefinder for speed and fewer devices and run Leica geovids with no complaints. Any alpha glass is worth moving on from the vortex imo.

I’ll definitely get what I can afford, but those are likely higher than I can spend at the moment (I own a small vertical farming business so I don’t make too much haha)

 

[COhunterDave]

Easy button options that you won’t regret-
Rifle- is tikka 6.5cm.
Ammo- hornady eldm or x 147 or 143
Rings- Mountain tech or UM direct to rail
Scope-Maven rs1.2 mil 2.5-15, SWFA 3-9hd, trijicon tenmile 3-18. Look up drop testing for more if you want sfp options.

This is what I use and is a golden child rifle of this forum. You can easily upgrade it in the future if you so choose to make it semi custom.

Binoculars I use Zeiss conquest hd 10x42. They are great glass for the money imo. If you had time you could wait for a sale. If I had an unlimited budget I would use Swaro EL range 10x42 for an all in one package..

I've seen a lot of the zeiss conquest binos for sale on here. I might go that route. Thank you.

 

[COhunterDave]

I can help you, if you’d like to chat over the phone. Your head will probably be spinning even more after reading all the responses to your request! PM me if you’d like to chat

My head sure is spinning, but I am seeing some commonality in the advice I'm receiving which is nice. I am definitely down to chat. I will shoot you a PM.