Lets talk sheep scopes.

[PredatorSlayer]

Don’t leave a $30k+ hunt to chance. Go with the NXS all the way. You not only need to be concerned with RTZ while dialing, but also durability in the field. Of course people have had luck with Leupolds for years.. but many have not as well. I’ve personally had the other scope you mention, a VX3 4.5-14x40 CDS, shift POI by 6” at 300 yards after dialing to 600 and back. Now I run 3 of the NXS 2.5-10’s.
You only need to look at some of the scope evaluations on this site to see how often even VX5’s lose zero to know that your are taking a chance by going with a Leupold for dialing and hard use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did they drop test a VX5HD or VX6HD yet?

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Nope, I don't personally carry a rangefinder. I mean, when they're anywhere between 20 yds and 300 yds away, who needs a rangefinder?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Did they drop test a VX5HD or VX6HD yet?

I don’t think so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[North61]

Swarovski Z5 is a great combination of light weight and great reliability and a wonderful turret system f you want to spend some money.

 

[madcalfe]

you'll be happy with the nxs. ultimately just choose a scope you like, are confident with and can afford. Im running a 33oz scope on my gun and never notice the weight of it while hunting cause its usually sitting in my kifaru gun sling. I usually take all of august off to hunt sheep and goats so put on quite a few km's

 

[SDHNTR]

Swarovski Z5 is a great combination of light weight and great reliability and a wonderful turret system f you want to spend some money.

You do realize the turret system is made of plastic and the tubes are incredibly thin, all in the name of saving weight. Draw your own conclusions from there.

 

[ChrisAU]

One year on a sheep hunt I was using a VX3 because the weight appealed to me. I tripped and fell because sheep country is rough and it happens. I missed the same 11 year old ram three days in a row. Lots of climbing and hiking to relocate and stalk that ram three times. Got home without a sheep and my rifle wasn't even hitting the target. Got me thinking that the slight weight savings not only caused me more work in the way of hiking and climbing as compared to the effort saved by reducing scope weight, but it also cost me a sheep that year.

I also had a VX5HD on a other sheep hunt thinking maybe it was an upgrade in durability. Well the windage turret cap hit a rock while climbing through a gap in some large rocks because it was a tight squeeze. Luckily I had the sense to grab my wife's rifle when I stalked a ram and was able to kill it. Double checked that VX5HD and it had shifted zero by almost 6 minutes.

It's really too bad because the VX5HD line checks all of the boxes for what I like in a backcountry hunting scope, except for durability.

Now I've wised up and will be carrying a MARK5HD or a Nightforce of some sort for this year's sheep hunt. Yea, it seems counter-productive to put a heavier scope on an ultralight rifle, always under 6lbs for me. Yet at the same time it seems far more counter-productive to hike 50+ miles and come home without a sheep because your scope failed so you could save that extra 6 or so ounces of scope weight. Learn from my mistakes and carry a dependable scope and go kill a nice ram. Plenty of other places to cut weight that make more sense than the scope. Just my opinion. Maybe I just have terrible luck.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Yup. I'm an oz counter/weight weenie but there is no chance that I'm traveling to hunt anything, spending vacation time and any amount of money, to worry about 6 oz of scope weight vs worrying about the damn thing actually working when I need it to.

 

[KINGSNAKE]

Now that i am scope commited the Next rabbit hole I'm going down now is scope base. With a fierce I have two options. Tally aluminium in a 7000 something alloy. Or murphy stainless or titanium. Anybody want to wonder down this road with me. I'm pretty sure I'm going with apa rings when the new ones come back in stock. I really like the clean strong mounting angle on them.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Now that i am scope commited the Next rabbit hole I'm going down now is scope base. With a fierce I have two options. Tally aluminium in a 7000 something alloy. Or murphy stainless or titanium. Anybody want to wonder down this road with me. I'm pretty sure I'm going with apa rings when the new ones come back in stock. I really like the clean strong mounting angle on them.

Redfield one-piece mounts on all my rifles, without question.

 

[Arctic_Beaver]

Now that i am scope commited the Next rabbit hole I'm going down now is scope base. With a fierce I have two options. Tally aluminium in a 7000 something alloy. Or murphy stainless or titanium. Anybody want to wonder down this road with me. I'm pretty sure I'm going with apa rings when the new ones come back in stock. I really like the clean strong mounting angle on them.

I had a Murphy Precision titanium picatinney base made for my Fierce Carbon Fury. I asked them to mill down the front of base, so I could mount a Nightforce SHV 3-10 low on it but still get proper eye relieve. They did a great job and made it very clean.

 

[AKjon]

No experience with any of the specific models on your list, but I love my NF. That said, as I look into a lighter weight build for future trips, the Vortex LHT line catches my eye.

 

[Aviator]

I would probably go Vortex LHT. Or of the ones you mentioned the NF.

 

[AKHUNTER]

I recall the guy on here, "Formidulosus", saying that many Leupold's are prone to loosing zero if they are dropped or hit on the side, i.e., they often fail the "drop test" by changing POI. One of the commenters on this thread had that happen on his sheep hunt.

I recently upgraded a scope on my AK hunting rifle and because of reviews and feedback from Formidulosus and others, I went with a NF SHV 3-10 x 42. I have not drop tested it but reviews indicate that it will take a beating and the POI will not change. Good luck.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I recall the guy on here, "Formidulosus", saying that many Leupold's are prone to loosing zero if they are dropped or hit on the side, i.e., they often fail the "drop test" by changing POI. One of the commenters on this thread had that happen on his sheep hunt.

I recently upgraded a scope on my AK hunting rifle and because of reviews and feedback from Formidulosus and others, I went with a NF SHV 3-10 x 42. I have not drop tested it but reviews indicate that it will take a beating and the POI will not change. Good luck.

In 54 years of using Leopold rifle scopes exclusively, I've never had one lose its sighted impact point from a drop, a fall, being forcefully hit hard, or from being fallen on.

 

[Afhunter1]

In 54 years of using Leopold rifle scopes exclusively, I've never had one lose its sighted impact point from a drop, a fall, being forcefully hit hard, or from being fallen on.

You are one of the few.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

You are one of the few.

Lucky, I guess. I beat the hell out of my rifles and rifle scopes, so been lucky.

 

[Afhunter1]

I predator hunt a lot and have seen many leupy’s nocked off by just falling over when they are sitting on their bi-pods. Just sight em back in and try to be more careful. I still use quite a few leupold’s but I baby them and wouldn’t take one on a destination type hunt.

Lucky, I guess. I beat the hell out of my rifles and rifle scopes, so been lucky.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I predator hunt a lot and have seen many leupy’s nocked off by just falling over when they are sitting on their bi-pods. Just sight em back in and try to be more careful. I still use quite a few leupold’s but I baby them and wouldn’t take one on a destination type hunt.

Probably has a lot to do with two-piece scope mounts. I run with Redfield one-piece scope mounts on all my rifles and consequently, never had a Leupold scope knocked off zero from any type of impact abuse.

 

[AKHUNTER]

In 54 years of using Leopold rifle scopes exclusively, I've never had one lose its sighted impact point from a drop, a fall, being forcefully hit hard, or from being fallen on.

In my 30+ years using Leupold scopes I also have not noticed a change in POI after dropping the rifle. With that said, I really only recall dropping it one time while overloaded with a sheep on slippery wet rocks where the rifle went flying when I hit the ground. Nonetheless, I cannot ignore the feedback from guys like Formidulosus who shoot more rounds and test more scopes then I ever will and have seen them fail often. I believe his observed failures were for Leupolds with the CDS system. They purposely drop the scopes on their sides from a certain height and then test for a change in POI. I only have one Leupold with the CDS, but sadly that rifle has not been shot much and luckily never dropped. Anyway, I sure value the feedback on these forums when I am researching new gear to purchase.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

.... I believe his observed failures were for Leupolds with the CDS system. I only have one Leupold with the CDS ...

I don't use dial (turret) scopes.