Matching scope to rifle

[TagPrincess]

I have a tikka 6.5 CM with 20” barrel and a tikka 300 WM with 20” barrel. Both will have a suppressor. I have a Trijicon credo 2.5-15 x42 and a SWFA 3-9x42. I can’t decide which scope to put on which gun.

On the one hand, bigger gun = bigger optic… put the credo on the 300. On the other hand, the 6.5 will be used for mulies and 300 for elk. Perhaps the higher mag is better for smaller game… put the credo on the 6.5.

Any insight is appreciated.

 

[wnelson14]

If you're using a rail and high-end rings you could swap them out and switch depending on what you're doing, but I would sell the credo and pick up a 3-15 or 3-9 SWFA and they would be virtually set up the same.

 

[TagPrincess]

That makes sense to have the same make of scope. Any logic to a 3-15 vs 3-9 on a deer vs elk rifle in the Rockies?

 

[wnelson14]

That makes sense to have the same make of scope. Any logic to a 3-15 vs 3-9 on a deer vs elk rifle in the Rockies?

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Oct 30, 2025

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• Glendon Mullins
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Thread 'Would you buy this scope?'

Sep 12, 2024

Scope specs:

FFP 3-12x40 to 3-12x44mm

Consistently holds zero through 3-foot drops and 3,000 rounds of constant use.

The reticle is specially designed for 25 to 600 yards, with bold outer posts and correct center aiming references.

Zero Stop

Low profile top turret.

Capped windage.

Large eye box

Good glass

20oz


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• Ryan Avery
• Replies: 1,688
• Forum: Optics

• 
• 

Bunch of great info in these threads, you could go either one.

3-9= lighter weight, more compact design, lower profile turrets, durable, returns to zero

3-15 gen 2= zero stop, capped turret capable, throw lever knob, durable, reticle is slightly different, some say 15x isn’t as usable

I believe most people using either of these are still shooting game in the 5-8 mag range anyway.

Personally I like the look of the 3-9 on shorter barrel rifles vs the 3-15, But that’s purely cosmetic.

 

[Macintosh]

I would be inclined to match the scope to the terrain/vegetation and style of hunting, not to the rifle. Of course Id match the rifle to that too as much as possible. But I would not be thinking “this scope goes with this rifle”, I’d be thinking “this hunt is in X terrain so shots are going to be at this distance, in this cover, etc, so scope (and rifle) should have X traits”.

 

[Kauaihunter]

Which rifle will see the most use and which scope do you prefer? Those two together and other ones go together by default.

 

[DangerRanger]

I would put the one with adjustable parallax on the rifle most likely to need a parallax adjustment

 

[TagPrincess]

These are all helpful points. It seems I am typically in the elk in thicker stuff and if it’s far I have time to close the gap. So probably leaning to lower mag on the 300. The 6.5 I’ll use less but having the higher mag for the more open terrain where I hunt mule deer will be nice. I can’t say I have much of a preference on the scopes. They dial and hold zero and I don’t think much about them.

Coming from an older leupold duplex that cost me an elk this year. Climbed some nasty stuff in the morning and fell on my rifle. 10 minutes into shooting light I am set up on a cow at 200. My shot went over it’s back… like 15 MOA off zero. Same thing happened on my buck later this year but I was able to hold under and get it done. I’ve been reading through all the drop test data on here and excited to eliminate this problem going forward.

 

[TaperPin]

I get so excited seeing an animal the fewer things to mess with the better, but that’s just what works best for me. I’d use electrical tape and lock scopes down at 6x or 8x for open country and 4x for hunting elk in the timber or jump shooting mulies while walking ridges. Set parallax at 300 yards and tape that down as well. I’d bet money more than one person here has had an animal walk away while fiddling with the zoom ring or parallax setting.