New to scopes, how to approach weight and magnification needs?

[Hoofing It]

I'm pretty new to buying decent-quality scopes and wanted to get something that'd fit my needs properly.

But since I don't have a lot of experience I don't know what those needs are. Weight, magnification, it's hard to figure out what I need. I'm not planning on taking long shots more than 300 yards any time soon. I've been looking at 3-9, 2-10, 3-15, things in that range.

I have a rifle between 6 and 7 lbs like a lot of people. I have noticed that things like FFP and more expensive scopes tend to be quite a bit heavier. How bad is it to have a near-2 lb scope on a rifle of this weight? I've had heavy scopes on rifles before but never carried them far like I'm planning to now. What else is there to look for when it comes to quality?

(Also as a fun addition, what is there to look for in a quality slug gun scope? 125 yards max but probably won't shoot past 100. I see a lot of 1-6x scopes on the market now, is there anything special to look for?)

 

[StinkyPete]

Hey man, depending on the caliber, I don’t think there’s much need for anything other than a basic 3-9x, 40mm SFP scope for anything under 300 yards. I’ve done a ton of Blacktail/hog hunting out here and at those distances, I just understand my drop and guesstimate. My sub 300-yard rig is all about light and maneuverable, and has served me well.

If going over that distance, I really like the 5-25 FFP scopes, like the Viper PST Gen2’s. My 300wm has that one on it, and I traded a few scopes until I settled on it as a good balance of weight and zoom, without breaking the bank or being too heavy.

Noticed you’re in the Bay Area…me too. Lots of good hunting not too far from here.

–Pete

 

[clem]

I don’t think there’s much need for anything other than a basic 3-9x, 40mm SFP scope for anything under 300 yards.

Agree with this in full. That being said, if you think you might open it up in range down the line, it might be worth considering other options. I love a good FFP scope but that's only because I got used to them in comp shooting.

 

[KenLee]

Hard to beat the current Trijicon sale prices for the quality of glass in whatever magnification range you decide on. I use a good many six to six pound 5 ounce rifles with 25-28 ounce scopes on them. I have grown to like big scopes and don't mind the weight to have good reticles (preferably including small illuminated dot) , reliability and good low light usability. Leica Amplus 6 is also a good choice.
2.5-15x or something near is a good magnification range for 20-500 yards. If you practice much, you may soon want to stretch your range.

 

[DenimChicken]

I think a 3-9 or 2.5-10 is a great magnification range for practical shooting and shooting at the range. FFP scopes have their place but I think a SFP is a good option for the mentioned shooting range and magnification range.

Also a big fan of the Trijicon line as mentioned above. I’d start by researching the scope tests in the long range hunting portion of this forum.

 

[Reed104R]

Are you hunting big game?

 

[Crow Hunter TN]

But since I don't have a lot of experience I don't know what those needs are. Weight, magnification, it's hard to figure out what I need. I'm not planning on taking long shots more than 300 yards any time soon. I've been looking at 3-9, 2-10, 3-15, things in that range.

I have a rifle between 6 and 7 lbs like a lot of people. I have noticed that things like FFP and more expensive scopes tend to be quite a bit heavier. How bad is it to have a near-2 lb scope on a rifle of this weight? I've had heavy scopes on rifles before but never carried them far like I'm planning to now. What else is there to look for when it comes to quality?

(Also as a fun addition, what is there to look for in a quality slug gun scope? 125 yards max but probably won't shoot past 100. I see a lot of 1-6x scopes on the market now, is there anything special to look for?)

I think you will just have to try some and figure it out in person. There are some vendors that will allow you to send back scopes that you don't mount and some of them will even pay the shipping back.

I recently decided that I wanted to do the FFP and Mil/Mil.

I got some great advice here and in other places on what scopes to get and I tried them. What I found is that what works for lots of people doesn't work for me and where I hunt. I also found out that I don't really like the FFP scopes that I have tried. Some of the more expensive FFP scopes like S&B or TT would probably be noticeably better but that is out of the price range that I was wanting to spend.

I saw a post by Vortex Optics that I am paraphrasing:

Find a scope for your 80% use case and go with that rather than buying a scope for your 20% use case.

https://vortexoptics.com/blog/what-riflescope-magnification-should-you-get.html

I determined that I prefer lighter weight 10X or less SFP scopes for my 80% use case.

You, on the other hand, may find out that you don't have issues with reticles at low magnification and get a lot of use out of the holdovers at all magnifications and feel the extra weight/cost is justified. I don't think you can know that until you try it for yourself though and I would still like to try a SWFA 3-9 if they ever come back in stock again.

I know that reading and researching online had me absolutely fully convinced that a FFP scope in Mil/Mil was what I needed. Luckily, I was only out time and shipping costs and I actually enjoyed going out and looking through the scopes at all the local critters.

I think my neighbor's horse is growing suspicious of me though....

 

[5811]

I would suggest doing a ton of research on moa vs mils before spending big money on scopes.

Most people (me) stick to what they know until they are too invested to switch.

 

[Dmoua]

In my opinion if you are hunting big game, more magnification does not hurt. Something in the 3-18 or 4-32 would be my pick. There are scopes that range from 22oz up to 32oz with those magnification ranges. As far as FFP vs SFP, I will take a SFP scope all day when it comes to hunting. More versatile in all sorts of terrain from still hunting in the dark timber to open sage country. I use a FFP for PRS and can hardly see the crosshairs when the scope is on low magnification. Maybe my eyes are getting bad but I don’t have that issue with SFP scopes period.

 

[Roguemountainhunter]

In my opinion if you are hunting big game, more magnification does not hurt. Something in the 3-18 or 4-32 would be my pick. There are scopes that range from 22oz up to 32oz with those magnification ranges. As far as FFP vs SFP, I will take a SFP scope all day when it comes to hunting. More versatile in all sorts of terrain from still hunting in the dark timber to open sage country. I use a FFP for PRS and can hardly see the crosshairs when the scope is on low magnification. Maybe my eyes are getting bad but I don’t have that issue with SFP scopes period.

Second this!

 

[Fire power]

In my opinion if you are hunting big game, more magnification does not hurt. Something in the 3-18 or 4-32 would be my pick. There are scopes that range from 22oz up to 32oz with those magnification ranges. As far as FFP vs SFP, I will take a SFP scope all day when it comes to hunting. More versatile in all sorts of terrain from still hunting in the dark timber to open sage country. I use a FFP for PRS and can hardly see the crosshairs when the scope is on low magnification. Maybe my eyes are getting bad but I don’t have that issue with SFP scopes period.

What he sad

 

[Hoofing It]

Thanks for the great advice everyone! I got a used scope with a good warranty to try it out. Good resale too so I'm not out too much if I decide I don't like it.

It's average weight (25 oz) and FFP. My eyes are still pretty good and playing around with it I haven't had trouble picking up the reticle unless it's really dark, like all lights off at night dark. Not sure I'll like it in the field until I try it though. It goes up to 12x which is definitely enough for my needs. But I see everyone has bought, sold, collected, traded until they settled on what they like. I imagine I'll probably do the same.

 

[DMR2014]

3-18 use to seem overkill, not so much anymore

 

[Rock-o]

I buy the scope that I want based on features. The weight is what it is; I don't look at it, I don't consider it, I couldn't care less.

 

[DMR2014]

I buy the scope that I want based on features. The weight is what it is; I don't look at it, I don't consider it, I couldn't care less.

I agree with that statement

 

[atmat]

The most important thing to assess is the reliability of the scope. The vast majority of scopes don’t hold zero well. Start here: https://rokslide.com/forums/forums/rifle-scope-field-evaluations.133/

After you have that, I’d start to consider the other factors (magnification, objective size, illumination, FFP/SFP, capped/uncapped windage, weight, etc.).

If my shots were capped at 300 yards I’d probably just get an SWFA 6x or 3-9x42. They’re reliable, cheap, good reticle, and light.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I started with a fixed 4x 50 years ago. I upgraded to a 3x9 leupold and it worked well for a number of years. I finally started to realize all the options available and really started to shop. I settled a number of years ago on a leupold vx- 2, 4 x 12. It wasn't the magnification I liked but the option of a fine duplex. I bought a couple of them and have been very happy with the results. I rarely move it off of 6x for shots out to 300+ yards.

Shopping is half the fun and there are likely many more options than were available when I bought mine. Take your time and consider carefully what will cover your needs for now and the future.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

2-7x and 3-9x are plenty.

 

[Weldor]

I can't make my mind up. 5lb 3oz. rifle, just seems heavy to me to put a 28 oz scope on it? I am trying to keep it around 8 lb with a 11 oz suppressor. I am not looking for ultra lightweight , but the lighter the better for me personally. It's just a hunting rig. Last Coues was 564 yds, uphill, so there will be some long shots taken on occasion.

 

[MallardSX2]

I can't say I would even have a guess at what any of my scopes weigh. lol