Rifle scope with firedot or not.

[Stevesangwonshin]

Looking for a rifle scope. Is there any reason I should not get a scope with a firedot?

Looking into a

Leupold VX-5HD CDS-ZL2 3-15x 44mm Rifle Scope - FireDot Duplex​

Is this a good magnification for deer and elk in the mountains?

 

[North of 60]

Find and read the informative scope testing/eval thread for good scopes.

 

[rookieforever33]

There are many manufactures that make similar illumination. They are made with ballistic reticles, sfp, ffp, small crosses, small circles, single post with a illuminated top. Many configurations. I personally do not like illuminated reticles larger than the firedot or small something at the center. Dont get stuck on the Leupold just because of the dot.

 

[eric1115]

I'll second the above advice.

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

The VX5 (and 6 and Mk5 and Mk4 and all other current Leupolds) have shown themselves to have very unreliable zero retention. I would not use one on a rifle that is not strictly a range toy (and even then there are great options that cost same or less with similar specs and actually works as it should.

If you're dead set on SFP a Trijicon Credo 2.5-15 would be a solid choice.

If you're open to FFP I have been more and more impressed by my SWFA 3-9. I don't think I'm leaving anything on the table with that vs my old standard favorite LRHS on my main hunting rifle. I've been using the SWFA fixed 6x for years, happily, but the 3-9 is I think a true top tier all-reasonable-hunting-ranges (good to 800++) scope. The fixed 6 is a legitimately great all-around scope as well if you feel like getting out of your comfort zone and willing to answer some questions from your hunting buddies. Perfectly fine at 50 or less to 500 or more yards, you really need to shoot it to appreciate just how good it is and how much the simplicity just makes it a fantastic killing tool.

If you're set on illumination and higher magnification, the Maven RS1.2 2.5-15 is probably the pick (but FYI the move to lower magnification and reticles that work very well at all mag ranges without illumination has been a good one for me and lots of other guys I know).

My shooting life has gotten much better and less frustrating since moving away from Leupold, Vortex, Athlon and to SWFA, Bushnell LRHS etc. mechanical reliability and function beats "glass quality" every time for a hunting scope.

 

[Kurts86]

Illumination is almost a requirement on many first focal plane scopes just for reticle visibility, it’s less critical on second focal plane scopes but still nice to have. It is nice to have in the first and last 30 minutes of hunting light but it weighs more with added complexity.

VX5’s are second focal plane but are not particularly good aiming devices.