Scope for a modernized scout / mountain rifle help

[kravi]

I think I'm settling on a Swarovski Z3 3-10 (really a 3.3 - 10) BRH. It seems just about perfect for me. Anyone have experience with one?

 

[rarmitage915]

Another vote for the 3-9 accupoint. Roughly 13oz, and can do either a basic duplex reticle or a simple mil dot.

 

[Kyguy]

I think I'm settling on a Swarovski Z3 3-10 (really a 3.3 - 10) BRH. It seems just about perfect for me. Anyone have experience with one?

I think you screwed up with your description of "modernized scout rifle". That's why you got some of the recommendations that you did. Your rifle is neither scout, nor modern. It's just a lightweight rifle that you're looking for a lightweight scope. A Trijicon 3-9 in the Accupoint or Huron is the best answer for this. Good glass, eye box is fine, probably the most durable scope in that under 16oz category. The Burris Fullfield II would be next.

To me it sounds like you've already decided on the swarovski, you just want people to validate that choice. It's not going to happen on this forum. It failed the drop test, the scope actually bent. If you do a search on here you'll find horror stories about Swarovski scopes. As stated, you're on the wrong forum to get that choice validated for you.

 

[Livejust]

I run a Ruger Scout rifle (the 18" version no can) with a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36mm and the Boone & Crockett reticle for this exact purpose. Excellent balance for timber hunting and can still easily make reliable hits to 500 at 8x.

Do you just hold over with your reticle for 500 yd hits? I love the old vx3 in 2.5-8 on classic hunting rifles but mine are duplex so don’t have any confidence over 300

 

[Livejust]

Hi folks, need some help here (and unfortunately for the readers of this post, there is context). My "go to" hunting rifle is a 24" Tikka in 7 Rem Mag with a lightweight titanium can wearing a Vortex LHT 3 - 15. She shoots true and I like her. I'm also, and this is where I need help, a PRS and NRL Hunter shooter (total amateur, maybe a handful of matches a year), with all of the assumptions and baggage which go with that.

I'm putting together a "modernized" scout rifle. It's a 16.5" 308, without optic almost 7lbs exactly (that 7lbs includes the weight of a titanium can). This is for still hunting, mountain hunting, etc, and would only be for 300 yards at most. For an optic, I'm looking for decent glass (I'm spoiled) with a forgiving eye box and low weight.

At first I was looking at the Leupold Mark 4 2.5 - 10, which, with lightweight rings is around 24oz. But I realized I don't really need a fancy reticle for short ranged hunting (see, that is my precision rifle bias), and I thought I'd look at simpler scopes with a plex reticle or something similar. Swarovski, for example, makes a ~13oz 4 - 12 with a plex reticle and the glass is reputed to be similar to a Leupold Mk 4 or a Vortex LHT (which I find excellent).

And then.... I thought about a simple fixed magnification optic (leaning towards 6x or so for the slightly longer shots, but could even contemplate a 4x. I shoot 2gun every month and one of the local club stages goes out to 300 yards and I do that with a 3x magnifier behind a red dot). But I can't really find much being made in the 21st century.

So keeping in mind a short range rifle, can any of you recommend some good quality glass which is lightweight? Advise me on a fixed magnification scope vs a mpvo approach, and make some recommendations? This rifle isn't supposed to be good at everything. Just a lightweight rifle that is maneuverable in the brush and good for no more than 300 yards (and likely much less than that).

Apologies for the wall of text, but I wanted to get my use case out there and explain the limitations of my thinking and inherent biases when it comes to glass.

Cheers!

Hi folks, need some help here (and unfortunately for the readers of this post, there is context). My "go to" hunting rifle is a 24" Tikka in 7 Rem Mag with a lightweight titanium can wearing a Vortex LHT 3 - 15. She shoots true and I like her. I'm also, and this is where I need help, a PRS and NRL Hunter shooter (total amateur, maybe a handful of matches a year), with all of the assumptions and baggage which go with that.

I'm putting together a "modernized" scout rifle. It's a 16.5" 308, without optic almost 7lbs exactly (that 7lbs includes the weight of a titanium can). This is for still hunting, mountain hunting, etc, and would only be for 300 yards at most. For an optic, I'm looking for decent glass (I'm spoiled) with a forgiving eye box and low weight.

At first I was looking at the Leupold Mark 4 2.5 - 10, which, with lightweight rings is around 24oz. But I realized I don't really need a fancy reticle for short ranged hunting (see, that is my precision rifle bias), and I thought I'd look at simpler scopes with a plex reticle or something similar. Swarovski, for example, makes a ~13oz 4 - 12 with a plex reticle and the glass is reputed to be similar to a Leupold Mk 4 or a Vortex LHT (which I find excellent).

And then.... I thought about a simple fixed magnification optic (leaning towards 6x or so for the slightly longer shots, but could even contemplate a 4x. I shoot 2gun every month and one of the local club stages goes out to 300 yards and I do that with a 3x magnifier behind a red dot). But I can't really find much being made in the 21st century.

So keeping in mind a short range rifle, can any of you recommend some good quality glass which is lightweight? Advise me on a fixed magnification scope vs a mpvo approach, and make some recommendations? This rifle isn't supposed to be good at everything. Just a lightweight rifle that is maneuverable in the brush and good for no more than 300 yards (and likely much less than that).

Apologies for the wall of text, but I wanted to get my use case out there and explain the limitations of my thinking and inherent biases when it comes to glass.

Cheers!

Vx3 2.5-8 is nice and super light. Even the older models have good glass to me. Have you ever had any issues with your LHT? Low light, durability, and tracking/dialing been good?

 

[Shraggs]

I have 2 swfa 1-6 and one trijcon. Tri has better fov and eye box, but the swfa reticle trumps for me in hunting.

If hunting includes any low light, I’d move to something else with a 42 mm ish objective. To me it’s a big difference in both fov and eye box. The swfa fixed 6 is similar weight, but currently sold out.

I’d echo what others have said - for a 300 yard gun and 13 oz hard to not consider the 3-9 accupoint in the mil duplex. Its a bastard with moa adjustment, but treat as non dialing and use reticle. Set it on 6x and you have 2.5 mil windage or elevation holds in .5 dots (or close enough for 300 yards).

 

[Macintosh]

I have 2 swfa 1-6 and one trijcon. Tri has better fov and eye box, but the swfa reticle trumps for me in hunting.

If hunting includes any low light, I’d move to something else with a 42 mm ish objective. To me it’s a big difference in both fov and eye box. The swfa fixed 6 is similar weight, but currently sold out.

I’d echo what others have said - for a 300 yard gun and 13 oz hard to not consider the 3-9 accupoint in the mil duplex. Its a bastard with moa adjustment, but treat as non dialing and use reticle. Set it on 6x and you have 2.5 mil windage or elevation holds in .5 dots (or close enough for 300 yards).

Agree on the trij mildot reticles, the fact that the adjustments are moa is a 100% non-issue if you are only using the reticle. Only issue for me is in at least a few of their scopes I find the 2fp floating mil dot reticle too small to be legitimately useable in the field. I just cant see the dots well enough to use them. For this use my scope would wear a full-sized duplex or g#4 reticle, and I’d dial if I truly needed to shoot past 250-ish yards.

 

[jesco88]

Hi folks, need some help here (and unfortunately for the readers of this post, there is context). My "go to" hunting rifle is a 24" Tikka in 7 Rem Mag with a lightweight titanium can wearing a Vortex LHT 3 - 15. She shoots true and I like her. I'm also, and this is where I need help, a PRS and NRL Hunter shooter (total amateur, maybe a handful of matches a year), with all of the assumptions and baggage which go with that.

I'm putting together a "modernized" scout rifle. It's a 16.5" 308, without optic almost 7lbs exactly (that 7lbs includes the weight of a titanium can). This is for still hunting, mountain hunting, etc, and would only be for 300 yards at most. For an optic, I'm looking for decent glass (I'm spoiled) with a forgiving eye box and low weight.

At first I was looking at the Leupold Mark 4 2.5 - 10, which, with lightweight rings is around 24oz. But I realized I don't really need a fancy reticle for short ranged hunting (see, that is my precision rifle bias), and I thought I'd look at simpler scopes with a plex reticle or something similar. Swarovski, for example, makes a ~13oz 4 - 12 with a plex reticle and the glass is reputed to be similar to a Leupold Mk 4 or a Vortex LHT (which I find excellent).

And then.... I thought about a simple fixed magnification optic (leaning towards 6x or so for the slightly longer shots, but could even contemplate a 4x. I shoot 2gun every month and one of the local club stages goes out to 300 yards and I do that with a 3x magnifier behind a red dot). But I can't really find much being made in the 21st century.

So keeping in mind a short range rifle, can any of you recommend some good quality glass which is lightweight? Advise me on a fixed magnification scope vs a mpvo approach, and make some recommendations? This rifle isn't supposed to be good at everything. Just a lightweight rifle that is maneuverable in the brush and good for no more than 300 yards (and likely much less than that).

Apologies for the wall of text, but I wanted to get my use case out there and explain the limitations of my thinking and inherent biases when it comes to glass.

Cheers!

I have a 16" AR10 for the same use (albeit, mine is a tad heavier than 7lbs, haha). I went with an older 2.5-8x36 VX3 that I had laying around and have been very happy with this setup for blinds and deer drives in the woods of MO. This vx3 only weighs 11oz or so, and it makes the rifle a bit more handy. I run a 130gr Barnes TTSX right around 2800fps. Zero it at 50 yards, I'm about 7" low at 300yards. IME, I've struggled with $400-500 LPVOs at the top end, the eyebox feels very tight and the low light performance isn't as great. I also don't need the 1x, and I don't really need much more than 8x. I usually leave it at 3x or 4x, and can do just about everything I want to with it.

I would make sure that you prioritize eye relief. Light weight 308s can be tricky to shoot when you're in awkward positions.

 

[never.truly.lost]

Do you just hold over with your reticle for 500 yd hits? I love the old vx3 in 2.5-8 on classic hunting rifles but mine are duplex so don’t have any confidence over 300

This has the Boone and Crocket reticle so I just pulled the specs with the stadia spacing in MOA, and ran the 4DOF math to see what the main lines were for spacing vs. distance. Not laser exact but a much more accurate hold setup for consistent practical holdovers.