Scope for Hells Canyon Speed 300 WSM?

BCD

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I’m looking for a good scope for my Hells Canyon Speed 300 WSM. I would like to keep it under $500 but would go up to $700 if necessary. I will likely never shoot 500 plus yards at an animal but I would like to at least practice at that distance. I want to dial yardage as I do not care for hold over lines. I was about to go with a Leupold CDS but then started reading about all of the reliability issues with the turrets. I definitely want a custom turret to keep it as simple as possible. Suggestions??

Thank you!
 

archp625

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I've had good luck with my Nikons with the XRT Turrets. I would stick with the Monarch line. A friend has a Vortex HST that is really nice as well. The problem with this post is you are going to get a ton on opinions. You should go to a store and look through as many as possible,
 
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For that price range, on a short action rifle, wanting to shoot 500 yards, I would put a Nightforce SHV 3-10x42 on it. Search around for the IHR reticle for something more simplistic than the MOAR. Should be able to find one used or on a good deal somewhere in that $700+/- range.
 

slowelk

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I like second focal plane for hunting, and I've never had an issue with the two CDS-ZL2 turret systems that I own. I'm a hunter, not a competitive shooter, I think you hear from a lot of the competitor types when you hear about Leupold's not tracking. I've never had any issues returning to zero.
 

archp625

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For that price range, on a short action rifle, wanting to shoot 500 yards, I would put a Nightforce SHV 3-10x42 on it. Search around for the IHR reticle for something more simplistic than the MOAR. Should be able to find one used or on a good deal somewhere in that $700+/- range.
I agree on optic choice, but I think it would be hard to find for under $700.
 
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BCD

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I like second focal plane for hunting, and I've never had an issue with the two CDS-ZL2 turret systems that I own. I'm a hunter, not a competitive shooter, I think you hear from a lot of the competitor types when you hear about Leupold's not tracking. I've never had any issues returning to zero.

Can you please elaborate here regarding the turrets not tracking in terms of why this might be a bigger concern for competitive shooters than hunters? I would like to buy the Leupold but the reviews on the CDS make me a little nervous.

Thank You!!
 

slowelk

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Can you please elaborate here regarding the turrets not tracking in terms of why this might be a bigger concern for competitive shooters than hunters? I would like to buy the Leupold but the reviews on the CDS make me a little nervous.

Thank You!!

Someone can likely speak better to this than I can, but competition shooting requires more dialing, and less frequent returns to zero. From what I've gathered, this is where issues have come up with Leupold's in the past. Technically what causes this, I can't say. As I said, I haven't had any issues, but I demand a lot less from a scope than a competitive shooter. I zero, then shoot beyond 500 monthly, and dial a hand-full of times during season. Every time I have reliably returned to zero, and then dialed to my desired range.

I haven't seen any complaints with their CDS-ZL2 system, so their prior system may have been the source for the poor reviews.
 
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Dang it. You just made me buy a new scope. I have wanted to buy a nightforce but they were just out of reach for me. Now you force me to pick on up. They have excellent prices.

You’ll like it. I ran that exact scope on a 6.5x284 last year and went 4 for 4 on my tags. The capped elevation is a really nice when your in thick stuff, and I hunted Alaska last year and it was great to know nothing was getting bumped getting in and out of planes, boats, etc. it’s been bullet proof for me, and honestly I like it better than my 2.5-10 NXS which was 2x the cost.
 

Kotaman

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For that price range, on a short action rifle, wanting to shoot 500 yards, I would put a Nightforce SHV 3-10x42 on it. Search around for the IHR reticle for something more simplistic than the MOAR. Should be able to find one used or on a good deal somewhere in that $700+/- range.

THIS
 

Sodbuster

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Agree with brightwhite on the shv.

Also, if you call some of the optic dealers and just ask for a deal on the price, you might get it.


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Sodbuster

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I put an shv on a friend’s 6.5 Creedmoor.
It made a slick handling rig.


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If only the 3-10 SHV had exposed elevation turrets..

I have a 2.5-10 NXS (replaced a vx6) on my 300 WSM xbolt but it's getting pulled to go on a custom and getting replaced with a SWFA 3-9 HD.
 

Sodbuster

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If only the 3-10 SHV had exposed elevation turrets..

I have a 2.5-10 NXS (replaced a vx6) on my 300 WSM xbolt but it's getting pulled to go on a custom and getting replaced with a SWFA 3-9 HD.


gypsy, how does the glass compare on those two scopes?
 
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