Scope for Mountain Rifle

[TheGDog]

Another thought, if you check here again before calling Doug at camera land.

What binoculars are you carrying? I'm a proponent and advise spending more on binoculars and get a good scope. Not saying you shouldn't upgrade from what you've listed in your original post. A hunter should be using binoculars exponentially more than the scope most cases where a shot up to 300 yards could occur as shared in your opening post.

This season, Viper 12x50s picked out that deer on the hillside in my post above in very low light and the VX3HD 3.5-10x40 did a better job at 10 power than the Vipers. Previously had a VX-2 on that gun. The Vipers were comparable to that but the new HD Leupold is nicer glass to my eye.

Doing the math the exit pupils were virtually identical so I chalk that up to better HD glass in the Leupold scope.

My next purchase is not a better scope however it will be stepping up in binocular glass.

As a tangent, IMO Viper HD's are good binoculars for the price (when I got them) however I'm starting to think I may want to cry once and buy once with my next binoculars despite being stubborn thinking that $500 is a lot (approx Viper cost). I may not be crying for a $2,000 pair of binoculars but an upgrade from the Vipers still will bring a tear to my eye.

Have a look thru some ZEISS Conquest HD's man. New they're $1000.00 and used you can get'em like $750-ish. Looking thru 'em is like crack for your brain! Your brain loves that it is then now getting all this image data even sharper and brighter than your own eyes can do for you! (Especially after some years on ya makes your vision degrade over time. You don't even realize to what degree until you look thru some good glass!

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

You people are disappointing me. We are 20 posts deep in this thread and nobody has recommended an SWFA 6X. Is it because they are actually showing in stock right now?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

You people are disappointing me. We are 20 posts deep in this thread and nobody has recommended an SWFA. Is it because they are actually showing in stock right now?

I'm just trying to be more subtle

 

[BjornF16]

I'm just trying to be more subtle

Nah…

Pick up a SWFA 3-9 HD and don’t look back

 

[prm]

The SWFA scopes are not bad in low-ish light, but any decent 42, 50, or 56 mm obj scope with an illuminated reticle would likely be better for aiming in low light. The one area I think SWFA scopes are just average.

 

[Seeknelk]

As far as SWFA, he's also looking for a non dialing, set it and forget it scope. Obviously, they work great for that also. That S and B Klassic would get a hard look from me.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Have a look thru some ZEISS Conquest HD's man. New they're $1000.00 and used you can get'em like $750-ish. Looking thru 'em is like crack for your brain! Your brain loves that it is then now getting all this image data even sharper and brighter than your own eyes can do for you! (Especially after some years on ya makes your vision degrade over time. You don't even realize to what degree until you look thru some good glass!

Thanks man, appreciate that advice.

 

[BjornF16]

Don’t need dials or crazy high magnification; just a good hunting scope out to about 300 yards.

OP, are you looking for Plex, BDC, or MOA/mRad style reticle?

 

[BjornF16]

If you want maximum light gathering, good glass, reliable scope within your stated price range, then look hard at the Trijicon Accupoint 2.5-10x56. There are a variety of reticles and center dot colors. Weighs 20.7 oz

Trijicon AccuPoint® 2.5-10x56 Riflescope | Trijicon®

MIL-Dot Crosshair w/ Green Dot, Tritium / Fiber Optics Illuminated

www.trijicon.com

 

[35WhelenAI]

My thought is any crosshairs would work with the 300 yard range he is talking about. Sight in 3" high at 100 yds and MPBR covers it.

 

[Mangata]

Get the best 3-12x56 you can afford.

Think Zeiss or Schmidt & Bender.

I have a Zeiss Diavari 3-12x56 built in the late 90s and it still stacks up against anything else I have.

I’ve shot a lot of deer under that scope.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I call my Divari-12x56 the Hubble Telescope. Awesome dusk to dusk scope also has accounted for a good number of successful harvests. I do not enjoy hauling it up the mountain!!!

 

[TheGDog]

I can't imagine lugging a 56mm up a mountain side. I feel I'm pushing it with my 3-15x50mm. But I learned to love the 50mm giving me a slightly greater FOV, which in close Jumped-up game situations, gives your eye more real estate on that critter for you to figure out where your crosshairs actually are on this critter this instance, and landmarks, so you can rapidly adjust in the moment. Started with a simple 50mm Crossfire II I put on my AR. Slightly longer performance at dusk and that slightly larger FOV, I quickly saw the benefit of it, and it made a lotta sense to me. There's some weight penalty, depending on grade of glass though. But for the very crisp bitchin view, I'm willing to lug some more oz's. That greater detail gives me confirmation quicker as well to where I'm pointed at, soon as I throw 'em up, for closer jump-shot opportunities, like a coyote running in. I was nervy about jumping up to a scope that started at 4x for predators because of the close-up nature of it most of the time in my circumstances. But, the glass on that Burris FullField E3(?E2?) made me a believer when this yote came running in and I caught sight sight of her jumping a wash maybe 35 out, so when she went behind this big pine tree in front of me, knew where she was gonna come out at, raise her up, great crisp view so I could find the location of landmark points on the animal faster than I thought I could at 4.5x. And Coyotes don't stay still for too long, so was glad it provided a view I could also work with close-in, due to the clarity!

Plus I figure for myself, my whole view is limited by the ability of my own eyeglasses I have to wear anyway. So as long as I'm initially impressed with the view they can provide, and I was with these Burris scopes I'd bought in a Combo deal off OpticsPlanet. The Veracity and the FullField bundled together at a better price than buying both separately. And I knew I'd need another one sooner of later. Had an existing one get knocked and objective end fail, so was glad I had this FullField available to swap-in on my .223 Rem. Was a great deal.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Amazon.com

 

[shurshot]

OP, have you been kept from taking a shot in the first or last 15 minutes of legal shooting light with the scopes mentioned in your opening post?

Going to a monster size objective on a good scope as has been shared in this thread can accomplish what you ask, however that size scope and mountain rifle are hard to reconcile. However, if that is a necessary part of the equation for your situation, you need to do what will work for you.

FWIW, the most recent scope I have put on a rifle is a Leupold VX3HD 3.5-10x40 and it did excellent in fading legal shooting light this year at 10x and 210 yards on a whitetail working its way across a hillside. Otherwise, my scopes are older 3-9x40 Leupolds. They have never kept me from a shot, however in my opinion the HD glass is better in the VX3HD line up compared to the older Leupolds, which only makes sense as thing evolve over time with respect to glass.

Hope you have a good call with Doug at Cameraland, looking forward to what you come up with.

I have been kept from a shot but not often enough that I couldn’t make do with the scopes I have. Situation where the deer was chasing and I didn’t have time to use my binos. Probably more of “I didn’t have enough time” than “I didn’t have enough light”

I still use all of those scopes and really like them. Just thought about adding another one and getting something that might do a tad better.

You answered another question I had but didn’t ask, and that was about the quality of the glass in the newer VX3HD vs the older VX3’s.

I did call Doug at cameraland, but he was out. I talked to Neil, who was super helpful. We discussed several options. I think I am leaning toward the Swarovski Z3 line. They are light weight and may give me what I am after.

 

[shurshot]

Another thought, if you check here again before calling Doug at camera land.

What binoculars are you carrying? I'm a proponent and advise spending more on binoculars and get a good scope. Not saying you shouldn't upgrade from what you've listed in your original post. A hunter should be using binoculars exponentially more than the scope most cases where a shot up to 300 yards could occur as shared in your opening post.

This season, Viper 12x50s picked out that deer on the hillside in my post above in very low light and the VX3HD 3.5-10x40 did a better job at 10 power than the Vipers. Previously had a VX-2 on that gun. The Vipers were comparable to that but the new HD Leupold is nicer glass to my eye.

Doing the math the exit pupils were virtually identical so I chalk that up to better HD glass in the Leupold scope.

My next purchase is not a better scope however it will be stepping up in binocular glass.

As a tangent, IMO Viper HD's are good binoculars for the price (when I got them) however I'm starting to think I may want to cry once and buy once with my next binoculars despite being stubborn thinking that $500 is a lot (approx Viper cost). I may not be crying for a $2,000 pair of binoculars but an upgrade from the Vipers still will bring a tear to my eye.

I use the exact binoculars you mentioned when I am hunting where I can see over about 200 yards, and I love them. In situations where I am hunting where I can’t see very far, I use older Zeiss Diafun 8x32. I love them too. They are very lightweight.

I have thought of updgrading, but, like you, I consider these “expensive” even though they are not. LOL! I just like trying new stuff. Don’t really “need” anything other than what I have.

 

[shurshot]

I can't imagine lugging a 56mm up a mountain side. I feel I'm pushing it with my 3-15x50mm. But I learned to love the 50mm giving me a slightly greater FOV, which in close Jumped-up game situations, gives your eye more real estate on that critter for you to figure out where your crosshairs actually are on this critter this instance, and landmarks, so you can rapidly adjust in the moment. Started with a simple 50mm Crossfire II I put on my AR. Slightly longer performance at dusk and that slightly larger FOV, I quickly saw the benefit of it, and it made a lotta sense to me. There's some weight penalty, depending on grade of glass though. But for the very crisp bitchin view, I'm willing to lug some more oz's. That greater detail gives me confirmation quicker as well to where I'm pointed at, soon as I throw 'em up, for closer jump-shot opportunities, like a coyote running in. I was nervy about jumping up to a scope that started at 4x for predators because of the close-up nature of it most of the time in my circumstances. But, the glass on that Burris FullField E3(?E2?) made me a believer when this yote came running in and I caught sight sight of her jumping a wash maybe 35 out, so when she went behind this big pine tree in front of me, knew where she was gonna come out at, raise her up, great crisp view so I could find the location of landmark points on the animal faster than I thought I could at 4.5x. And Coyotes don't stay still for too long, so was glad it provided a view I could also work with close-in, due to the clarity!

Plus I figure for myself, my whole view is limited by the ability of my own eyeglasses I have to wear anyway. So as long as I'm initially impressed with the view they can provide, and I was with these Burris scopes I'd bought in a Combo deal off OpticsPlanet. The Veracity and the FullField bundled together at a better price than buying both separately. And I knew I'd need another one sooner of later. Had an existing one get knocked and objective end fail, so was glad I had this FullField available to swap-in on my .223 Rem. Was a great deal.

Appreciate that info. I have never used a 50mm and am trying to decide if I need that or just a better scope or both. I have several mountain rifles and all have what I consider a mountain rifle type scope. I am not opposed to having one that doesn’t fit the norm for mountain rifles.

 

[BjornF16]

Do yourself a favor and read through the scope evaluation threads before you drop any $$$

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

 

[gbflyer]

You’ll probably get along well with a Z3. Edge clarity on low power isn’t as nice as the Habicht line they replaced, in my opinion, however they are brighter. My friends who guide brown bears in Alaska really push the Z6i, they do most of their shooting at the edge of darkness. I don’t think you can throw any Swarovski off the roof onto the driveway and expect it to stay zeroed. All depends on what compromises you’re willing to make.

 

[mtwarden]

I'd also recommend a Z3 as well- great low light performance in a very light package. You don't need a 50+ objective to get good low light performance and if it's a "mountain rifle" then you want it light.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I think I am leaning toward the Swarovski Z3 line. They are light weight and may give me what I am after.

Between the brightness, clarity, and bold reticles I think your eyes will be most relaxed looking through a Swarovski vs. the ones you currently have. The Z3 line are nice and light.