timber hunting scopes

[VernAK]

Are you stand hunting or mainly walking-up deer? Makes a difference imo.
Trijicon accupoint 1-6 for me, Ive only had mine a year but really like the scope, and prefer it to others Ive used for the purpose for many years. Great eyebox, good glass, reticle is good against the busy background, and the small objective has not been an issue for me with regard to light gathering. If you search “close range scope” “woods scope” and search some specific models on this site you’ll find quite a few similar threads. You’ll want to specify a budget as the go-to choices run the gamut from relatively inexpensive to pushing $2k or more. When I purchased mine I was deciding between it and an S&B 1.5-6. Many of the popular options (2.5-8, etc) were off the table due to previous problems Ive had with reliability.

This is where I'd be with the triangle post reticle.

 

[JohnsIsl]

S&B Polar 2.5-10x50

 

[JO.]

Nightforce 2.5-10x42

 

[willtim]

My 68 yo eyes really like the Leupold illuminated reticle in low light.

 

[sdupontjr]

Accupoint 2.5-10x56 (gave to son) then went to 2.5-10x56 S&B Klassik, then settled on 4-16x56 S&B Polar.

I hunt 90% hardwoods but do hunt other areas. The hardwoods is my family property. I have tried them all except a Hensoldt. From meopta R1, Zeiss victory, diavari (can't hardly find them anymore), Trijicon. All are very nice optics. The Polar, in my books is king. There are several optics, including the much cheaper Accupoint 2.5-10x56, appear to be brighter during daylight. Where the Polar shines is when the sun sets and dusk is upon you, that's where the coatings of the Polar stand out. I chose the #4 reticle because of the illumination. The dot is a pin prick which doesn't overpower your pupil in low light.

The trijicon is the cheapest of them and can be had on sale for $699-$750 if your patient. The illumination is Tridium and self-adjusts as it gets darker. Very good system and no need for batteries. If you're on a budget, get the Trijicon, if you can find a Polar for a good price, it's a no brainer.

Oh, and one other thing, in south Louisiana, when the sun sets, it gets dark, and I mean real dark. There are times when you can hardly see, yet it's still legal hunting times. Alot of it has to do with the foliage and the leaves that haven't dropped. It's doesn't get really cold here until close to christmas, thus all the leaves are still in the trees blocking out the sun. So, when I compare an optic, it's to my settings. Someone out in Utah may claim that a NF or Burris or whatever brand optic gets them to legal light. Not here. Because of my hunting terrain, I needed the best.

 

[JohnsIsl]

Where the Polar shines is when the sun sets and dusk is upon you, that's where the coatings of the Polar stand out. I chose the #4 reticle because of the illumination. The dot is a pin prick which doesn't overpower your pupil in low light.

This

 

[Macintosh]

100% "timber hunting" means totally different things, with totally different priorities, depending on where you are and how you hunt. The guy tracking deer on 100,000+acre wilderness areas covered in timbered mountains and swamps is going to have a very different set of priorities than the guy hunting from a blind looking over an oak flat, and still different than someone hunting in a state with full leaf-cover and shooting hours a full hour after sunset. But they are all "timber hunting". Lots of good options, but without more info impossible to say what might translate best for where and how the OP will use it.

 

[lefthandedasian]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned using a red dot or at the very least a low power 1x or 2x prism.

I know they're not a scopes per se, but after my first time timber hunting this last weekend in an area where I was never be able to see further than 100 yards due to tree density and the hilly topography, I'm fully convinced a red dot would have been the best option for that tight of timber.

My SWFA 3-9x at 3x felt way too zoomed in for a running shot closer than 30 or 40 yards. I feel like a red dot would have been perfect for a running shot that close but also be completely capable all the way out to 100+.

I know the tactical guys tote about shooting their red dotted AR-15 out to 400 at man sized targets with decent accuracy. So I'd assume if you practice enough, one could be proficient at shooting game past 200.(With a caliber that has a decent maximum point blank range anyways)

 

[Ding]

I use a Nikon Monarch 1.5-4.5 x 20 that I love, although Nikon doesn’t manufacture scopes anymore.

 

[Steve300xcw]

 

[Shraggs]

View attachment 953917

Agree, especially love the center dot and reaching out.

My swfa 1-6 is on my lever 358, it’s also worn several trijicon lpvos too and maybe my age but I’m leaning putting my swfa 6x on it. I think the better low light gathering will really help when it is truly legal dark timber.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Agree, especially love the center dot and reaching out.

My swfa 1-6 is on my lever 358, it’s also worn several trijicon lpvos too and maybe my age but I’m leaning putting my swfa 6x on it. I think the better low light gathering will really help when it is truly legal dark timber.

I sold mine and regretted it almost instantly Was pretty stoked to see them start getting sold again. Till recently, its been a long while since I saw one for sale.

I think it really depends on the timber. A 6x or even just a 3-9 turned down has worked fine for me. But start getting into the thick stuff and man is that 1x a nice thing.

 

[ACHILLES]

March 1.5-15x42mm MTR 5 reticle for all around.

Also like the
Swaro Z8i .75-6x20mm DI recticle.

 

[hibernation]

One of the most exciting experiences for this Wyoming kid where timber hunting is seeing elk at 75 to 100 yards was walking through some fern choked Oregon wilderness for the first time like something out of the movie Predator and having an elk jump up 5 yards away! You Oregon guys will laugh, but that was so unexpected, it might as well have been Predator himself. 4x in that jungle would have been as helpful as having scope caps down. A low powered variable or fixed 2-1/2x for these low visibility areas is easily at the top of the list.

View attachment 951545

If someone hasn't experienced it, they really don't get how thick the coastal PNW gets. I shot my first elk at 7 yards, with a rifle. I had gotten in front of a herd in the timber, heard them coming, and just literally couldn't see them until one stepped out right in front of me. It's a wild place to hunt.

 

[Macintosh]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned using a red dot or at the very least a low power 1x or 2x prism.

I know they're not a scopes per se, but after my first time timber hunting this last weekend in an area where I was never be able to see further than 100 yards due to tree density and the hilly topography, I'm fully convinced a red dot would have been the best option for that tight of timber.

My SWFA 3-9x at 3x felt way too zoomed in for a running shot closer than 30 or 40 yards. I feel like a red dot would have been perfect for a running shot that close but also be completely capable all the way out to 100+.

I know the tactical guys tote about shooting their red dotted AR-15 out to 400 at man sized targets with decent accuracy. So I'd assume if you practice enough, one could be proficient at shooting game past 200.(With a caliber that has a decent maximum point blank range anyways)

Here in Northern new england our rifle hunting sounds really similar to the post above about oregon, ie rifle shots typically fast and 20-40yards is super common, with closer shots being about as likely as farther ones. A lot of guys do use red dots around here. The reason I dont is that I find some magnification very helpful to pick a hole thru the sea of hardwood twigs when sitting at first and last light. What looks like a totally open 50-70 yard shot is often full of tiny hardwood whips and twigs that you dont even see without being at 6x or more. My eyes arent what they were a few years ago, but age has not helped in this regard. I really think a 1-2.5x on the low end scope is very helpful, but I really like my 6-10x on the high end.

 

[hibernation]

Here in Northern new england our rifle hunting sounds really similar to the post above about oregon, ie rifle shots typically fast and 20-40yards is super common, with closer shots being about as likely as farther ones. A lot of guys do use red dots around here.

I've hunted both regions and there's some similarities, you definitely end up with fast, close shots in the timber. But then you hit the edge of the timber and look down on a clearcut for a wide open 300-400 yard shot. So you really need an optic/rifle that does both, which is always a compromise, or you just have the guys who specialize in one or the other.

The reason I dont is that I find some magnification very helpful to pick a hole thru the sea of hardwood twigs when sitting at first and last light. What looks like a totally open 50-70 yard shot is often full of tiny hardwood whips and twigs that you dont even see without being at 6x or more. My eyes arent what they were a few years ago, but age has not helped in this regard. I really think a 1-2.5x on the low end scope is very helpful, but I really like my 6-10x on the high end.

Totally agree. I've had some shots in dark timber that are right in that range, but the lighting is terrible, the animal isn't fully exposed, you've got a minor window to shoot through. You're not going to just bracket something like you might in the wide open. Blacktail deer are dark brown, the tree trunks are dark brown, the ground is dark brown, the closed canopy forest is dark and it's always cloudy and raining anyway... I would feel really handicapped with just a 1x or 2x red dot. 3-9 is still basically my go-to. But I also generally don't take running shots.

 

[PaulB84]

SWFA HD illuminated 1-4x
Leupold VX-R 1.5-5x scout
Aimpoint/RMR