Favorite optics?

C

CGeiger0718

Inactive
I am pretty new to hunting, i have been sport shooting for quite some time. i recently purchased a mossberg 300wsm. i was wondering if anyone had any input about a good rifle scope that could be versatile enough for sport shooting and hunting. i live in south florida and generally hunt small deer and hog, and sport shoot anywhere from 100 - 350 yards. any suggestions for some optics? thanks!
 
Oh for sure a Trijicon or Leupold. Those Scopes are Great and cost any where from $300-$2,500. They are just absolutely Amazing.
 
Scopes are an even more subjective subject than firearms, from my experience here. I have my own preference (bushnell elites), but almost any decent brand name will do. Leupold, Nikon, Bushnell (elite or better), Burris, most Weavers. Stay away from NCstar and Barska. Some of the better values, IMO, are Simmons and Leapers. Leapers are not to be relied upon for pretty much anything but the range, but they do work for the most part. Simmons are a decent hunting grade scope, or least they were several years ago.

You need decent optics, but you don't have to drop 500 dollars on a scope to get something functional.
 
The scopes mentioned are great.... However there are several brands out now for under $200 that will work well for under $200.

Nikons, Redfield, Pentax, and Alpen are some that I am familiar with that do an excellent job for less money than the ones previously mentioned.

The things to look for are:
1. fully multi-coated lenses (that means that all the lens are coated more than once)
2. a one piece tube
3. a good warranty from a company that has been in business a long time

For the ranges you suggested (100-350 yds) I would suggest a 3-9X40.
 
Redfield, Burris, Leupold, Simmons

I've shot guns with the above & would be glad to buy any, model and maker decided only by usage of the individual gun.

For the OP's use of up to 350 yds, I'd suggest more than a 3-9 though. 4-12X or 4-16 would be the ones I'd look for, with the 4-16 being more likely. The better you see the target the better you'll shoot.

For the use indicated I'd strongly consider the Burris Signature Select 4-16X 44mm scope. The Burris Black Diamond line's 4-16X 50MM is even better......for a few $$ more of course, as would be the VX III Leupold....
 
Last edited:
I have been deciding on a new scope and have done much research on optics. I have been hunting and shooting for 23 years and some of the most functional I have on my guns are burris fullfield II and an Alpen Apex. They are not as expensive as some brands but are clear and bright and hold zero on my 338 win mag and 300 win mag. My most recent research took me to Vortex. Look up vortexoptics.com The glass is very clear the reticles are clean and crisp and you have several grades to choose from. The diamondback runs right around $200 and the viper starts at around $400 aviod the crossfire not enough of the standard features for hunting rifles IMO. My next purchase will be a Vortex Viper. The website has a program for calculating your guns ballistics to give you an accurate bullet drop chart that has the moa adjustment for your scope. And you can order a set of turret caps custom marked for you gun/load. This makes it so you can dial your scope in at any known distance and the crosshairs are where the bulllet will land if you do your job behind the rifle. An excellent tool for long range shooting if that is your thing. If not still excellent glass for the money.
 
for the 300 wsm i would say you want a good scope so i would look at nikon,burris,leupold,zeiss,and sightron with the leupold zeiss and sightron being the better
 
About as high up the food chain as I have been able to afford is the Burris FFII scopes and the Leupold VXII scopes. I know there are better than both of these but on my budget I find both of these to be good quality.
 
Personally on the low end I'd suggest the Bushnell Banner series. For the money they pull in a lot of light and hold their zero very well.

My favorite is the Nikon Monarch series. In that price range, I think they beat Leupold and Zeiss hands down.

I would stay away from Simmons or Tasco or other low end scopes.
 
Leupold, Bushnell Elites, Ziess and Burris all make quality mid level glass that'll serve you for a long time. I'd put most Nikon, Simmons, Tasco, Barska, etc on the low end. Redfeild, Weaver and Vortex are somewhere between those levels. When you start getting into the higher in glass like Nightforce, Swarovski, Khales etc, you're in a whole different world of glass and money.

I put Nikon on the low end stuff because they aren't very rugged and in my experience break much easier than anything else I've ever owned. They have clear glass to give them credit and a good warranty department but who cares about warranty when the trophy you paid a ton to have a shot at either in money or time is trotting away and your scope sounds like a tin can full of rocks.
 
For a .300 WSM I think you could do far worse than a Leupold VXII 4-12X40 AO, VX3 3.5-10X40 or VX3 4.5-14X40 SF. Since you are running a magnum cartridge I'd want a little extra at the top end if you are taking longer shots on target. There are several scopes out there that are in this power and price range or even cheaper that will fill your needs. My personal favorite hunting scope is the 2.5-8X36 VX3, but I'm using them mainly on rifles that don't get shot past 300 yards much.
 
BEWARE of the Bushnell Banner series. My recent experience with these, as well as Bushnell customer service, has been horrible. I've seen better quality out of Wal Mart scopes than the Banner series. I can attest to the quality of the Nikon Monarch optics, excellent glass and the BDC reticule is a great aid when hunting. Remeber with rifle scopes, as with just about any product, you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap scope, it may function just fine, but dont expect it to last. China made products and longevity dont seem to go hand in hand.
 
If you have about $350 for a scope:

Try the Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40. The rave reviews are spot on. You can find them used and on SWFA's sample list for about $320. Their lifetime warranty is comparable to the top brands.

A sharp and clear scope in lower magnification makes a big difference in comparison to higher magnification with average lens.
 
Leupolds in the VX-III/ VX-3 line and above are great scopes. Anything below that I wouldn't touch with a 10' pole.

I myself prefer Nikon, Bushnell, and Vortex with a side of sightron. Many Nikon Monarch's will compare to Leupold VX-3's and cost you a lot less.

Vortex has the best warranty in the optics business that I know of. If it breaks for any reason send it back they will repair or replace it free of charge for ever. Doesn't matter if you are owner 1 or owner 400000.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top