Scope recommendation for coyotes

M

Mattj4867

New member
Hi all. Bought a Ruger mpr recently and want to use it for coyotes. I need help picking out a scope for it. I would prefer a scope with a objective lense of 40-44mm. My budget is $250 and am considering the Leupold mark ar mod 1 3-9x. Would this be a good option? I am new to coyote hunting and don’t know what most hunters expect from a scope when hunting for one. Thank you
 
Optics are a very personal thing. Some folks haven't use a lot of them, and have "target acquisition" issues if the lowest magnification settings are too high. Others (like myself) have had optics on virtually every gun they've ever owned and it's second nature, allowing for higher low end magnification and, consequently, higher high end as well.

That said...

It's hard to argue with your Leupold choice. You don't find many products that are consistently rated that highly, and with almost no really poor ratings.

The "lowest" quality I would recommend would be something in the Bushnell AR/223 realm, roughly $150 and 3-9x. I've used one a bit, and it does fine, if you're interested in saving $100 on your budget.

I have a Minox ZA5 that I really like and their ZL3 can be had for right about $250, in either 3-9x40 or 3.5-10x50. Most Minoz optics are multiple times that price and I find that their "low end" products out perform the price point.

Personally, I like a bit more magnification. I'd be tempted to bump the budget a bit and consider the Vortex Diamondback HP 3-12x42... I don't think I've owned a scope with a max under 12 on anything beside a 22.
 
Brian, thank you for the reply. I have two vortex diamondback HPs. Both are 3-12 and I have nothing bad to say about them other than weight. They are very bulky scopes with superb glass. I’ve researched some forums and many people prefer the Leupold to the vortex. I should also note that I would prefer an illuminated reticle (I’ve had a monster buck come out at dusk and I couldn’t find my reticle).
 
Every shot I've fired that killed a coyote has been directed by a scope costing less than $150(retail for less than $200) and in the late 1970's, my winter grocery money came from coyote fur. My current scopes for use in coyote hunting are 2-7x32 or 3-9x40 in the under $150 out the door price range. Burris, Sightron, Vortex
 
Nearly all of them get shot with irons down here.....up to about 200 yds. That's about as far as the grass, trees, and cows will let me shoot.
 
I just bought a Leupold Mark AR Mod 1 in 4-12x40 and couldn't be happier with it. Your choice of 3-9 is also a good choice. For almost all practical distances your upper power choice isn't going to be a problem at all. I chose the higher power level because I like to sit at the bench and shoot groups...and a bit more power there helps a little. For hunting I could live with 3-9 on everything.
 
Nosecondbest, did you get it with mil dot or duplex. Is it worth the extra $60
Click to expand...
I got it with the plex. I personally have nothing against mil dots, but, I think they make the reticle "too busy" when you're trying to shoot at a game animal and aren't necessary for target work. I'm not saying it's better, it's my personal preference. I just received a new Nikon today with the same set-up.....target turrets with a plex reticle. For me it just makes sense to either use mil dots/stadia lines or a target turret. No need for both. I have some scopes with mil dots and I just use the dots, I don't bother with the turrets other than to sight the gun in with. Sort of the KISS principle and it's worked for me for many years. The $60 has nothing to do with my choice. I'd pay the sixty bucks to get it my way regardless of which way cost more. I buy what I want and what I expect to live with for a good while.
 
Hunted and shot a fair number of coyotes and used a leupold 2 1/2 to 8 on 3 or 4 different rifles never found it to be lacking out to 300 yds +. 3x9 will do all you need.
I keep it set on 4x and turn it up if needed for dogs over 150/200 yds.
 
Always learn to shoot with iron sights first.

That obvious point made, any quality 2x-7x, like the Nikon on my 5.56 'yote AR, will be sufficient for 99.9% of the ranges at which most shots are taken on these animals.
 
If my googl-foo isn’t failing me, the AR Mod is 1/2 MOA adjustment while the VX-3 is 1/4.
That would make the decision for me. Personally, I wouldn’t have 1/2 MOA on anything I shot farther than a crossbow.
 
Brian, it’s actually .1 mil adjustments. I’ve always owned MOA scopes, so this is very new to me. I guess one click is equal to .36 in at 100 yards. Am I missing something here? I’ve read a couple of reviews about the AR mod 1 doesn’t transfer light well at dusk. This further complicates things because light transmission at dusk is one of my main concerns.
 
Well, they’re both 2nd FP, both fixed parallax. The Mod has slightly larger FOV. The VX has more magnification.

Even 1/10 mil is nearly 50% larger per click than 1/4moa. Does it matter? Probably not, but it would to me.

I’ve had some illuminated reticles. Maybe not great ones, but I’ve always found, under hunting conditions, that by the time I can’t see the unlit reticle, even the dimmest setting is bright enough to wash out the image. I don’t like them. YMMV.

My gut tells me the VX is a better choice. Quick glance tells me it’s probably also 50% over your stated budget.

Is it worth it? How long will it take you to forget that you spent an extra $100? It’d be worth it to me.
 
I haven't had the good fortune to try a Luepold yet.
Shot/shoot with some Vortex Crossfire II's, and a couple of Diamondbacks.
Have really been enjoying the Sightron scopes i've bought lately.

My 2 "coyote" rifles( Ruger 77MKII in 257 Roberts, Stevens 200 with 250Savage E.R. Shaw barrel) are both wearing Redfield Revenge 4-12X40 with Varmint Accuranger.
Decent glass, but as the name suggests, has internal range finder.
 
If my googl-foo isn’t failing me, the AR Mod is 1/2 MOA adjustment while the VX-3 is 1/4.
That would make the decision for me. Personally, I wouldn’t have 1/2 MOA on anything I shot farther than a crossbow.
Click to expand...
Sorry Brian, your Google let you down. It's mil rad, about 3/8 inch (.036) actually, and there's nothing wrong with that. I did read one article on the net where some "expert" wrote that it's 1/2 inch. He was incorrect....surprise, an "expert" got it wrong. I called Leupold to verify and it's definitely mil rad. Many high end scopes are that way today and the military is making some remarkable shots with these scopes. I'm old school and it was hard to change. Once you do it's not all that bad. FWIW, light transmission? Same glass as the VX-2. Pretty decent for the money. I own several VX-2s and several more VX-3s among other Leupold scopes. No problem with light early or late in the day with either. My Mark AR Mod 1 also has an adjustable objective...25yds to infinity.
 
Don't over think this, any decent 3-9X40 scope will do what you want. A budget of $250 limits things though. For my money the Burris FF-II with long range dots selling for about $199 is the best scope under $300. There isn't much anything under $350 that is better. Leupold makes a good scope, but in this price range the Burris is a better scope. With a $300-$500 budget Leupold is one of the better options.
 
"Go with the Leupold —cry once and use it for the next 20+ years."

Maybe a true statement 20 years back but now it's questionable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top