+1 for schmaltz....got a nice deal from him on a VX3i with CDS/Windplex. Very happy with it after putting a few hundred rounds down range with it and seeing how it performs. I should plug the rifle it tops, a Vanguard S2 in .243 a super nice gun.
New guy, looking for scope recommendation
- Thread starter mummel
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VikingsGuy
Well-known member
I replied to your other thread in more detail, but in short, for $500 buy a Howa1500 (also sold branded as Weatherby Vanguard Series 2), but if you can get to $750 go Tikka T3X lite SS.
3855WIN
Well-known member
For a mild recoil round, go with the .260, 7mm-08, or 6.5 Creedmore. That’ll give you a heavier bullet. In heavy cover, a blood trail can be important. Bigger bullet means bigger hole most of the time.
Scope should be 2.5-8 or 3-9 variable and not larger than 40mm.
Scope should be 2.5-8 or 3-9 variable and not larger than 40mm.
TheJason
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Correct. Also, larger objective lenses must be mounted higher, which may be a drawback. They are also heavier.
3855WIN
Well-known member
Kearnsie14
Active member
+1 more for Schmalts. I ordered a pair of binos from him recently and had the binos at my house inside of a week. Great price, great service, and great guy.
ImBillT
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Fixed power scopes are less and less common because power sells, and if it’s fixed, anything over 6X gets hard to hunt with with. If your budget is really open ended then buy a European 6x42. Meopta makes a 6X42 that is incredible. I’m sure S&B does too. For $400 a Leupold FX-III 6X42 is dang hard to beat.
I’ve hunted with fixed 4X and 6X scopes and never felt over scoped when I encountered something at close range. Admittedly I live in fairly open country, so even if I have a hog or coyote at very close range, he’s not as difficult to pick out as he might be in tight timber.
All that bashing of variables and I must say, my current primary hunting rifles now wear variables. I think a fixed 4X or 6X is nearly impossible to beat just for shooting game. When it comes to judging, or making sure that the one you shoot is the one you just glassed though your binos or spotter, then dialing up to a higher power can be a big help. The first time I encountered such an issue I actually struggled to make out antlers through 4X and was counting deer in the binos then when I would switch to the rifle the deer would have moved I would have to go back to the binos to confirm the location of the one I wanted to shoot. The second time, two deer passed behind a tree, and the second one was the biggest. I shot the second deer to come out from behind the tree. He was quite nice, but after shooting him and walking up to him, I got a good look at the first deer to come out from behind the tree and I’m convinced that he had already been behind it before the other two. Thus the second deer to come from behind the tree was the first to go behind it, and the biggest deer had likely back tracked after the shot. More power would probably have prevented the situation.
If a fixed power scope will work for your hunting situations, it will be brighter, and you’ll eliminate the possibility of leaving it dialed all the way up and then need to make a 30yd shot. Fixed power scopes are brighter because they have fewer lenses. It adds at least one lens to go from fixed to variable, and at least one more lens to have a side parallax adjustment instead of an adjustable objective. Yes I can tell the difference when comparing my variable power, side focus scopes to my fixed power scopes, which incidentally are older than my variables.
I’ve hunted with fixed 4X and 6X scopes and never felt over scoped when I encountered something at close range. Admittedly I live in fairly open country, so even if I have a hog or coyote at very close range, he’s not as difficult to pick out as he might be in tight timber.
All that bashing of variables and I must say, my current primary hunting rifles now wear variables. I think a fixed 4X or 6X is nearly impossible to beat just for shooting game. When it comes to judging, or making sure that the one you shoot is the one you just glassed though your binos or spotter, then dialing up to a higher power can be a big help. The first time I encountered such an issue I actually struggled to make out antlers through 4X and was counting deer in the binos then when I would switch to the rifle the deer would have moved I would have to go back to the binos to confirm the location of the one I wanted to shoot. The second time, two deer passed behind a tree, and the second one was the biggest. I shot the second deer to come out from behind the tree. He was quite nice, but after shooting him and walking up to him, I got a good look at the first deer to come out from behind the tree and I’m convinced that he had already been behind it before the other two. Thus the second deer to come from behind the tree was the first to go behind it, and the biggest deer had likely back tracked after the shot. More power would probably have prevented the situation.
If a fixed power scope will work for your hunting situations, it will be brighter, and you’ll eliminate the possibility of leaving it dialed all the way up and then need to make a 30yd shot. Fixed power scopes are brighter because they have fewer lenses. It adds at least one lens to go from fixed to variable, and at least one more lens to have a side parallax adjustment instead of an adjustable objective. Yes I can tell the difference when comparing my variable power, side focus scopes to my fixed power scopes, which incidentally are older than my variables.
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I would gladly take the FX3 6X42 over the rest. You actually have them listed in the order I would consider! Both me and my young boys have not had problems shooting whitetails with a fix 6X (Weaver K6) from 20 to 263yds with a 243. IMO, the Weaver K6 is a contender for best bang for the buck for a scope. They can be found sub-$200 easily and they work very well. Also, the Federal Fusion 95gr bullets have done well for us.
I cannot ever recall ever adjusting the power on a scope to make a shot on a big game critter. I have and use variables, but just set it at either 6X or 10X depending on the country.
cheeser
Well-known member
OPTICS PLANET DEMO/OPEN BOX SALES
https://www.opticsplanet.com/riflescopes-demo.html?_iv_sort=lowest-price
https://www.opticsplanet.com/riflescopes-demo.html?_iv_sort=lowest-price
cheeser
Well-known member
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...22-barrel-nikon-bdc-scope-41-rounds?a=1788262
great starter gun, good round, good scope, ready to hunt
great starter gun, good round, good scope, ready to hunt
In dense heavy cover (IMO) I would go with ghost rings or a 2x7 scope depending on your age/eyes. The scope is great if you plan to hunt from a stand at dawn and dusk. I started out with a Williams hunting peep when I was young and then went to a 1.5x5. Now I hunt with a 2x7x40mm as the 40mm gives good light during the last minutes of legal light. Scope is always set at 2 unless I see a dear/bear at distance and it's standing or walking. On foot you may only have a second or two to determine if you have a legal deer and to make the shot. At very close range 2x is faster to acquire your target than 3x. If 90% of your hunting is in these conditions I would also try a heavier round nose bullet. A 308 in a pump action is quick, bucks brush and great to even your longest shots in the woods. You will want a good blood trail on deflected shots and the 308 is mild in the weight of the Rem pump.
