Scope advice for my new rifle. The NEW Savage Model 110 Long Range Hunter with Accufit stock in .300 WSM

[Gila]

I just recently bought a scope. Pretty much had the same desires as you do for your Savage. I mounted it on a Tikka. I wanted a 50mm objective scope that was on the lighter side. Why make a lightweight rifle heavy, right? That Savage is a fine rifle by the way. Congrats! I own Leupold optics and they are top notch for the money. Like you, I had a budget of around $600. I did quite a bit of research to get the most bang for the buck. I have always hunted with a standard duplex. I have harvested enough Pronghorn to know exactly what my holdovers are supposed to be. Elk hunting is new to me. I am not familiar with judging size over distance to get a hold over for Elk. I wanted an MOA reticule to figure out the holdovers on Elk.

I wanted a scope model that had been around for a couple of years that was proven, tested by time, and was highly reviewed. I settled on the Nikon Black X1000 4-16x50mm. It is a second focal plane scope that came out in 2017. The FX model is 1st focal plane that came out in 2018. I couldn't be happier with the choice. The scope is actually better than I had expected. Weighs in at about 24 oz. The turrets stick out a bit but not much. The range on the elevation turret is enough to dial out at very long ranges. I like the return to zero. Just pull up the turret, turn it to zero then push it back down. The glass is very clear! The best glass I've owned so far. I bought the model with the illuminated reticle. To turn it off, just click off the intensity setting that it is set to. No need to go to the end stop. Nikon tested the Black X1000 with a .50 BMG. The Nikon rings made just for that model of scope are a rather unique concept but pricey at around $130. Unless you have a heavy, belted magnum like the Weatherby or RUM, it is hard to justify the cost for those rings. I went with the Burris rings. I have Strelok pro set-up for that reticle:

 

[std7mag]

Sightron is headquartered in Youngsville, NC.
Not sure exactly where they are made.
But...
If you look at Leupolds lower end scopes, Redfield (owned by Leupold), Vortex, they are all made in the Philipines.

 

[sluggo6850]

I asked for opinions on SWAF scopes a while back. After reading a lot of reviews I decided to order an ss 3x15x42. It isn't here yet, but hopefully I will be happy. They have a good sale going right now.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Is there a weight limit you’re hoping to stay under for the scope?

Not entirely sure, I would say under 20 ounces for a 50mm objective with a 30mm tube since it is a longer range set up than my .270 that I use here at home for whitetail that is a 3-12x42, but I am sure those cost a pretty penny. I am hoping to keep my whole set up (not including ammo) under 12 lbs if possible including a bipod that can swivel/tilt with the angle of the mountainous landscape. My rifle as stated above and on the Savage website is 8.4 lbs without a scope. I used a converter from ounces to pounds and a 19 ounce scope would put me at 9.7 lbs without bases and rings, so that isn't too bad.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Sightron is headquartered in Youngsville, NC.
Not sure exactly where they are made.
But...
If you look at Leupolds lower end scopes, Redfield (owned by Leupold), Vortex, they are all made in the Philipines.

Thanks Std7Mag I will have to dig a little deeper on that. It isn't as big of a deal to me like it would be to my brother, but I would love to support USA workers if I can. Yeah I figured most of the lower end scopes are made in the same factory overseas, or at least most of the parts. That is why my bro who is in the Army bought another scope for his .270 since the Redfield he had on it said Phillipines on it, even though that scope was a great scope and his gun was a laserbeam with it.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

I asked for opinions on SWAF scopes a while back. After reading a lot of reviews I decided to order an ss 3x15x42. It isn't here yet, but hopefully I will be happy. They have a good sale going right now.

Thanks Sluggo. I too have looked into those scopes and watched some reviews on YouTube. That pretty much is the exact one I was looking at. They are suppose to have great quality glass and be really durable. I will have to check out the sale for sure.

 

[std7mag]

Oh, BTW.
Sightron is having a rebate going on now if anyone is interested.
Gotta buy from a Sightron dealer, which i believe Schmalts is.

 

[Gila]

Sightron is headquartered in Youngsville, NC.
Not sure exactly where they are made.
But...
If you look at Leupolds lower end scopes, Redfield (owned by Leupold), Vortex, they are all made in the Philipines.

I found out that many of the quality high end scopes are "assembled" in PI. All of the "Made in the USA" scopes source their optical glass from the same overseas vendors, quite a few in Japan.

 

[std7mag]

I wonder if US Optics sources their glass from overseas.
And cheap they are NOT!!

 

[BAKPAKR]

WVgoodguy22, I am in WV, too, and I have a SWFA 3-9 you could check out if you make it to my area of the State. I have only shot it out to 300 yds so far, but I think it should work fine for me out to at least 500.

I know that is a lower magnification than you are looking for but PM me if you are interested in seeing the scope.

 

[Gila]

I wonder if US Optics sources their glass from overseas.
And cheap they are NOT!!

Yes, they do Just like the rest of them.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

WVgoodguy22, I am in WV, too, and I have a SWFA 3-9 you could check out if you make it to my area of the State. I have only shot it out to 300 yds so far, but I think it should work fine for me out to at least 500.

I know that is a lower magnification than you are looking for but PM me if you are interested in seeing the scope.

That is awesome, great to see another Mountaineer here on HuntTalk, I am sure there a few more, but still. That is a very nice offer indeed. It would be nice to actually physically "see" one of those scopes since they don't sell them at Cabela's and some other sporting goods stores up here in the Northern Panhandle/Marshall County area. A 3-9x40 or 3-12x42 like my Nikon Monarch on my .270 is, is perfect for most if not all applications, especially here in the deer woods of West "By God" Virginia. I have watched some long range shooting videos and many of them say a 10 or 12 max mag power scope can hit steel at 1000 with some time behind the trigger, so with time it would absolutely be able to function if one wanted to take game at 500 yards (obviously with confidence and experience shooting before even thinking of taking an animal that far, but that is a different topic.).

 

[WVgoodguy22]

I just recently bought a scope. Pretty much had the same desires as you do for your Savage. I mounted it on a Tikka. I wanted a 50mm objective scope that was on the lighter side. Why make a lightweight rifle heavy, right? That Savage is a fine rifle by the way. Congrats! I own Leupold optics and they are top notch for the money. Like you, I had a budget of around $600. I did quite a bit of research to get the most bang for the buck. I have always hunted with a standard duplex. I have harvested enough Pronghorn to know exactly what my holdovers are supposed to be. Elk hunting is new to me. I am not familiar with judging size over distance to get a hold over for Elk. I wanted an MOA reticule to figure out the holdovers on Elk.

I wanted a scope model that had been around for a couple of years that was proven, tested by time, and was highly reviewed. I settled on the Nikon Black X1000 4-16x50mm. It is a second focal plane scope that came out in 2017. The FX model is 1st focal plane that came out in 2018. I couldn't be happier with the choice. The scope is actually better than I had expected. Weighs in at about 24 oz. The turrets stick out a bit but not much. The range on the elevation turret is enough to dial out at very long ranges. I like the return to zero. Just pull up the turret, turn it to zero then push it back down. The glass is very clear! The best glass I've owned so far. I bought the model with the illuminated reticle. To turn it off, just click off the intensity setting that it is set to. No need to go to the end stop. Nikon tested the Black X1000 with a .50 BMG. The Nikon rings made just for that model of scope are a rather unique concept but pricey at around $130. Unless you have a heavy, belted magnum like the Weatherby or RUM, it is hard to justify the cost for those rings. I went with the Burris rings. I have Strelok pro set-up for that reticle:

View attachment 109566

View attachment 109567

Thank you so much Gila for taking the time with pics and a good review of your thought process and the scope that you went with after doing your due diligence. I have seen a couple reviews of that scope on YouTube, when some professional or competitive long range shooters did a comparison between a scope in this price point vs a couple others that were double the price of this scope and it got some pretty favorable reviews. I like the Nikon Monarch 3 in 3-12x42 BDC that I have on my .270 Win and I know that they make some quality glass too. As you read, that Tikka in a .300 WSM has been one that I have looked at for 6-8 years. I could never find someone that had one that had time to let me shoot it and see what such a light rifle in a Magnum caliber would be like. I still thought about it since I am not recoil shy and it would be lightweight, but when I saw that BudsGunShop had that new Savage 110 Long Range Hunter in the caliber I wanted for at least $290 off (has since went back up from $560 to $847) I became okay with the thought of a heavier weapon system, but still don't want to put a real heavy optic on it. Being 24 oz with the features it has is reasonable. I really need to take some time and go up to Cabela's where I use to work for almost 10 years and get my hands on one of these and a few other options that I am thinking of. That is a real handy app/site I am glad that my Monarch had one for the BDC that I could dial in with the 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips that I hand load for my .270. Thanks again and good luck out that chasing those big ole wapiti this upcoming season and beyond.

 

[Jbotto]

I could be wrong for biased but in my search for good, light weight scopes I have found that between the popular 4 brands (Leupold, Vortex, Nikon, Bushnell) Leupold always seems the lightest for similar scopes in similar budgets. Also in keeping light weight, 1” tubes and ~40mm objective lenses seem to be the best combination. Keep the dials/turrets simple and basic. I generally shy away from very high magnification optics as FOR ME I like the upper end of scopes to be 9x to 14x. YMMV

 

[Gila]

Thank you so much Gila for taking the time with pics and a good review of your thought process and the scope that you went with after doing your due diligence. I have seen a couple reviews of that scope on YouTube, when some professional or competitive long range shooters did a comparison between a scope in this price point vs a couple others that were double the price of this scope and it got some pretty favorable reviews. I like the Nikon Monarch 3 in 3-12x42 BDC that I have on my .270 Win and I know that they make some quality glass too. As you read, that Tikka in a .300 WSM has been one that I have looked at for 6-8 years. I could never find someone that had one that had time to let me shoot it and see what such a light rifle in a Magnum caliber would be like. I still thought about it since I am not recoil shy and it would be lightweight, but when I saw that BudsGunShop had that new Savage 110 Long Range Hunter in the caliber I wanted for at least $290 off (has since went back up from $560 to $847) I became okay with the thought of a heavier weapon system, but still don't want to put a real heavy optic on it. Being 24 oz with the features it has is reasonable. I really need to take some time and go up to Cabela's where I use to work for almost 10 years and get my hands on one of these and a few other options that I am thinking of. That is a real handy app/site I am glad that my Monarch had one for the BDC that I could dial in with the 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips that I hand load for my .270. Thanks again and good luck out that chasing those big ole wapiti this upcoming season and beyond.

Thanks...I have really enjoyed the process of getting a new riflescope. This has been quite a learning experience for me. Rifles (and especially the scopes that you mount on them) are very personal items. The riflescope features that are important to me, may not be important to you or anyone else. The nice thing about this forum is that there are many hunters that have experiences with many different brands and models of scopes. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be so a little more magnification is a good thing. I need to get as much light gathered as possible and still keep a good field of view at higher mags so a 50mm objective is the ticket for me. Having said that, the reticle is THE most important. I wanted an open uncluttered sight picture. The reticle had to be an MOA and illuminated. I probably looked at 50 different reticles before I decided which one was for me. And last but not least, I didn't want a top heavy monstrosity that unbalanced my sleek T3:

 

[WVgoodguy22]

I could be wrong for biased but in my search for good, light weight scopes I have found that between the popular 4 brands (Leupold, Vortex, Nikon, Bushnell) Leupold always seems the lightest for similar scopes in similar budgets. Also in keeping light weight, 1” tubes and ~40mm objective lenses seem to be the best combination. Keep the dials/turrets simple and basic. I generally shy away from very high magnification optics as FOR ME I like the upper end of scopes to be 9x to 14x. YMMV

I would agree from looking at each brand's website or vendor's site that on average the Leupolds even in the larger magnification and tube diameter are lighter. I am up for anything in the 40-50mm range, especially since the gun I have on layaway has that accufit stock with 4 or 5 different cheek risers to switch out for a custom fit. If it was a gun with a standard hunting stock I would definitely shy away from the 50 and stay with the 40-44mm objectives. I tried my bro's previous 6-18x50mm on a standard hunter stock rifle and I had more of a chin weld than cheek weld. For hunting even out west I probably don't need more than a 4.5-14x, but anything up to 20x I may be okay with even if I don't use that high enough mag for hunting just target shooting. Probably stay in that 14x-16x range though. Thanks for your thoughts and experience.

 

[WVgoodguy22]

Thanks...I have really enjoyed the process of getting a new riflescope. This has been quite a learning experience for me. Rifles (and especially the scopes that you mount on them) are very personal items. The riflescope features that are important to me, may not be important to you or anyone else. The nice thing about this forum is that there are many hunters that have experiences with many different brands and models of scopes. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be so a little more magnification is a good thing. I need to get as much light gathered as possible and still keep a good field of view at higher mags so a 50mm objective is the ticket for me. Having said that, the reticle is THE most important. I wanted an open uncluttered sight picture. The reticle had to be an MOA and illuminated. I probably looked at 50 different reticles before I decided which one was for me. And last but not least, I didn't want a top heavy monstrosity that unbalanced my sleek T3:

View attachment 109717

You are welcome Gila. I love to learn about gear no matter if it is hunting or fishing gear, etc... so doing the research and finding deals is part of the fun. I may be fine with a duplex, windplex reticle with a CDS dial on it, but I also like the reticles that have hash marks both vertically and horizontally like the one you bought. I don't want the Christmas tree one that clutters up my scope, something clean and easy to read like yours would work. Not sure if I need illuminated at age 36, but I like ones that change to silver or gold in low light like my Dad's old Bushnell Trophy scope, that can be helpful. If it comes illuminated that would be a bonus.
That set up does look slick. I do really like the Tikka rifles I held and might have went with the same one you have, but in .300 WSM if I didn't see that $300 off deal on the Savage. What caliber is it if I may ask? I hope she does well for you as I know it will.

 

[Gila]

.270 winchester. I bought it primarily to pronghorn hunt. I bowhunted for deer. It really shoots flat with hornady 130 gr interbonds. I filled 3 tags a year for quite a few years with that rifle. The only reason I changed scopes is because I drew one of 10 elk tags in the same unit where I live. The accu-fit stock on your Savage is a good deal. I went with high rings to give that nikon 50 bell enough clearance above the barrel. The cheek meld suffers a bit as a result. The acid test is to bring the rifle up to the shoulder, close the eyes, then drop the head on the stock. When the eyes are open I should see clearly through the scope. I am a bit low. I ordered a neoprene cheek riser kit. Will see how that works out.

 

[MT_Chad]

Eurooptic has meopta meopro scopes on sale for under 500. Best scope you can get under 500.

 

[lodgepoleJoe]

I am no scope expert by a long ways but I'll put my two cents in anyway. When I was looking for a new scope this spring I went to our Sportsman's Warehouse (several times) and looked through every scope they had. I didn't pay attention to brand or price but was looking for a scope that was clear and fit my eye. After doing some more research I ended up deciding on a Vortex strike eagle 3 x 18 x 44. This one fit my eye really well and when I pulled it up I got a fast "sight picture" even better than some of the $1000.00 scopes. Everybody is different so I would suggest looking through all the scopes you can get your hands on to find one that feels natural.