Poll: Hunting Rifle Optics Poll

[Zechariah]

Responded with open+optic. Given the epic downpours we can get here in the PNW during hunting season, I prefer a rifle with both iron sights and optic; iron sights for when the optic gets overwhelmed by wet. In order to do that, I've found Alaskan Arms quick detach mounts to be incredibly well made. Hold virtually perfect accuracy between detach and reattach. If considering optic only, my favorite scope by far is 1.7 to 10 power (Meopta Meostar R2).

That sounds expensive I'm gonna have to look it up now.

 

[orygun]

I like deer steak much better than elk but do love elk burger in tacos and spaghetti. Elk stinks to me when it's cooking. All this talk about deer I had to pull out some back strap damn fine dinner we ate tonight.

I was going to do that, but the wife was already making spaghetti.

 

[Koda]

What do you use on your favorite hunting rifle and why? How well do you like it and if you could change it, what would you use? Do you use the same set up for east and west side hunting or do you you have specialized setups?

I finally got to changing mine to what I truly wanted. My favorite hunting rifle is a Rem 700 in 25-06 and now sporting a Leupold VX6-HD 3-18x50 with a firedot duplex. I drooled over this scope for several years because of its versatility in both eastern Oregon open country and heavy brush hunting blacktails in the coast range, due to its very wide FOV with its variable range of magnifications. Now I am just as comfortable hunting thick brush now as I am with my lever gun but can instantly reach out in clearcuts or hunt more open country in the east side tags when I get them. I did not initially buy the scope for its other features but once I tried them I was impressed with how well the CDS dial worked (you get one free custom dial with purchase) and the firedot is just simply awesome at the brink of dawn or dusk.
Prior to this I used a Vortex Viper 6.5-20 and hated the narrow FOV (but otherwise was a great scope). For years I hunted with a MPBR zero which works awesome but with the CDS dial I'm experimenting with a traditional 100yd zero for better precision at closer range in the coast range and plan on memorizing the clicks to the 200yd MPBR zero for quick transition in the field on longer shots I don't have time to dial. The CDS elevation dial has a locking feature that always returns to your zero but cannot go past it, you can only dial for drop. The idea is in more open country I can dial for the MPBR zero which gives me 300yds point and shoot. If I find myself hunting heavy timber or coast range I can just return the dial to the 100yd zero. If I ever get good enough to shoot farther than 300yds id just use the CDS dial.
The only downside to this scope is its large, many people like a lighter more slender scope especially if they hunt heavy timber or coast range.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I forgot to mention that my 30-30 had see through scope rings for those close up shots of 10-25 yards when the optic glass was wet…

 

[Zechariah]

I finally got to changing mine to what I truly wanted. My favorite hunting rifle is a Rem 700 in 25-06 and now sporting a Leupold VX6-HD 3-18x50 with a firedot duplex. I drooled over this scope for several years because of its versatility in both eastern Oregon open country and heavy brush hunting blacktails in the coast range, due to its very wide FOV with its variable range of magnifications. Now I am just as comfortable hunting thick brush now as I am with my lever gun but can instantly reach out in clearcuts or hunt more open country in the east side tags when I get them. I did not initially buy the scope for its other features but once I tried them I was impressed with how well the CDS dial worked (you get one free custom dial with purchase) and the firedot is just simply awesome at the brink of dawn or dusk.
Prior to this I used a Vortex Viper 6.5-20 and hated the narrow FOV (but otherwise was a great scope). For years I hunted with a MPBR zero which works awesome but with the CDS dial I'm experimenting with a traditional 100yd zero for better precision at closer range in the coast range and plan on memorizing the clicks to the 200yd MPBR zero for quick transition in the field on longer shots I don't have time to dial. The CDS elevation dial has a locking feature that always returns to your zero but cannot go past it, you can only dial for drop. The idea is in more open country I can dial for the MPBR zero which gives me 300yds point and shoot. If I find myself hunting heavy timber or coast range I can just return the dial to the 100yd zero. If I ever get good enough to shoot farther than 300yds id just use the CDS dial.
The only downside to this scope is its large, many people like a lighter more slender scope especially if they hunt heavy timber or coast range.

Most my rifles have the cds available but only one I've actually sent in for a the custom dial. I like the generic dial better though I pack a cheat sheet I've verified. I have various forms of the Leopold freedom I really like the moa reticle or the wind plex reticle. The freedom scopes are a great value me think.

 

[JohnnyMac]

+1 on the 3-9x40. I run a fairly inexpensive Burris on my 740 Remington (30.06) and between the short barrel, semi-auto action and my lack of accuracy skillz, anything that I need more than 9x to see, I'm probably not gonna be able to hit it anyway....

The gun has killed many elk and a few moose. I read somewhere that moose meat is the highest in the good stuff and lowest in the bad stuff of whatever is in meat. Whatever that means, I really enjoy both elk and moose, but I think moose has the edge in flavor. My wife would choose otherwise.......

 

[Koda]

Most my rifles have the cds available but only one I've actually sent in for a the custom dial. I like the generic dial better though I pack a cheat sheet I've verified. I have various forms of the Leopold freedom I really like the moa reticle or the wind plex reticle. The freedom scopes are a great value me think.

I was really surprised how well it worked after sending them my info on a factory round. Ive been cautioned on another forum though that the dial is only good for the environment you gave them info on.... Im not an experienced long range shooter so not certain I fully understand it yet but it just worked perfect out to 300yds testing it at my range which is not the elevation, temp etc. I gave them for the environment at my elk camp. Im hoping this summer to get it out to 500yds to see how both it and me does.

 

[Koda]

The gun has killed many elk and a few moose. I read somewhere that moose meat is the highest in the good stuff and lowest in the bad stuff of whatever is in meat. Whatever that means, I really enjoy both elk and moose, but I think moose has the edge in flavor. My wife would choose otherwise.......

my understanding is that venison doesnt have marbled fat like cattle do which is the bad fat, plus venison tends to be leaner in the first place so what little of the better fat you get isnt much. Just what Ive heard somewhere, would be good if someone knew could verify...

Short version, eat more red meat...

 

[Zechariah]

I was really surprised how well it worked after sending them my info on a factory round. Ive been cautioned on another forum though that the dial is only good for the environment you gave them info on.... Im not an experienced long range shooter so not certain I fully understand it yet but it just worked perfect out to 300yds testing it at my range which is not the elevation, temp etc. I gave them for the environment at my elk camp. Im hoping this summer to get it out to 500yds to see how both it and me does.

If you have a chronograph they are accurate I've heard. I estimated on my custom dial info and it's pretty good out to about 350 then it's just like the generic dial a shoot and see thing.

 

[JohnnyMac]

Looks like someone Bullchitted me....hah! Low fat and cholesterol free, I gotta try bear again. I ate a Black Bear steak when I lived in Ketchikan and it was the gamiest, toughest meat I've ever (tried to) eat. There is a significant chance that it wasn't prepared correctly, but turned me off the bear for sure. I couldn't finish it. That said, I have eaten and enjoyed lots of bear pepper sticks, but they are mixed with suet so not 100% bear.

Species	Protein %	Fat %	Cholesterol (mg/100g*)	Calories (Kcal/100g*)
Bear (Black)	20.1	8.3	**	163
Beef (lean ground)	17.7	20.7	75	264
Beef (USDA Choice)	22.0	6.5	72	180
Buffalo	21.7	1.9	62	138
Caribou	22.6	3.4	67	127
Chicken	23.6	0.7	62	135
Deer (Mule)	23.7	1.3	107	145
Deer (Sitka)	21.5	2.7	18	117
Elk	22.8	0.9	67	137
Goose (Canada)	22.8	7.1	84	161
Grouse (Sharptail)	23.8	0.7	105	142
Mallard	23.1	2.0	140	152
Moose	22.1	0.5	71	130
Ptarmigan	24.8	2.3	20	128
Rabbit	21.8	2.3	81	114
Wigeon	22.6	2.1	131	153
* 100 grams = 3½ ounces ** Not available

 

[Zechariah]

My dad was a hound hunter back in the day I love bear kilbosa. We would get burger too and it was nasty to me. My brother loved it he would microwave a raw burger till it was fully cook and stank the whole house up. Maybe why he always had diarrhea problems cha cha cha.

 

[Zechariah]

Sent message twice

 

[P7M13]

Depends where, what, and rifle. All my hunting scopes are 12-16oz, max 44mm objective, and most are 3-9 power or 4.5-14.
Two rifles are iron sights only.
The one this elk season is Vari-X ii, 3-9x40 on a 338 Win Mag.

I've been surprised by how good moose and caribou taste. Makes sense about east vs west side deer.

I've only had Rocky Mountain Elk. My favorite.
Wyoming Moose that I had was swampy. I 've eaten a lot of seaweed at sushi restaurants, and the moose made the seaweed taste like broccoli by comparison.
All the venison I've had tasted like liver to me, and not a single suggestion on how to cook it resulted in anything more than liver and onions.

 

[Rem700..300]

The bolt guns 30.06, 7mm and 300 win all have 4-12x50 or 6-24x44 Nikon Monarchs. The 742s have 3-9x40 Leupold.
More than once had to trace out antlers between limbs and brush at high power at less than 50 yards.

 

[eightyeight mag]

I'm a scope junky myself.
Love the nf atacr 4-16 scopes if weight is not an issue. Leupold mk5 5-25 is another favorite.

For pure hunting I always come back to the trijicon accupoint scopes. Good clear glass, fairly light, and the glowing dot is very fast for getting on target. I prefer green on mine.

The 3-9x40 comes in around 12 oz and the 5-20 comes in at 23oz.
For timber hunting the 2.5-10x56 at around 18 oz is awesome. Very bright.

Still have my very first scope I purchased 30 years ago. The classic Leupold vxll 3-9x40 glossy. Will never sell it, but my eyes have and continue to be spoiled by the awesome glass we have available to us.

My .02

 

[Worksjo]

I have a VX-6HD 4-24x52 on both my hunting rifles (6.5-284 Norma & 300 win mag). Are they "necessary"? Probably not… but boy do I love everything about them, glass, turrets, illumination, light transmission, reticle choices, everything! I know they are in a really competitive price range and there are some great scopes you have to compare them to but while others may be a hair better in a category or 2 the VX-6HD 4-24x is the only one that really checks all my boxes. Plus Leupold has never let me down.