Rifle Scope Advice needed...

[Redtail]

I had a Fierce rifle built and ready to purchase a scope. The intent is to build a lightweight mountain gun. It is 6.2 lbs without glass right now. Looking at a Luepold VX-6HD Gen2, specs say 26.2 oz on that, but it is big and bulky. Arken has a comparable at 22 oz, but I have never owned one. Nightforce and Vortex in similar styles are coming in over 40 oz, so they are out.

Looking for the communities' thoughts/ideas.

Thank you!

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[Koda]

I love my VX6.
I dont know Arkens quity, but I wouldnt consider a 4oz difference enough to chance an unknown. Thats said, if Arken gets great reviews then the 4oz might be worth it because everything adds up......

Another thing to consider is the weight of the mounts. I recently swapped out a steel pic rail and Warne Backcountry alu rings for a 2pc Leupold ringmount and shaved about 4oz off the rifle weight.

Also, one more thing thats important to me anyways is I favor the scope with the widest FOV. The VX6 is impressive.

 

[Joe13]

Leupold

 

[NeoBlackdog]

What are you hunting and what is your hunting style? A Leupold VX3i 2.5-8 works fine on my hunting rifle.

 

[eightyeight mag]

Trijicon credo 2.5-15x42 .
My second choice after nf Nx8 2.5-20

 

[Koda]

The intent is to build a lightweight mountain gun. It is 6.2 lbs without glass right now. Looking at a Luepold VX-6HD Gen2, specs say 26.2 oz on that, but it is big and bulky.

That weight is for the 4-24x52mm objective VX6. Way overkill for a "mountain" gun regardless of weight, what are you hunting and caliber?
The 3-18x44 is way slimmer, and 21.6oz... saves you 4.6oz right there, plus the 3-18 has a good 10 more feet of FOV at close range making very versatile in heavy timber hunts. Trust me your eye wont see any light difference between the 44 and 52 objective, I also have the 50mm and cant tell, its not needed.

Not to tell you what you "need" just sharing my experience with Leupold VX6s as I have two. I also hunted a few years with a higher zoom power Vortex same zoom as what your looking at and the resulting limited FOV at close in timber hunting sucked so badly at fast target acquisition I got rid of it. Sounds like you build a very nice custom rifle, probably very flat long range capable, but choose wisely. Most kills here are an average of 100yds, don't limit yourself for a few long range exceptions and the 3-18 is plenty zoom to reach out there. FOV should not be second place.

 

[Pepe-lepew]

What are you hunting and what is your hunting style? A Leupold VX3i 2.5-8 works fine on my hunting rifle.

This. Most hunting you don't need turret scope knobs and high magnification. Big scopes just get in the way so I stick with a more standard scope size and drop reticles on my hunting rifles.

 

[Redtail]

Thank you for your responses.

 

[awags_86]

I have shifted pretty much entirely to Nightforce or Trijicon for serious hunting guns. Leupold does not have a great record of tracking accurately when dialing nor holding zero long term. My 2 cents

Sounds like a sweet rig!

 

[awags_86]

I'll add the weight penalty does suck but I never have to worry about "confirming zero"

 

[Koda]

Apparently over on Rokslide they have been drop testing scopes for zero and some Leupolds have been failing. And like dropping them from head high abuse right on the ground. Nightforce scopes seem to be holding up to these drop tests.

I read somewhere Leupold has beefed up the VX6 turrets in response to this in their gen2 versions.

I have two gen1 VX6s. One fell over on a hunt, i checked its zero and it was dead on and continues to track perfectly.

 

[Tlock]

I'll add the weight penalty does suck but I never have to worry about "confirming zero"

I have a burris full feild 2 that I put on my remington 700 vssf back in 2005. That gun has been used and abused as a tool for work, 18 years on the job and thousands of kills later i have never had it come off zero. I'm not sure that there is anyone else out there that could have abused a bolt action more than I have. I don't know how the burris scopes typically hold up but this one has been a dam good scope.