What is the absolute best scope for hunting deer, hunting elk?

[bbbass]

So, what I have gleaned so far is a decent scope doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. There are certain features that I want to look for: 2-7 is adequate and 3-9 may be all I will ever need; the 40 is a good number for the object lense; eye relief is a must (it should be easy and comfortable to look through); FOV (and more magnification decreases the FOV); excellent low light transmission (for dawn and dusk conditions); and quality turrets. The scope brands that are probably in my price range are Leupold, Vortex, and Nikon. Also, get quality rings and don't go cheap. And I want a rangefinder, because it would help me with having a better sense for distances. I think that's a decent list, but maybe not exhaustive. Thanks so much to you and many others for your suggestions!!! So, I learned a little yesterday, and I took notes. With that said, there's so much more for me to learn about scopes. So, for those who participated in this thread your contributions were not in vain!

Kudos to you!

And I appreciate you saying thanks!!!

 

[G8rHunter]

How about you tell us a little more information.

Here are some questions you can answer to help evaluate our responses.

1: your age and eyesight. Any issues?
2: budget, don't ask and say the sky is the limit if you can afford a Simmons.
3: caliber you want to use, or a range of calibers....
4: do you want a parallax adjustment or a fixed parallax.
5: range you wish to shoot at

Be real with us so we can truly help you. Nobody needs to go down the hypothetical rabbit home only to be criticized and critiqued for trying to help.

Short of you giving more answers, you deserve no reasonable response.

I might just add that I purchased a 22 a few weeks ago and plan to practice, practice, practice. I just got my replacement rear sights, and I plan on going to the range soon. At the moment, I don't have a scope for my 22 and use binoculars to see the pattern of my shot. I will sight-in my rifle at close range and go from there. Since my rifle sights were off, I am starting over at 25 yard--master that--50 yards--75 and then 100. Before I will change the original sights though, I want to practice

Good to know.

You have a couple calibers here that have potential to shoot a reasonable distance if the shooter does their part with an optic.

My suggestion:

3-9 magnification due to 100y ranges

My advice: 4-12 or 4-16 because of caliber selection.​

40-50mm objective is good, 50mm on the 4x optics

With your abilities: go fixed parallax (150y is common) due to inexperience

You can reduce your scope budget and find a Leupold or Nikon well within those ranges for $250. Will leave you ample room for a rangefinder. Knowing your rifles reticle and reading a manual will help you rangefind within your rifles reticle.

A thread like this should never be about throwing money down a bottomless pit that is well beyond your skill level.

Get what you can use that is not too complex before you learn the fundamentals.

Now, here is a post that I really appreciate! Totally respectful and understanding of my limitations. Obviously, some info on this forum is over my head, but I completely understood your remarks and am grateful!

 

[G8rHunter]

Kudos to you!

And I appreciate you saying thanks!!!

You are very welcome, Bill!!! As you know, I really value your input! You are an incredible asset to this forum!

 

[G8rHunter]

I have enjoyed the majority of dialogue about scopes, and I feel like there is so much more to come. Sometimes, I go back and read an older thread I have participated in, even though it is lengthy, and most of the remarks are outstanding! KEEP THOSE GOOD THOUGHTS COMING!!!

 

[bbbass]

You are very welcome, Bill!!! As you know, I really value your input! You are an incredible asset to this forum!

 

[bbbass]

I just ordered a super cheap-azz 8x-32x scope for my .223 varmint rifle with my Christmas Amazon gift card. It's probably a piece of junk but I'm slowly losing more eyesight in my dominant eye, so I'll give it a try. If it breaks, I won't be totally bummed due to the low price. I'm hoping magnification will make up for any poor lens quality (up to a point).

 

[G8rHunter]

So, some of you have already answered this question, what scope do you currently own with your rifle that you really like or you really want badly to buy?

 

[bbbass]

Here's another deal on a rifle/scope combo in 25-06: WTS/WTT WA - Savage Axis 25-06

 

[G8rHunter]

Here's another deal on a rifle/scope combo in 25-06: WTS/WTT WA - Savage Axis 25-06

Sadly, I have got to wait, but thanks! Because I have spent $180,000 on attorneys, I'm having to work on freeing up some cash again. I should know something in a few weeks.

 

[Member 5605]

Now, here is a post that I really appreciate! Totally respectful and understanding of my limitations. Obviously, some info on this forum is over my head, but I completely understood your remarks and am grateful!

With the proper information and proper questions, the individuals on this forum will go out of their way to help and assist.

The more specific you can be when asking questions or giving out of information in one post, the information you know and what is relative, you will be surprised with what will come from the internet.

Most here are good natured, but can be a little grumpy with open ended questions and don't have time for games.

The wealth of knowledge is there to be tapped.

 

[G8rHunter]

With the proper information and proper questions, the individuals on this forum will go out of their way to help and assist.

The more specific you can be when asking questions or giving out of information in one post, the information you know and what is relative, you will be surprised with what will come from the internet.

Most here are good natured, but can be a little grumpy with open ended questions and don't have time for games.

The wealth of knowledge is there to be tapped.

10/4! BTW, I think part of the issue is thinking I am being specific enough, not realizing that most of you realize there's more to the question than what's the best ... ? I guess in time people will understand I'm not playing and 100% serious about learning. As well, I will hopefully learn to phrase my question to elicit a better response! Thanks!

 

[Spitpatch]

Strongly recommend (as per my early posts) avoiding a variable power scope as a first scope. A fixed power scope (such as 4 power) will teach you about scopes, sight picture, trajectory and all else, while not interfering (via bells, whistles, etc.) with that learning process.

This is for the same reason I recommended practicing and learning your iron sights first. (which it seems you are doing!)

Should you stay with the shooting sports, the good 4x will happily adorn another rifle should you choose to upgrade.

 

[G8rHunter]

Strongly recommend (as per my early posts) avoiding a variable power scope as a first scope. A fixed power scope (such as 4 power) will teach you about scopes, sight picture, trajectory and all else, while not interfering (via bells, whistles, etc.) with that learning process.

This is for the same reason I recommended practicing and learning your iron sights first. (which it seems you are doing!)

Should you stay with the shooting sports, the good 4x will happily adorn another rifle should you choose to upgrade.

Bravo, and yes, I probably should avoid the scope with all the bells and whistles. Good advice, keep it simple son!

 

[bbbass]

@G8rHunter Another thing that may be helpful is letting members know if you are just wanting to kibbutz about a topic for the sake of BSing... or if you need help learning something specific. IMO forums may not be the best place to learn an entire education on any very deep subject. Because they are not set up for listing info the way you would see it listed sequentially from start to finish in a textbook/trope/encyclopedia on a subject, and because people in general IMO are not long winded in print. It's a lot of effort and there is just too much to know. (As you are finding out.)

Hang in there. - bb

BTW: I apologize to the group for wording the topic/header the way it is... a general discussion was implied, when what was really needed was an education on scopes... I did it in continuity with the OP's earlier post on rifles. MY bad!

 

[G8rHunter]

Strongly recommend (as per my early posts) avoiding a variable power scope as a first scope. A fixed power scope (such as 4 power) will teach you about scopes, sight picture, trajectory and all else, while not interfering (via bells, whistles, etc.) with that learning process.

This is for the same reason I recommended practicing and learning your iron sights first. (which it seems you are doing!)

Should you stay with the shooting sports, the good 4x will happily adorn another rifle should you choose to upgrade.

I wanted to add, thank you for realizing maybe I didn't take a post serious enough and you repeated it. Sometimes, something is worth saying twice!

 

[titsonritz]

I'm hoping magnification will make up for any poor lens quality (up to a point).

It never works out that way, the higher the magnification the more poor lens quality shows their true color. IMO, clarity, contrast, light gathering capability trump magnification, I'd rather have a quality 6X over a turd 12X every time.

 

[bbbass]

It never works out that way, the higher the magnification the more poor lens quality shows their true color. IMO, clarity, contrast, light gathering capability trump magnification, I'd rather have a quality 6X over a turd 12X every time.

I guess I'll find out the hard way. I only have $40 tied up in it after the $25 gift card, so no biggie. If I don't like it, I will either send it back or consider it to be an experiment.

 

[FishnhuntOR]

For your 22 I suggest leupold or Nikon in 2-7x33 or something similar. Open sights and scope shooting are two different animals.
Eye/cheek in exact same location or position is the key.
22s are ok to learn on unless you got a quality rifle and ammo.
I think 223 would be the best to learn on.

Anyways since we are on scopes.

2-7 scope on 6.5,7-08,308 is too low IMO.
Some day you'll want to stretch it out and it will be nice to have 10 or 12 power shooting targets at 300 or 400 yards.
Already posted a link to the tract scope that's on clearance right now.
Once again 2-10, 3-12 will give you all you need

 

[RedRover]

10/4! BTW, I think part of the issue is thinking I am being specific enough, not realizing that most of you realize there's more to the question than what's the best ... ? I guess in time people will understand I'm not playing and 100% serious about learning. As well, I will hopefully learn to phrase my question to elicit a better response! Thanks!

There's so-called 'book smarts' and so-called 'street-smarts'.

It is incomplete knowledge to simply possess the 'know what' and 'know why' and not the 'know how'.

The best advice given in this thread is from those that have suggested to go out and shoot more. Perhaps make some friends at one's local range and see if they are willing to let one try out their equipment -- to get an idea how things function and feel(supply the ammo of course).

It's understandable when budgetary concerns come into play, the mantra of "buy once, cry once". So yes, if it is one's intention to stop at only one rifle(good luck with that btw)....a bunch of calculated research ahead of time will go a long ways.

One can absolutely can get a reliable hunting set up for $500-750 that will suit one's stated initial wants and needs. There's no need to get the most expensive fishing reel/pole if one's yet to ever cast a line at all.

A suggestion to keep in mind for future queries - The term 'the best' is subjective, while the term 'preferred' isn't.

Many suggestions have been made for particular brands/models of decent entry-level(but completely viable) scopes in this thread. Why not read a few articles/reviews on these suggested brands/models on the internet, and go from there. Leupold, Vortex, Burris, Nikon etc. etc. offer basic models that will get one on target, and keep one on target with quality rings.

Go down to one's LGS and shoulder a few rifles. See how the ergos feel.

Keep in mind that hitting a basketball with a typical centerfire rifle cartridge (scoped)@100 yards is pretty easy -- in that a first timer could hit 10/10 w/out much effort. In fact, with a <2moa rifle from a bench rest -- grouping them all inside an average sized grapefruit is fairly pedestrian.

 

[micdude]

If you're going for a 22lr scope I would stay away from scopes that are meant for shooting at a 100 yards or more. Get a scope with an adjustable parallax or are specific 22lr scopes with a 50yard parallax.

My favorite budget 22lr scope:
Mueller APV Rifle Scope 4.5-14x 40mm Adjustable - MPN: MAPV451440


Parallax is:
" As the eye moves away from the axis of the scope, the reticle appears to move around the target, which can affect the shooter's accuracy if there is not a consistent cheek weld from shot to shot."

As far as hunting scope I'm in the lighter is better camp and most of my shots are under 300 yards. My favorite is a good 2-7 or 3-9 variable scope. Think about the weight you will be carrying around and bigger scopes weigh more.

My go to budget hunting scope:


Leupold VX-Freedom Rifle Scope 2-7x 33mm Duplex Reticle - MPN: 174178