Looking for scope advice

[wooltie]

Hi guys...looking for scope advice.  Here's the setup:

I just bought a second rifle for my boy which needs a scope.  I am thinking of putting my current scope on my son's rifle and upgrading to a better scope for my rifle.  I am wondering if a Loop or Monarch is worth the $300-350 vs. $150-200 for a Prostaff, Buckmaster, Redfield or something similar, given my needs.

I want 300 yd shot capability, but most shots will be 50-200 yards.

1.  Browning .30-06 w/3x9x40 Redfield Revolution; will use for elk out to 300 yds.

2.  Savage Axis .243 needs glass.  Used for deer out to 300 yds.

[bullcanyon]

Vortex diamondback is a good scope for the price.

[Mike450r]

I would look into a Burris fullfield, Nikon prostaff, or Vortex diamondback for an axis in .243    All are good scopes for that gun and caliber. 

[jrebel]

My take: 

I believe that the glass on a rifle is more important than the rifle itself....especially when you are talking youth and women shooters.  I say this cause they are very impressionable and a bad experience will potentially ruin them.  If your scope is working for you leave it be.  Buy the best scope you can afford for you child;  one with great eye relieve and very clear glass.  I am a huge fan of leupold....you won't go wrong.  You can buy the rifleman for 200-300 dollars and it will seriously last a lifetime. 

Story to back up my beliefs.  I bought my wife a nice rifle in .243 caliber.  At the time we did not have a ton of disposable funds so I bought a Nikon Monarch scope for 150 dollars (good scope, just not great).  First day out, it is cold and raining hard.  We get her on a really nice buck and her scope is fogged up.  She also had a hard time with the limited eye relief and long story short she was extremely frustrated.  We worked through the problems and she did harvest the buck, but not before being breaking down and almost not shooting again.  Immediately after getting home I topped her rifle with a leupold and have never had that problem again. 

Buy the best glass you can and put it on your sons rifle. 

[jrebel]

One more thing....don't buy anything that does not have multi coated lenses!! 

[buckfvr]

Do some shopping on www.opticsplanet.com and read reviews...............

[Bob33]

Personally, I prefer to put optics budget money into (1) binoculars, (2) rangefinders, (3) spotting scopes, and (4) riflescopes.

If I can’t find game (binoculars), determine how far it is (rangefinder), or assess its legal and trophy characteristics (spotting scope), then a good riflescope is meaningless.

As long as the scope is waterproof and doesn’t shift point of impact, you should be fine with most of the makes and models. You don’t need lots of magnification or massive tubes to see game at reasonable distances during legal shooting hours. A 3-9 or 4-12 power scope should work well under the vast majority of situations. If you need something special or high end to see game in low light, then it’s probably too dark to ethically shoot anyway since you may have to track it in the dark to find it.

Customer service with Leupold is second to none. Nikon optics are good and they generally have good customer service. Vortex customer service is great, and they have lots of product lines that should suit your budget and requirements.

[wooltie]

Thanks everyone for your input.  I don't require the best is light transmission, or the best in clarity.  Rather I want a scope that can withstand a few drops, some dirt, some debris, holds a zero and provides mid range light / clarity.  I realize light / clarity are subjective judgments.

The Redfield works fine on my Browning; I just thought about putting that on the Axis and upgrading to a VX-II.  I do not doubt that a VX-II is better is some respects than say the Vortex or Nikon mid-range models ($150-200 models).  I just question whether it is worth double the $ when taking a 100-200 yd shot.

[jrebel]

Thanks everyone for your input.  I don't require the best is light transmission, or the best in clarity.  Rather I want a scope that can withstand a few drops, some dirt, some debris, holds a zero and provides mid range light / clarity.  I realize light / clarity are subjective judgments.

The Redfield works fine on my Browning; I just thought about putting that on the Axis and upgrading to a VX-II.  I do not doubt that a VX-II is better is some respects than say the Vortex or Nikon mid-range models ($150-200 models).  I just question whether it is worth double the $ when taking a 100-200 yd shot.

Worth every penny......if you are on a budget by a vx 1 or a rifleman.  Same price as your vortex or Nikon and twice the scope.  I just bought vx1 4x12x40 with Leopold lense covers foe 250. 

I have and do own Nikon red field vortex and Leopold and leupold is the only way to go. 

[baker5150]

I run a Redfield revenge on my 30-06 and a VX-II on my 300wsm
I love them both, the VX-II does have better light transmission, but otherwise I can't decide which I like better.
You can't go wrong with the redfield, especially if price is an issue.

[Pathfinder101]

As a general rule, I buy the best Leupold scope I can afford. 

[littlemac]

My son and a friend both used my 1993 Weatherby 300 with a VX II hunting this year.  Son made a 371 yard shot in morning light and friend made a shot over 400 in evening dusk light just before shooting light was lost.

This gun and scope have been "used" every season and hunted hard. Banged around in Jeeps and trucks to and from hunts and travelled to the Yukon and Manitoba multiple times. 

That thing still drives tight groups and is everybit as good as new.  I couldn't give it higher marks and have them on my 340 and 378 as well.  Leupold makes a great product and to me is well worth the money.

[Wacenturion]

Might want to take your son scope shopping.  Everyone sees things differently.  As much as I have tried to like Leupold scopes, I just won't buy one.  Recently had a nice NIB FX 4x33 I was going to use, but sold it and bought another Nikon Monarch.

Everytime I throw a Leupold up I have to move to get a full view.  With my Nikons....it's instant.  They are also clearer and brighter in my opinion.  But in all fairness....that's my vision.  Others may or may not agree.  Leave it to your son.  He's the one that will be throwing it up and looking through it.

[JJB11B]

Vortex diamondback is a good scope for the price.

can't go wrong with vortex. Clearest glass I've ever seen I own 3. A diamondback a crossfire and a viper. Next one will be the razor


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[JJB11B]

I might add that I also have a monarch and a vxII that are mounted on a rugerm77 and a win mod 70 30-06 and another .308


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