Scope for handgun?

[jackelope]

Looking for some input regarding a scope to put on a TC Encore with a 15" 7mm-08 barrel. I'm thinking I might like a little magnification, but not really sure. I've never shot a pistol like this before. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a scope before I know if I'm going to like it but I don't want a junker either. Maybe a 2-7x or something along those lines. Not sure what ranges I'll be capable of shooting it at, but I'd think at least a couple hundred yards. Anyone have hands on experience in this department?
 

[jasnt]

A friend has this scope on his scout and loves it. Glass is pretty good imo and we took it out to 600 yards.   Fwimc scout rifles use a pistol scope mounted ahead of the action.

https://www.nikonsportoptics.com/en/nikon-products/riflescopes/force-xr-2.5-8x28-matte-bdc.html

[yorketransport]

I think I've tried almost every handgun scope around and my favorite was always the Bushnell Elite 3200 2-6x32mm. It was a great balance of price and performance. Since they quit making those a while back, I'd take a good look at the Bushnell Trophy handgun scopes now. I believe Bushnell upgraded the Trophy line of scopes a while back and they're just as good as the older 3200 was in the past. I had one 3200 2-6x32mm that I called "The Mule" and just moved it from gun to gun if I thought another scope was going bad. It had a pretty good run on an unbraked 12" 460 S&W Encore barrel in addition to a 30-06 Encore barrel for a while.

The Weaver handgun scopes I've tried have all been functional but had terrible "fish eye" distortion around the edges. I used a 2.5-8x32 on a 30 Herrett for years and even took a deer with it at 88 yards so it's not like it wasn't functional. I did like how compact it was; it was one of the smallest variable power pistol scopes I've had. The 2x Weaver I had ended up living on a 454 Casull Raging Bull for a couple years. They're not terrible considering you can get them new for under $250.

The Leupold handgun scopes are pretty good, comparable to their rifle scopes. The problem is that to me their variable power pistol scopes are over priced. I just don't think that they're worth over $500. I had a 2.5-8x23 that held up well to a brief run on both a 500 S&W and a 454 Casull. The downside is that the Leupold variables are really long. It wouldn't be a bad fit on an Encore though. I did like the fixed 4x pistol scope that eventually found it's way onto my 45-70 Contender.

Burris handguns scopes were always my Father-in-Law's favorite but I've had bad luck with them. I had the reticle on a fixed power 2x rotate on me after about 80 shots from a 44mag, the 2-7x32mm couldn't hold zero on a 45-70 Contender (with a muzzle brake) after 100 rounds and the 3-12x32mm went south after 10 shots on the 338/375 Ruger Striker (with a muzzle brake). I won't waste my time or money on Burris handgun scopes anymore.

Nikon handgun scopes are another good option. My only real issue with them is the 28mm objective. The exit pupil on an 8x handgun scope is already pretty small which makes them very sensitive to eye position. Using a 28mm objective makes it very difficult to shoot off hand or from a less than perfect rest without loosing your sight picture. The 2.5-8x28mm variable I had worked well for me and had a pretty good run on a 44 Mag Blackhawk before I sold the gun. The 2x fixed power I had found a permanent home on a 454 Casull Super Redhawk I gave to my Father-in-Law which is still going strong. He doesn't shoot it that often but it's held zero for 6 years of running heavy loads through it.

The honorable mentions which I wouldn't bother with are the Simmons, NCStar, SWIFT or BSA. The glass on them is not nearly good enough to even be functional IMO. I did have a Simmons 6x that lived on a 30-30 Contender barrel for quite a while though until I sold the barrel.

The best bit of advice I can give is to find something with a good warranty. Handgun recoil is very hard on scopes and I see more failures on handguns than I ever do with rifle scopes from the same companies. I think any of the variable power scopes from Bushnell, Nikon or Leupold in the 2-8x range would work well on the 7-08 out to 4-500 yards once you get the hang of it.

[CAMPMEAT]

Looking for some input regarding a scope to put on a TC Encore with a 15" 7mm-08 barrel. I'm thinking I might like a little magnification, but not really sure. I've never shot a pistol like this before. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a scope before I know if I'm going to like it but I don't want a junker either. Maybe a 2-7x or something along those lines. Not sure what ranges I'll be capable of shooting it at, but I'd think at least a couple hundred yards. Anyone have hands on experience in this department?

I've got a few 15 inch barrels lying around. 500 S&W, 450 Marlin, Custom Shop 454 Casull I had made.

[fly-by]

Do you plan to shoot much offhand with a 15" barrel?  A mild chambering such as 7mm-08 and 4-5lbs total weight would allow you to use a traditional rifle scope, assuming good eye relief.  I used a pistol scope on a Savage Striker in .243 for a while then pulled a Nikon Monarch 2-8x32 off another rifle and was happier with it.  A 4x or 6x fixed might are another good option since they typically have a little better eye relief than an equivalent power and $ variable. 

[CAMPMEAT]

This works great at any distance......

Yorke sold it to me..

[Fl0und3rz]

Tagging.

[bman940]

I have been using Nikon's FORCE XR 2.5-8x28 BDC scope for quite a while now and taken numerous animals from deer, hogs, coyote's and 1 bobcat. I have a Ruger Super Redhawk .44mag and 2 T/C in .308 and 1 in .223. They get the job done and Nikon's BDC reticle lets you dial in your ammo and scope for excellent downrange accuracy. A heck of a scope for under $300.

[Biggerhammer]

This works great at any distance......

Yorke sold it to me..

How did I miss this. Great set up, looks light and quick swinging but can really reach out there if need be.

[h20hunter]

4x fixed power on my 460 s&w. Have shot out to 220.

[BKMFR]

Shot many animals through the years with about every hunting handgun imaginable. My go to scope is a Leupold 2.5x8... just my preference, they've never let me down, and have taken a beating....

[CAMPMEAT]

This works great at any distance......

Yorke sold it to me..

How did I miss this. Great set up, looks light and quick swinging but can really reach out there if need be.

I think the max distance is near 1,000 yards if you don't breath or flinch. A nice, light trigger press is a must.