Post by: slm9s on August 27, 2022, 10:30:25 AM
"the best" scope for elk hunting (or big game in general) depends on where you hunt, how you hunt, are you comfortable with a max shot of 200yds - 400yds - 600yds -etc, can you spend $200 or $2000, among other things.
I hunt the west side for elk and maybe one or two days for deer. I went from Leupold and Elite 4200 3-9s long ago to a Swarovski z6i 2-12 about 15 years ago. Then I thought I found the perfect scope, the Leupold vx6 2-12 with long range duplex - dots on the vertical to shoot to 600yds and a lit red dot for dark timber hunting. I used them for several years and was very happy with them. Then I started to read of many of them losing zero on hunts and started looking at scopes again. I am a rifle looney and have several rifles available for elk season so I can't spend $1000+ on a scope for each of them.
I settled on the Vortex Razor LHT 3-15x42. Nice weight, perfect mag range, excellent glass, very well done illumination, tracks perfectly (all 5 of them so far), and an excellent warranty if ever needed. I have the MRAD version and love the reticle. Completely open top half, floating dot for precise aiming, pop-up elevation turret and capped windage, and the illumination is just the floating dot - I don't like when the whole reticle lights up on a hunting rifle. If I need illumination, I'm not going to be shooting an elk far enough away to need holdovers. Its also 2nd focal, which I prefer on an elk rifle.
When I made the switch from vx6 to Razor LHTs, liberty optics had the LHT for $750 shipped and I sold the VX6s on ebay for about $1000 each - getting paid $250 per rifle to upgrade sounded good to me.
Anyway, just thought I'd share my thoughts to start discussion on what scopes people use/like and why. The other main contender was the Bushnell Elite LRHS 3-12 or 4.5-18 but I didn't like how busy the reticle was right around the center of the crosshairs and I thought the Razor was a little more compact, had better optics, and I liked the pop-up turret in that in the brush it would be harder to be moved accidently.
Post by: Magnum_Willys on August 27, 2022, 11:51:02 AM
Pick one for your needs or any of the others between depending on priorities of weight, cost, clarity, dependability.
Post by: Caveman123 on August 27, 2022, 12:51:11 PM
Post by: Fidelk on August 27, 2022, 01:01:54 PM
Post by: MountainWalk on August 27, 2022, 02:12:55 PM
Post by: Angry Perch on August 29, 2022, 10:56:19 AM
Gold Ring Leupy, fixed four. On my o sixes, my 338 and my 375
Classy. That's what I have on my Model 70. Does just what I need, and looks good doing it!
Post by: Fidelk on August 29, 2022, 12:18:54 PM
Gold Ring Leupy, fixed four. On my o sixes, my 338 and my 375
Classy. That's what I have on my Model 70. Does just what I need, and looks good doing it!
Se habla Jack O'Connor.
Post by: MountainWalk on August 29, 2022, 03:59:00 PM
Gold Ring Leupy, fixed four. On my o sixes, my 338 and my 375
Classy. That's what I have on my Model 70. Does just what I need, and looks good doing it!
I’m nothing, if not classy! Wanna kick that spittoon closer my direction? Lol
Post by: Angry Perch on September 01, 2022, 07:31:41 AM
Gold Ring Leupy, fixed four. On my o sixes, my 338 and my 375
Classy. That's what I have on my Model 70. Does just what I need, and looks good doing it!
I’m nothing, if not classy! Wanna kick that spittoon closer my direction? Lol
I know to like old Winchesters. That's classy enough for me.
Post by: Alchase on September 01, 2022, 07:50:25 PM
:bfg:
Post by: BigGoonTuna on September 03, 2022, 06:06:49 AM
The more I hunt, the more I like those low power scopes. Too bad they are so hard to find locally. My two favorites are the Tract Toric 2-10x42 and Leupold VX-3I 1.5-5x20, both of them have German #4 type reticles (Tract calls it a "T-plex").
Post by: C-Money on September 03, 2022, 07:50:13 AM
Post by: Damnimissed on September 04, 2022, 11:37:48 PM
Post by: Damnimissed on September 04, 2022, 11:39:25 PM
I’m using a Zeiss HD5 3-15x50 with locking turrets on my 300RUM. It’s killed elk from 60yds to 462yds and banged steel to 1050yds. Very versatile scope, it’s always tracked true and been problem free. I wish I would’ve bought one or two more when they were on clearance! It’s the predecessor to the V4 line.
Post by: rsarkks on October 19, 2022, 09:43:06 AM
Post by: hoytxl2009 on October 19, 2022, 11:45:04 AM
Post by: trophyhunt on October 19, 2022, 12:30:17 PM
Post by: b23 on October 19, 2022, 12:34:59 PM
Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 for a couple of my rigs.
That's a scope you can just never go wrong with. Never had a NF NXS 3-15 or 5.5-22 I didn't like. Have other NF scopes and they're great too but the NF's NXS line of scopes are a workhorse optic that'll never let you down.
Post by: hoytxl2009 on October 19, 2022, 07:51:59 PM
Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 for a couple of my rigs.
That's a scope you can just never go wrong with. Never had a NF NXS 3-15 or 5.5-22 I didn't like. Have other NF scopes and they're great too but the NF's NXS line of scopes are a workhorse optic that'll never let you down.
100% agree. I've never had a issue with zero or tracking in any one I've used.
Post by: Magnum_Willys on October 24, 2022, 10:20:49 AM
Post by: thinkingman on October 24, 2022, 10:32:29 AM
Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 for a couple of my rigs.Minimum power 5.5 would be way too tight for my liking.
I would want a 2 or 3X bottom end for the type of hunting the OP is talking about.
3-15 seems like the sweet spot.
Post by: b23 on October 24, 2022, 11:48:09 AM
Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 for a couple of my rigs.Minimum power 5.5 would be way too tight for my liking.
I would want a 2 or 3X bottom end for the type of hunting the OP is talking about.
3-15 seems like the sweet spot.
Maybe take a look at the NF NX8 2.5-20x50. I have one on a my 6.5PRC and though the eyebox isn't quite as forgiving as it is on my NXS 3.5-15's it's certainly not a deal breaker and to my eyes, optical quality, of my NX8 is slightly better then my NXS scopes but day in day out all conditions, for the money, I still think the NXS line of NF scopes is hard to beat.
Post by: Sakko300wsm on October 24, 2022, 02:18:19 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 24, 2022, 02:32:46 PM
Post by: MeepDog on October 24, 2022, 05:04:36 PM
I've also had good consistent experience with my Burris fullfield 4.5-14x42mm with an moa reticle and side parallax. The reticle is crisp and works better than a BDC for faster cartridges like the 270wsm it's mounted on. Both of these scopes have consistently held zero and tracked true during rezeroing with new ammunition.
I cannot recommend BSA scopes from experience with failure of turret adjustment, or CV life scopes due to being absolute garbage.