Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics So I'm watching a big axis deer...

...big, cagey, free ranging dude. He's been on the ranch a couple years, and so far no one's had a shot at him. He's 95 yards away, and it's very dark. I can make out his body well enough in the 10x50 Zeiss Victory binos, but the rifle is wearing a Loopey 6x33 scope. All I see in the scope are vague shapes, and I can't take the shot.

So, without blowing a ton of cash on a good NV scope, what scope do I want to bag this beast? I'm thinking a VX-R 3-9x50, with the Firedot reticle but I'm open to suggestions.

If hes that smart..that far away..and its that dark …..leave him be.....hes earned it....

A small step up to a 6x42 should do it. I can't see going Euro with a 56mm objective unless it was for night hunting hogs. Schmidt and Bender has an excellent reputation but I will probably never own one unless I find a good deal on a used one. Trijicon are rated highly too.

The Axis are in a sort of secondary rut the big boy may make a mistake.

Guessing you don't have to worry about legal shooting hours?

My 6x42's are quite bright.

I've considered trying one of the following for last light hunting. The S&B 6x42's are very bright, but following 2 also have illumination options.....the A4 is probably all that would be needed though.

http://www.schmidtundbender.de/en/products/hunting/7x50-klassik.html

http://www.schmidtundbender.de/en/products/hunting/8x56-klassik.html

Besides good glass and a reticle that can be seen, one of the key elements to low-light shooting is having ample magnification. It's a much different ballgame than in good light, where a 2x or 3x scope would make that same shot a breeze. But when the light is all but gone, you need to be able to discern detail and presentation -- and magnification is your friend in that regard. I prefer a minimum of 8x for such shooting.

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Amen!

When I began hunting Axis, in 1998, I replaced all of my Leupold’s with Swarovski 3-10x 42’s.

It’s your money. Were I to scout for new optics, it certainly would not be Leupold.

A 50mm scope would have helped you see him.

Sig Sauer Whiskey3 3-9x50/hellfire reticle or Hawke Endurance30 2-10x50/L4 illuminated dot reticle

Monarch 3 in 2.5-10x42 is very bright. I have used it in a South Carolina creek bottom in October with leaves still out. Half hour after sundown looking down the creek bed it would have been no problem at 100 yds +.

Just FYI but some of these suggestions are 30mm scopes- be sure you know that when you order because you will need different rings.

Send me that 6x33 for my .22, and I'll send you my Hawke 30mm 8x56 with the illuminated dot. You'll need some pretty high rings for that puppy, the actual OD of the far end is 64mm. Also maybe a gunbearer.

Win win.

You know how to find me.

Axis are a non-native species, and like hogs can be hunted any time, with the landowner's permission, of course - which I do have.

and thanks to all for the suggestions.

That rifle and scope has been loaned to a friend, but I think I have another tucked away; let me check tonight.

Go get him. I wish I could shoot one. It's definitely on my bucket list.

That is one of the widest I have seen. A lot of them get tall like that but not quite as wide. I have taken a few bucks but sadly my chances at another any time soon have been greatly reduced. Good eating too. The problem with axis is that the skins are too pretty to discard and we had nearly every hide processed. Not a bad problem really.

I've heard more than one person say that axis venison is the very best they've ever tasted.

It's the best I've ever had, and that includes many varieties of African game.

The one I've seen is at least that wide. Smart, cagey dude, though. He won't go around a feeder during daylight hours. The water tank he frequents is at a fence, which also makes shooting him a problem.