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Why not the Athlon Helos 2-12?

I just brought home my 11th elk, all with a 308 Ruger Frontier Scout and Nikon 2-8x pistol scope forward mounted. Sighted over 800 yards, closed to 300 for shot in open country.

I was able to spot elk as far out as 6 miles (odometer). I have made consistent shots at 300 yards nipping a shoulder and putting a quarter size hole through the lungs with Barnes 150g / 308. The only time I recovered a bullet (the rest passed through) was a face on shot through the jugular (just left of shepard's roast at neck) that came to rest at front of abdominal intestines.

I shot cross canyon once about 300 yards. She rolled behind a rock apparently down. When I got around she was standing looking at me and took off below rim. A follow up shot hit accurately and she dropped, then rolled 1/2 down the canyon wall. Packing out was an effort.

While a 600 yard shot is tempting even in open flat country, a cross canyon shot would be unethical for me a second time. If you wound it, by the time you got around, it either wouldn't be there or be a terrible feeling to walk up on. Even in open country you can crawl to within 300, 400 max yards. At 600 yards even an elk is going to look small in your scope.

2-10, 3-12.
I got a Meopta 3-15 on my Tikka SL 6.5 creed and it’s great at the range. But I can tell how much heavier the rifle feels and while it’s not heavy as my other friend rifles. I’m used to my light weight rifles.
I really like the simplicity of CDS

I can't see why one would need more than 10x to shoot elk, even at 500-600 yards. I've shot at targets much smaller than elk with a 10x at 600 yards and had no problem. A Tract Toric 2-10x42 with a BDC reticle would work well.

Vitals would be about a 3-4 inch circle. The circle is smaller if you're avoiding the shoulder bone because of distance / velocity.

Whatever you can perceive - using reticle for assistance - and hit repeatedly at ### distance is the critical factor.

Jeff Cooper asserted a 308 with a 2x out to 300 yards would do any big game in North America.
Buying scopes is fun. Practice off range is more challenging.

The Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 works well for me.

I’ve always thought MeoPro and Conquest were the same.

Doug is the best source for most items. I might go to Redhawk rifles for a Demo 4-16x50 Zeiss V4 for about $800. I like the conquests & have used them for a bunch of elk in rough country. Dialing & reticle adjustment too gives you options.

Best advise yet.

Just received a 4-16x50 demo from Redhawk Rifles. Waiting on UPS to deliver the rifle its going on

Scope looks impressive! Got the 68 ZBI ilum. ret

Best advice X 2

Over the years I've put 35 elk in my freezers. My first bull was with iron sights, one was with no sights (a recurve bow), the rest were with a variety of rifles and scopes ranging from a straight 6X, some cheap 3-9X scopes from years ago, to the Leupold VX 3i 4.5-14X40 CDS and side focus that I have now on my .300 Weatherby. Even though I practice almost every week, year around, shooting at targets out to 430 yards, I've never killed an elk with a shot over 300 yards. Even with my .300 Bee, I've seen elk at longer ranges then snuck in to under 200 yards for the shot.