Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics advice for 300 BO hunting scope please - no LPVO

I have been looking at a bunch of different brands, but I haven't found the "perfect" thing yet. I had an old 1-6x LPVO on it when I was using it in an uber short HD rig. I put a Tract 1-8x on it at Thanksgiving and sold it at the new year. It was a great scope, but not exactly what I wanted. Deer in my area are mostly first and last light, I could not take a shot with this scope last time out as it was first light and it just couldn't gather enough light. And it was heavy (21+ oz.). I figure this is a 250 yard gun, 300 max on a lifetime deer if I had to.

- 2nd focal plane! no FFP on this one
- would like it to be under 20 ounces, lighter the better
- at least 2x, don't really need more than 12x
- would like a BDC reticle, just make things easier vs. dialing.
- I a dial, would prefer MOA vs. MIL as that is the camp I am in with others
- illumination, can take it or leave it

Looked at:
- Leupold vx3HD, 3.5-10x
- Leupold Mark 4HD 2.5-10x (getting big/heavy, MIL vs. MOA)
- new GPO CENTURI 3-12x44i Super Compact G4i (not out yet, no BDC, MIL adjustment. But I do like the < 10" length and weight)
- new Steiner 4S 4-16x compact (love Steiner, not out yet either. Prob too much magnification probably for what I need)
- Athlon Optics Talos 3-12x40 - BDC 250 Shotgun IR MOA (cheaper option, does have BDC, illumination. Concerned about quality/clarity and light gathering)

I appreciate other suggestions, thank you!

That is some of THE dumbest fhuqking schit I've heard of and you Droolers never disappoint,by doing your best. Hint..............

I should have known your little [bleep] ass would come along. Bless your heart…

I have a Meopta Meopro 3-9x42 with their MMD reticle for sale in the classifieds if you are interested in it. The MMD reticle is a BDC. It is light and SFP with capped turrets. I can send pictures if you PM a phone number or email.

I have a couple of these and they have become my favorite scope for deer hunting in the SE.
Leupold VX-5HD Rifle Scope, Magnification/Objective Diameter:2-10x 42mm

This one perched atop a Win 70 in 30-06

Imitation is THE most Sincere form of flattery and a Drooling CLUELESS Fhuqk mainstay. Hint.

You Professional Victims are a riot and PLEASE keep the Hurt Feeler reports coming. Hint.

Just sayin'...............

My CVA Scout wears a Leupold Freedom 3-9x50.

Burris FullField II 3-9x40 with the ballistic plex reticle.

how is the trajectory of the supersonic black out, IIRC the 30-30 shoots about as flat? I was wondering because I bought a Zeiss Victory1.5-6 x 42 riflescope to go on a 5.56 rifle, knowing I had to limit my shots to sub 200 yards and knowing I wanted to shoot early and late, 6 x is more than enough for sub 200 yards. They don't make it anymore, but I am glad I have it, best illuminated dot I have seen on a riflescope, works well right up to last legal light. If it were me I would be looking at something with a big objective relative to the power for what your trying to do.

Just my opinion. First and last light gathering ability can also be a function of the quality of the scope. Early last summer, used a new Leupold VX6HD 1-6x24 and a used Swarovski Z6 1-6x24 to spot a deer standing ~300 yards out from my back porch at first light. Looking through the Leupold @ 6X, the deer had funky ears. Looking through the Swarovski @ 6X, the deer had 5-6" spikes sticking up directly behind his ears. Swap back to the Leupold, fuzzy ears. Back to the Swarovski, spikes behind the ears. "Seeing is believing." Sometimes you get what you pay for...

Trajectory is very similar. I am running the Barnes 110 grain TAC-TX out of a home built 8.5” suppressed upper with 1” accuracy at 100yd no prob. CMT billet lower and upper, Faxon 1-8” match barrel, SLR hand guard. I am getting 2175fps with factory loads right now, haven’t reloaded for it yet. I had a Maxim PDW collapsible stock on it with a JP Enterprise silent captured spring when it was setup as a fighter. I have switched all that to a simpler and more comfortable carbine setup (still with the JP SCS, love them).

This is setup for very specific deer hunts. Walking in at dark thirty thru fields where opportunities seem to always present, to woods stand gun where I want something light and with good field of view. Sure I have other rifles that will work just as well or even much better at certain things, but this is a rifle looney want not a need.

Very good point. As this is scratching a looney rifle itch, I am not restricting cost.

That is why I like the Zeiss victory so much, very good optically. Also you may have different results than me, however I gained the impression after a couple of deer that the 110 grain TAC-TX while very accurate seemed a bit hard for the BO velocities. I got out of the BO so never got a chance to try anything else.

Scopes don't gather light.

Your scope doesn't have a small switch that releases the ambient light collection Smurfs? My light collection Smurfs haul the light back to the scope in small wheelbarrows and dump it over the objective lens to be collected and focused properly.

You might but want to look at one of the higher end 1.5-6x40, 42, 44. I have four on coyote rigs, I like them a lot. They are quite popular in Europe. My Meopta and Burris 4X are nice, my old Sightron II is pretty decent.

If you are not cost constrained, the one additional tidbit I would offer is to consider a scope with an illuminated reticle. I am finding with my aging eyes that the "little red dot" is much easier and faster to pick up in low light conditions than a non-illuminated reticle. Hence I am considering liquidating both the VX6HD and Z6 to fund a Z8i 1-8x24. An 8x top end would get you close to the max magnification range you were referencing in the OP. Just a thought...

300bo? Jap Weaver K4 classic…

I came really close to putting a 2-7 rimfire scope I had laying around that had a drop reticle. I shoot some different grain subs in mine and figured it work. But at the end of the day I put a regular ol nikon buckmaster full duplex on it. Simple and more useful in the blind/stand.

Go buy a Swaro because I get the feeling it is after all what you want.

I think the good old oft mentioned Burris FF2 would work as would many others. I have a vx3 Boone and Crocket and love it and think it would be perfect. I never have had issues identifying spikes from ears with either scope anywhere near legal hunting times.

^^^ There’s been a lot of travel down this rabbit hole, but (my opinion) I’d probably spend all that extra $ on some good binos that’d answer questions better at last light and work with any rifle/scope combo I was hunting with, before I’d lock a chunk of $/scope to a rig that’s got a practical hunting range limitation of under 200….where ANY, quality 1-4/5/6 or 2-7/3-9 is more than enough scope and light for legal hunting with that. It’s your rig and you can do what you like, but you seem to be wanting to put John Wayne on a burro to run the Kentucky Derby.

I'd lean toward Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40 if that's in your budget.

I'd vote for a 1-4 or 1-6 trijicon, I really like mine on the 300 blk.

I like mine.

DF

Mine do.

My eye only opens up to about 5mm so I have my scope gather all the light from the 50mm objective and concentrate it down to a smaller, brighter exit pupil.

OP needs a bigger objective to gather light for hunting.

A Leupold VX5 2-10x42mm or 3-15X44mm make weight, have very good illumination options, and would do well for his application.

Scopes don’t gather light you retard. Stick to assembling GI AR parts and marking it up 400% .

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...-vx6-2-12-firedot-lr-duplex#Post19396276

Go get it, bro.

2.5-8, maybe 2-10 max.
Don't really need more than that for that rainbow shooter

I have an old weaver grand slam 3-10x40 on my kimber Adirondack 300 BO. I wasn't planning on dialing that rifle and didn't want a heavy scope on a sub 5 pound rifle.

I was digging through my box of old scopes and found that grand slam. It's been great on it. I wish they still made that model. It's a good set and forget. At one time I had several of them as I replaced most of my leupolds in the early 2000s. The only problem I ever had with any was because I think the erector spring would get weak after a few years on some.

The gen 2 grand slams were touted to have double springs and I still have several of those working well in the 2-12x42 or whatever they are. I just had the stupid FFII style power adjustment where the whole objective turns. If Low could redo that scope with a normal power ring I'd buy a bunch for my set and forgets. I tolerate the lame adjustment on the 5 or 6 I still have because they are great otherwise for a low price set and forget with parallax.

Bb

There are a couple of used Razor LHs in the classifieds that will both hunt later than legal and have about 4-6x beyond what any blackout could utilize. Probably a great solution.;)

Great minds!

Thats what I went with too. Plain duplex. Not expecting to need much else.

That is what I have on my RAR in 300 Blk. It is a great size and plenty of magnification for 200 yards. I shoot the 110 Barnes at 2400 fps and that scope works very well out to 200 yards, although 200 is pushing the cartridges limit for me. Three does, from 75-163 yards have gone a total of about 50 yards after being shot. It is my go to woods rifle with low recoil, report and excellent accuracy.