Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics What power scope should I get for my 300 win?

One buddy said 3x9, one said 4.5x14, one said 6.5x20. What say the experts on this site?

I'm becoming a big fan of the 4.5-14s.

I would look at your intended use of the gun and make my decision accordingly. A 3x9 is a good all around scope. I have a 3.5x10 on mine and it works well for general use.

blackmamba,

Welcome to the 'fire. There's only one expert here and that's Ringman. And Ringman suggests a Swarovski z5 5-25X52. It has about the same field of view as the 4.5X on the low end and has more magnification than the 20X on the top end. If you can'f spring for the Swaro then you will be hard pressed to beat a Bushnell 4200 4-16X. You will loose about 1/2" of eye brow clearance going to the 4200, but that's about all you will give up.

Yep. The only way I'd put a 6.5-20x on a .300 Mag is if it's a Sendero-type heavy barreled rig. The 4.5-14x has some merit, but I'm not really a big fan of the Leupold version.

I've used 3-9x40, 3.5-10x40, 4.5-14x40. Take your pick and all will get the job done. However, I'd base my decision on where you'll be hunting and how far your intended shots will be....I use a 4.5-14x40 on my 300 wsm because the intended targets will be past 500 most of the time.....My current 300 winny wears a 3-9x40 bushnell elite though since it will see more woods type work while elk hunting....

Let me reiterate for you with pictures:

Long range rig (anything past 500 yards), use the 4.5-14:

Make sure it tracks very well with good turrets.....

This 300 winny wears a good 3-9x40 for the elk woods:


This 300 wears a nice Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40 with CDS for general purpose shooting:


Damn hard to beat that VX3 3.5-10x40 with CDS for just about any type of hunting/shooting you may want to do with your 300 winny, at almost any sane hunting distance...

...............And if you had more buddies, you might get opinions favoring a fixed 4x, a 2x7, or maybe a 2.5x8.

With all mentioned so far on this thread there is no wrong choice. The question should be. Depending on your shooting and hunting, which magnification will suit your particular need the best under most situations most of the time?

Imo, the best all around variable magnification choices for a 300 mag is from 2.5x8 to 3.5x10. If longer ranged target shooting on average is more of your shooting, then a 4.5x14 magnification is a very good choice which doubles as a very good hunting scope.

Which scope depends on your budget, style, eye relief distance and quality in optics desires.

BSA, ya got 3 300 win. mags? Anyway to the O.P. from Iowa. Not rifles allowed in Iowa for hunting. If ya going to Wisconsin in da big woods go get a 1x4 loupy. I got one on my 45-70 for bear. For open west,,, well question already been answered.

Damn bsa that is one nice looking M70! Is that a WSM or Win Mag?

Scope on a 300? For me,today,a fixed 6X or a 3.5-10.

I wouldn't stay home from an elk hunt if all I had was a 4X though...sorry for the hijack!

The 300 Win. will shoot a long ways,that's why I put a 3x15x50 Weaver Super Slam on mine.

Given the flat trajectory, why not a 8-32x Leupold?

I assume the 300 win is for hunting and not a sniper rifle. For hunting, a fixed 6x will do a fine job without any of the maladies that variables are prone to(POI shift, reticle size changing with change in power setting and general lack of durability). I know many will disagree, but thats calling it as I see it after 40 some years of hunting. (Flame suit on)

My approach would be this. I want something relatively light and simple - more glass, less "features". I can do without parallax adjustment if i keep my magnification below 10. My Swaros at 12 are OK without parallax. So that is my top end - 10-12x. And i can't see that i'd be shooting anything with a .300 Win mag that would require more than 10-12x.

More of interest to me is what the BOTTOM end of the range is like. I've stuffed up more shots because of TOO MUCH magnification rather than too little. Trying to shoot something at 20 yards with a scope that won't dial down below 5-6x by is a right pain in the arse. This is why i have the Swaro 2.5-15x56 on my long range rifle. It wasn't really the high end i was worried about. It was the low end performance i was concerned about.

I will also point out that in certain parts of the woods, not being able to make those close shots quickly and accurately isn't just a pain in the arse, it can actually get you killed. I learnt this on buffalo, a hunting buddy of my brother found this out with a grizzly and a 338 lapua mag at 20 yards.

This is why i don't have fixed powers any more. It isn't the lack of high power magnification that matters, it is the lack of low power that really matters to me.

My 300 Win Mag wears a 3.5-10x40 . Wouldnt consider anything else

My Ed Brown Damara in .300 Win Mag wears a Swaro Z3 4-12x50 BT. I'm not crazy about big scopes, but this one isn't bad and it's not heavy. I wanted a Swaro turret and choices are limited. It has an Outdoorsmans turret calibrated for my 180 gr. NBT/NAB load at 3,050 fps.

Bottom photo shows the Damara and my BPCR .45-70 "primitive weapon" deer killer with VX-3 3.5-10x40 CDS. That scope would also work well on the Damara.

DF

dhg: I don't disagree at all about the low end of the power range....I try not to worry about it too much.I just don't like variables as much as I like fixed powers.I have both types and hunt with both.

To be honest most of the animals I've shot with a variable, I never touched the power ring....I just shot them.

It all depends on where you are hunting and what works best for your eyes, imo. For me, nothing tops a Leupold 3.5-10x40 for hunting. Absolutely love that scope.

I hunt the west. I like either the 3.5-10 or the 4.5-14 flavors like many others on here.

I hunt deer and antelope and use a 4x Leupold. If you need a shoot everything rifle go with a 2.5-8 Leupold. If you cannot shoot an animal with 8x out to the range most people can hit something in a hunting situation then it is too far. The 2.5 end will work great in dense woods and short shots.