Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Handgun Scopes

My son and I are thinking about putting scopes on our Ruger Super Blackhawks and hunting whitetails with them. The problem is that we have no experience with handgun scopes. Do we want fixed or variables, and what scope should we consider? Without breaking the bank, what is out there in the $250 to $300 range, give or take? We hunt primarily in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and ocassionally Wisconsin. We hunt the woods, as well as field edges. We sometimes get several hundred yard shots but don't need to put ourselves in those situations. What suggestions do you have?

I like Leupold but have had good luck with Weaver and Burris.

Anything over 2X gets pretty tricky without a very solid rest. I've used 7 and 9X stuff but only on chucks, and crows and that always involved a fair amount of time to get solid.

Magnification "wobble" is no joke with EER scopes.


Travis

My deer rig is a Ruger SBH 7.5" with a Leupold fixed 2x on top.

It is perfect for my type of hunting, which is shots limited to around 100 yards.

More power made it harder for me to actually hit from field-positions.

jerry46,

I used about a dozen on my Freedom Arms .454. My hunting experience taught me a variable is the only way to go. I have a Leupold 2 1/2-8X32 VariX now.

Here is a shot of my 629 DX (pre Performance Center) topped with a Leupy 2x. Good magnification out to 100 - 125 yards which is my max from hunting positions/rests. Like Travis said above, magnification wobble just gets worse for me as well at much over 2x.

The older Burris handgun scopes are really nice and if you look around you can find them pretty reasonable.

I like the RMR and Aimpoint myself.

i'll take a good varible burris 2x7 any day over the leupolds. if you want something alittle cheaper that works good try the bushnell trophy 2x6,i've shot them on lots of higher recoil guns . they will take it.

I don't shoot handguns much anymore, but used to years ago. If I scoped a revolver, it was always a Leupold fixed 2x. On Contenders, I've used Burris 2-7, 3-9 and fixed 10x (or 12x - can't remember), and Leupold fixed 4x and 2-8's.

I do have a Freedom Arms 454 with a Leupold fixed 2x and even with a rest I have a hard time holding it steady. I do okay to 50 yards, but I used to be able to shoot it well to 100 yards and further, but I think those days are over.

I have a more recent Burris 2-7 EER scope I bought for a scout application but abandoned the project. I've been toying with the idea of another Contender just to use the scope, but I'd probably be smarter just to sell it.

For the application you mention, I'd probably go Leupold fixed 2x. Anything else is a larger, heavier scope and as Travis mentioned, difficult to hold steady without a good rest. I've never used a red dot type scope but have wondered if that might work well on a hunting handgun at shorter ranges...

i'd also go the 2X fixed route..wider field of view, and lower power EER scopes tend to be less critical of eye relief and head position.

have had very good luck with the 2X leupold, and my all time favorite is the discontinued 2X fixed by Bausch & Lomb.

recoil tore up one of the 2X leupolds a few years ago and i sent it in, they sent me a new one in the box with no questions asked...have never had a B&L go bad, even after use on some stuff that was pretty harsh on them.

The Nikon 2x has 120 MOA of low profile turret adjustment, and sure has been fun shooting to extreme range on my 22's. Should work well on your centerfires.

I don't like a scoped handgun at all, but a few years back I used Nikon 2.5-8x28mm EER handgun scope with a "scout" mount on a rifle. The scope worked well, but I found I didn't care for scout style mounting.

srwshooter,



That was my all time favorite handgun scope. I fired more sub 2" groups at 100 with it than with any other. I had three on the .454. The longest they would last was about 300 shots. On a .44 mag they didn't seem to fall apart.

I like some of the Leupolds, but they are a little pricey. I was looking at the Bushnell Elite, Nikon Force and Weaver Classic. Do any of you have an opinion on any of these scopes?

One more question. What is an EER scope?

OKay, I should have looked before I asked. EER....extended eye relief. I am still looking for opinions between the Bushnell Elite, Nikon Force and Weaver Classic. Also what should I be looking for in eye relief?