Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Any Vortex scope worth owning as a hunting scope?

If my typical hunting endeavors required shooting further than MPBR in wide open spaces, then I'd see the value of "bugs" on the windshield. Depending on the reticle...

My hunting isn't done in wide open spaces. I hunt in timber and thick brush and quite a bit in low-light. I can tell you from my experience with the SWFA SS mil-quad and the NXS MOAR that the reticles absolutely suck for my application.

They're too thin and the center washes out easily against dark backgrounds. The bracketing heavy posts (especially the mil-quad) are bold, but spaced too far apart. The middle is indeed the middle, but doesn't mean much if it can't be seen.

Even in open spaces I dislike the MOAR as the MOA "bugs" are too small.

Agreed on the MOAR. I nor anyone I know has had an issue with the standard mil dot in lowlight/no light and if you did they're all illuminated. On the SWFA Milquad I use it all the time in low light and night shooting to bracket 8-10 in targets from muzzle to 100 yards or so without issue.


If all my hunting was at 200 yards or less then I would buy every Leupold Mark 4 6x40mm with duplex that I could.

I can't comment on the mil-dot equipped NXS.

Do you by chance have a through the scope picture, or would you take one and post? Also, is the reticle in the 1st or 2nd focal plane?

What Formid always assumes is that the majority of hunters hunt like he shoots in his schools....twisting and turning knobs hundreds, if not thousands of times in a week, which couldn't be further from the truth. The vast, vast majority of hunters are not tactical steel shooters, and do not twist very often, if at all. Bugs, hashes, dots, etc are useless, and suck to me as well, even though I do hunt a whole lot in open country. There is little doubt that Formid knows what he's doing in his tactical world, but since he applies the things known in his world, and makes them "absolutes", attempting to apply them as absolutes to the hunting world, I can't take his hunting recs seriously as it applies to big game hunting. Often times they have little in common with each other.

I have a PST 2-10 MOA that I really like. It is on an AR10 and so far is taking everything in stride. I would put one on a hunting rifle if weight isn't an issue.

How are the LT-104's for abuse? I might buy another NF despite myself.

Will try to get some tomorrow. It is SFP

Do you just make this stuff up? Pretty sure I've never said any of that. Please feel free to show where I've suggested a LR scope for someone needing a short range scope.

They are relatively solid if adjusted correctly. I do not care for vertically split rings, however. Unless QD is a necessity a direct bolt to mount/rings is a better way to go.

If all shots were at 200yds and under with no wind ect. JG would have a point. I much prefer the closer shots, who doesn't? But to say that there can't be a useful tactical capability to hunting is absurd. Case in point. I was hunting coyotes the other day that were killing sheep. A coyote came in, smelled me, and ran off . I sent my dog and the coyote stopped. 510yds. 7mph wind. I dialed up for distance, held .5mils for wind and killed the coyote. Without the long distance capability, and a lot of practice, that coyote would still be eating sheep. Works the same on elk and deer. I prefer a 200yd shot, but can do it farther when needed.

I agree with you atse, to a point. 7mph wind is one thing. Inconsistent 20mph is another, and nobody has any business shooting at big game under those conditions at 250+ yds IMO. I can take a VX3 CDS with duplex reticle and kill 'yotes and stuff out to 650 yards with little wind, as it isn't any big trick. 20mph + is another matter entirely.

You've made so many "brand X" scope suck posts it would be pretty easy to find. "Brand X" may suck for spinning the crap out of turret type shooting, and excel at big game hunting. You never separate the two.

you have a favorite bolt to mount rings you like? I have two LT-104's that are to me pretty good, an Aero Precision that I am not sure about.

Formidilosus,



He might have you mixed up with one of my post. Anything less that a 4-16X is useless and a 4-24X is about right for woods. Mildots seem to work in the woods or in the sage.

The vertical isn't the problem in LR shooting, its the wind, as you stated. Hence the use of horizontal hash marks (preferably in .5mil increments) that you don't much care for. With consistant practice, they really do help you shoot more accurately, at longer distances, in more wind. I hate wind but I make myself practice on those 10 to 15mph days. Its amazing how soon your groups will tighten when shooting under these conditions. It may make you pull your hair out for a while though.

Then find "so many" of them.

Through the scope pics are always of dubious value as the perspective is never correct. Actually looking through the scope the reticle in both black and illuminated was about 3 times more visible at least. I tried playing with the settings and never could get it to come out right. The illuminated picture for instance was so bright that it would've been unusable actually looking through it.

Is this a problem if the illumination is on? I've been considering one, thanks.

You have convinced me to try another NF, if the IR is on it looks like the mildot scope works well.