Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best scope short range for Bear Hunting

Will be hunting for Black Bear in Canada in Sept 2018, from past hunting I expect the shooting to be near dark and close up.
Looking to change out the 6x on my 35 Whelen to a low power variable.

Current thoughts are:

Leupold VX-3i 1-5x20
Leupold VX-3i 1.75-6x32

Leupold VX-1-4x20
Leupold VX-2 2-7x33

I have hunted with the Vx-2 2-7x33's before and was happy but have no experience with the others..


Input?

What ever scope you use, make sure you get a bold or illuminated reticle. Honestly, the scopes you've mentioned I would put on something lightweight...perhaps not a Whelen. I'd be tempted to get something with a larger objective, at least 40mm to take advantage of any sliver of light available. You can always keep the scope on lowest setting.

I have a Vortex Diamondback 1.75-5x32 on my BLR in 358 Win (used on bear). The scope stays on 3 or 4 power. Huge field of view and a bold duplex reticle...and no, not quite in the same class as a Leupold. But works damn good within the parameters I use it in.

So out of the choices you mentioned, the 1.75-6x32 would be the one for me.

Dan

I would look into adding trijicon to the list. I know very little about them but they seem to be a viable option. Pulling up black crosshairs on a coal black bear is definitely a weak link to a well placed shot. Between my son, daughter and myself we have killed 8 bears and those shots 29 minutes after sunset can be a challenge even at close range. You are on the right track with illumination. Good luck on your hunt

a good 6x40 will prolly be brighter than anything you listed , and will work fine as long as you got an easy to see reticle

Im guessing you are going to be shooting over bait , not running and gunning............

Take a look at the Sig Sauer Whiskey3 3-9x40 with the HellFire TriPlex reticle. It’s essentially a #4 (ish) reticle with an illuminated red center dot. Price is nice, too.

I wouldn't pick any you have listed. The objectives aren't big enough for me to gather last minute light, and reticles aren't bold enough unless you get a German #4 through the custom shop.

I'd also suggest a Trijicon Accupoint with green BAC reticle or a European made 1.5-6x42 with German #4 or illumination. My choices are based on guiding in Maine for 17 years.

1.5-6x42 Victory is one option. Not illuminated, but it's really good in dim light.

DF

1.5-5x36 Zeiss duralyt with #4 reticl

I’ve been fine with VX-Rs in 3-9 for stand hunting dark timber in low light. IF you aren’t still hunting thick stuff for moving game, you can use any 2-7, 3-9 or 6x with good glass and a heavy or illuminated reticle. I hunt the same dark timber with Leupold 1-4, 1.5-5, and 1.75-6. The latter is a touch brighter, but not enough to cause me to miss an animal. Good binos will help with details better than your scope, anyway. I don typically bear hunt, but hogs at dark can soak up a light reticle. A reticle you can pick up against a critter with dark hide would seem to be the important part.

I currently have a 1.5-4.5x Bushnell 3200 on my BLR in 358 Win. The reticle illuminates by holding a light to the objective lens and it supposedly glows for about an hour. I haven't used the scope in that manner as the cross hairs are pretty thick and I can see past shooting time in cloudy weather.

By bad weather guns have a 2.5-8x Leupold VX III and a 1-4x VX I Leupold. They both work well to the end of shooting hours, even in the rain, due to thicker reticles. I would like an illuminated dot for better aiming (at least for peace of mind) but so far I can't complain.

I have a Leupold 1.5-5x VX III on a deer rifle that sees similar usage. Again, it works right up to the end of shooting hours with no problem. In fact, I can't recall any of my hunting scopes not being able to handle these conditions. Most of mine are mid-range scopes like Burris Fullfield, Vari-X II/VX II or III, and Bushnell 3200/4200 in roughly 3-9x or thereabouts and there is no difficulty aiming at any time around dark unless the crosshairs are thin.

I typically have my scopes set at 3x as it gives plenty of light and clarity out to 30 yards or so. The only time I use the lowest settings are when I am in a stand giving shots under 15 yards where I prefer the larger field of view.

I have hunted extensively with the Leupold VX1 1-4X and with the VxIII in 1.5 to 5...also did a little bear hunting with a Leupold straight 2.5x when you could get them...

I'm about to try one of those for some night predator hunting next month.

Thinking about it now I will take a look at scopes with illuminated reticle and a larger objective.

thanks

Check out the VX-6 1-6x42 duplex Firedot.

If you want a bigger objective, 2-12x42 duplex Firedot.

With Firedot, I don’t think you need a #4.

DF

bait or stalk?

Please report your findings when you get a chance. I would love to hear your thoughts.

I am intrigued by SIG’s offerings and the scattered feedback out there seems to be positive.

The few I’ve looked through (including one Whiskey5) have been worth further investigation.

On my one and only Maine bear hunt, my rifle wore a Leupold 2-7x Compact with #4. The only bear I saw was on the second evening. It slipped into the bait at 0 DARK:30, as I waited for the guide to come for me. Never heard him coming, just heard munching at the bait barrel. I strained my eyes to see and realized it was a bear, and a rather large one from what little I could tell. I could make out the general form but couldn't see any details. I pulled the rifle up and couldn't see dick in the scope. I raised the rifle to the sky, focused on those bold posts and slowly brought the rifle down towards the bear. As soon as my sight picture met the trees, I lost it. I tried this several times to no avail, while mentally cursing. It was just no use, I couldn't see well enough to shoot and be sure of a good hit, even at 30 yards or whatever it was. If he'd come 5 minutes earlier, I think I'd have been ok but it was just too dark, and probably past legal shooting time anyway. I'm confident I could have hit "bear" and the .375-06 JDJ might have done the trick even with a less than perfect hit, but I couldn't tell his head from his ass and I wasn't going to do that. Finally, I heard the truck in the distance and the bear crashed through the woods sounding like King Kong. Next time, my scope will have more light gathering capability and likely an illuminated reticle. I have a VX-R 2-7x with illuminated #4 and a Meopta 1-6x illuminated that will be strong candidates for my next hunt, Lord willing....

I put a Leupold VX-2 1-4x20 on a 30-30 this year for deer hunting and bear hunting next year. My son hunted with it and killed a deer with it at near last light this year. On that low of a power scope a 20mm objective on a decent scope is plenty big enough to see through at last light IMO. The field of view is big enough that on 1x I can see my barrel through the scope. If it were me I'd buy whichever I felt looked best/best balanced out the rifle I think any of the scopes mentioned will work fine.

I have been happy with the Burris FF II 2-7x35 on my 270 Win for bears, took my last two with that particular scope and gun. I just bought a 2-7x32 Bushnell Elite for another gun and am expecting good things from it too. After years of trying different scopes I have found that 2 power is perfect for close range and with 7 power you can really reach out if necessary.

My top pics that I have experience with would be a VX-R 2-7x33 or a 1-6 VX-6 which if I was shopping I'd gravitate to because they are on sale for $558 2-12's only $100 more. The extra 10% of expires 20th

https://www.natchezss.com/leupold-vx-6-rifle-scope-1-6x24mm-duplex-116-19-3-8-matte.html