Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What glass does your open country elk rifle wear ?

Most of my elk rifles have Leupold 6x36’s. I have really come to like the LRD reticle.

Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 with a mil-dot they installed. Gets banged around a lot...never lost zero. I use Leupold on pretty much all my actual get-carried-around rifles, around 12-15 now I think. As mentioned by other folks I've only had one Leupold fail, but it got dropped literally down a cliff. Otherwise...long packs in, on foot, in canoes, banging around on four wheelers, shipped on airlines...no issues ever.

Also had an SWFA scope fail completely just in normal use; though I do trust that company and they sorted me out overnight with a new scope. The Leupold erectors I guess aren't great if you dial a lot so I don't use them on PRS rifles but even dialing some I haven't had Leupold erectors go bad.

As for the Leupold hate...I'm sure guys who see them in PRS classes probably don't like them. But most of us don't dial that much for hunting and if you do, get something else. Also, its the internet. People gonna hate!

My experience is almost exactly the same as yours!

Have used Nikon, Leupold, Zeiss, Swaro's and a few others with good results but last year I switched to Leica ER 5 3-15x56 on my 300wm. Never liked the size or weight of the huge bells preferring 44mm or less but the Leica is so clear I'm making myself get used to it. As good or maybe even a touch better than my Swaro's in low light.

My best elk rifle is a McMillan/Hart .300 Win with a 8x56 Schmidt and Bender. Great for hard hunted public land elk that only show in low light conditions (dusk/dawn). My other .300 Win is a Bergara Stalker with a 2x10 Tract Toric.

NF 2.5x10x42 and a Bushnell Tactical Elite 3x12 LRHS which is a little heavier than I generally like but it has been tracking well and since there are not a lot of choices in scopes that track and rtz these are the ones I've chosen, may try a schimdt and Bender soon!

Leupold 2x7

My lightweight rig, a 300 wsm has 3-9x40 conquest with a Rapid Z ballistic reticle. My other primary elk rifle, a 300 RUM has a 4.5-14x44 conquest with a rapid z reticle.

.270 has Vortex daimondback HP 4-16x40.
6.5x55 had Burris fullfield E1 4.5-14x42.
300 RUM had a Zeis terraX 4-12..
best of teh bunch is the Burris

4.5 -14X Zeiss atop a 30-378.

2.5X Leupold Scout scope on a 45-70 Guide Gun for dark timber.

Most of mine are 3-9x with a drop compensating reticle. I figure if they re good enough to hit clay pigeons at 600 yards they are good enough for elk and deer. OK, I miss more than I hit. Best hit rate with 3-9x has been 2 hits with 2 different rifles, 5 shots total (3 shots for the .338WM, followed by 2 for the .30-06).

You need to try a SWFA SS. Your hit ratio will go up

SS 3x9

Mine have been early versions of Zeiss Conquest 3-9x, 42 or 50mm with the #20 plex reticle mounted on a variety of .35 Whelens and a couple of 30-06 rifles. Perfectly satisfactory. But just recently I installed a LEICA ER scope 2.5-10x42 with #1 reticle on my Sako Bavarian 7x64. Good reticle for the poor light I usually find elk in. The quick adjust elevation turret is the first i've ever installed on a hunting rifle. Should work well for the conditions I hunt in and ranges that I hunt elk at.

My .35 Whelen AI, which is a very legit 400 yard Elk Rifle, has a Leupold 1.5x5 VXIII. That takes care of everything from dark timber to - well, about everything. My 7 Mag has a Leupold 2.5x8 VXIII. That takes care of everything from dark timber to about everything too, I reckon. Both are custom Mausers. Sorry my rigs are boring. Neither has changed in 3 decades.

Cheers,
Rex

Swarovski 2-18X 44 “Sheep Hunter”

VX3 4.5x14x40 30mm tube CDS . duplex

Leupold FX-III 6X42 LRD redical

Leupold...

6x36 LRD
2-7x33 LRD
3-9x40 LRD
2.5-8x36 B&C
3.5-10x40 B&C

We used a 2.5-8 Leupold for 20 plus years, and never found it lacking. But, over the last 8 or 10 years our hunting areas often offer shots farther than we can ethically shoot. We stepped-up to a 3.5-10 Leupold CDS, giving our old eyes a little better scope for long shots. The scope is always on 3.5, unless a shot is offered at long distance with sufficient time to “power-up”! Even at 3.5, it’s still doable on large game out to 400 or so.....yet is great for an up close and quick shot, if offered!

If a lot of walking is involved, I’d take the smaller, lighter Leupold.....but, I’m not as fit as I used to be. If hunting from, vehicle, horseback, ect.......use whatever you prefer, no matter the size and weight! memtb