Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics I'm really tired

I find this post interesting cause everyone has their preferences when it come to hunting rigs/optics.

I see several recommending SWFA, Bushnell, Nightforce, etc that shoot/ hunt in areas when you have a long shoot.

I'd like to see some pictures of your rigs and maybe explain what's your average shot... and what's do you consider a long shot. How long do you have to range your animal and dial? I think it's cool to hear everyone's experience.
When shooting long distance what are you guys using for steady your rifle?

I see post like this all the time but it's nice to see what you guys are actually using/ type of terrain and what you hunt.

You need to first,figure out what you want in a scope.Then call Doug...

I live and hunt in Florida except for a few trips to Alabama deer hunting and a trip to Colorado deer hunting and to Montana elk/deer hunting.

I hunt the Ocala N.F. and the Camp Blanding military reservation.

Long shots are possible, but 95% of the time I'm in the piney woods. I had a doe tag one year and the last day my father and I jumped a doe which ran right to left, then straight away. I had just bought a Marlin 444 Outfitter with ported barrel. When the deer took off, my father was right beside me. I had a perfect Texas heart shot offered. The crosshairs were right where they needed to be (Leupold 1.5-5x20 duplex), but I didn't pull the trigger. If I had, the muzzle blast woulda deafened my father, so I let her go. The range was about 30 yards...maybe.

Another time I shot a doe on the last day of the hunt, I wanna say in Alabama? I was watching a large field, hunting with my 25-06 with Remmy 100 gr core lokts. The doe came down a forest road to my left, about to enter the field. I shoot left-handed. I had almost decided to shoot her right-handed but she walked far enough forward that I could get turned left far enough to shoot her left-handed. She was about 30 yards away. She ran about 40 yards and I heard her fall over just inside the woodline.

Most shots I would get here would be under 100 yards. I have plenty of hunting rifles...6mm Rem, 243, 25-06, a new 6.5 CM, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 7mm RM, 30-30, 30-06, 44 mag, 444, 45-70. I carry whichever one strikes my fancy. I shot a 150# piney rooter, 40 yds away, it ran about 50 yds and tipped over. That was using the 30-30 with a Leupold 1.5-5x20 with heavy duplex.

You can get long shots in FL, depending on where you hunt, but my shots are virtually always close.

I'm retired now, and after my father passes (he's 95) I'm moving out West, hopefully to Montana if my arthritic knees can stand the cold. I'm gradually putting scopes on my 270, 30-06's, and 7 RM's that are oriented more towards long shooting. I just today got a Leupy VX3i in 3.5-10 with B&C reticle for my Tikka 30-06. I recently got a Leupy Rifleman 4-12 with RBR reticle to put on a 7 RM. I also have some Redfields with accu-range and Nikons with BDC on some rifles. My 243 has a SWFA 10x. I've got a SWFA 6x on another rifle.

The guys who live out West set their rigs up for long shooting, if that is how they hunt or where they hunt. A man could hunt FL prolly all his life with nothing more than a 30-30 with a 1.5-5x20 and get along just fine. I may try to get another one of those Leupy VX3i 3.5-10 with B&C to put on my 270 before the supply dries up since they are being discontinued.


I'm not a sophisticated, savvy, experienced long range shooter like these Western guys are. The good news Is that my local range goes out to about 800 yds, so I'm going to have an opportunity to play with that 6.5 CM, among other things.

This is the deal of the century on a great scope.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/tags/...0137-0fa6-00163e90e196?variation=1971935

John

I dont think I want illumination

You don’t have to use it. The subtensions on the illuminated model are a little thicker than the non illuminated model, making the reticle more visible even if you never turn the illum on. That’s why I use the illuminated model. I seldom even turn the illum on.

John

Meopta Meopro 4.5-14x44

I'd be all over this one if I could find the model that has the 6.5 CM Ballistic reticle.

I have tested 1 3-15 swfa statically in a testing fixture which is more than you have tested in such a manner, i agree it could be limited to just the scope I had. I also agree my sample of one Zeiss v4 may not be indicative of other scopes, so far I have tested 4 swfa scopes. I am 50% on flawless tracking.

Love hearing the attacks on me by others don’t shoot the messenger, if you want to atttack me, get specific, I can and do change my mind about things. Dispagement just means you got owned and are whining I will post the video once my refund for the scope hits my card. Don’t worry I know you are a 3x9 fan. It tested good.

3-15 SWFA or 4-16 Zeiss V4, have both love both...

Here is a pic of a couple of my hunting rigs: Fieldcraft 6.5 Creedmoor shooting the 127LRX/147 ELD on top with SS 3-9x (now rides in XTR Sig rings on a rail), and Montana 7-08 shooting 162 AM/ELD on bottom also with SS 3-9x42.



And another. Montana 7WSM shooting 180 ELD with LRHS 3-12x:



As mentioned earlier in the thread, here in AB we have a wide assortment of different terrain- boreal forest, mountains, prairies, parkland forest- and the types of hunting methods and shot opportunities varies from calling/driving/still hunting and shooting at point blank, to spot and stalk as far as the eye can see with shots as far as the hunter is capable and confident. I've killed deer, moose, elk, bear, sheep, etc, as close as 20 feet in the forest and mountains, to as far as ~950 meters (would have to check my records for the exact distances) on the prairies and in the mountains, with the average shot distance probably somewhere around 250 meters, but I try to hone my various hunting skills from still hunting and calling to connecting on long shots, so that I can take advantage of any shot opportunity in between. I would consider 0-300 meters a close shot, 300-600 a medium-range shot that I'll take on big game if conditions are decent, and 600+ a long shot that I will only take if conditions are just right. For a shot beyond 300 meters the animal is rarely on high alert, so I usually have ample time to range, dial, and shoot, but there have been situations where I was rushed (follow-up shots, etc) which is where practice and proficiency becomes paramount. Practical rifle competitions are great practice for this type of hunting scenario.

To steady the rifle I use whatever is handy Tree branches, rocks with a jacket or pack laid on top, etc. Trekking poles crossed with the wrist straps looped over one-another make a great improvised front rest, as does a good pack standing up. A fist makes a decent rear rest in some situations. Again, PRS-style comps are excellent practice for creatively finding and building stable shooting positions.

WTF did I just read?

Last couple of years it has been a Tikka and SWFA 3-9 show, either 22/250 using 77 TMKs, 708 using 120 BTs or 260 AI using 139 Scenars

Open hilly country and have had success up to 600 m

So I took a chance on this Nikon (yeah I know and I don’t care )
And for $200 it’s a freaking steal. I got the moa reticle.
I have VX1,2,3, monarchs, vipers, tract on other rifles and this for $200 is the best bang for the buck
It’s on my 6.5 CM tikka SL for target and hunting.
https://www.eurooptic.com/Nikon-M-TACTICAL-Riflescope-3-12X42SF-Matte-MK1-MRAD-16520.aspx

Nobody is attacking you, cummins. I said I don't have a lot of confidence in your claims or tests, simply because your claims nearly always go counter to my real-world experience and that of people that I trust, and I don't have any faith in your tests because they are not very scientific. To get specific, a good start would be answering Josh's question above about the method you use to align the scope's reticle in your fixture for use in your TTT.

Don't forget the C clamps. They are very professional, and precise..... They should give very reliable results.

Is he degreasing the c clamps to resist slippage?

Jordan, I think you would be a better shot if you had some consistancy concerning brands and reticles in your scopes. And for cripes sake, man.... Get some accuracy enhancing webbing spray on those 2 boring, battleship gray monstrosities. Also, might I suggest some flip-ups on the bottom abortion of a scope? I'm afraid you'll get all tangled up in those stretchy, bungie thingys. Thank me later.

Shows what you know...those 2 boring gray guns need a clown paint or a gold motif, then need to be drenched to the point of all screws rusting, whereupon you can shoot fish with them and take pics of them laying in the creek...hint

congratulations?