Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics How important is alpha scope glass for your hunts ?

Back on a serious note...For a second.

Would a Leupold Mark5, VX6 HD and VX5 HD qualify as alpha glass ?

If, no....Why not ?

I had several VX6 non hd scopes. Just have one left on Sako 243 Win yote rifle...I had good success with them in low light hunting conditions.

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It isn't, most hunting is done with iron/peep sights on Sharps rifles or old original Winchester lever rifles, my top glass rides on defense and target rifles.

I like taint.

If it tastes like cock.

I really like the VX6 I have. Lugged it around Africa several times, and MX once. It's done very well.

I thought the VX6 was some of the greatest looking glass I’ve used. I just couldn’t keep from them turning into rattles on my Mashburn or 338.

Like the old Indian said in the Outlaw Josey Wales, they aren’t for shooting, just for looking through

Beav, my woods Guns get glass that sees better in the dark since it seems dark in the woods and especially at last light when deer tend to move most.

The rifles for our west get scopes that track and are able to dial. I’ve never ran out of light before the end of legal time out west.

In the East is where the really nice glass shines in my opinion and I’m not dialing on most any of them either. They’re set and forget zeroed for sensible ranges.

I knew you were gonna chime in with your little varmint rifles like the 50-90 and little stuff with buckhorn sights….. there is always one in the mix

Next you’re going to tell us about knocking over bucks with some muzzleloader and little tiny irons like it’s your job….

Gunner, really ? Your alpha glass only sits on specific, non hunting rigs ?

Huh...I didn’t know that.

Well, that’s cool.

Question, if you were going to hunt a scoped rifle, would you use tier 1 glass, or something else ? Being that you have shot behind and own solid optics.

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Really ?....Your 338 crushed a couple ?

That sucks !

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Terrain, range and critter would dictate glass, lifetime Western Bull Elk hunt? big 338 firing 300gr Accubonds at 3000 fps, 2.5-10 NF would get that job, set and forget Leupolds and even an old steel tubed Weaver 4-12x40 AO get deer here with ease.

Jason,
In coastal timber for elk, I’m using either open sights on a lever gun or a lightweight Browning BAR MK3 with a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 scope. Both, to me, have advantages. Running shots on bulls in dense timber, I prefer open sights and shooting with both eyes open.

If we’re heading into timber with pockets of small clearings/wallows and meadows, I like my scoped BAR. The 2.5-8x36 is a pretty decent timber optic at reasonable yardage inside a canopy of Doug Fir.

As you stated, it’s unrealistic to claim one size fits all the types of hunting environments for optics, rifle chamberings, or even boots...With that said, my personal experience, especially hunting elk on pub-land on the Coast, is optics rule, both in scouting with long glass, scanning the hunting ground with bins, or in a scope.

I always have to assume, other hunters have done the same leg work I’ve done, to scout up bulls before opening day. Because of the competition, and the inherent seriousness found in people during bull hunting, any advantage, is a good thing.

In contrast, me sitting over a shooting bag for 10 hours shooting ground squirrels or p-dogs - my scope optics are not the same quality as my big fur rifles. They’re good, helpful, and easy on the eyes for extended lengths of shooting. But the glass isn’t tier 1 stuff. For me, it’s perfect for that type of hunting I’m doing.

I believe that since I’ve been on both the unlucky end of having game shot out from me, and also the winning side of taking animals before others had the opportunity, mostly due to optics. I would encourage anyone who hunts public land with OTC tags to consider what I have found helpful by upgrading to a solid performing scope with glass good enough that a person can transition from the bins to their scope in low light and watch heads until you can hit the go button.

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PS

I hunt the Wilson Unit exclusively for elk the past 43 years....Damn, I’m getting old !

Small world! I've been hunting the Wilson, Trask and Saddle Mountain units for awhile now. But mostly rifle blacktail, and archery elk. If you're getting it done in the Wilson for elk, year after year, my hat's off to you. I mean it.

I've only done one rifle elk hunt in the Wilson, just a few years ago. And I think it would make a good reality TV show Circus would be an understatement! You're not just dealing with the animals, but hoards of people. Groups driving elk like deer, and shooters at each vantage point. I'm used to seeing trucks at gates, and running into other hunters in the field, but that elk hunt is more like a sports competition with animals involved.

I’ll tell SLM.

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PSA

SLM can’t find his step ladder to reach the top rope...Anyone see or take it ? Thanks.

You’re pushing it Beav’.

Haha!!!! Sorry Beav, your azzz is grass and SLM is the lawnmower.

I like Zeiss Conquest on my hunting rifles but have several scopes that wil do just fine for killing big game animals under 400 yards the best glass in rifle scopes is purely a nice to have.