Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Recommend scope for 300 win mag

The dark timber you hunt must be a lot more open than the dark timber I hunt. Why would you need to dial or use a ballistic reticle in the dark timber?

IME, the description/quote that you have listed in bold is right on: The SHV 3-10 is a fantastic all around hunting scope for big game targets both near and far. I prefer FFP, but I can be happy with a SFP that tops out at 10x.

Ancillary note to the discussion: Not saying that a BDC reticle can't be put to good use within certain limitations, but I found it far easier to use a measuring reticle. Why deal with arbitrary hold point spacing when you can have a measuring device that works equally well with all bullets at all atmospheres? Further, a lot of BDC reticles don't offer any way to account for wind, which is the hardest variable to account for in shots at further off targets.

You better learn to read. No need to dial in dark timber. Have you even shot in the wind? For most elk hunting distances, using a wind hold is laughable. Again, most elk are not shot further than 400 yards out. That is a chip shot. Even in the wind..

You don’t need 10x power. So save some dough and go no higher than 6x.

If a 400 yard shot w/ wind speed >10mph is a "chip shot" you must be an awesome shooter.



mike r

BSA:

You stated "I'd take a ballistic type reticle over anything that dials. In dark timber you don't have time to mess around with things."

Thus I ask, why the inclusion of choosing a ballistic reticle over dialing in the overall context of hunting dark timber?

Obviously, you're not totally wrong in your assessment of shots at 400 yds or less. My point was that a measuring reticle, such as the MOAR offered in the NF 3-10, is more versatile than most BDC reticles that don't offer an easy way to measure a hold for wind.

Any more one of my main criteria is weight because 90% of my hunting involves hiking sometimes a lot at elevation and steep areas. There are a lot of great scopes with excellent glass and repeatable reticle dialing but for me they usually represent extra weight for not much benefit. A scope is only there to put a reticle on a target to reliably steer the bullet so anything that has a 3.5 mag or less on the bottom and tops out at 6-10 works for me. I could even get by with a (Gasp!) 6x Leupold although it might be a little too much mag on the close stuff so most of my scopes are 3-9 or 2.5-10. YMMV.

Blacktail:

Ever look into or have any experience with the Weaver Grand Slam 4.75X? I picked one up somewhere along the way; it has RMEF emblazoned on it. Japan built. Very light weight. Very good glass. Seemingly pretty rugged but I don't have a ton of use on mine. Not too many floating about, but based on your description it sounds like it would be a great fit for you if you could find one.

I agree that the MOAR radical does everything that a BDC will do, and more. Once you get accustomed to it, it’s a much more useful tool.

I have shot my .300 since 1970. It has had straight 6x, 6.5-20, 3-9, 4-12s. The last two are my favorite depending on my planned use of the rifle. Now I have an old 3-9 with dots spaced for shooting from 100 to 600 yards. Does all I need to do with that rifle.

Haven't handled one but certainly sounds like it would work very well.

That has not always been my experience.

I tried a Nightforce SHV 3-10 and i didn't see all the fanboy hype, it tracked well but many scopes do that with better glass and way less weight/bulk...But to each his own...Good hunting..Hb

Meopta Optika6.

I have a 3X15X50 on one of my 300s and a 2.5X15X44 on the other one

Elk are big enough to hold on hair out to 400 yards using any standard cartridge with less than 24 inches drop from a 200 yard zero. The 300 Win Mag easily meets that criteria. That makes dialing unnecessary for my purposes. This means I can use lighter scopes with less features with no worries.

My two “elk hunting” rifles have simple scopes. One has a Zeiss Conquest 3-9x and the other has a Leupold 6x36. Both use standard plex reticles. Both have held zero over the years, have reticles that are easy to see, and are lighter than the bigger 30mm scopes.

Just my opinion.

600 yards is max distance I'll be shooting and that is rare! Ive had opportunities at 700 yards, but never attempted a shot on animals at that range. I was unable to close distance before shooting light ended. My shots tend to be 70 yards to 250 yards for majority. When im on a ridge watching a "park" i can be 400 to 500 yards for shots. A bdc style is easier for me due to speed and elk are big.

My choice would be either a 3x9 or 3.5x10.

I’d be looking at the hunter series from Tract.
I’m not a fan of putting heavy scopes on my hunting rigs.
Most of my hunting rifles have 2.5/3.5-10. If you feel the need for mores , then 12-15x would be as big as I’d want with out weighing down my rifle.

I have one of the late 90's Steiner Hunting Z 3.5 x 10 scopes on my .300 Win mag. For this rifle, it seems just about the perfect balance for optics and the glass is quality as I compared it against Zeiss and Swaro scopes when I bought it and at the time, it was the more expensive option. I don't desire more power, dialing, or a scope full of stupidly complicated reticles for hunting.