Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope for a NULA

We have four ULA/NULA rifles at the moment:

.30-06 ULA made in 1996: Leupold M8 6x42 right now--and it also had one for a while some years ago. But has also "worn" a 2.5-10x42 Nightforce NSX, 1.5-6x40 Bausch & Lomb, 3-15x40 Weaver Super Slam, and several others due using it as my scope-test rifle for a number of years.

.270 ULA made in 1992: 3-9x40 Burris Fullfield II, but originally had a 2-7x B&L for around a decade after we first acquired it.

.257 Roberts NULA: Leupold 3.5-10x40 VX-3--which was rebuilt by Leupold a few years after it as new, and went on the rifle.

.243 WSSM NULA, built on a shortened Model 28 action: Another 3-9x40 Burris Fullfield II.

John what would you put on a NULA of scopes available currently? I don’t want a scope too heavy or large that it’s out of place on the rifle.

Because you're scoping a short action, I'd use one of the following.

Nightforce:

2.5-10x32 NXS (you'd have to find a used model), same power in 42MM is currently available. 3-10x42 SHV w/Forceplex (their Duplex).

I don't own any NULA's but between 2 friends, I've mounted scopes on and shot 8 of them, 4 of them being short actions, 3 of them having one of the aforementioned NF scopes mentioned. The 4th has a VX6 2-12x42 and the owner is on the hunt for a 2.5-10x42 w/IHR reticle to replace the VX6.

I have representatives of both the aforementioned 2 NF scopes on several Kimber 84M's. IMO/IME, they're worth the extra few oz.

john thought you had a 6.5-284 also

Swaro Z5 3.5-18 on my Forbes 270 is perfect. 3X9 would be fine but I would want more magnification with your caliber.

Yep, forgot to mention that one. It has a Zeiss Conquest, mostly because the rifle belonged to the late Tom McIntyre, my friend and fellow writer for many years. Bought it from his widow Elaine, along with the scope, which is the one Zeiss presented to Tom when they chose him as the Zeiss Outdoor Writer of the Year Award in 2013. It has his name printed on the eyepiece. (It's supposedly a 1.8-5.5x38, but the top end is definitely at least 6x. Zeiss offered it as a slug-gun scope, and would guess they claimed 5.5x in order not to scare away potential customers convinced that 6x is too much magnification for "woods hunting.")

2-10x42 swarovski in my mind and on my nula rifles for the win

I put this on my .30-06 ULA. Special rifle that deserves a good scope.

https://www.swarovskioptik.com/us/en/hunting/products/rifle-scopes/z3/z3-3-10x42/z3-3-10x42/5006170

I don’t have a NULA but I have two Kimber Montana’s one with a Swarovski 2-10 one with a swfa 3-9 both feel and handle just fine. A model seven in an edge fill stock with a 2-10 tract that I like and put a swfa 3-9 on a little Howa 6 arc in a carbon stock. If you want or need to dial I haven’t found anything wrong with those swfa 3-9’s on light weight rifles.

I like that scope so far.

Weight of the Forbes LH 7-08 Talleys from Melvin, SWFA 3x9 with caps. Balances well 6# 10.4 ounces



Forbes LH 280 AI redone by Melvin, 3x9 SWFA , Talleys from Melvin 7# 2.4 ounces

I use a SWFA 6x on a NULA rimfire and a S&B 6x42 on a NULA muzzleloader. They how I use those rifles well.

I like light rifles for my hunting. I have far more light rifles than sporter or heavy rifles. For light rifles my order of scope preference (can change based on intended use of said rifle) is:
1. 6x42 S&B PMII's
2. SWFA 3-9
3. NXS 2.5-10x42 (and x32)
4. 6x42 S&B Klassic
5. S&B 3-12x42 Klassic
6. SHV 3-10x42

My two NULAs each carry Leupold VX3I glass. A model 20 in .284 has 3.5-10x40 with B and C reticle, and a models 20s in 250 savage with a 2.5-8x36 plex. I have a Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 BT I purchased with intentions of mounting on the .284, but every time I consider doing it I stop myself with if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The 250-3000 may be perfect.

How does the Z3 compare to the VX3HD?

I just scoped a CLR given the faux NULA treatment by Outkast Arms in 7PRC with a Sig Whiskey 3 2-7x32 with the duplex dot illuminated reticle. I love it so far. It's mounted in Warn Vapors on weaver bases. The scope is still available but w/o illumination. Great glass for the money and the reticle post subtends perfect for hold-overs out to 450yds (at least according to Mr. Strelock - I've never shot so far myself). Runner-up in the 2-7 scopes on hand would be the Burris Fullfield II with the ballistic plex reticle. It's only runner-up because it isn't illuminated which I've really come to love in a scope. Rifle with the Burris is a shade under 7lbs and with the Sig a shade over.

I'm thinking this gun might deserve a big Alpha-adjacent scope in the future and I'm seriously looking at this:

Meopta Meostar R2 1.7-10x42

Goes low enough, reticle looks awesome. I don't dial but a dialing turret is available if I ever want to try. (Sig has a dialing turret accessory I might pick up for the 2-7 cuz why not?)

Personally, I like the 2-7s and I think your idea about the Leupold 2.5-8 is a good one. Light & low. But, then these rifles can pull off the big dialer thing, too. So, mount it with bases and detachable rings and get the little Leupold and a bigger scope for back up and when you want a different capability - 2 rifles in one!

6x36 LRD on top of my M20 in 308. The 2.5-8x36 Leo was also well proportioned.

I haven’t tried any of the S&B but all of these listed have a great reputation for retaining zero. I’m using a Nightforce nxs 2.5-10 on my Nula 284. Previously had a shv 3-10 on it. If I wanted something inexpensive then I’d pick the Swfa 3-9 which is what I run on a few of my Barrett fieldcrafts. .

I would go with a tract toric 2-10x42 or one of my 3-9x40 conquests. I like a longer eye relief cope on a light rifle.

During our past summer in north Idaho Black Sheep Outdoors (huge place) in CDA had a "vendor day" and Trijicon reps were there. In discussion one rep commented that the owner of the company, world wide hunter as you can imagine, uses the 3-9X with the green post reticle exclusively which is why they (1") are still available. I had previously ordered two so was pleased to hear this.