Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics advice for 300 BO hunting scope please - no LPVO

I have been looking at a bunch of different brands, but I haven't found the "perfect" thing yet. I had an old 1-6x LPVO on it when I was using it in an uber short HD rig. I put a Tract 1-8x on it at Thanksgiving and sold it at the new year. It was a great scope, but not exactly what I wanted. Deer in my area are mostly first and last light, I could not take a shot with this scope last time out as it was first light and it just couldn't gather enough light. And it was heavy (21+ oz.). I figure this is a 250 yard gun, 300 max on a lifetime deer if I had to.

- 2nd focal plane! no FFP on this one
- would like it to be under 20 ounces, lighter the better
- at least 2x, don't really need more than 12x
- would like a BDC reticle, just make things easier vs. dialing.
- I a dial, would prefer MOA vs. MIL as that is the camp I am in with others
- illumination, can take it or leave it

Looked at:
- Leupold vx3HD, 3.5-10x
- Leupold Mark 4HD 2.5-10x (getting big/heavy, MIL vs. MOA)
- new GPO CENTURI 3-12x44i Super Compact G4i (not out yet, no BDC, MIL adjustment. But I do like the < 10" length and weight)
- new Steiner 4S 4-16x compact (love Steiner, not out yet either. Prob too much magnification probably for what I need)
- Athlon Optics Talos 3-12x40 - BDC 250 Shotgun IR MOA (cheaper option, does have BDC, illumination. Concerned about quality/clarity and light gathering)

I appreciate other suggestions, thank you!

That is some of THE dumbest fhuqking schit I've heard of and you Droolers never disappoint,by doing your best. Hint..............

I should have known your little [bleep] ass would come along. Bless your heart…

I have a Meopta Meopro 3-9x42 with their MMD reticle for sale in the classifieds if you are interested in it. The MMD reticle is a BDC. It is light and SFP with capped turrets. I can send pictures if you PM a phone number or email.

I have a couple of these and they have become my favorite scope for deer hunting in the SE.
Leupold VX-5HD Rifle Scope, Magnification/Objective Diameter:2-10x 42mm

This one perched atop a Win 70 in 30-06

Imitation is THE most Sincere form of flattery and a Drooling CLUELESS Fhuqk mainstay. Hint.

You Professional Victims are a riot and PLEASE keep the Hurt Feeler reports coming. Hint.

Just sayin'...............

My CVA Scout wears a Leupold Freedom 3-9x50.

Burris FullField II 3-9x40 with the ballistic plex reticle.

how is the trajectory of the supersonic black out, IIRC the 30-30 shoots about as flat? I was wondering because I bought a Zeiss Victory1.5-6 x 42 riflescope to go on a 5.56 rifle, knowing I had to limit my shots to sub 200 yards and knowing I wanted to shoot early and late, 6 x is more than enough for sub 200 yards. They don't make it anymore, but I am glad I have it, best illuminated dot I have seen on a riflescope, works well right up to last legal light. If it were me I would be looking at something with a big objective relative to the power for what your trying to do.

Just my opinion. First and last light gathering ability can also be a function of the quality of the scope. Early last summer, used a new Leupold VX6HD 1-6x24 and a used Swarovski Z6 1-6x24 to spot a deer standing ~300 yards out from my back porch at first light. Looking through the Leupold @ 6X, the deer had funky ears. Looking through the Swarovski @ 6X, the deer had 5-6" spikes sticking up directly behind his ears. Swap back to the Leupold, fuzzy ears. Back to the Swarovski, spikes behind the ears. "Seeing is believing." Sometimes you get what you pay for...

Trajectory is very similar. I am running the Barnes 110 grain TAC-TX out of a home built 8.5” suppressed upper with 1” accuracy at 100yd no prob. CMT billet lower and upper, Faxon 1-8” match barrel, SLR hand guard. I am getting 2175fps with factory loads right now, haven’t reloaded for it yet. I had a Maxim PDW collapsible stock on it with a JP Enterprise silent captured spring when it was setup as a fighter. I have switched all that to a simpler and more comfortable carbine setup (still with the JP SCS, love them).

This is setup for very specific deer hunts. Walking in at dark thirty thru fields where opportunities seem to always present, to woods stand gun where I want something light and with good field of view. Sure I have other rifles that will work just as well or even much better at certain things, but this is a rifle looney want not a need.

Very good point. As this is scratching a looney rifle itch, I am not restricting cost.

That is why I like the Zeiss victory so much, very good optically. Also you may have different results than me, however I gained the impression after a couple of deer that the 110 grain TAC-TX while very accurate seemed a bit hard for the BO velocities. I got out of the BO so never got a chance to try anything else.

Scopes don't gather light.

Your scope doesn't have a small switch that releases the ambient light collection Smurfs? My light collection Smurfs haul the light back to the scope in small wheelbarrows and dump it over the objective lens to be collected and focused properly.

You might but want to look at one of the higher end 1.5-6x40, 42, 44. I have four on coyote rigs, I like them a lot. They are quite popular in Europe. My Meopta and Burris 4X are nice, my old Sightron II is pretty decent.

If you are not cost constrained, the one additional tidbit I would offer is to consider a scope with an illuminated reticle. I am finding with my aging eyes that the "little red dot" is much easier and faster to pick up in low light conditions than a non-illuminated reticle. Hence I am considering liquidating both the VX6HD and Z6 to fund a Z8i 1-8x24. An 8x top end would get you close to the max magnification range you were referencing in the OP. Just a thought...

300bo? Jap Weaver K4 classic…

I came really close to putting a 2-7 rimfire scope I had laying around that had a drop reticle. I shoot some different grain subs in mine and figured it work. But at the end of the day I put a regular ol nikon buckmaster full duplex on it. Simple and more useful in the blind/stand.