Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Slug gun glass?

Just acquired an Ithaca Deerslayer rifled slug gun with a KC 2.5 Weaver scope that is banged up a bit and of suspect-- recent -- origin.

I am looking for a rugged, reliably accurate, low power, scope with very good low light capability, plenty of eye relief, and quick target-acquisition-assisting crosshairs.

Candidates?

Thanks for any informed advice.
1B

I roll with a VXII 2-7x33 Heavy Duplex for drives and still hunting.

If I were doing mostly stand hunting w/ your criteria I think I would do either a VX3 2.5-8x36 Hvy duplex or FX3 6x42 Hvy Duplex

VX2 2x7 or VX3 2.5x8 depending on budget
I've used the VXII 2x7 on all my slug guns since the late 80's and have never felt cheated

I have a 4x Leupold on mine and the only thing I would change is for it to have the heavy duplex vs. the regular duplex. IMO, it meets all the criteria you are looking for.

I have a 210F, Blued Synthetic 220 and now a Stainless Camo 220. 210F and Blued 220 have 3-9X40 Conquests, the new Stainless is getting a VX-2 in 3-9X40 Silver.

I have had nothing negative to say about the Conquests. They have worked flawlessly. I have done some experimental reloading for the 12 gauge (210F)and I'm sure it has more than 600 round through it with no issues.

210 and 220 are in Talley Lightweights, new Stainless is going in Lightweights too.

I have a rifleman on mine and it has held up well.

I had a Nikon pro staff 2 x 7 on a H & R slugger in 12ga.
No problems whatsoever.

My slug gun wears a Leupold VX-R 2-7x33 #4 illuminated dot (firedot). Works great especially in low light. The 30mm tube seems to allow more light through as well.

I am looking for a rugged, reliably accurate, low power, scope with very good low light capability, plenty of eye relief, and quick target-acquisition-assisting crosshairs.

Put a 2.5x 20mm Leupold with Leupold Duplex reticle on my 12 ga. smoothbore 870 slug gun in 1989.... Put a fully rifled barrel on it in 2001 or so and was gonna get more scope because I now had more "reach" with the rifled barrel and sabot slugs. Long story short... That 2.5x Leupold is still on there because it still works fine even out past 100 yards. Good field of view cause of the low power; good in low light; great eye relief; and that duplex reticle works fine for me. Over the years I've become convinced that even on a rifled barrel slug gun a good quality 2.5x is just fine for that application and I have no desire for more than 2.5x on that type of gun. Mine's just as good at 100 yds. as slug guns with 4x or more, and I get a wider field of view. Plus, that little fixed power Leupold is tough as nails. Over the last almost 25 years now that gun's taken some hard knocks here and there and the only time its ever had to be re-zeroed was when the gun went from smoothbore to a rifled barrel.

I have a 2.5 on my Ithaca 37 Deerslayer and I've never wanted more. 4x would be the max I would consider.

If you just have to have a variable, consider a 1-4 or 2-7.

I have a Leupold VX3 2.5x8x36 on my Remington 11-87, a lot of guys here in New Jersey use the Nikon Omega Slug Hunter with good results.

I picked up a Bushnell Elite 4200 1.5-6x36 with a heavy duplex. I never adjust it above 3 but certainly could if needed.

Thanks for the input.

The solution was near at hand. So near I never moved from the puter behind which I have five or six good scopes from guns I have sold. A forgotten Leupold 2.5 Compact lurked there. It is now mounted on the Deerslayer.

Now to the range.

1B

Leupold 1-4x20 if you are going to spend a bit and the Bushnell Banner 1.75-4x32 if you are budget conscious. The Banner with the 6" eye relief was a pleasant surprise to me and now I have several installed on H&R 30-30 Toppers that I plan on giving to the grandkids. They have no difficulties in finding a complete sight picture with those Banners. Only the 1.75-4x32 has the 6" eye relief but they do list the 1-4x32 as 6" eye relief as well but as far as I know Bushnell will tell you it is a typo.

It would be my choice too...FXII 4X33