I'm looking at a new Ruger No. 1A in .30-06. Trying to figure out what to scope it with. The rifle will be a general hunting rifle mostly for mule deer. Since the rifle has open sights, I'll be using Warne quick detatch rings and retain the irons for backup.

With it being a relatively light profile short rifle, I want to keep the scope size reasonable. I'm thinking of a Nikon Monarch in 2.5-10x42. I thought about the Leupold Vari X3 in 2.5-8x, but I'm worried that the shortness of the scope may be a PITA to mount and get the proper eye relief on a No. 1. Thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance.

My choice, Swarovski 3-9x36 Z3

If you want to spend less Vortex 2-7x32 Viper

You might also consider the Leupold European 3-9.
I have one on my M 70 06' in Talley lightweight mounts with the German #4 reticle. Great scope from dawn to dusk.
IME, I would stay away from QD mounts as the always loosen up when they should not.

http://swfa.com/Leupold-3-9x40-European-30mm-Riflescope-P3552.aspx

I have a Leupold 3x on mine and it works great, but have thought about a 6x but sure dont want to change how it handles.

I have successfully used on #1s:

Currently 4x Conquest K1A 6.5x55
M8 6x36 1B 270, 25-06
2.5-8x36 1A 243
6x42's 6.5x55
6x36 Swar 1RSI

All above had sufficient eye relief, though if you may shoot from an awkward position, as I did shoot from my elbows/knees while sitting on the ground (long heavy 1B 270 w/6x36), you may have to force yourself to crawl the stock for ER, but I did get that deer When shooting from a bench or standing, ER was fine but a reverse extension ring via Ruger can help.

Right now I am REAL happy w/my 4x Zeiss and would look at either a Leupold FX 4x or 6x if you don't mind fixed. Very good optics in all and simple.

I rather focus time on making my shot, not fiddling w/power rings but that's just me. A 3x as above or 4x is plenty power for 95-100% of my deer hunting needs, as one only needs to make a shot on a deer, not a bullseye. Generous ER and FOV only make you faster to get a good sight pic, and the modest magnification will shrink wobbles we all have, so you can focus on the SQUEEZE to make the kill.

Good luck.

I have a S & B 1.5-6x42 sitting in the safe waiting for a #1 in 30-06 for it to sit on. I just think that's about as close to a perfect setup for deer hunting as a man is entitled to.

Presently I've got a VXII 3-9 on mine in Leupold Low mounts. I don't think it looks like the two go together all that well and the next time it's out of the safe I intend to put a VXII 2-7 on it that I've had set aside for it.

I would opt for a 3X Leupold also, or even a 1x4 Leupold...I cannot understand the need for high power, huge, ugly scopes on such a trim light rifle...

I can clearly see a deer or elk at 1000 yards with a 2X or 3X scope just fine..The object is to put the X on the shoulder and squeeeeeze the trigger, not count the ticks, and in fact the lower powers at long range create a modicum of concentration and ease of aim in that you don't have to contend with cross hairs bouncing around and those cross hairs magnified by 10 or 12..

Bigger is better is the political correctness of scopes with todays hunters, it tells me that in our busy world and need to beat the bushes and make a liveing, school our children, we have been at the mercy of the written word and a sorely lacking in field experience, too bad but inevitable in todays society I suppose. Then to it took me 65 years to figure all this out, probably because we had no computers, no phones, no television, and the radio only worked at night..We were at the Mercy of Jack O'Connor, Elmer Keith, and those other hanger ons.

The problem with scoping a #1 is the rear ring is too far forward for proper eye relief with many scopes. Older style long tube fixed power scopes usually have enough "ring room" to get far enough back. The modern compact variables just don't have enough length in many cases, especially with when the power ring is turned up all the way.

Many custom smiths replace the factory rib mounts with new ones where the rear ring is cantilevered over the receiver ring to get around the problem.

RAN

Ran is spot on, the general consensus here at the fire seems to be:

1. Leupold 2x7 VX-I or VX-II
2. Older Leupold 4x M8 which is about 11 3/4" long (not the newer M8s or FX-II)
3. Leupold 1.5x5
4. Leupold 6x36
5. Leupold 3x

There are certainly others which could work, but those are often recommended by several different members here.

Unfortunately peoples eyes and physiques vary and what works for one person may not work for others. I tried 4 of the 5 on that list and none quite suited. The 2x7 was OK up to about 5 power and I could live with it; all of the others required me to crawl the stock too much. I wound up with an El Paso Weaver 6x and am quite happy.



Or you can use the offset rings like the bottom rifle.

Leupold VX-II 1-4x20 in low Ruger rings. Why spoil the looks/handling of a compact size rifle with an over-size looking scope?

Cal74, I endorse that! Miles, you have nice glass! Peered thru one at the 09 Shot Show, very nice.

Clarkfork, that is a good looking rig, nice wood too.

If Leupold comes out w/a reasonably priced replacement 3x in the FX series, I may swap out my 4x Conquest, but I have to tell you that is some nice glass my rifle has on it right now. Like Ray, I don't like over powering glass for hunting rifles, and balance/handling is important, very for a field gun.

Clarkfork,

Good looking rifle and scope combination. That's got me seriously reconsidering going with one of the lower powered Leupolds.

Thanks.

Here's one of my RSI's with a Leupold VX-II 2-7 in low Ruger rings. None of mine are scoped with anything bigger than this.

Well for a number of years I shot a Ruger 1 A in 7 x57. I just put a fixed 4x Leupold on it. It worked well enough. I never shot it much other that what it took to zero in with some Remington 175 gr RN Loads, yea this was about 32 years ago. Killed white tails with it in CT for four seasons. For some odd reason a neighbor needed a rifle for a hunt, and borrowed it. He still has it as far as I know. One of those things.

Dang, you are fonder of your neighbor than I am of mine.

No, its just something I forgot about, heck one of my child hood friends borrowed my canoe, I had a 16 footer and well, I went to school in Az then flight school, then when I got back to CT for a while 20 years later, well you know how those things are. I was never much of a boat fishing kind of guy so it didn't bother me to much. I have another friend who needed to take care of some deer in his garden, I lent him a much worked over Winchester M-70 with a Scheinder barrel in 243. It has a 6.x 42 mm S+B on it and well its been about 12 years or so. He wondered once why he can see so well to shoot, dam near had a heart attack when I told him what the scope costs. Have more in the sight that the rifle barrel and CPR bill to put it together for me. Shoots great with 95 gr Nosler Partitions, gave him a couple of boxes I had loaded up. I fig. I will get it back when he runs out of ammo, two 50 round boxes. Any year now.

1A re-barreled in 257 Roberts VXII 2x7x3 in Burris Low rings *Perfect*

#1As are nice rifles.
Mine is a 7X57 and I put a 2X7 leupold in Ruger low bases.
It works fine up to about 6 power, then I want to start creeping up a little.
If you ar planning to buy after market rings for it, you might as well get an offset.
But the 1.75X6 Leupold is just a smigen longer in the tube, and would be a great scope for your rifle...tj3006

My favorite No.1 glass is the Leupold 3x, and the Zeiss 4x Conquest. Also, thanks to friend Grasshoppers advice to try medium and even high rings, to keep the chamber easy to access. I'm now sold on the idea, as it makes reloads much quiker/easier, and the head position is just fine for me.

Jeff

I will second what many have already said. You will need a scope with plenty of eye relief for a 1A. I have bought and sold half a dozen of these rifles in 7x57 and 30-06. I can't resist the good looks of the rifle, but am always disappointed in the scoping options. I would love to use a compact 2-7X or similar scope, but can only get enough eye relief at 2 to about 4X. Any higher and I have to do so serious stock crawling. I despise stock crawling in what should be quick handling rifle. I have used the longer tubed older Leupold and Weaver 4X scopes with some satisfaction, but want to eat my cake and have it too I guess.