Help with scope questions. SHV & VX5

[WiscoHoundsman]

I am looking to upgrade the scope on my Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 7mm Rem Mag. Currently the i have a 4x12x44 cabelas pine ridge scope on it. Having looked through some newer scopes at stores and on family members rifles I am looking to upgrade for glass quality, reliability and possibly dialing for longer ranges. I had only been taking 100-150 yard shots here in wisconsin for deer but am starting to elk hunt and looking for something i can take out to 4-600 yards. I know I don’t need to dial up to 300 but past that there is enough drop that I would prefer not to hold over. I also am looking to keep the gun under 10 lbs if possible. The bare gun weighs 7 LB 10 oz.

I have 3 scopes i have been debating between and reading about. I know they all will be a major step up from my current scope.
Nightforce SHV F1 4-14x50mm (30 oz & $1300)
Nightforce SHV 4-14x56mm (26.9 oz & 1000)
Leupold VX5 3x15x44mm (19.2 oz & 1000)

The nightforce scopes have illumination. How does this typically work on a scope like this? and what are the benefits of it?
The nightforce scopes are first and second focal plane scopes. I understand how they work but how useful is the F1 retical on 4x? Will it be small and hard to see in hunting conditions?
The Leupold would have some weight savings and most of my hunting in wisconsin will never require shots past 200 yards so it would get use without dialing most of the time. This scope seems to check all the boxes except I have read about reliability concerns.

I have these three options as they are available at cabelas and i have a gift card as well as get 10% off+ 5% back in points + whatever active junky is offering at the time. I am open to other options in the 1000 ish range if i am skipping a potentially better optic that I am in aware of.
Currently leaning towards the Shv f1 as it has a 50mm objective vs the 56. I’m not looking for a huge scope on this gun and it falls in the middle.

Any thoughts would be appreciated, Thanks!

 

[SDHNTR]

You said reliable. Throw out the Leupold. Then decide whether you want SFP or FFP. Then get that Nightforce. This is an easy one. No need to overthink it.

 

[General RE LEE]

You said reliable. Throw out the Leupold. Then decide whether you want SFP or FFP. Then get that Nightforce. This is an easy one. No need to overthink it.

I shoot out to 1K at my gun club all the time with my VX5HDs. I’ve never had tracking issues. The glass, forgiving eye box and large FOV and excellent low light performance of the Leupold VX5HD makes it an excellent hunting scope. The SHV glass is not as good as the VX5HD glass. The VX5HD glass is slightly better than my Zeiss Conquest V4.

 

[MaraviaDave]

I shoot out to 1K at my gun club all the time with my VX5HDs. I’ve never had tracking issues.

What method did you use to determine that your scope doesn’t have tracking issues?

 

[SDHNTR]

I shoot out to 1K at my gun club all the time with my VX5HDs. I’ve never had tracking issues. The glass, forgiving eye box and large FOV and excellent low light performance of the Leupold VX5HD makes it an excellent hunting scope. The SHV glass is not as good as the VX5HD glass. The VX5HD glass is slightly better than my Zeiss Conquest V4.

Once you’ve spent over $300 glass is near meaningless. Holding zero is what matters.

 

[Xycod]

I would personally go Leupold, for the weight advantage, the glass advantage(mainly due to fov where the nightforce is like looking through a small tunnel, and the low light advantage, that’s just me though. The fov alone makes the shv a no go for me. If all your worried about is dialing or if dialing is your top priority you could get a bushnell or swfa and save yourself l some cash. If your set on a NF I’d definitely spend a little extra and get the nx8.

 

[slowelk]

Anecdotal evidence of shit working or not working is fine, that’s what this thread can get you. If you zoom out and took the time to review the endless forums out there on hunting and shooting, the Nightforce, especially the 4-14 f1, gives you the best option to have a reliable aiming device. Leupold glass is equivalent to a veil being pulled over your eyes so that you ignore that pile of evidence that they aren’t nearly as reliable as other options. Any glass in the $1k category isn’t going to prevent you from killing what you point your gun at.

 

[jofes]

If weight is a concern, I would jump down to the shv 10 power, durable, repeats zero, and 10 oz less.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I am leaning towards the Shv 4-14 f1. As mentioned the glass on any of the options I was considering will be noticeably better than the 150 scope I had. I plan on ordering one and seeing how I like the reticle and glass in low light and if it’s not meeting my expectations I can return it.

 

[bluumoon]

I have all SWFA scopes on my rifles, that being said a friend brought over the SHV 4-14 F1 this weekend and I loved it! Low mag and close range it had the larger big needle points (not sure what they are actually called) to center a shot quickly on a close range target, I was looking at targets 10 yards-50yards specifically for this reason. He also had a NXS 4-32 with him, to me that scope wouldn't be desirable for the type of big game hunting I do, but was good for long distance prairie dogs. We watched a doe at 475 yards with the scopes until we ran out of light, the SHV would work for me during shooting light. I also liked the illuminated center cross hairs way better on the SHV compared to the NXS, compared to my 5-20 SWFA (also 30 oz) the illumination was much more visible.

 

[General RE LEE]

Once you’ve spent over $300 glass is near meaningless. Holding zero is what matters.

You must not be a hunter that has had shot opportunities at the edges of legal light.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

You must not be a hunter that has had shot opportunities at the edges of legal light.

I could successfully use either of my vx5hd 20 minutes before legal light. I’ve not stuck around that long after but I’ve been pleased with the light capabilities

 

[amassi]

You must not be a hunter that has had shot opportunities at the edges of legal light.

Nonsense
The nightforce reccomeneded is every bit as capable at legal shooting light.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[SDHNTR]

You must not be a hunter that has had shot opportunities at the edges of legal light.

Hahaha, this is hilarious! You are dead wrong. Only a couple, few dozen big game animals every year for the last 25+ years. Probably into the triple digits "at the edges of legal light". I've been down this road pal. Sold all my many Swarovski scopes. Sold most of my Leupolds too. Why? Because I came to my wits and realized that once beyond "good enough" there are far more important qualities in a rifle scope than glass. No animal ever died because someone had Leupold glass over Nightforce.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

Any concern about the eye relief on the Shv f1 looks like it’s 3.1 in. If I go this route my total setup will be heavier but I don’t like scoping myself and it has happened before. I also noticed eurooptic.com has a nxs 3.5x 15 for 1400 but it has 3.9 in of eye relief.

 

[HCMike]

Any concern about the eye relief on the Shv f1 looks like it’s 3.1 in. If I go this route my total setup will be heavier but I don’t like scoping myself and it has happened before. I also noticed eurooptic.com has a nxs 3.5x 15 for 1400 but it has 3.9 in of eye relief.

Yes you should be concerned with eye relief of 3.1 inch. Makes eye to tube alignment very critical. Grab the NXS before it is gone.

 

[General RE LEE]

Nonsense
The nightforce reccomeneded is every bit as capable at legal shooting light.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

I was responding to an earlier poster that said any glass over $300 is not any better at taking game in low light.

 

[SDHNTR]

I was responding to an earlier poster that said any glass over $300 is not any better at taking game in low light.

If that’s what you got out of that, you totally missed my point.

 

[MaraviaDave]

I nEeD goOD GLass …. sO i cAn cLEaRLy seE hoW Bad i miSs …. uSing My sCoPE tHAT dOESNn’t hoLd a zer0 or TraCk coRRecTLY wHEn diaLinG.

 

[EdP]

Leupold bashing seems to be all the rage now.