I Need a Scope--Explain it to me like I'm 5.

[DAD]

I hunt the eastern U.S. and grew up using whatever scope was on sale at Walmart. Cheap scope and rings on the gun. Sighted it in at 100 yards and killed many whitetail over the years.

For the past 10 years I have pretty much exclusively used a bow and crossbow.

The world of optics/scopes is absolutely overwhelming. I look up previous posts and I get so lost that I just stopped looking for a scope.

I have a Tikka 300 WM that desperately needs a great scope. I will be using a suppressor on the rifle as well.

I feel like I have gravitated towards a NightForce, but still open to anything.

From what I have gathered, I do want something with turrets and Zero Stop.

This weapon will hopefully be used on western hunts.

Guidance is greatly appreciated!

 

[nuffgun]

Go to the long range hunting sub forum on this site. Look at forms drop tests on riflescopes and pick one off the list that passed his test. The short of it is pretty much any night force, any SWFA, trijicons, or the maven rs1.2 specifically. Use good rings like sports match or UM tikka rings and use paint pen as a thread locker and torque to forms specs. And just like that, you have a solid hunting setup.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

Get a vortex.

Perfect for a 5yr old.

 

[nobody]

Nightforce
Trijicon Tenmile/Credo
SWFA Gen2
Maven RS1.2

Epoxy a picatinny rail to the top of your rifle and install the scope in some nightforce ultralight rings, or mount the scope using UM direct mount rings.

Trade the 300 WM tikka for something with manageable levels of recoil that you can afford to put 1k rounds down range every year (308, 6.5 creed, 243).

Badda bing badda boom

 

[Lelder]

i really like leupold for western rifles where weight is a concern

 

[Marbles]

For 5 year old simple.

Maven RS1.2 with Mil reticle and UM Tikka rings.

Simple mount. Good reticle. Zero stop. Durable.



Only the Maven RS1.2, the rest of Maven's line up might not check the durable box.

I agree with a smaller cartridge, but do what makes you happy. A 300 win mag and a Leupold make a lot of people happy, but might leave you sad in the end.

Edit:
On the RS1.2, the mil reticle is better than the MOA. While I feel MRAD is a better system, that is not why I say the mil reticle. SWFA 3-9 is a great scope, I like the RS1.2 a little better and the SWFA doesn't come with a zero stop (but one can be fabricated easy enough).

Also: I only hunt the state I live in and don't travel, perhaps those south eastern states like MT, ID, WY need bigger guns than my home state.

 

[chanson_roland]

Nightforce
Trijicon Tenmile/Credo
SWFA Gen2
Maven RS1.2

Epoxy a picatinny rail to the top of your rifle and install the scope in some nightforce ultralight rings, or mount the scope using UM direct mount rings.

Trade the 300 WM tikka for something with manageable levels of recoil that you can afford to put 1k rounds down range every year (308, 6.5 creed, 243).

Badda bing badda boom

My man, you just eliminated 20% of the content on Rokslide.

So what do we all do now???

 

[RS_Non-Res]

As in the lists above ... "Holds Zero" is priority #1.
If you're going to dial for elevation get FFP - and then reticle visibility at lower magnification gets important.

If light weight is your highest priority, use iron sights. They'll be lighter and more reliable than a lightweight scope.

 

[Danny Hoey]

I hunt the eastern U.S. and grew up using whatever scope was on sale at Walmart. Cheap scope and rings on the gun. Sighted it in at 100 yards and killed many whitetail over the years.

For the past 10 years I have pretty much exclusively used a bow and crossbow.

The world of optics/scopes is absolutely overwhelming. I look up previous posts and I get so lost that I just stopped looking for a scope.

I have a Tikka 300 WM that desperately needs a great scope. I will be using a suppressor on the rifle as well.

I feel like I have gravitated towards a NightForce, but still open to anything.

From what I have gathered, I do want something with turrets and Zero Stop.

This weapon will hopefully be used on western hunts.

Guidance is greatly appreciated!

What do you want from your scope. A Bushnell 3x9 would be fine for 99% of hunters out there. If you are thinking something different, what is it? Do you want to kill something at 200 yards, 500 or 1000+?

 

[SloppyJ]

You've been provided the list of scopes. If your set on NF then the 4x32 NX8 or the NXS line would be great depending on zoom ratio, even the SHV would work. What I've found is that there isn't much peanalty for weight in their lineup compared across their lines and the 4x32 NX8 has become my favorite. I have a few of those and a 2.5x20. Mil C F1. If you need something cheaper, go with a used Maven RS1.2 or a Trijicon.

 

[intunegp]

What do you want from your scope. A Bushnell 3x9 would be fine for 99% of hunters out there. If you are thinking something different, what is it? Do you want to kill something at 200 yards, 500 or 1000+?

He wants the easy button for something with turrets and a zero stop that can be used on western hunts, where one could safely assume some dialing of the scope might be needed. He mentioned Nighforce so we can assume (within reason) that budget isn't a major concern, and said that he has been overwhelmed trying to research this subject on his own.

OP, your question has been thoroughly answered. Nightforce, Trijicon Credo or TenMile, SWFA, or Maven RS1.2 will all serve you well and function correctly...from those options, choose a budget and magnification range that suits you and you can sleep well knowing you got a quality aiming device. Mounts and rings get a little more subjective, but for your rifle it would be hard to go wrong with Unknown Munitions direct mount rings.

 

[Mike Islander]

1. SWFA.com
2. 3-9x42 SS HD
3. ADD TO CART
4. BUY

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I hunt the eastern U.S. and

<Snip>
I have a Tikka 300 WM

Would you mind letting us know your hat preference?

Its for science.


Just having some fun. I agree with MT-nuffgun.

 

[LongWayAround]

Bushnell LRHS should be on the list too.

I find the eye box on mine to be more forgiving than the Maven RS1.2 and the bold reticle might be nice for eastern hunting.

 

[AntelopeEater]

It would depend on how far you really want to try to harvest an animal...and how much you care about weight.

I personally so far have NOT found that scopes that cost more than $300 are really any better then entry level Leupolds or Vortex Diamondbacks that can be found on sale under $300.

And I don't think you need to dial, unless you are going to shoot really really far.

With a 300 WM if you zero at 200 yards aren't you good to shoot minute of deer up to 300 yards without any adjustments?

For 300 yards and in I love my Leupold 1.5x4x28mm scope, super light, super bright, super simple.

 

[SDHNTR]

I’d start with something other than the .300mag before getting to scope, but since you asked, buy a Nightforce of your choosing. Just avoid anything with high magnification (15x+) and SFP.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Bushnell LRHS should be on the list too.

I find the eye box on mine to be more forgiving than the Maven RS1.2 and the bold reticle might be nice for eastern hunting.

I like my LRTS scopes. One thing to be aware of, at least with the 3-12 LRTS is that the non-illuminated version has a finer cross hair than the illuminated one. Pros/cons to that but for hunting the reticle on the illuminated version is probably preferable.

Anyone know if that is true on the LRHS versions, that there is a difference?

 

[CRJR45]

OK , like a five year old . You are going to spend money on a scope . All scopes would work , but if you are going to spend the money , why not get a scope that has passed multiple test for holding zero or returning to zero ?
Form made a believer of me and many others .
Trijicon or Nightforce is the easy button . Good luck .

 

[jimh406]

Buy very good rings and base. Spend the rest on the scope.

 

[cowdisciple]

How deep down the rabbit hole would you like to go?

6.5 PRC would give you all the performance you need (and more) for half the recoil and less expensive ammo. I think that's a fairly mainstream opinion here. It also (check me on this) uses the same bolt face as the .300wm and so would be easy to have someone swap the barrel.

Either way you want to put a lot of rounds downrange if you intend to shoot at distance. That's expensive and painful with a magnum. Consider an identically configured .223 trainer if it's in the budget? (Also a great deer rifle inside about 450 yards and just damn fun to shoot).

Long story short you might want to step back and consider the whole use case before you fully commit to the .300wm.