I think I need help with a scope for my wife

[MuleyFever]

I thought I had decided but I need some opinions. I want to get my wife shooting out to 400 yards this year in prep for her LE elk tag. Her 7mm-08 Howa came with a cheap scope that I want to upgrade. My decision has 2 main factors: weight and drop compensation. First, her rifle is in the 8lb range with the cheap 16oz scope so I dont want to go much heavier. Second, I am torn on how to best compensate for the distance. I need to consider holding over or dialing.

My concerns with the drop compensation are that dialing may make her uncomfortable so I would have to do it just adding to possible delays in the shot or some other issue. My other concern is holding over with a MIL/MOA reticle will confuse her or she uses the wrong hash mark.

I have a 3-15x SWFA but it is 24oz. One option that appears to really solve a lot of my perceived issues is the SIG BDX scope.

What are my other options considering weight and drop compensation I am not seeing?

 

[fightthenoise]

My wife’s rifle wears a 3-10 SHV. The turrets are capped so no accidents there. She won’t take a rushed shot so if there’s not time to remove the caps and dial, she wasn’t going to shoot anyway. Dialing to 400 is a piece of cake whether she does it or I do. The turrets track great. There’s never a doubt about zero. Weighs 21 oz or so. That’s as light as a reliable scope gets, especially if dialing is involved.

We decided on dialing because centering up point of aim and point of impact in the middle of the crosshairs every single shot every time is just simple and more effective. The scope is the least of our worries and that’s the way we like it.

 

[Marble]

You don't need to dial with a 7-08 @ 400 yards. Zero at 300 with a 145 g Barnes long range and she can aim top of the back at 400. She'll drop right around 12".

She'll be 5" high at 150 yards.

If do zero at 250 she5ll drop around 16" at 400 yards.

We've been doing drops like this on elk for 30 years and would never dial at 400 yards.



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[Antares]

You don't need to dial with a 7-08 @ 400 yards. Zero at 300 with a 145 g Barnes long range and she can aim top of the back at 400. She'll drop right around 12".

She'll be 5" high at 150 yards.

If do zero at 250 she5ll drop around 16" at 400 yards.

We've been doing drops like this on elk for 30 years and would never dial at 400 yards.



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This would not be my preference. Five inches high is too much for my comfort. I also wouldn’t want someone without a lot of experience trying to use a holdover reticle at 400+ yards.

I think dialing is perfect for this scenario. You can range and dial for the shooter, let the shooter focus on making a good shot.

 

[Marble]

This would not be my preference. Five inches high is too much for my comfort. I also wouldn’t want someone without a lot of experience trying to use a holdover reticle at 400+ yards.

I think dialing is perfect for this scenario. You can range and dial for the shooter, let the shooter focus on making a good shot.

It's not my preference either. I do use the caliber and would do it confidentially if needed but there are better options.

I'm not sure how experienced the wife is at shooting, but for a beginner, i wouldn't be thrilled having her do 400 yard shot at an elk.


Shooting a target at 400 and shooting an animal is very different for a beginner. If she is somewhat new.

Before going out and buying a scope I would have her shoot and see how she does.

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[Bowman276]

Leupold VX-3HD or similar with a CDS made for her would make things easier.

 

[Formidilosus]

I thought I had decided but I need some opinions. I want to get my wife shooting out to 400 yards this year in prep for her LE elk tag. Her 7mm-08 Howa came with a cheap scope that I want to upgrade. My decision has 2 main factors: weight and drop compensation. First, her rifle is in the 8lb range with the cheap 16oz scope so I dont want to go much heavier. Second, I am torn on how to best compensate for the distance. I need to consider holding over or dialing.

My concerns with the drop compensation are that dialing may make her uncomfortable so I would have to do it just adding to possible delays in the shot or some other issue. My other concern is holding over with a MIL/MOA reticle will confuse her or she uses the wrong hash mark.

I have a 3-15x SWFA but it is 24oz. One option that appears to really solve a lot of my perceived issues is the SIG BDX scope.

What are my other options considering weight and drop compensation I am not seeing?

Im not trying to be rude here, but I’m having a bit of confusion as to someone going elk hunting, but unable to spin a dial? Why not get a legit scope, and teach her how to use it? Done correctly, you could teach your wife to use a turret competently in less then two minutes.
A SWFA 6x with Milquad reticle and a drop chart is literally the simplest and easiest thing to shoot any distance past 200, near bomb proof, plenty of X’s for distance and low enough lower for close range.

 

[Firehawk]

Leupold VX3 3-10x42 or similar with CDS. Zero for 200 yards and either use a dope chart laminated and taped to the buttstock, or have the custom CDS turret built for that load combination. Works terrific.

My son killed his cow at 360 with a 140 Accubond with a Burris Fullfield with a BP reticle. Worked great. But he also missed a really nice deer earlier that year when he hadn't dialed that same scope to the highest magnification and shot high. He still blames me for it.

My LE elk tag rifle this year will wear my VX3 with a custom turret for my .325WSM load. Has worked perfectly beyond 500 yards so far on cow elk and lots of targets.

 

[NDGuy]

Im not trying to be rude here, but I’m having a bit of confusion as to someone going elk hunting, but unable to spin a dial? Why not get a legit scope, and teach her how to use it? Done correctly, you could teach your wife to use a turret competently in less then two minutes.
A SWFA 6x with Milquad reticle and a drop chart is literally the simplest and easiest thing to shoot any distance past 200, near bomb proof, plenty of X’s for distance and low enough lower for close range.

I think for the dialing scope posts we should have an auto bot stick post

Nightforce SHV
SWFA SS
Bushnell LRHS

 

[MuleyFever]

Im not trying to be rude here, but I’m having a bit of confusion as to someone going elk hunting, but unable to spin a dial? Why not get a legit scope, and teach her how to use it? Done correctly, you could teach your wife to use a turret competently in less then two minutes.
A SWFA 6x with Milquad reticle and a drop chart is literally the simplest and easiest thing to shoot any distance past 200, near bomb proof, plenty of X’s for distance and low enough lower for close range.

I agree the correct action is to teach her how to use the SWFA or NXS I have. In my mind I just want to make it as easy as possible for her. I agree the road to the most accurate system is just dialing the yardage. I ordered a zero stop shim kit for the SWFA. Probably going to go that route.

 

[Formidilosus]

I agree the correct action is to teach her how to use the SWFA or NXS I have. In my mind I just want to make it as easy as possible for her. I agree the road to the most accurate system is just dialing the yardage. I ordered a zero stop shim kit for the SWFA. Probably going to go that route.

Not knowing you or your wife, I will say I get to see a lot of youg, new, children, or women shooters and hunters learning. “Making it as easy as possible” is not conducive to long term enjoyment for them.
Get them involved in the entire process- from scouting, to working out, to setting up the rifle and bullet, zeroing, to actually practicing shooting. Make it fun and a game, not some boring bench nonsense.

Forget the variable scope. Been here lots of times, the SWFA fixed 6x and a bunch of real practice is the easiest, fastest and most enjoyable way to get her ready.

 

[JRMiller]

You don't need to dial with a 7-08 @ 400 yards. Zero at 300 with a 145 g Barnes long range and she can aim top of the back at 400. She'll drop right around 12".

She'll be 5" high at 150 yards.

If do zero at 250 she5ll drop around 16" at 400 yards.

We've been doing drops like this on elk for 30 years and would never dial at 400 yards.



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This^
Know your ballistics and you’ll know your drop. Zero at 250-300 yards and you’ll be good to 400 no dialing needed.
Dialing just adds another possibility of error that the animal deserves better than

 

[fightthenoise]

This^
Know your ballistics and you’ll know your drop. Zero at 250-300 yards and you’ll be good to 400 no dialing needed.
Dialing just adds another possibility of error that the animal deserves better than

It’s funny how two people can read the same thing and come to opposite conclusions. To me dialing is more precise. Precision instruments have dials for a reason.

Going off of drops and holds in my experience is more prone to error. If we’re being objective about what has the most propensity for error, dialing wins every time. You can even have two clicks worth of error on the turret (1/2 MOA or 2” at 400 yards) and you’re still going to kill that animal.

The shooter never has to adjust their sight picture. Center crosshair is POA/POI, no wondering what hash am I on, what magnification am I on, what focal plane is this scope.

Guys we’re talking at most 6 minutes worth of turret adjustment at the most, and always in one direction. They’re women, not mentally handicapped. Give them some credit.

 

[Antares]

This^
Know your ballistics and you’ll know your drop. Zero at 250-300 yards and you’ll be good to 400 no dialing needed.
Dialing just adds another possibility of error that the animal deserves better than

I don't understand this at all. You're worried about the error that dialing could "possibly" introduce, but you're accepting a 5" deviation between POA and POI at 150 yards? A whole lot of shots happen around the 150 yard mark. Help me understand that.

 

[JRMiller]

I don't understand this at all. You're worried about the error that dialing could "possibly" introduce, but you're accepting a 5" deviation between POA and POI at 150 yards? A whole lot of shots happen around the 150 yard mark. Help me understand that

The kill zone of an elk is generally regarded as being 14-18”.
5” would be more than enough
Is my math that bad, maybe it is, i did fail algebra once

 

[Marble]

The kill zone of an elk is generally regarded as being 14-18”.
5” would be more than enough
Is my math that bad, maybe it is, i did fail algebra once

No its not. It's right on.

IME, putting a new hunter (I assume) into a dialing gun will take a lot of time and practice. I know I know...it seems super easy. And it is. But us hunters understand it.

I've done this with two daughters and my wife and they all have to learn every year how to do it. They are all super smart skilled hunters, but they get lost in the mechanics. They just don't see it like we do which is frustrating.

If the OP is going to be there the entire time than that might change my mind.

I like using a hold over out to 400 for the 7-08. Its easy.



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[Antares]

I don't think your math is wrong. I'm just having a hard time thinking that a rifle shooting 5" high is a solution to anything, seems more like a problem to me; I could get on board with 2" high maybe, max.

Using your example, lets say we have a small elk with a 14" vital circle. You're out of the vitals if the shot breaks more than 2" high...that doesn't seem great.

 

[fightthenoise]

I can say that after teaching my wife to dial (and by teaching her I mean she knows to put the thing at the number I tell her), if I asked her to just hold over a certain amount or that the bullet is gonna hit “somewhere close” because of how it’s zeroed that would not fly with her. She knows that dialing puts that bullet where she wants it and the rest is up to her. It took one lesson for her to learn that dialing is objectively the most precise way to go about dealing with gravity. She likes an annual refresher, but she trusts it and feels confident about it, and I couldn’t talk her into using other more…approximate methods.

 

[Mdk_archer88]

 

[JRMiller]

I don't think your math is wrong. I'm just having a hard time thinking that a rifle shooting 5" high is a solution to anything, seems more like a problem to me; I could get on board with 2" high maybe, max.

Using your example, lets say we have a small elk with a 14" vital circle. You're out of the vitals if the shot breaks more than 2" high...that doesn't seem great

Two things
1) If you shoot 2" high, being 5" high to begin with, your 7" from bulls eye, that's still 7" less than the max of 14"
2) Note that he said elk, and I was referring to elk. These numbers would be different for something smaller like a calf, or deer/antelope etc.. In that case the zero should be closer, say 200 yards

Guys, nothing wrong with dialing. I'm not judging.
I have been dialing in long range shooting for many years. Primarily with SWFA
Long range shooting, not hunting, but thats my preference.
My wife and daughter know how to dial as well, but they don't for hunting, and they understood why, on their own