Scope for Mountain Rifle

[MT_Wyatt]

Same here - Z3 has been nice on my kimber, fits the ultralight rifle approach well. I have it with a holdover reticle so range is limited, but on such a light rifle, it isn’t a long range rig anyways…….

 

[shurshot]

OP, are you looking for Plex, BDC, or MOA/mRad style reticle?

I prefer Plex

 

[35WhelenAI]

OP, maybe I missed something in this great thread, what chambering are you shooting?

 

[BjornF16]

Here’s your huckleberry…still a 40mm objective but probably better glass than your current setup. About same weight as a Z3 3-10 and rugged scope.

Trijicon AccuPoint® 3-9x40 Riflescope | Trijicon®

Standard Duplex Crosshair w/ Green Dot, Tritium / Fiber Optics Illuminated

www.trijicon.com

 

[DropTyne]

Question for the OP. How late are you hunting? What issues have you had with your scopes?

Back when I ran Leupold on my rigs, the VX3 3.5-10×40 would take me past legal light when I was hunting deep in the thick timber. It was certainly more than enough on a mountain. Legal light for me is 30 minutes after sunset.

It sounds like have seen deer running at the edge of shooting light and weren't able to find them. No scope, regardless of objective size or illumination is going to help you with that.

I am very selective when shooting at last light. More often times than not, the shot at last light is a great way to start a rodeo.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Question for the OP. How late are you hunting? What issues have you had with your scopes?

Back when I ran Leupold on my rigs, the VX3 3.5-10×40 would take me past legal light when I was hunting deep in the thick timber. It was certainly more than enough on a mountain. Legal light for me is 30 minutes after sunset.

It sounds like have seen deer running at the edge of shooting light and weren't able to find them. No scope, regardless of objective size or illumination is going to help you with that.

I am very selective when shooting at last light. More often times than not, the shot at last light is a great way to start a rodeo.

OP, have you been kept from taking a shot in the first or last 15 minutes of legal shooting light with the scopes mentioned in your opening post?

Going to a monster size objective on a good scope as has been shared in this thread can accomplish what you ask, however that size scope and mountain rifle are hard to reconcile. However, if that is a necessary part of the equation for your situation, you need to do what will work for you.

FWIW, the most recent scope I have put on a rifle is a Leupold VX3HD 3.5-10x40 and it did excellent in fading legal shooting light this year at 10x and 210 yards on a whitetail working its way across a hillside. Otherwise, my scopes are older 3-9x40 Leupolds. They have never kept me from a shot, however in my opinion the HD glass is better in the VX3HD line up compared to the older Leupolds, which only makes sense as thing evolve over time with respect to glass.

Hope you have a good call with Doug at Cameraland, looking forward to what you come up with.

Same basic thing I asked in post #13. His reply in post #34 below.

I have been kept from a shot but not often enough that I couldn’t make do with the scopes I have. Situation where the deer was chasing and I didn’t have time to use my binos. Probably more of “I didn’t have enough time” than “I didn’t have enough light”

I still use all of those scopes and really like them. Just thought about adding another one and getting something that might do a tad better.

You answered another question I had but didn’t ask, and that was about the quality of the glass in the newer VX3HD vs the older VX3’s.

I did call Doug at cameraland, but he was out. I talked to Neil, who was super helpful. We discussed several options. I think I am leaning toward the Swarovski Z3 line. They are light weight and may give me what I am after.

 

[shurshot]

OP, maybe I missed something in this great thread, what chambering are you shooting?

I have a .308, 7mm-08, .270, .280, and a .30-06, all Remington 700 Mountain Rifles. I haven’t decided which one will get the new scope. Leaning toward the .270.

 

[shurshot]

Question for the OP. How late are you hunting? What issues have you had with your scopes?

Back when I ran Leupold on my rigs, the VX3 3.5-10×40 would take me past legal light when I was hunting deep in the thick timber. It was certainly more than enough on a mountain. Legal light for me is 30 minutes after sunset.

It sounds like have seen deer running at the edge of shooting light and weren't able to find them. No scope, regardless of objective size or illumination is going to help you with that.

I am very selective when shooting at last light. More often times than not, the shot at last light is a great way to start a rodeo.

30 minutes past sunset. I have mountain rifles, but I don’t hunt in the mountains. I hunt in mostly wooded areas and the occasional field in the southeast. Lots of hills and hollows, but no mountains.

Admittedly, all of the scopes get the job done, even the $150 Nikon Prostaff. I really just want a new toy that will perform a little better.

 

[35WhelenAI]

OP, sounds like you are leaning to a .270 and the 300 yard-ish range. Whatever scope gives you the best glass, honestly w/o dial as a feature, for the $$ you spend makes the most sense to me.

You don't need to dial, sight in 2.5" high at 100 yds and you won't be higher than 3.5" all the way to a 300 yard zero and 2811 fps impact velocity with the 110 TTSX. Assuming 8000 ft elevation, since it's a mountain rifle. 400 yd drop is 7.7" with 2631 fps.

Or 3" high at 100 yds with the 129 gr LRX and you won't be higher than 3.9" on the way to a 300 yard zero with 2690 fps remaining. 400 yd drop is 8.5" and 2547 fps.

That is a dead anything with consistent penetration from varying shot angles, from experience.

As much as I like the 110 TTSX, the 129 LRX is the one I'd go with if starting again to develop a load.