I live in Utah and will be hunting for deer next year. I haven't been hunting for a few years and want to get back into it. When I was younger I used my fathers rifle. I don't remember much about the scope he had but am wondering what a good scope would be that wont break the bank.
Best Scope for Deer
- Thread starter PapaSteve
- Start date
unintentionalracist
Banned
It really depends on your rifle and what you are expecting out of a scope. You can ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers, but unless you actually test them, anybody's advice doesn't mean junk. Case in point: I use a mosin for small game hunting and sometimes for deer, and I've got a $60 AIM scout scope kit that anyone I talked to swore up and down was junk and wouldn't hold zero...and turns out that it holds zero up to 200m (which is really stretching it for a 7x scope) even after denting the front hood on a branch. On the advice from a friend, I bought my scope at Sportsman's Guide's website and they stand by their products, meaning, if you buy it and it doesn't perform the way it should, you can send it back for a full refund. I ended up sending back a telescoping stock for my Rem 870 because it increased the felt recoil and made follow up shots difficult, no questions other than what was wrong with it. (This is not a plug for their website, just relaying some info.)
The rule of thumb I use is I will only spend 1/4th the value of the rifle or less on optics. I had somebody at Gander trying to sell me a 300 dollar scope for my wifes 250 dollar 20 gauge Mossberg. After the salesman figured I was looking for the bargain basement he walked away. Typical Gander ahole IMHO.
maestromsv
New member
I know you are looking for rifle scope, if the rifle is tapped and you have the rings. Research your hunting area to determine if you need a 3x9 or 4x16 scope. Most scopes under $200 will suffice. Just my 2 cents!
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wolf_fire
New member
How far do you think you will be shooting? In my state, PA, we nearly never see a shot more than 100 yards due to the forestry around here. So any 3-9x by 40mm, is good enough.
I'm however of a different opinion then JimTh, I'd rather spend more on the optics then the rifle if I'm looking for a long range shooter. You can make an average rifle great with good optics.
I'm however of a different opinion then JimTh, I'd rather spend more on the optics then the rifle if I'm looking for a long range shooter. You can make an average rifle great with good optics.
jcreek
New member
That seems low to me but maybe I just prefer brand names and reputable quality. I usually buy a scope that costs as much as the rifle itself. I've tried the cheap Barskas, BSAs, etc. and they've all been garbage (In my experience at least.) The only BSA I've got to hold a zero was the one I put on my browning t-bolt .22. Never had a problem with a Leupold, Nightforce, or Zeiss though.
On a side note, I don't understand this statement. The USMC rifle qualification includes shooting out to 500m with iron sights, or at most now a 4x ACOG. How exactly is 200m a stretch for a 7x scope?
unintentionalracist
Banned
Because of the 4 rules of firearms safety. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. They apply more in the woods than on the battlefield, where collateral damage is unavoidable and to be expected. And many Marines fail to follow the 4 rules, what with all the flagging and NDs...just sayin. They do teach you jarheads firearms safety, right?
Warbirds
New member
Carlos Hathcock used a 10x scope to score a 2500 yard kill, he was a marine, I don't think anyone questioned if he knew your firearm rules, so I would think a 7x scope at more than 200 yards is just fine.
jcreek
New member
Seeing as how i'm firearms instructor in the Marines, ya I've heard a thing or two about firearms safety. And regrettably, I agree with you that way to many service personnel don't pay enough attention to it. But to say you need a high power optic to take game at 200m is absurd. I know several people that do it with iron sights, and I don't feel that this is " unsafe" at all.
unintentionalracist
Banned
I didn't say that you need a high power optic to take game at 200m. I'm just saying that when hunting, you need to be sure of your target and a 6 foot tall man is just a small orange blob, even at 7x and that you need to be more careful when hunting because at that range you need to know where your round lands. Last year I was eating lunch on opening day and a warden was telling a story about how a guy took a long shot at a moving deer and missed and it ended up going into a man's kitchen a mile or so away...that's my point. TABK.
Warbirds, they are not my firearms safety rules. They are everyone's to follow.
jcreek
New member
No offense, but if a 6 ft man is a "small orange blob" to you at 200m through a 7x scope, then I think your eyesight not the scope is the problem. The bullseye on the 200m qual target is 12in, and like I said, we use iron sights or at max, a 4x ACOG. Not difficult to see or hit it.
unintentionalracist
Banned
Cool story marine. Good for you and your qualification test. This is about hunting, not your beloved corps. Feel free to take long distance shots at a deer. To err is to be human...humans also have prisons for other humans who don't follow firearms safety rules and make stupid avoidable mistakes. I just hunted with a Marine today, active duty too no less...missed 4 times from under 30 yards in an open field. He qualified...and BTW he missed using a Bushmaster AR15.
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barleybear
New member
That's a lot of open country with potential for long shots. I would not sell yourself or your gun short by using too little magnification. I recently put a Barska 6-24x40 ($180) on one of my rifles and it has spoiled me for the 3x9's I have on my other guns. In many cases I may not need that much zoom but it is sure nice to have it when I want to reach out there a ways.
