Best "overall" hunting scope?

42MTD

42MTD

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Just looking for suggestions for a hunting scope that would best suit my dedicated hunting rifle,a Winchester Coyote Lite in 270 WSM. I am looking for a scope that I can use on a 30 yard deer shot in low light and a 400 yard coyote shot. Just curious on your experience with a similar set up. Thanks
 
I don't think you can go wrong with a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40 for that rifle. I find the Leupold scopes are about as durable as it gets and they are lighter than similar offerings from other manufacturers. That being said, a Zeiss Conquest is probably a little brighter and sharper but still not enough to make a difference in any hunting situation I've been in. A hunting scope needs to be a blend of all the characteristics that are required for hunting and the VX3 is just about perfect in my opinion.

Patrick
 
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Something with external turrets or a ballistic reticle for those ranges. I'd want a variable with at least 12x at the high end and more would be good. With quality glass, a 42-44mm objective should serve your needs.
 
The Leupold VX 3 in 3.5-10x40 or 4.5-14 with BC reticle is what I have mounted on my couple 270WSM's. Another to consider is the Leupold VX2 4-12x40 AO with LRD duplex....love this scope on my 243.

The Boone Crocket reticle works fantastic with the 270WSM and 140gr Accubonds.

Seen some good deals on Zeiss scopes ....might be an option to consider.
 
I like Leupold. Warranty is easy to deal with. Very fast to get any repairs done or a replacement..
 
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The new Leupold VX-6 2 - 12 power would have to be the best scope for hunting I have ever had.
Used a VX-3 3.5 - 10 x 40 for a number of years and thought it was great.
Mind you, the VX-6 is not bloodied yet.
It is on my .280 Remington, and I exceeded 3000 fps with the 140 Barnes TTSX.
Sighted in for 220 yards and got the CDS turret cut for ranges from 200 - 800 yards.
Set at 200 it was a tad low at 220 and at 300 it was 3/4 " left of dead on.
 
I have mostly Swaros now, but am still a fan of the VXII/VX2 3-9 x33 or x40, and the VXIII/VX3 3-10x40. Excellent, General purpose scopes with reasonable prices. Great warranty/guarantee/repair service, but I have yet to ever actually need to send one to Korth.

I still have a VXII on one of my favourite rifles despite my Handler's willingness to buy me another Swaro.
 
It is on my .280 Remington, and I exceeded 3000 fps with the 140 Barnes TTSX.
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I just started loading for .280. I pushed out to 3300 with a 140 before pressure shut me down. I backed off to a node at 3150. Thats out of a 22" barrel. If your interested in details shoot my a pm.
 
The purpose of the scope is to enable the shooter to see his target. But the magnification that might seem to be a gift from the gods at long range, can be a disaster at short. Large scopes, particularly those with 50mm+ objectives must be mounted high to allow the bell to clear the barrel, exposing the already delicate instrument to more potential damage. On some rifles this can place the comb low on your chin; so much for a repeatable cheek weld. The higher low end power can be an issue when attempting to find a close range animal in the narrow field of view, then there can be additional problems associated with an unexpected low point of impact when a round is fired at very close range. Of course none of us ever goes afield with a rifle they are unfamiliar with. IMHO, 3.5-10X40 with a 30 mm tube is as much as you want to put on a general purpose big game rifle.
 
Boomer said:
The purpose of the scope is to enable the shooter to see his target. But the magnification that might seem to be a gift from the gods at long range, can be a disaster at short. Large scopes, particularly those with 50mm+ objectives must be mounted high to allow the bell to clear the barrel, exposing the already delicate instrument to more potential damage. On some rifles this can place the comb low on your chin; so much for a repeatable cheek weld. The higher low end power can be an issue when attempting to find a close range animal in the narrow field of view, then there can be additional problems associated with an unexpected low point of impact when a round is fired at very close range. Of course none of us ever goes afield with a rifle they are unfamiliar with. IMHO, 3.5-10X40 with a 30 mm tube is as much as you want to put on a general purpose big game rifle.
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Why a 30mm tube? In specialized scopes they make sense but you need to be able to justify the additional weight and bulk.
 
I bought a Nikon Monarch III, 4-16x42. Regular $530, on sale for $395. Very good glass. Best I have.

All of the recommendations are going to be good.

What do you want to spend is what it comes down to.

there's a lot of really fine glass available today.
 
What's your price point? I've been using Bushnell Elites in 3-9x40, a damn good scope for the under $300 price tag. I'm looking at getting a slightly more upscale gun as my next hunting rifle though, I'd like to spend around $500 on the next scope. The Zeiss, Leupold and Vortex jobs are looking pretty good to me in that range. I like a 3-9 or 4-12 range on a hunting scope and a 40 or 42 mm objective. Anything larger brings the scope up too high on the rifle and I can see my crosshairs long after legal shooting light with a 40mm lens of decent quality.
 
sheephunter said:
Why a 30mm tube? In specialized scopes they make sense but you need to be able to justify the additional weight and bulk.
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I'm not recommending a 30mm tube, just saying that particular scope is as big as one should mount on a do it all hunting rifle, and some guys do seem to prefer them For the most part I agree that they add bulk and weight without benefit when we're talking about a hunting rifle's scope, although I do like the Nightforce 1-4X30 on my .458.
 
Leupold VX3, 1.75-6X is my favorite scope. 6X might be a little low for 400 yard shots on coyotes, but it's good for everything else, and the low range is great for most hunting situations; superb in low light.
 
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