Bushnell or Vortex 6-24 for Hunting up to 300 yds

Wallenstein

Wallenstein

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Location
Not the Fraser Valley
Any strong views on either a Bushnell or Vortex Scope with 6-24 for hunting shots up to 300 yards.

It would be mounted on a Savage in 30.06.

Or do you have a different Scope that you would recommend in this price range (500 - 800).
 
how about a 3x9 or 4x12. no need to packs pounds of scope to hunt game under 300 yards. you could find a nice luepold in your price range.
 
Wallenstein said:
Any strong views on either a Bushnell or Vortex Scope with 6-24 for hunting shots up to 300 yards.

It would be mounted on a Savage in 30.06.

Or do you have a different Scope that you would recommend in this price range (500 - 800).
Click to expand...

with 24 magnification you can see a 22LR hole on paper. For hunting as others rightly pointed out it's overkill.
X12 is good enough for 300 yards.
I personally prefer Vortex over Bushnell. I own both brands and found Bushnell just feels cheaper.
 
If you don't mind the weight it might be a scope you can dual purpose, but if strictly a hunting scope get a 3x12.as for vortex or bushnell I have had good luck with both.they both have outstanding warranty.
 
You would be significantly over-scoped for most shorter range scenarios with that kind of low end, do you have any particular visual acuity issues? I've been bitten too many times where I wished for less mag while . Gives you good field of view in hunting scenarios, which is something you don't consider until you actually need it. Given the 300 yard hunting requirement and seeming desire for a bit more magnification, maybe a Diamondback 4-12x40mm? It's a nice step up from the Crossfire II, and I really like the BDC reticle.
 
I will go past what other posters have put up - 3x or 4x have been fine for me to shoot a deer at 300 yards or less - you are needing to put a bullet through about a 12" target, - do not have to land that bullet on a particular hair of the animal. They do die, so long as you pass a bullet through their heart/lung area - is pretty much a sure thing. Maybe the higher powered and variable needed to produce "bragging" groups on a paper target, if you are not a good shooter or do not know how to match your target to scope reticle - is just not so about killing a deer!!!
 
Last edited:
This recommendation and then subsequently watching this video has me convinced:

https://youtu.be/XUSuCQo9VCY

Diamondback 4-12x40mm



mikeyb said:
You would be significantly over-scoped for most shorter range scenarios with that kind of low end, do you have any particular visual acuity issues? I've been bitten too many times where I wished for less mag while . Gives you good field of view in hunting scenarios, which is something you don't consider until you actually need it. Given the 300 yard hunting requirement and seeming desire for a bit more magnification, maybe a Diamondback 4-12x40mm? It's a nice step up from the Crossfire II, and I really like the BDC reticle.
Click to expand...
 
I use viper 4-16’s on a few of my hunting rifles that I take out if there’s a high probability of 200-300 yard shots but even then it’s never cranked up to 16x. I don’t mind the weight, especially on a light rifle like my xbolt speed. I don’t hike around either though..
 
So two points to answer here:
6-24x for hunting: That 6x minimum power is an issue at closer ranges. If you know you won't be hunting in ANY bush and ONLY open country, it will work. If you want higher power, try a 3-15 or 4-16 at most. 3.5-10 is definitely enough for 300 yds. To illustrate my point, would you be comfortable taking a 50 yard shot on big game with 1x magnification (open sights or red dot)? Because the sight picture through a 1x at 50 yds is the equivalent sight picture of a 6x scope at 300yds.

Your next questions was which brand holds zero best:
Any reputable scope manufacturer makes scopes that hold zero. If it comes from a blister pack in the cabinet at Walmart, I would not trust it. If its made by Vortex / Bushnell / Burris and costs over $300, I wouldn't worry about it.

My preference is to buy a reasonable power hunting scope in the 2x low end up to 12x high end used on the EE from a known brand with good warranty, such as Leupold. I am very fond of the 2-7x33, 1.5-5x20, fixed 4x33, 2.5-8x36, and 3.5-10x40 Leupolds.

Good luck in your search!
 
I've never understood the argument of having too much magnification. Talking about packing on pounds with more magnification? Not really. Better to have and not need than to need and not have. The ONLY problem if you want to call it that is that your 6X will hinder any shots at a very close range.
 
I buy optics to suit the hunts i plan to use the rifle for.
For me I have found the standard 3-9x40 to sufficient for most .30 calibers for most ranges game is typically shot at but that is here in BC where long range hunting is not the game most of the time.
I find that for a rifle such as my 7mm rem mag where I might even reach further but most likely not...... I think the 4-16 x 42 optic i have on it gives me some options the 3-9 does not.
This season it came in handy on a mulie I needed the full range of my scope to determine the deer had enough points to be legal. The shot came at 295 yards.
on my .303 , .308 and others of this class I rarely go beyond a quality 3x - 9x variable. On the .303 I actually prefer a prismatic 1x with etched reticle but i use it for close range hunting where shots come quick.
 
What are you hunting? I like a high power scope in the 20-25 X range for very limited applications such as watching a 300 yard gopher and waiting for him to lift his head out of the grass another 1/2" before taking it off. They are pretty good for picking the selected animals out of a herd and killing them at 600-1000 yards too. Does that describe what you want to do?

If; as I suspect you are just going general big game hunting out to 300, pick something thats in the 3-9ish power range and spend the money you saved by going up a level or two in quality. You'll be better off.
 
Exactly that^^^^^
Better buy better glass at a common magnification like 2-7, 2.5-8, 3-9 and learn to shoot than buying lots of magnification at a lower price…
Weight, bulk and price is what keep me away from big magnification scopes! I’m super happy with 1.5-5, 2-7, 2.5-8 never needed more on the type of hunting I do, never needed to shoot passed 200m!
 
Wallenstein said:
Any strong views on either a Bushnell or Vortex Scope ...

It would be mounted on a Savage in 30.06.

Or do you have a different Scope that you would recommend in this price range (500 - 800).
Click to expand...

He's just asking about brand preference guys, not features.

In that price range, I don't think there's a clear winner UNLESS you are the kind of guy who will make use of the Vortex's crazy good warranty.

Handle a couple and see - The feel and picture will be different, just choose based on your preference. I prefer the most neutral colour fidelity possible, and don't care much about feel.

I will add that you should budget for decent rings and bases and scope caps if you haven't already. And generally, you get what you pay for with off-the-shelf optics.
 
For big game hunting I think 1x zoom per 100ft of distance is a good giude line.
For small game I would go 2x zoom per 100ft

3-9x big game to 300yards
4-16x small game to 300yards

Only time I crank anything up to max power is at a bench or prone.
 
I wouldn't want a scope that only goes down to 6x for deer hunting. It will be an impairment at close range. I find 3-9x all I need for 300 yards. I also don't have time to fuss with parallax adjustments, which will really come into play with a 6-24x scope.
 
i don't think 6x is that big of an issue. packing a monster sized scope and fiddling with the ao for 200 or 300 yard shot is crazy. i often pack a 6x scope and have no issues with close or far although my idea of far is 200 yrds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom