Help Scope confusion with ??

[Leavenworth]

Hi Fellas

So when I bought my first rifle and scope about 20 years ago I knew very little about rifles and scopes, some basics but that was about it. I bought a Remington 700 in 30.06 with a Bushnell 3-9 x40 . But game I have taken was under 100 yards. But I want to be able to extend my yardage if need be to some different kind of of hunting. try and do some hike in's. Not crazy distances at first though .

Now I'm looking to buy a lighter weight rifle in either 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm08 I have three rifles in mind
Tikka T3x Lite SS . Remington Mountain Rifle . Winchester Extreme Weather. I have threads going on all three of these rifles .

There is a whole lot of options with scopes these days, a little baffling to be sure ! So I'm going to need to scope a new rifle . I'm plus 60 in age need glasses for reading. Would it be a good idea to go for a higher magnification at the higher end than 9 power ?

Then there's the whole thing about reticles ,my old scope is just the old thicker crosshairs and then finer right in the middle .What should I look for now. Should I bother with all the dew dads like illumination and yardage adjustments .etc etc. Please let me know your thoughts !
Thanks Very Much !
Leavenworth

 

[Potashminer]

I like simple. Since 1970's, I have taken many deer in Saskatchewan with fixed 4x and 6x, the most with a Leupold M8-6x on a 7x57 Ruger #1. I own several variables; hunted elk with a Leupold 2-7 on my 338 Win Mag, it stayed on "4" for the entire trip and I got a 5x6 bull (East Central Sask. near Hudson Bay). You should be able to cleanly take a standing deer at 300 yards with a 3, 4 or 6 power. If not, a higher magnification scope is not going to help... Almost all my hunting scopes have Duplex type reticles. I now have several Post type 3x and 4x that I will be using next.

 

[kc34]

Your 3-9 power scope has a good power range and really should cover reasonably well most hunting situations you are in. That being said if you want to pick up a new scope for your new rifle, why not?
Your going to put this scope on a lightweight hunting rifle so you certainly don't want to put a big heavy telescope on there as that will defeat the purpose. I would look at something around 3.5-10 or 3-12 power range. This will give you some extra power to see your quarry at distance and still give you a good low power range. You could go with even a larger power range as well but keep in mind these type of scopes become bigger and heavier.
In regards to reticles there is the tried and true standard duplex but a new design with subtensions can be very handy and give you the opportunity for more precise shots at long range. An example of this is the Leupold Boone & Crockett reticle but there are many others designs out there.
Illumination can also be nice if you like to hunt very early and late in the day as the light fades. The Leupold VX-R scopes have an adjustable red dot in them that is very nice to use.
In my mind for a hunting rifle scope you don't want the reticle too busy and some of the new designs now have a lot going on in them so keep it simple!
A scope with easily finger adjustable turrets is also an option and allows you to quickly dial in your scope for precise ranges if that is something you might use. For my hunting I find I tend to just use the reticle subtensions in the scope as it is easier and faster for me but to each their own.
Check out the scope manufacturers websites and see what is available and then go to your local store and look threw a few scopes until you find one you like.
Have fun!

 

[Dogleg]

Do you find yourself saying things like “Jez, I wish I had more magnification?” If not; I doubt that your needs are going to change over-night to require 15-20 X on the top end. Another factor is scopes of higher power require an adjustable objective to really get what they are capable out of them. For the long range enthusiast that enjoys playing with things thats great, for those that dont need it, its a PITA for no real benefit.

Designer reticles are a matter of preference. After years of using Duplexes, I see little value in buying more of them. One thing about the ballistic reticles is there is very little down-side. They make some decidedly ordinary hunting rifles into quite effective 500 yard tools. If you dont need it, it doesnt weight anything or cost much. If your needs change, its there.

Even if you stay in the same power range that doesnt mean that gains aren’t possible. A higher quality scope will give your aging eyes a boost. Its like binos; more magnification by itself doesnt help much, but quality glass will change your entire outlook even without higher power. Aging eyes can use all the help they can get.

 

[Leavenworth]

Thank you to Potashminer, Kc34 and Dogleg.

Dogleg when you say Ballistic Reticles are you speaking about B&C subtensions ? I gather Subtensions are those little marks near the reticle that say 200 ,300, 500 yards . I have not looked on the internet at those yet ,but will do some resarch. My guess is if you know the yardage of your target you put the line that corresponds to the yardage on your target ?
Leavenworth

 

[Dogleg]

Thank you to Potashminer, Kc34 and Dogleg.

Dogleg when you say Ballistic Reticles are you speaking about B&C subtensions ? I gather Subtensions are those little marks near the reticle that say 200 ,300, 500 yards . I have not looked on the internet at those yet ,but will do some resarch. My guess is if you know the yardage of your target you put the line that corresponds to the yardage on your target ?
Leavenworth

Yeah, that's basically it, though many of the performance calibers will support a 300 yard zero. Most are based on an approximately 2 MOA spacing. You can do a little tweaking with the zero and or power setting to blend the two curves together, something that a bit of time on the range will sort out quickly. I even use the B&C on my .458, something that I doubt they anticipated. On that one I sight in at 150 and progress at 50 yards at a time out to 300.

I'm sort of partial to the B&C, but also have more than a few Varminters. Swarovski has their own version, as do others.

 

[Potashminer]

You can do similar with standard Duplex. I had a Leupold 2-7. At 7 power, the points of the heavy part of the reticle were 9.5" apart at 100 yards. So, 4.75" below the cross hair. Worked out the drop for 140 Partition in my 7x57. Lower Duplex tip, at 7 power, was dead on at 360 yards (about - 16" from 200 yard zero) . Takes a bit of math, whole bunch of shooting to confirm, but you can use the Duplex as Bullet Drop Compensator, if you are inclined to do so... Of course, all different at different magnifications - make it as complicated (or as simple) as you wish to...