If you could only have 3 Scopes. What and Why ?

bdb.hunting

bdb.hunting

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Alright so I’m all about switching things up. Probably way too much in some people’s opinions but it’s how I get by with very little space.

I have been running two scopes for quite some time on two rifles which turned to three and has now turned into four. (Got lucky with a few deals)

3 rifles are setup as switchbarrels and one is just a Rimfire.

Currently I have a 2-12 optic and I just traded a 4-20 for a 4.5-27. I’m thinking about picking up a 3rd as for the most part I will run a red dot on the 22lr for hunting or swap the 4.5-27 onto it for long range fun.

So if you could only own there rifle scope's, what would the magnifications be and why ? An feel free to explain why.

Example, I hunt for the most part with the 2-12. It’s light and allot of my hunting is in timber which opens up periodically to maybe 300 yards and I’m very comfortable at that range with that magnification. The 4.5-27 is for 100yard to 200 yard Rimfire fun and any longer range plinking I want to do with the centre fire rifles. The next scope I’m planning on getting is something in the middle say a 4-16 or 3-18 typ magnification range as it will suit my needs. I don’t compete in PRS and don’t need crazy magnification beyond what I have already. It would be nice to have something that could be a backup hunting optic but also be a backup long range plinking optic. (Which for the most part is under 1000 yards as that’s what I have access to.)

Feel free to include cartridges you shoot, mine are as follows:
6.5 PRC
6.5x55 Swede
308 Win x2
300 Win Mag
338 RCM
(Want to get a 204 ruger and a 223 Wylde Barrel going next followed by a 338 fed or 9.3x62. Also planning a 7mm barrel of some sort at some point.)
Had a 300wsm and 270wsm but sold them as I didn’t like pencil profiles.

Looking forward to everyone’s thoughts as I know they will be different. I also understand this idea would drive some people insane having to re zero an optic constantly. So if you want a scope for each rifle that’s fine too.

Cheers,
B

P.S. enjoy a nice optic photo while we are at it.

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1-8x LPVO for the black rifles and PCCs

3-15x for all my intermediate hunting rifles and kong range needs.

1-4x or similar for the big bores.
 
Leupold 1-4x20 for the boomers and the the brush
leupold 3-15x44 for general hunting and short to mid range work
March 8-80x56 for mid to long range target shooting

being forced to own only 3 scopes would suck, scopes are light screw drivers, only certain ones fit certain screws, they just mess up the others making them useless
 
Only 3 scopes implies only 3 scoped rifles. The obvious choices are a 6.5 Creedmoor with a big long-range scope (30x or so) and a .22LR with a less powerful scope, 8x or 15x, but with parallax that lets you dial down to 25m or so because you're not always taking 22 way out there. For a third? Probably I'd want something like my .223 with a long-range optic.

Battle rifles and levers are as always shot with iron sights.
 
I probably will not be helpful nor modern.

My heaviest rifles have Leupold M8-3x (on a 9.3x62) and a Leupold M8-2 1/2X (on a 458 Win Mag) - the 416 Rem Mag will get a Leupold M8-3x that I have here for it - pick either scope and it would do fine on the others.

300 H&H, 308 Norma Mag, 338 Win Mag all have Leupold M8-6x.

Brno No. 1, CZ 452's and various Ruger rimfires have Leupold - one is a fixed 4X Rimfire Freedom; two others have 2-7 Rimfire Freedom - either scope would do fine on any of the rimfire rifles.

So, if for some unfathomable reason, I was limited to three scopes, I think I would do okay with the three fixed power Leupolds. It would mean giving up at least a dozen others that are installed and that I use or have used - Hensoldt, Pecar, Burris, SWFA, M8-12X, a few variable power, etc.

I would consider myself to be mostly hunter - shooting at targets from bench with sandbags is mostly for getting scopes "sighted in" - I have never shot in any "formal" or "organized" competition for a score.
 
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My favorites
Leupold M8-2x handgun scope
Leupold Mod AR 1.5-4 green dot
Leupold vx 6 HD for long range.

My VXR scout scope and stainless/ laminated GSR combo deserves mention as it would be my top one gun choice.
I'm not really a leupold fan boy, it just played out that way.
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1-4 Leupold or Nikon African short range guns
2-7 Leupold/Redfield for hunting rifles
2.5-16x42 Bushnell Elite/Tactical (my ideal mag range) for long range pursuits
 
I’ve got various Leupolds in various zoom ranges and price points (1.5-4, 1.75-6, 3-9, 3.6-18) but the last couple rifles got VX5HD 3-15x44. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s about the perfect scope for my use. It’ll do close range, long range, it’s not too heavy or large, glass is great. Kind of a boring answer but if I could only have 3 scopes it would be 3 of those.
 
yodave said:
Leupold 1-4x20 for the boomers and the the brush
leupold 3-15x44 for general hunting and short to mid range work
March 8-80x56 for mid to long range target shooting

being forced to own only 3 scopes would suck, scopes are light screw drivers, only certain ones fit certain screws, they just mess up the others making them useless
Click to expand...

That is a great quote! I will agree having the proper scope for the job is important! That’s my issue is switching barrels can switch the roll so having 3-4 different types of scopes would give me that ability until I can have more space for rifles and money for optics.

B
 
Everyone has some great input for different uses! I like it. I think I’ll end with more then three but for now I’m on the hunt for another mid range optic for hunting. I like the look of the mid range Leupold but hate SFP. (I’ve gotten into doing the math for ranging targets with a mil reticle which is hard with SFP optics)

I wish more scopes offered capped windage and lower profile elevation turrets.

Also I want to get a fixed power or lower power instead of a red dot for the 22.

B
 
bdb.hunting said:
Everyone has some great input for different uses! I like it. I think I’ll end with more then three but for now I’m on the hunt for another mid range optic for hunting. I like the look of the mid range Leupold but hate SFP. (I’ve gotten into doing the math for ranging targets with a mil reticle which is hard with SFP optics)

I wish more scopes offered capped windage and lower profile elevation turrets.

Also I want to get a fixed power or lower power instead of a red dot for the 22.

B
Click to expand...

Mark 5HD 3.6-18 is FFP and comes in mil. Spendy though
 
In years gone by I would have said:
VX-3 1.5-5x20 duplex; and
VX-3 2.5-8x36 B&C; and
VX-3 3.5-10x40 B&C.

Today, I would be leaning more towards:
VX-R 2-7x33 Firedot; and
VX-6HD 2-10x42 Illuminated B&C; and
VX-5HD 3-15x44 B&C.

Thankfully I do not to restrict myself to 3 scopes! And have all of the above, plus Vx-4 4.5-14x40 B&C, and a few others such as 1.5-6x42's by S&B and Kahles, 3-9x42 TDS by Kahles, and 3-9x40 by Trijicon w/ green dot, for centerfires.
For rimfires, I have Leupold rimfire scopes in 2-7x33 and 4-12x40, and a Burris veracity 3-15x50 Ballistic E1 FFP.
 
leupold ultralight 3-9 for hunting on a 308. I think that should cover you to all reasonable shot distances.
5-25x for rimfire
ultralight 2-7 for muzzle loader
a little blob of brass for shotgun
 
I’m down to two rifle scopes after thinning the herd.
S&B PMII 3-12X50 (target).
Leica Amplus 3-18X44 (hunt/target).
I use both out just past 1000m, great glass & tracking.
 
I'll be rifle scope brand agnostic but list traits I look for in 3 types of Scopes:

All MOA and all SFP. Prefer scopes that are x3 x4 and maybe x5 zoom factors. x6 means more lenses and more light loss resulting in increased weight and cost to make a decently bright x6 factor scope.

Up close and personal or with a big boomer rifle- 1-4x24 lpvo - light weight, 30mm tube, German #4 or Duplex Reticle, illumination optional

Hunting in Southern Ontario where you are lucky to have a shot farther than 50 yards - 2-7x32 or 2-10X40 1" or 30mm, tube light weight, german #4 duplex or moa bdc reticle, illumination optional

Long Range and .22LR tiny targets - 4.5-14x42 or 4-16x50 1" or 30mm tube, sidefocus, moa hash reticle, exposed top turret or capped with decently audible and tactile clicks. Solid tracking. Illumination optional

I'm old fashioned I guess, I like things simple and light weight.

Cheers
 
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Hmmmm I’m really happy with fix 4’s, 1.5-5 or 1.5-6, I like 2-7 quite a bit so one of each should keep me happy!!
 
Rather than specific scopes, I'm going to give three categories. I literally have about 30 rifles.

LPVO: bottom magnification starts with 1.__, top magnification of 4 or 5. Really suitable for close range boomers and probably 80% of hunting. My prime example, Nikon monarch 3 1-4 african

MPVO: medium power. Something like a 3-9x40 up to say 4.5 -14. The most competitive optic segment. Generic "all around", were value intersects quality.

High power target: imo any bottom magnification higher than 4-4.5x gets tricky for hunting. Perhaps long range Prairre dogs, but really for target. Seems like these are the scopes the op favors. Certainly not a target guy, more a hunter. Ranges like the generic 6-24, 4-27....etc. Features like, ffp, adjustable parallax, 30-34mm tube......etc..etc
 
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