Hunting Rifle Scopes

[cidley69]

I've recently gotten my PAL, and am looking to get my first rifle and scope.

Looking for suggestions or thoughts on what brand/model/power ofscope, and what cool features there are these days.

Optics quality, around the $300 price range.

Waterproof and fogproof would be good. Not sure about much else...maybe built in range finder?

Anyone recently buy one, or have a good old reliable one they would recommend?

I've heard bushnell, nikon, and leopold are good brands.

Any opinions?

[SJW]

What rifle you puttin it on?

[Tomaz]

The brands you mentioned are pretty good, but trying to keep in the $300 range might be difficult unless you are looking for used.

What is your main purpose for this rife? Are you mostly target, or are you going to be hunting with this rifle?

What gun and caliber are you going to be shooting?

PS: Last i checked, there is a clearance sale going on at Wholesale Sports. I checked out the rifles, and there isn't really much there except specialty calibers and odd-ball guns. However, there are some decent scopes going for some pretty good deals. Both new and used.'

[cidley69]

Not sure what rifle yet. My PAL should be in around mid or end of August, then I can start looking for rifle. I thought in the meantime I'd try to get a scope first (spreading the rifle/scope purchase of a couple months will make it feel less expensive!).

The rifle is going to be used for deer hunting mostly, maybe eventually moose or elk, but for now only deer.

My rifle budget max is about $1000. Not sure about calibre yet, growing up my dad used a .30-06.

When choosing a calibre, would you factor in cost of ammunition? I've heard some makes/calibres can get upwards of $80/box, that might get expensive.

For scope someone mentioned Leupold VX-I is a good inexpensive scope. I plan on having whatever set-up I buy for a few years, so maybe I should shell out a bit more on the scope and get one that's better quality?

I'll check out wholesale sports, thanks for the suggestion!

[statick]

A Leupold VX-series is a good option. I don't think you'll need anything more than 3x9x40. If you find one used, it will probably fit within your budget. I think Nikon scopes are quite good for the money, too.

[SJW]

I bought this badboy for 140 bucks. It's a 3x10x50. Made by Bushnell. Lighted reticle in both green and red for low light conditions. Its a dusk til dawn series.

http://www.flyfishcalgary.com/ruger5.jpg

[BrknFngrs]

^^ Wicked setup. Is that a Ruger SR-22? Any details on the modifications done?

[legendboy]

I have a Millet DMS on my SR ^

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by SJW
I bought this badboy for 140 bucks. It's a 3x10x50. Made by Bushnell. Lighted reticle in both green and red for low light conditions. Its a dusk til dawn series.

http://www.flyfishcalgary.com/ruger5.jpg

Noob Question, how much does something like this cost? And what do you use it for, target shooting only?

[SJW]

I use it to shoot varmints and target. It's non-restricted so I can carry it in the back of my truck when I choose.

I've spent about 900 on my gun + accessories

You can pretty much get anything from ironeagle or dlaskarms

I bought a 50 round drum for it from rimfiresports.

Laser sight is mainly for indoor targets to sight in my scope. It's cool as hell at dusk though. Gophers beware.

[Tomaz]

If you save some one the gun, you might be able to splurge on the scope! ;) (The cheapest scope I actually enjoy is over $800... Just to give you an idea what they cost.) Good rings will set you back $100, and rail will be about another $60. A 3x9x40 is pretty good for hunting, and very common. Most kills will happen within 100 yards, so there really isn't any need to go get a 6.5-25x55. Mildot sights are very useful as it helps give reference to where your bullets will hit at different yardages, just so you don't need to calculate and adjust your sights for every shot.

If you are spending that much on a rife, and choosing a powerful caliber like the 30-06, then I would suggest at least making sure you have strong rings. A lot of rings will strip off or lose zero when mixing high caliber with a decent scope.

Things like lighted reticules, turrets, front parallax, etc, will only slow you down for your kill shot. Most hunters i know will set up for a 100 yard zero on a standard mildot, and practice knowing where the bullet will hit at different distances and winds.

As for the rifle, a good all around caliber is 30-06. Its fairly inexpensive, powerful enough to take down all animals you mentioned. Some more expensive, but also very capable rounds would be 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM. If you go much smaller than those, it would take a very well placed shot to take down any of the larger animals.

As for brands of rifles, in your price range, you might like looking at Browning x-bolt, Tikka T3, Weatherby Vanguard. There are tons out there, but these would be my top picks. If you save some one the gun, you might be able to splurge on the scope! ;) (The cheapest scope I enjoy is over $800... Just to give you an idea what they cost.)





Originally posted by l/l/rX


Noob Question, how much does something like this cost? And what do you use it for, target shooting only?

$600 for the gun, plus add-ons (scope, flashlight, rails, bipod, etc.)

Used for target, varmint killing, and training for zombie apocalypse.

[Tomaz]

Originally posted by SJW
I use it to shoot varmints and target. It's non-restricted so I can carry it in the back of my truck when I choose.

I've spent about 900 on my gun + accessories

You can pretty much get anything from ironeagle or dlaskarms

I bought a 50 round drum for it from rimfiresports.

Laser sight is mainly for indoor targets to sight in my scope. It's cool as hell at dusk though. Gophers beware.

We gotta go shooting soon mate. lol

[GQBalla]

I must get my PAL, a G for that gun? damn, good deal.

zombie apocalypse is coming. (currently about half way through zombie survival guide)

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by GQBalla
I must get my PAL, a G for that gun? damn, good deal.

zombie apocalypse is coming. (currently about half way through zombie survival guide)

lol it's only a .22 i believe.. that wont really bother a zombie. thing just looks bad ass as hell though, i want one for sure :rofl:

[GQBalla]

A .22 according to the zombie survival guide is a good choice for a weapon.

Light
abundance of ammo
lighter ammo

hahahaha this book makes me laugh.

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by JfuckinC


lol it's only a .22 i believe.. that wont really bother a zombie. thing just looks bad ass as hell though, i want one for sure :rofl:

Oh... that's only a .22? haha shit looks more gangster than a .22. Can you get larger ammunition for this?

[SJW]

Originally posted by Tomaz


We gotta go shooting soon mate. lol

We sure do. My kid takes up a lot of my time. Perhaps september is better for me. Keep the grass trimmed.

If you guys want a zombie gun get an SKS from westrifle.com

195 bucks and shoots a 30 cal round. Comes with bayonette. So fun to shoot.

http://www.flyfishcalgary.com/sks.jpg

[SJW]

Originally posted by l/l/rX


Oh... that's only a .22? haha shit looks more gangster than a .22. Can you get larger ammunition for this?


You cannot. Perhaps you're looking for an AR15 but they are restricted.

[Hamann]

Originally posted by SJW


We sure do. My kid takes up a lot of my time. Perhaps september is better for me. Keep the grass trimmed.

If you guys want a zombie gun get an SKS from westrifle.com

195 bucks and shoots a 30 cal round. Comes with bayonette. So fun to shoot.

http://www.flyfishcalgary.com/sks.jpg

The ammo is dirt cheap as well, as long as you buy the surplus stuff (and remember to clean the rifle after shooting the corrosive ammo)

[Hakkola]

Shit man, I need my PAL and some land with gophers, it's been around 4 years since I've shot anything, I'm jealous.

[cidley69]

Nice gopher killer! Semi-auto I guess (are full auto 22's allowed?)

Is there a limit to how many 22 rounds can be in a magazine at once?

Another noobie question: what does having a scope "bore-sighted" mean?

Anyone else have thoughts on scopes and or hunting rifles?

[SJW]

Cidley you need to do some research on which rifle is for you.

Bore sighted means they put a laser in the bore of the gun and match the scope down range to the laser.

There is no limit to rimfire rounds in a magazine except for handguns.

Just do some googling.

[Hamann]

Originally posted by cidley69
Nice gopher killer! Semi-auto I guess (are full auto 22's allowed?)


Anything Full Auto is Prohibited, you need to have a 12.2 or 12.4 I believe classification on your PAL, which you cannot get anymore. The only people who have it got it back in the day and were grandfathered into the current system.

[cidley69]

Hey SJW, thank for info...

re boresighting, where can you get this done, how much does it cost, anyone buy laser gismo and do it themselves?

they should make a semi-auto 22 that's field mod-able to full just with lipping in or out a sliver of metal.

[962 kid]

Originally posted by Hamann


The ammo is dirt cheap as well, as long as you buy the surplus stuff (and remember to clean the rifle after shooting the corrosive ammo)

Cheap ammo = good stuff, my coworker is paying about 6 dollars per round for his new gun :nut:

[cidley69]

Just for curiosity, anyone have a link to page that compares cost of different calibre ammo?

[cidley69]

Stopped at a canadian tire and checked out the ammo display. there is quite a range of prices for a box, and it didn't seem like they carried all calibres.

I'm leaning towards buying an inexpensive .30-06 calibre for my first rifle. i'll use it for a couple seasons and upgrade/change calibres then if I feel something different would be better.

Not sure on brand of rifle, going to bass pro or wholesale sports to try a bunch to see which ones fit my body best.

For scope, Leupold VX-II sounds like the best one in my price range.

Its crazy that our dollar is worth more than the US buck, but things sell for up to 30% less in the US.

Does anyone know of any good US stores that ship to Canada?

[TKRIS]

Spend less on the rifle and more on the glass.


Also, a .30-06 is probably going to be a bit of a pain in the ass for what you're proposing. Something smaller will be more enjoyable to shoot, cheaper to shoot, easier to keep zeroed, and will bring down a deer without a problem.
I like my .30-06, but it's not as much fun to shoot as something like a .25-06, and the deer will be every bit as dead.

[Tomaz]

Originally posted by cidley69
Stopped at a canadian tire and checked out the ammo display. there is quite a range of prices for a box, and it didn't seem like they carried all calibres.

I'm leaning towards buying an inexpensive .30-06 calibre for my first rifle. i'll use it for a couple seasons and upgrade/change calibres then if I feel something different would be better.

Not sure on brand of rifle, going to bass pro or wholesale sports to try a bunch to see which ones fit my body best.

For scope, Leupold VX-II sounds like the best one in my price range.

Its crazy that our dollar is worth more than the US buck, but things sell for up to 30% less in the US.

Does anyone know of any good US stores that ship to Canada?

30-06 Is a pretty good "all around" ammunition. Shooting much of anything else is pretty specialized and can cost a ton of cash.

If you were wanting to spend about $1000 for a scope and a gun, there is a great package at Wholesale right now. Sako A7 Synthetic with a Burris 3x9 scope. It is a damn good deal! check it out! The scope is pretty damn goos, the gun is awesome, and it comes all together for you ready to rock.

As for importing guns from the states into Canada, HA!!!! Good luck! lol

There is no way you will be able to get a firearm up here. It is a PITA to even get parts from the states. Basically you can (maybe) bring in all parts except the action. This is basically not going to happen for you.

EDIT: I remember you wanted to spend $300 on a Leo scope. The cheapest one I could find is $450, and the one that I would even consider putting on my gun is $750. Just to give you some perspective on what things cost.

[TKRIS]

Unless you're going after something bigger than deer (elk, moose, bear, etc), a smaller calibre is more versatile, IMO.
.25-06, .270, etc is easier to shoot, and much more suited to any type of varmint shooting, as well as deer hunting. And the ammo certainly isn't any more expensive.
Even the more exotic rounds available these days (of which something like a .25-06 certainly is not) aren't really any more expensive than regular old .308.

$200 for a simple Lee Precision single stage reloading kit and not only will you cut the cost of ammo by 60%, but being able to tailor a round to your gun, which will allow even something like the aforementioned Steven 200 to easily shoot sub MOA with decent glass and a proper set up.

Importing isn't an option not because it's very complicated, but because it's either a pain in the ass, or it's going to cost you a few hundred bucks to have a 3rd party company like Questar do all the paperwork for you.

I have a Burris fullfield on my .30-06. It seems to hold zero reasonably well, and I'd say it was about the bare minimum quality I'd put on a deer rifle, and only if you're not putting too many rounds through it. No comparison to a decent Leupold or Zeiss in the $1k range.

[Kloubek]

Don't forget that with centerfire rifles, there is a limit of rounds per magazine. 5?

With rimfire (.22), the sky is the limit. So you can have a 100 round drum or 50 round bannana clip if you so desired.

If I was to buy another gun, it would probably be that Ruger. It is the most badass rifle available without being restricted.

[cidley69]

Lots of good info coming up on this thread. Thanks for your thoughts, appreciated.

For Leupold scope, the VX-II for $350 at WS is best deal I could find:

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/scopes/centerfire-rifle-scopes/vx-ii/prod51095.html

Seems like WS has the best prices, over Cabela's or Bass Pro.

When I mentioned buying in US, scopes and not rifles was the idea.

Anyone got an opinion (pros/cons of each) on which is better, synthetic or wood stocks, or simply a matter of opinion?

[SJW]

Get a wood stock. They have a certain elegance and build character into the gun.

[SJW]

Originally posted by Kloubek
Don't forget that with centerfire rifles, there is a limit of rounds per magazine. 5?

With rimfire (.22), the sky is the limit. So you can have a 100 round drum or 50 round bannana clip if you so desired.

If I was to buy another gun, it would probably be that Ruger. It is the most badass rifle available without being restricted.


It is bad ass and I love it. If we ever get out to Tomaz' range you can fire it as much as you want.

[Tomaz]

Though I love Wood stocks, if you ever plan on hunting, synthetic can be a lot lighter. You dont want to be lugging 15lbs+ of gun all day. It gets very tiring.

Lower calibers were mentioned further up. First off, you cant hunt with any caliber .22 or lower, so any rimfire, or small centerfire (223, 22-250) is going to be strictly a varmint gun. Anything lower than a .30 caliber would be normally used for deer. anything .30 and higher would be used for bigger game, or deer.

BTW, a .308 does NOT pack enough punch to kill larger game unless you are a damn good shot. 30-06 will take every animal down that you mentioned, and will still be easy on the wallet. <-- IMO of course, but a lot of hunters will probably agree.

Unless you are very serious in shooting/hunting, I wouldn't consider reloading. Yes it is cheaper, and yes you can get very accurate rounds, I just dont shoot enough to make it worth my time or money. I am happy spending $25 for a box of factory ammo to last me a season, and I can get a 1" group at 200 yard. That is good enough to kill for sure!

I do think everyone should own a .22 though. $18 for 500+rounds of ammo, and makes for a really fun day! I have spinners, plinkers, swingers, and resetables out at my acreage that provide hours of entertainment. Also, if you are into run-and-gun, it can be a great training tool and provides great exercise. Plus the cheap ammo makes it far more affordable.


I just realized we should merge this in with the "Gun Thread" lol