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Need some scope suggestions

Wannabewoodsman

Wannabewoodsman

Custom
As well as rings or rail mount etc.

So as I've said in a different post, my new .350 legend bolt action (Savage Axis II) is gonna be a dedicated kitchen filler (hopefully!) And I've never used scopes and don't know much about them so I need some suggestions as to a quality-ish scope (around $150-200 if possible). No iron sights on the rifle (what I'm used to) and I don't want a red dot.. unless it magnifies.

Not sure what weight (of the projectile) I'll choose to shoot or work well with my rifle.

Also, what are the pros and cons of scope rings vs other mounting styles? I'm making the assumption that there are.
 
Wannabewoodsman said:
As well as rings or rail mount etc.

So as I've said in a different post, my new .350 legend bolt action (Savage Axis II) is gonna be a dedicated kitchen filler (hopefully!) And I've never used scopes and don't know much about them so I need some suggestions as to a quality-ish scope (around $150-200 if possible). No iron sights on the rifle (what I'm used to) and I don't want a red dot.. unless it magnifies.

Not sure what weight (of the projectile) I'll choose to shoot or work well with my rifle.

Also, what are the pros and cons of scope rings vs other mounting styles? I'm making the assumption that there are.
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To solidly mount a scope to a rifle you will need a set of quality rings. The rings alone will cost you around a hundred or more, a quality scope with good glass $400 plus. My opinion.

Myself I prefer Sig Sauer optic’s
My Sierra3 BDX Scope was north of $800
 
Keystone19250 said:
To solidly mount a scope to a rifle you will need a set of quality rings. The rings alone will cost you around a hundred or more, a quality scope with good glass $400 plus. My opinion.

Myself I prefer Sig Sauer optic’s
My Sierra3 BDX Scope was north of $800
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That's what I was afraid of. Part of the reason I stayed away from long range rifle is the cost of quality optics. Don't get me wrong, I understand why they cost what they do with the engineering and material tolerances and quality control etc but man...
 
The Sig Whiskey scopes are good to go with some good options and clear glass for a budget option.

Primary arms makes a decent budget friendly cantilever mount that will pair well the the whiskey.

Beware of the really cheap Amazon mounts as some of these use inferior screws that can strip or snap off when torquing down. Not always the case but it's something to look out for.



www.opticsplanet.com

Primary Arms The PLx Cantilever Mount Up to $6.00 Off w/ Free S&H — 8 models

Shop Primary Arms The PLx Cantilever Mount | Up to $6.00 Off 4.2 Star Rating on 61 Reviews for Primary Arms The PLx Cantilever Mount Best Rated + Free Shipping over $49.
www.opticsplanet.com www.opticsplanet.com
 
So, here's a truism:

A good rifle with junk optics is a junk rifle.

A good rifle with junk mounts is a junk rifle.

Warne makes decent budget mounts. I wouldn’t spend less than $50, though.

As for glass? Save up. Delay a gun purchase. $3-400 will get you a pretty decent piece of glass, often illuminated which really can impact hunting in dim light.

I'm playing with an Athlon Helos 2-12 on my Cross, I like it so far. Athlon seems to have some decent stuff, seems to be what Vortex was when they first started going—really good bang for the buck.

Low Light Rifle Scopes | Talos 3-12×40 BDC 600 IR

The Talos family of low light rifle scopes were designed to be optimal in low light situations, making sure your low light scope helps you make the shot.
athlonoptics.com athlonoptics.com

This would probably do just fine, and wouldn’t break the bank.
 
HansGruber said:
So, here's a truism:

A good rifle with junk optics is a junk rifle.

A good rifle with junk mounts is a junk rifle.

Warne makes decent budget mounts. I wouldn’t spend less than $50, though.

As for glass? Save up. Delay a gun purchase. $3-400 will get you a pretty decent piece of glass, often illuminated which really can impact hunting in dim light.

I'm playing with an Athlon Helos 2-12 on my Cross, I like it so far. Athlon seems to have some decent stuff, seems to be what Vortex was when they first started going—really good bang for the buck.

Low Light Rifle Scopes | Talos 3-12×40 BDC 600 IR

The Talos family of low light rifle scopes were designed to be optimal in low light situations, making sure your low light scope helps you make the shot.
athlonoptics.com athlonoptics.com

This would probably do just fine, and wouldn’t break the bank.
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Heres a Helos on clearance from Monday USA for only $527.00

www.midwayusa.com

Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 4-20x 50mm Side

All the attributes of an ideal designated marksman rifle scope, with features equally suitable for the modern hunter or an operators DMR. Ideal for...
www.midwayusa.com www.midwayusa.com
 
10mmLife said:
Heres a Helos on clearance from Monday USA for only $527.00

www.midwayusa.com

Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 4-20x 50mm Side

All the attributes of an ideal designated marksman rifle scope, with features equally suitable for the modern hunter or an operators DMR. Ideal for...
www.midwayusa.com www.midwayusa.com
Click to expand...
That’s what I got, but the 2-12x42…

www.midwayusa.com

Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 2-12x42mm 1/10 Mil

All the attributes of an ideal designated marksman rifle scope, with features equally suitable for the modern hunter or an operators DMR. This DMR scope...
www.midwayusa.com www.midwayusa.com
 
Wannabewoodsman said:
That's what I was afraid of. Part of the reason I stayed away from long range rifle is the cost of quality optics. Don't get me wrong, I understand why they cost what they do with the engineering and material tolerances and quality control etc but man...
Click to expand...
A good scope is needed for first & last light of the day.
Finding the game animal right after first legal light and right before last light is what sets a $200 scope apart for a better scope as memtioned by @HansGruber and @10mmLife .

Trust me. Nothing upsets one more than having the animal appear just as light comes up and loose it in the backdrop of the trees. Same for dusk.

A good low light capable scope is necessary.

The couple hundred more for a good scope will save you heartache.

Been there, done that.
 
I too don’t know anything about scopes I was thinking I like to get one for my ruger pc carbine I don’t need anything that long distance if I can find one for a decent price I only need it for the range at 50 yards any suggestion
 
javbike said:
I too don’t know anything about scopes I was thinking I like to get one for my ruger pc carbine I don’t need anything that long distance if I can find one for a decent price I only need it for the range at 50 yards any suggestion
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I like some 1x4 or 1x6 if you dont want to go the red dot way.

Quite a few companies make a nice budget 1x4/1x6 now like Vortex, among others.
 
I put a $70 PA scope on my .223. Took it out to zero it. Took it home and took it off. Found a nice deal ($300) on a used Bushnell Elite 6500, which was around a grand new. There is a massive difference between a cheap 3-9x40 and a good scope. The cheap 3-9 will kill deer out to 150 yards or so with no problem so if you just want to kill deer and that’s your only priority, there you go. The scope I found makes 200 yards look like 30’. I’d look for a deal on a used one. Find one with a parallax knob on the left side and a fast focus eyepiece.

Oh, and I got a $40 Monstrum mount off Amazon. Used a torque driver and had no issues. I’ll probably change it out at some point. It’s a .223. If it was a 30-06 or something I’d have definitely bought a quality mount.
 
Here's my opinion bud. Your not going to get a good quality scope for $150-$200 so get that out of your head. No offense! Your rings and mounts is a decision you should make depending on the rifles mounting system. And yes your definitely going to need rings and mounts. Although you my be able to get a good hunting optic for 300-400 I personally won't even look at a hunting optic if is less than 400. 500-600 is more like it! If you plan on putting meat on the table year after year and possibly several times a year? You don't want an optic that's going to FIF! (Fail In Field) I have some hunting rifles that cost less than the glass mounted on them. Vortex is a good buy for the buck. My personal favorite for a hunting optic is of course Leupold. Most likely the most popular hunting optic in the US possibly the world for serious avid hunters and for a reason! I see more Leupy's on hunting rifles than any other optic! Sounds like the rifle your using isn't a long range hunter so don't even worry about big magnification. Most the animals I've take were harvested in the early morning. Sunrise or just before, or late afternoon, early evening. Sunset or just after. So light may be an issue with high magnification. Lower the magnification the more light the optic let's in as well as more field of view, and that's the truth! For your paticular cartridge I wood look at a Loupy 2-7 power with at least a 40mm objective lense. Witch is plenty of magnification for up to 300yds and even a bit beyond that and also plenty of a big enough objective lense for low light. All just my opinion bud. Good luck getting that table fare! Shoot fun shoot safe, and shoot straight.
 
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I like the Athlon I put on my Axis. But I bought a big one, Argos BTR FFP 6-24x50 on Vortex Deluxe rings. Athlon makes some good budget friendly scopes.

Both my precisions have Vortex Strike Eagles on them. Warranty on Vortex is unbelievable. I’ve heard of people literally backing over their rifles and crushing the scopes and Vortex replaced them.

I usually go FFP illuminated reticles now. I used to use only SFP but once I used my first FFP I’ll probably never go back. Only drawback is need for the illumination. Etched FFP are difficult to see on dark backgrounds due to how fine they are.
 
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Philmo11 said:
I like the Athlon I put on my Axis. But I bought a big one, Argos BTR FFP 6-24x50 on Vortex Deluxe rings. Athlon makes some good budget friendly scopes.

Both my precisions have Vortex Strike Eagles on them. Warranty on Vortex is unbelievable. I’ve heard of people literally backing over their rifles and crushing the scopes and Vortex replaced them.
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Agreed! The Vortex warranty is second to none! Absolutely unconditional regardless of how many times the optic changes hands. Leupy's have a great warranty, but I'd have to say the Vortex warranty is better!
 
javbike said:
I too don’t know anything about scopes I was thinking I like to get one for my ruger pc carbine I don’t need anything that long distance if I can find one for a decent price I only need it for the range at 50 yards any suggestion
Click to expand...
A fixed 4x for that range! Fixed power optics are much tougher and more reliable than variable power in my honest opinion. Less moving parts.
 
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