What Features Make the Perfect Monocular Riflescope for Modern Hunters?

About the features, they are very dependent on the application, so for example in long range shooting I appreciate:
- the best glass I can afford (e.g. Schott),
- tactical/exposed, well marked high quality turrets
- adequate and easy to use controls
- a well designed, etched on the glass reticle, on the first focal plane to make sure corrections are valid at all magnifications
- center point illumination is useful in low light conditions
- as a nice-to-have, a range estimator also etched on the glass
 
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Someone made a point about the weight of the scope. I strongly believe that the needed quality and performance requires certain weight (dependent of the state of the art technology at a point in time). The only way I appreciate weight reduction is while not reducing the quality and performance, and this is not easy to achieve. Some manufacturers make more compact (at the same specs and quality) scopes than others, and that is a good differentiator, but it costs. Myself, I choose whatever best scope I can carry in the field, for hunting.

Magnification is tricky too. The simple numbers (e.g. 5-25x30) don't tell the whole story. For variable magnifications scopes, the image quality and clarity should be almost the same at all magnifications. Unless you're shooting ULR, it seems counter-intuitive, but you don't really need much more than x25.
 
BrentM said:
Hunters. Modern hunters. Difference is almost nothing except gear and the internet, plus opinions. In reality most people don't hunt any further then old days. A 30 year old scope that was good back then, is good today, for that same crowd. Opinions today are that you need a ffp tactical scope with a massive tree reticle and a 34mm tube to dial those 500 yard shots. So therefore the reason I mention the internet. It has people all spun up about things like that. You can apply almost all of these personal opinion to all gear a hunter will take to the field.

On this page it should be about long range hunting, ie the title of the forum, and the needs are good glass, light for class, and reliable turret system. The modern part is eluminated reticles and anti-cant. Both nice features in my opinion.
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You did leave out smartphone ballistic apps….those 30 years old scope users have experience, knowledge and trigger time ….invaluable and inimitable with modern equipment alone…
Modern technologies and gear merely serve as a short cut to shooting proficiency that the 30 years old scope users already possess…

The reason the 6.5 CM exists is because some young whipper snapper thought it was a good idea to shoot at distant things no one can see without specialized optical equipment and a computer to calculate trajectory….actual rocket science….which isn't needed to shoot a deer or an elk.
 
3800fps said:
You did leave out smartphone ballistic apps….those 30 years old scope users have experience, knowledge and trigger time ….invaluable and inimitable with modern equipment alone…
Modern technologies and gear merely serve as a short cut to shooting proficiency that the 30 years old scope users already possess…

The reason the 6.5 CM exists is because some young whipper snapper thought it was a good idea to shoot at distant things no one can see without specialized optical equipment and a computer to calculate trajectory….actual rocket science….which isn't needed to shoot a deer or an elk.
Click to expand...
That's why I have my dope sheets.
Real world experience.

Hopefully you don't mess up a decimal point with the ballistic calculator.
 
3800fps said:
You did leave out smartphone ballistic apps….those 30 years old scope users have experience, knowledge and trigger time ….invaluable and inimitable with modern equipment alone…
Modern technologies and gear merely serve as a short cut to shooting proficiency that the 30 years old scope users already possess…

The reason the 6.5 CM exists is because some young whipper snapper thought it was a good idea to shoot at distant things no one can see without specialized optical equipment and a computer to calculate trajectory….actual rocket science….which isn't needed to shoot a deer or an elk.
Click to expand...
Not sure what the ballistic programs have to with scopes etc. As far as scopes with integrated electronic tech, some states do not allow it. Do modern shooters demand it over other features….. no. If so the Burris eliminator would be about the only scope discussed on here.

This is a long range forum so the rocket science you mentioned is in fact part of the conversation. Without the wizardry of modern ballistics apps etc and the knowledge to properly use it, long range shooting would not be in the realm of possibility for 99% of the shooters. It does appear that far more people, even on here, do not hunt game long range. Totally fine with me.
 
BrentM said:
Not sure what the ballistic programs have to with scopes etc. As far as scopes with integrated electronic tech, some states do not allow it. Do modern shooters demand it over other features….. no. If so the Burris eliminator would be about the only scope discussed on here.

This is a long range forum so the rocket science you mentioned is in fact part of the conversation. Without the wizardry of modern ballistics apps etc and the knowledge to properly use it, long range shooting would not be in the realm of possibility for 99% of the shooters. It does appear that far more people, even on here, do not hunt game long range. Totally fine with me.
Click to expand...
Brent, you've got it. It's the tech, community and insights that have addicted me to this site. Weird - I don't do social media at all - and yet this has become my go-to regular. I like dead meat on the ground when I hunt. So I'm generally an under 600 yd. kind of guy. I build my rifles for speed and reliability. I like to hold on hair and be able to react quickly, so I'm a hold-over guy, not a dialer. It's probably why I like my Leupold scopes! (and 257 Bees, 25-06 and 25 Sherman LAs). This Lander One Shot hunt will be my 25th. Shot score = 27. Haven't ever lost one....
 
BrentM said:
Not sure what the ballistic programs have to with scopes etc. As far as scopes with integrated electronic tech, some states do not allow it. Do modern shooters demand it over other features….. no. If so the Burris eliminator would be about the only scope discussed on here.

This is a long range forum so the rocket science you mentioned is in fact part of the conversation. Without the wizardry of modern ballistics apps etc and the knowledge to properly use it, long range shooting would not be in the realm of possibility for 99% of the shooters. It does appear that far more people, even on here, do not hunt game long range. Totally fine with me.
Click to expand...
Ballistic programs on my phone in my pocket have all the drop and wind drift DOPE for the loads that I shoot in multiple cartridges out to 1000yds….with that to refer to …I can coordinate the various reticle hash marks I'm looking through in my scope with the holdover info in the ballistics program….that's what the programs have to do with my scopes and me.
 

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