Best Mountain Rifle Scopes - your choice?

[Wandering Wayne]

the added visibility from a larger objective lens can make the difference between a kill and no shot in low light

 

[Flatbow]

Leopold VXllli 5x14x50 (17oz)
On my Mtn Accent 6.5 loaded ready to hunt with a pocket cheek pouch with six extra rounds of amo small pair eye glasses and ear plugs (in case there is time to use) and sling... just tips scale at 7lbs.
Oh a detachable (magnetically) 5.5oz bipod in my pack belt pocket

 

[Deleted member 25294]

On a mtn rifle I like a lightweight scope. That's the whole idea behind a mtn rifle. I would hate to think I was spending extra money on components to save weight just to throw a 24-30 oz scope on it. I like the 3-9x40 trijicon accupoint at just over 12 oz. I have one on a 300 SAUM mtn rifle which is my main pack rifle. I have a Vortext Razor LH 3-15 on another. Its somewhere around 16-17 oz. I also just bought a Leupold VX5 HD 2-10 and 3-15. Both are also nice lighter weight scopes.

I'll take a repeatable scope over an ultralight scope any day.
Skimping weight on a scope is the worst place to save

No more than 20 oz. scope on a mountain rifle, period. Its as much a balance thing as it is a weight thing.

It's as much an accuracy thing as it is a repeatability thing.

Spend all you want on a rifle,but without a quality long range optic it's just a rifle.

 

[coyotezapper]

My lightweight long range rifle scope is the S&B PMII 10x42 fixed. Has 13.2 mils elevation on the low profile single turn turret, zero stop, and weighs 20 ounces. Darn near bulletproof.

Great scope. S&B Summit is also a killer mtn rifle scope.

 

[coyotezapper]

How would the Swarovski X5 3-18 stack up against the scopes mentioned?

Great scope but way to heavy for a true mtn rifle.

 

[coyotezapper]

Leopold VXllli 5x14x50 (17oz)
On my Mtn Accent 6.5 loaded ready to hunt with a pocket cheek pouch with six extra rounds of amo small pair eye glasses and ear plugs (in case there is time to use) and sling... just tips scale at 7lbs.
Oh a detachable (magnetically) 5.5oz bipod in my pack belt pocket

This is a very good setup. 7lbs. is my target weight for a mountain rifle.

 

[coyotezapper]

I'll take a repeatable scope over an ultralight scope any day.
Skimping weight on a scope is the worst place to save


It's as much an accuracy thing as it is a repeatability thing.

Spend all you want on a rifle,but without a quality long range optic it's just a rifle.

There are plenty of reliable scopes that are lightweight. A heavier scope does not necessarily make it more reliable. This is just another internet myth.

Recoil is what causes most scopes to STB. Not dropping them. The FN Scar is the hardest weapon on scopes because of its unique recoil and there is only one scope manufacturer that I know of that guarantees that all their scopes can handle this recoil. Care to guess who that is?

Putting a typical LR scope on a mtn rifle is like taking a cast iron skillet backpacking. You can, but why would you?

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Recently I bought a 6.5 PRC Browning X-Bolt Pro (6 lbs. 3 oz.) for hunting mountainous Nevada.

After an extensive search and looking at affordability (MARCH scopes were too pricey) I bought a Bushnell Elite LRTS 4.5 - 18 x 44 scope with illuminated G3 reticle
It weighs 27 oz. and is 14 1/2" long (kinda long but in the lighter weight range.

THEN Nightforce comes out with the new NX8 2.5 - 20 x 50 at 28.3 oz. and 12" long. That's 2 1/2 " shorter than my LRTS.

Would I have bought the NX8 scope had it been out in time? YEP, even at around $900., more street price.

Ain't it always the case? Ya buy a shiny new item and a few months later something better comes out. Ah well, I'm very satisfied with the performance of my new LRTS and will keep it. BTW, I "needed" FFP, mil/mil & lighted reticle. Many scope that would otherwise be fine like Leupold VX6 don't cut it on one or more of those "needs".

So what's your mountain rifle scope choice?

Eric B.

I recently became a Leupold fan - the VX5HD line is tough to beat for quality l, weight and features.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I own the ATACR and the SHV . The SHV is just as clear, lighter on the wallet and the gun

Have you had any tracking issues with the SHV? My buddy had some problems but nightforce took care of it.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

There are plenty of reliable scopes that are lightweight. A heavier scope does not necessarily make it more reliable. This is just another internet myth.

Recoil is what causes most scopes to STB. Not dropping them. The FN Scar is the hardest weapon on scopes because of its unique recoil and there is only one scope manufacturer that I know of that guarantees that all their scopes can handle this recoil. Care to guess who that is?

Putting a typical LR scope on a mtn rifle is like taking a cast iron skillet backpacking. You can, but why would you?

I'm not saying that a scope has to be super heavy to be reliable, however I have personally had tracking issues with Zeiss V4's and V6's, and every Leupold except the MK5 line.
I will never sacrifice repeatability and tracking for a weight reduction of 5-8 oz.
My current mountain rifle is a 6.5 SAUM with a MK5 HD 3.6-18x44, it weighs 7.4 lbs scoped, and from my tall target test I know it tracks true to 50 MOA of vertical.

I recently became a Leupold fan - the VX5HD line is tough to beat for quality l, weight and features.

I would make sure to put that VX5HD through a tracking test if you haven't already, I've personally seen them have pretty bad tracking issues

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I'm not saying that a scope has to be super heavy to be reliable, however I have personally had tracking issues with Zeiss V4's and V6's, and every Leupold except the MK5 line.
I will never sacrifice repeatability and tracking for a weight reduction of 5-8 oz.
My current mountain rifle is a 6.5 SAUM with a MK5 HD 3.6-18x44, it weighs 7.4 lbs scoped, and from my tall target test I know it tracks true to 50 MOA of vertical.


I would make sure to put that VX5HD through a tracking test if you haven't already, I've personally seen them have pretty bad tracking issues

Been there done that brother - I have two of them that I run out to 1200 yards regularly. They have been awesome.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

Been there done that brother - I have two of them that I run out to 1200 yards regularly. They have been awesome.

Good to hear
The last one I tested was off by 3/4 moa at 10 and was off by almost 3 minutes at 20.
My buddy said it tracked fine for about a year before he started getting suspicious.
I was bummed because I liked the glass and was all set on picking up a 4-20x52.
I'm a Leupold lover but if it comes to cranking turrets I get pretty leary (except the MK line)

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I never owned a Leupold before the VX5HD's. I've been happy so far. I have heard tracking horror stories, but have heard the same thing about nightforce and vortex and I havent had problems with any of them.

 

[Danehunter]

My "druthers"-> FFP, mil/mil, illuminated Xmas tree type reticle
1. MARCH 3 - 23 x 50 at 25 oz. and $3,000. (!)
2. Nightforce NX 8 2.5 - 20 x 50 at 28 oz. and $1,800.

But right now I have a new Bushnell Elite LRTS 4.5 - 18 x 44, G3 illuminated reticle at 29 oz. and $976. street price. Got it just before the NX 8 came out. Daymn!

Eric B.