Mountian Rifle Hunting Scope

[BullElk54]

Recommend the Swarovski Z3 4x12-50 with a BRH reticle. It's a 1 inch tube weighing 11oz. I'm using light weight Talley one piece mounts. I have the Swarovski Z3 on 3 of my light weight mountain rifles, all weighing under 7 lbs including optics. Retail cost is $899.00.

 

[6point5x284]

I run a Zeiss V6 3-18x50 and love it. I prefer it to the Leupold options listed. Over 100 MOA elevation travel and great turrets and glass in a 22 oz package.

 

[6point5x284]

Are you referring to 30 mm or 1"? And how's eye relief and is there any tunneling problem? I like the mag range better in that scope but have been leaning more to 2.5-8x36 for maximal weight savings. This setup mainly 500 and in.

I have the 4.5-14 on 30mm tube and the 2.5-8x36. They both tunnel slightly. More noticeable on the 4.5-14. I also went with a 2.5-8 for my Barrett Fieldcraft for max weight savings. I installed the Impact 32 reticle and can just hold everything on 8x for hunting ranges and shooting rocks.

 

[High Master]

Leupold VX3i in the 1" model is hard to beat when comparing weight to performance.

 

[Tatsnscoots]

I would like to spend less than $1,500.00 if possible. I don't have a max power but would want it to be at least a 14-16 power on the upper end.

I picked up a new vx5hd 3-18x44 with firedot reticle on Gunbroker this spring for $800. Be patient and search around, you can find some good deals.

 

[338 dude]

I picked up a CA Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC and want to set it up for mountain hunting. I live in Montana and have the opportunity on many occasions to get out in the hills and chase critters around. All of my current hunting rifles are fairly heavy with long range scopes on them. Packing one up and down the mountain is not my idea of a good time, hence the ridgeline. I have grown overly found of the large full length rifle scopes with high magnification but they are to heavy, IMO to pack all day. Here's the question: What would you guys recommend for a mountain rifle hunting scope? I want a quality scope with weight being one of my main concerns. Thanks in advance for all your replies.

Night force SHV

 

[Weatherby Fan]

I picked up a CA Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC and want to set it up for mountain hunting. I live in Montana and have the opportunity on many occasions to get out in the hills and chase critters around. All of my current hunting rifles are fairly heavy with long range scopes on them. Packing one up and down the mountain is not my idea of a good time, hence the ridgeline. I have grown overly found of the large full length rifle scopes with high magnification but they are to heavy, IMO to pack all day. Here's the question: What would you guys recommend for a mountain rifle hunting scope? I want a quality scope with weight being one of my main concerns. Thanks in advance for all your replies.

The best compromise for a lightweight/Long Range backpacking scope is a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x40 CDS 30mm tube, that scope and Talleys adds 1lb to your rifle,

after that look at the Leupold VX5 HD 3-15x44 (30mm tube) 19 oz,
Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 (1"tube) 16.25 oz, Swarovski Z3 3-12x50 (1" tube) 14oz, Swarovski Z3 3-10x42 (1" tube) 13oz

besides the VX3i 4.5-14x40 30mm my next favourite hunting scope is the Zeiss V4 4-16x44 (30mm tube) a touch heavier at 22oz but one of the best built scopes on the market for the money, amazing optics and a tough as nails zero stop MOA dial, I have it mounted on my 6.5 PRC and from a 100 yard zero it has 52 MOA available for upward adjustment, also one of the very best low light performing scopes.

Just a NOTE on the low light performance of scopes as opposed to overall clarity, we did a first light/last light performance test with 5 scopes, Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x40 30mm, Zeiss V4 4-16x44 30mm, Swarovski Z6 2.5-15x44 30mm, Zeiss V6 3-18x50, Leupold VX6 3-18x44, overall clarity/brightness in daylight was hard to tell the difference between all of them except the VX3i as expected wasn't as brilliant, but in the low light performance it was awesome and as good as the rest of them, the biggest surprise was the Swarovski......it was the first scope to lose its crosshairs in the low light performance test and the Zeiss was the best of the bunch, 3 of the 5 guys like the Leupold crosshairs best.

 

[freebird63]

The Leupold VX5, VX 6 or even check out some of the Swarovski's.

 

[35 Whelen]

My favorite is the Leupold VX-3i 2.5-8x36 1" tube, works very well for most all hunting. Not to bulky for timber and brush but still enough magnification if need for a longer shot if needed. The VX-3i 3.5-10x40 1" tube would be a nice one too, a little more magnification and still not to big for timber hunting with not a lot of weight.

 

[High Master]

Night force SHV

the SHV is a nice scope but it's twice the weight of the Leupold Vx3i

 

[BadBry]

I picked up a CA Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC and want to set it up for mountain hunting. I live in Montana and have the opportunity on many occasions to get out in the hills and chase critters around. All of my current hunting rifles are fairly heavy with long range scopes on them. Packing one up and down the mountain is not my idea of a good time, hence the ridgeline. I have grown overly found of the large full length rifle scopes with high magnification but they are to heavy, IMO to pack all day. Here's the question: What would you guys recommend for a mountain rifle hunting scope? I want a quality scope with weight being one of my main concerns. Thanks in advance for all your replies.

Without making a recommendation for this scope as I dont own one, but Vortex makes a Razor that fits this description. The model number is RZR-1572 and is a 1" 3x15x42 HD scope that weighs 16.5 oz. Reviews seem good. Again, I have no opinions on this scope as I dont own one. Good luck!

 

[Weatherby Fan]

As others have said if you looking for total light weight simple hunting scope a VX3i 2.5-8x36 or 3.5-10x40 are hard to beat, they are excellent lightweight durable hunting scopes,
only drawback if your eyes are getting older (like me) I find the power lacks at the range especially the 8X when trying to zero/check zero and I prefer a minimum of a 14x scope, but for hunting situations its not an issue.

 

[Bud LaRoche]

Durability and clearity and weight packed into a great compact rig. NightForce 2.5x10x42. Rugged high mountain packing requires Rugged scoped if that OOPS happens. Will that Swarovski z3 z5 , Leupold hold ? Do you really need more than 10x magnification ?

I think the NF NSX 2.5x10x42 is an excellent package for Lightweight hunting at 20oz.

 

[73driver]

Recommend the Swarovski Z3 4x12-50 with a BRH reticle. It's a 1 inch tube weighing 11oz. I'm using light weight Talley one piece mounts. I have the Swarovski Z3 on 3 of my light weight mountain rifles, all weighing under 7 lbs including optics. Retail cost is $899.00.

Sorry but Swaro web page has this scope at 14.5 OZ