Scope choice

[xsn10s]

I agree with letting her choose the scope with some guidance. IMHO ease of use is probably the biggest factor here. The OP stated from 0- several hundred yards for the shot so 300 yards max distance. With many 130 gr higher bc bullets that could be a 300 yard point blank shot. So a scope with good eye relief, decent clarity, and larger field of view seems to be the best choice to me. A 2.5-8X could fit the bill there.

 

[pavementends]

Most new shooters, women more so, have difficulty getting "behind" a scope. The eye box is very important as is stock fit. When you have been shooting a while you learn to adapt to comb height, eye relief etc. With today's adjustable stocks it is possible to get a good fit for almost any shooter. Once the stock fits it opens up the available choices in scopes. MDT has a good video on fitting a stock and scope. Good on you for providing her with good equipment.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I have had 2 Viper HS. Satisfied both times for a point and shoot plus bdc reticle.

I have one on my 6.5 creed hunting rifle. Living in New England, I wanted that 2.5 low end for up close shots in the woods tracking and still hunting. 10x has been good enough to kill 2 coyotes at 420 yards and 500 yards using the hold over reticle. Nice and light as well. Really my only complaint is the lack of parallax adjustment. But as a point and shoot it serves its purpose

 

[yobuck]

Personally, I would never dream of buying a scope for another person especially one with little to no experience.

I suggest taking her out somewhere with difference objects at different ranges to see how she sees those objects. Use one or two of your scoped rifles. This can be rocks on a hillside if nothing else. If you have some paper silhouette archery targets, take those along. Give her some experience where she can talk it back to you to build up some experience. She doesn't have to shoot, just look and assess. Use a rest if your rifles are too heavy.

Give her a break and bring her along simply.

Enjoy your time with her!

This would be a far better way for her to evaluate a scope than simply looking thru various scopes inside of a store.

As for my own opinion, i havent looked thru most of the scopes available today, and id bet most others havent either.
That said, i do own 3 of the VX 3 3.5x 10s, a couple of them being quite old.
The third is one they replaced free of charge, when i sent the old one in for a reticle change and they found an issue with it they couldnt fix because of its age and no longer having the parts.
So be thinking about that as well when making a scope choice.

 

[skibbyshot]

Personally, I'd go with a Leupold over a vortex. That's just me.

The VX3i 3.5-10 CDS ZL is a good inexpensive option. For more money, better glass & a bit heavier I'd go with a VX5HD 5 2-10 CDS ZL or the 3-15 if you want a bit higher magnification.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I've looked through both. I've shared my opinion. Why is Leupold better to those who say it is. To me, the main benefit of Leupold is that I believe an American made some part of it!

 

[Upsidedownjack]

Just me, for a New shooter, with a New rifle? Iron sights vers scope? Maybe just something very simple like a strate 4 power. Started out with a Weaver 4 X 40 a bizilion years ago. Shot just a few Deer, Elk using that befor I could justify a better scop! But the simple (4) power served me well for a number of years. Great to getting used to using a scope, finding Game and Ranging shooting. Nothing to adjus, just learning to (know) how to shoot.
But, this is just my $0.02 worth.

 

[FEENIX]

I've looked through both. I've shared my opinion. Why is Leupold better to those who say it is. To me, the main benefit of Leupold is that I believe an American made some part of it!

I, too, support this notion the best I can. I would love to see ALL American-made products again. Perhaps not in my remaining lifetime, but I am hopeful.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

..for hunting at the distances you've mentioned, a plain Jane ho-hum 3x9 Leupold or Vortex will suffice without breaking the bank..

 

[std7mag]

To me, once you get to the Viper line, your starting to get the entry point of "top tier" glass.
You'll see way more shooters using the Vortex in matches vs Leupold.

Also important with the glass is the mounting system.

A one piece rail will give you more range for a better fit to the shooter.
I use & fully endorse Evolution Gun Works (EGW)!
www.egwguns.com
Made in PA.
The rails are kinda tall, but it allows the use (dependent on the shooter) to use low rings.
Their Keystone line of rings are seriously overbuilt!
Priced right, and order rail & rings together and get 10% off.

 

[Dentite]

Personally, I would never dream of buying a scope for another person especially one with little to no experience.

And some of us would "never dream of" having the person with little to no experience be the one to choose the optic when the buyer is an experienced shooter/hunter.

My two boys have killed a decent amount of game for their ages. They sure didn't get to choose the optics on the rifles they used. They were selected by me after years of experience and me working out what does and what doesn't work and what magnification ranges are the most useful, what eye relief is easiest for a new shooter, what height of the mount is most appropriate for their age/face size, etc.

Just a difference of opinion I guess.

 

[Fatcatbuster]

If I could only have one scope magnification it would be 4x. I learned more about trajectory and accuracy when that was all I had was a straight 4x. Many years later all my rifles wear glasses. Leupold &Vortex.

 

[blvette75]

Getting my daughter in law savage 270 win

Which scope is better for mostly high desert type hunting for a newer hunter without much time behind optics. Range can vary from close to several hundred yards

Leupold vx3 hd 3.5-10-40 vs vortex viper hs 2.5-10-44

I don't think you can go wrong with either of your choices. In my opinion it is hard for a novice to choose, my suggestion if you have similar scopes available is do what I did, let her pick as others have stated.

Have Leopold and Vortex, and a few other brands, lined up my available scopes mounted on rifles for my daughter outside not indoors and let her look through each one focus, play with magnification up and down, sunshade on or off, etc. asked her which she liked the best. She picked the Mark V Leupold which was already mounted to the creedmoor she was going to use. Interesting as far as the magnification throw lever, didn't care. I thought it was a close call Mark V and the Razor to her my Strike eagle was the next best one to her and very close to her top choice, then the Razor. Then my Bushnell nitro which was my least expensive FFP scope. When I showed her the parallax focus and how that should focus based upon the range of the target. She said it was a toss up between the top 4, with the Leupold a little bit better, but she told me all 6 of the scopes were pretty good and she could use any of them.

Her feedback to me was the reticles were all to busy when compared to what is on the 10/22 ruger, cross hair reticle. As she pointed out to me as long as I would be with her to tell her which line to use in these ranging reticles she is good. Didn't like illuminated reticles. She had fun and that was the most important part. Subsequent to say I let her use the Mark V on the 6.5 Creedmoor Bergara which is not Illuminated for hunting.

 

[mnoland30]

A long eye box is good for an inexperiened shooter. I let my brother shoot my .270 once and he broke the shooting glasses I had loaned him.

I like Leupold because of the light weight. I watched a 10 year old kid trying to keep up with his father while carrying a heavy rifle. I felt for him, because it brought back memories.