Categories of Scope Buyers

[Soundguy]

not everyone is out there for the thrill of the hunt or to stalk game. Ive killed enough deer in my life that it doesn't do a whole lot for me to outsmart a deer. I'm a meat hunter anymore as are many here. If I get a 500 yard shot that I know I'm capable of I sure don't get anything out of trying to sneak up on it. More interested in putting it in the back of the truck for supper tomorrow night. Also two different guys might get a thrill of the hunt differently. You might like the thought that your stalking skills allow you to get close and someone else might get a thrill out of knowing there a good enough shot not to have to sneak up any closer. Neither is wrong and its not my place to judge how another hunter hunts as long as he does it legally. theres guys out there (surely not me) that are more then capable with the right equiptment of taking a deer at a 1000 yards humanly. It took them as long or longer to get that skillful then it takes the average guy to learn to walk quietly in the woods and sneak up on a animal. Nope if there 50 yards away I shoot them when I get a good shot and when there 500 yards away I do the same. Not out there to prove anything or impress anyone. Its a matter of skill level. Ive seen guys take deer at well over 500 yards and ive seen guys miss deer broadside at 50 yards.

Ahh.. A meat hunter, nothing else matters. Might as well walk out in a pasture and shoot cows, cheaper, easier, faster, and you get your 100% prime concern.. Meat...

I tend to think that, assuming there are animals in the area you are hunting, that a better stalker won't need to look 500yds away, his skills allow him to read game signs, and find something you can see with the naked eye. At 500 yes you could be listening to music and making a phone call

I clearly prefer up close hunting I guess.. The state I hunt in simply offeres no public hunting that has much more than a few dozen yards of flat open spaces.. Might find a few Acer plots of man height scrub areas, but its broken up without too many shooting lanes.

[Soundguy]

The day I put a $1000 scope on a $350 Marlin levergun is the day they put me in the nut house. I'm more of a 1.5 on the scale. Have a couple Nikons, but most are Bushnells. For me and where I hunt in the swamps of Florida, they are more than adequate. To many variables to make it black and white.

I prefer to spend that extra money on a new mold or a fixer upper rifle.

Yep.. Most 1/1.5 scopes exceede economy levergun capabilities.

[MyFlatline]

Yep.. Most 1/1.5 scopes exceede economy levergun capabilities.

True, but I prefer the 3 9 variable, just me... All my centerfires are either Marlin or Henry levers and all get used hard. That makes a big difference in scope choice.

[Soundguy]

Agreed, application is king.

[Texas by God]

This thread has me wanting to test all four categories of scopes with a rubber mallet. I have samples of #1,2,&3. Will someone volunteer a #4 please?

[MyFlatline]

This thread has me wanting to test all four categories of scopes with a rubber mallet. I have samples of #1,2,&3. Will someone volunteer a #4 please?

LMAO,,that's there is funny

[FergusonTO35]

Yep.. Most 1/1.5 scopes exceede economy levergun capabilities.

Don't be so sure of that! My $200.00 Marlin Glenfield 30 is an honest MOA rifle, in fact I am saving to put a Leupold VX-3 on it. Yes, a scope that costs twice as much as the rifle did.

[lefty o]

This thread has me wanting to test all four categories of scopes with a rubber mallet. I have samples of #1,2,&3. Will someone volunteer a #4 please?

you should find nightforces video on youtube, they take a dialed in scope off a rifle beat it repeatedly on a table, throw it, beat it some more, re mount it and shoot groups. entertaining.

[Lloyd Smale]

have you looked lately at the price of beef?? I shoot probably an average of 30 deer a year doing crop damage shooting on a farm. Id say its a bit cheaper then paying the farmer for one of his cows. Ever shot a deer at 500 yards? Do you you even understand that it actually takes some (lots) of skill. I guess you can throw some bait out at 50 yards and shoot one with your 3006. Another thing is I'm not a young man anymore and walking and stalking through the woods isn't easy anymore. Many times its downright impossible. So should I quit hunting because I cant hunt or don't want to hunt like you? Ive been deer hunting for over 50 years now. Ive killed them about any way they can be killed. Ive shot them where they looked small in a 12x scope and ive shot them so close I could have thrown a rock and hit them. Another thing we run into up here is LOTS of hunters. Personaly I get a bit nervous walking through the woods during the first week of deer season. If everyone did it youd be bumping into other hunters every 1/2 hour. theres no way id send my 13 year old grandson into the woods to wander around on opening day. that's why most of the hunting up here anymore is blind hunting. Its about the only safe way in many places. Hunt them any way you like. But don't try to convince me it takes some exceptional skills to sneak up on a deer. Ive probably shot 50 or more doing it myself and I'm not grizzly adams or danial boone.

If you live in an area that doesn't allow for long shots of course your not going to take the time to master 500 yard shooting and you have no business doing it. When I hunt normal deer season up here just like you theres no place even near camp that a guy is going to shoot even 300 yards. Most deer up here are shot well under a 100. But not everyone hunts where you do. Not everyone hunts like you do. Hunt the way that you enjoy and so will I. I dont judge anyones hunting techniques as long as they are doing it legally. I dont judge anyones long range shooting skills that ive never even met in person let along hunted with. If sneeking up on a nice 8 pointer makes you feel superior somehow to someone who shoots the same deer of a good rest at 500 yards then you should do it how it makes you happy.

Me, ive got two freezers full of venison that will feed my family for the year that cost me a fraction of what it would to feed my family beef and had some fun going out and doing it. Win Win to me. Just had my back operated on AGAIN and its lucky I did shoot some of those "unethical" deer because I never even made it into the woods during regular deer season. Spent opening morning for the first time in my life sitting at home in front of the tv. My father whos 84 shot his first deer out of a deer blind opening day. Hes one that allways walked. Its how he wanted to hunt but he finally had to face the fact that he just couldn't do it anymore. Do you feel he should have just quit hunting? Probably his last year hunting and he got just as much of a kick out of shooting that 4 pointer as he ever did shooting any buck walking probably because he knew it would be his last. Nope I dont judge. Theres just to many variables involved.

To me I had a successful year. Ive got meat and dont eat horns and theres no more room at camp to even put more on the wall so personaly id rather a nice fat 150 lb doe then another 8 point rack to add to the umpteen that are already on the wall at camp. Ill leave the bucks to they young generation at camp that still get a thrill out of horns. Doesn't do much for me. Personaly if I'm wonder off in the woods where I know my shots are going to be 50 yards or less I leave the rifles at camp and take a good open sighted revolver. But ive even done that enough that its a been there done that thing to me.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I'm in the "Can't do any more damage to my knees" boat; Pretty much have to blind hunt, at longer distances if that's where a deer presents itself. Long way to walk to retrieve that deer, then, though. (Supposed to be able to find another hunter to help retrieve the game - Good luck with that though, none HERE yet.) Us hunters' situations and circumstances are SO varied that I learned long ago not to pre-judge things, it just doesn't work well. (Varmint hunter so I'm not too worried about longer distances - But closer IS good when you can, less problems and risk of problems.)

[Lloyd Smale]

had to chuckle. this year doing crop damage shooting with my partner(that has pain patches on 24/7 for his back) I shot a good sized doe at the edge of the field. It dropped in its tracks and I went to the truck to go and get it and as I was driving over it got back up and ran into the woods. No blood trail and in some real thick brush. I went in after it and waded around in pain looking for about an hour. Finally found it only about a 100 yards from the edge of the field. I bent down to gut it and pain just swept over me. I forced myself to finish and by that time the partner had walked over to help. Like I said he isn't much better them me so I insisted on trying to help him drag the doe out. I made about 10 steps and went to my knees and couldn't even walk. he had to finish dragging that deer out and then he had to come back and about carry me out of the woods. the next day neither of us could get off the couch. Ive got a deer cart to haul deer out of the woods but it was at camp. I called my dad and asked him if he could go and get it for me. Its a 40 mile round trip from his house to camp and another 90 mile round trip to my house for him but he knew the shape I was in so he did it. I will never go back out again without that cart. Sometimes its just to thick to use it but for 90 percent of the time its a NECISSITY.

Ive got no arugement that closer is better. I try to set up in crop damage about 200 yards from where most of the deer come out. But they dont allways do things my way. Ive done this for 7 years now and have shot together well over 400 deer in those years. In all that time ive lost exactly one deer and my partner two that weren't recovered but one of those he wasn't sure that he even hit it. Theres one part of deer hunting skills that I do put a lot of store in and that's retrieving hit deer. Weve spent the whole night out looking for one doe when we already had two in the truck. What you do after the shot is more important then how you shoot them. Knowing your limits and your abilitys means a lot too.

For example my partner who would be the first to admit isn't as good of a shot as I am puts a 300 yard limit on his shooting. Hes taken a couple out to 350 but for the most part doesn't trust himself any further. Me I wont pull the trigger unless I have the crosshairs dead steady where I want the bullet to go. I never rush a shot, something that like I said before has caused many to miss at even 50 yards. yes things can happen but I like to think that I'm far from a long range slob hunter. I practice every summer. I take the actual guns and loads out that I'm going to use and shoot them at a 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and even 600 yards to see where the bullet really hits and tape cheat sheats to my stocks. I use a range finder on any deer that I think is 300 yards or more out. I use accurate loads, flat shooting rifles in calibers that are up to what I'm doing. I dont pull out my old semi auto 06 rem and a box of corelocks slap on a tasco scope sight it in a 100 yards and go hunting. I take it very serious.

Were talking an animal suffering if I goof up. That means something to me. I even got mad at the brother in law out in montana one year when we were out ground hog shooting. He had out his heavy barreled AR and hit one at about 350 yards and blew part of its body away and the rest was crawling to the hole and he shot at it two more times laughing all the time. I told him that he was very wrong doing that. even they are living creatures and deserve some respect when you shoot them. Someone once told me I was a hypocrite for claiming to care but then turning around and killing 52 deer that year. I told him that those 52 deer were harvested as cleanly and quickly as possible. Its either me that's going to do it or the farmer is going to have someone else do it that doesn't really care. My partners brother for example. he was the first one of us that was a shooter out there and got us in on it. He would shoot deer and if they ran out of the field he just let them go and didn't even try to recover them. The farmer didn't care. All he cared about was the deer were dead and out of the field so the potatoes pickers didn't grind them up into a mess. For the most part the farm owners sons were the same. They grew up around so much deer and deer damage to there income that they could care less about deer.

In fact in many states a farmer can shoot deer or have someone else do it and there legaly not allowed to take the meat home. Now that is sad. But to lump me in as a slob hunter because I'm capable of humanely taking deer at longer distances then you is kind of sad too. Go out and put a couple thousand rounds down range every summer practicing and you to might find out you dont need to get 25 yards away from a deer to kill it cleanly. I hope you see MR sheesh this post wasn't aimed at you in any way. Just some rambling from an old man that likes to eat venision. CHEAP venison. I can eat venison tenderloin on the grill tonight for a lot less the you can some nasty store bought hamburger. I consider myself lucky to be able to. We got off subject here a bit and I apologize. back on subject a good 200-500 dollar scope has never left me wanting more in all these years. If someone gave me a grand to buy a scope tomarrow id buy a 500 dollar scope (probably wouldn't spend that much if it weren't given to me) and save the other 500 bucks for gas to go and fill my freezer for the two months we do this and have enough left over to cover the bullets and powder.

I'm in the "Can't do any more damage to my knees" boat; Pretty much have to blind hunt, at longer distances if that's where a deer presents itself. Long way to walk to retrieve that deer, then, though. (Supposed to be able to find another hunter to help retrieve the game - Good luck with that though, none HERE yet.) Us hunters' situations and circumstances are SO varied that I learned long ago not to pre-judge things, it just doesn't work well. (Varmint hunter so I'm not too worried about longer distances - But closer IS good when you can, less problems and risk of problems.)

[barrabruce]

I learn't long ago that I can only shoot what I can see.
I'm a happy 2-3 person.
If I could be a 4-5 person just because I could I dunno

Iv'e never really had that many guns over the years but i never needed too many either.

I'd rather keep my few that are still up to the task than have many.
Mine are hunting guns a utilitarian work tool.
I use them but not abuse them.
Nothing fancy.

I had reasonable scopes on most over the years.
Good at dawn and dusk and keep their zero as well as good definition and clarity.
I have bought old good glass used in good nick that; many have said one could buy something new for cheaper ....but they never let me down and always held zero.
Wish I still had some of them.

I have seen too many times to believe myself that people won't hesitate to pay $1.5 - 2k on a gun and then buy the cheapest scope and ammo for fodder.
Mostly the gun wont shoot the cheap ammo well.
They end up replacing the scope in 6 mths or a year with another cheap scope after it rattles to bits or fogs up.
Sure..something like a 22lr may hold up alright but not much else if at all.
After a couple of years they have spent more money and time cursing and wondering why this gun and scope plays up.
Still have useless glass at the cost of something up to the task.
And it goes on.

I would rather one good scope with top quality detachable mounts to swap between rifles when needed ,than a few cheap and nasties in pot metal rings any day.
You can swap ,dial in the setting for that rifle and shoot with confidence to a decent range.
Maybe just a click or two out here and there sometimes.
A couple of sighter's and away you go.

If you find twiddling a couple of knobs is to hard and scary and you think you may wreck or upset something then surely you should have a play with a real scope for a change.

I like a really good 1.5-4.5x scope for an all rounder walking around gun.
Never felt underpowered and knew no better for years..Shot everything at reasonable ranges.
A fixed 6x or 8x is great with set triggers for glassing and shooting but useless when you kick up something from your feet.

[FergusonTO35]

I would really like to become a good still hunter. I've only taken one deer this way and it was quite a thrill. I can get pretty close to them, but they always see or smell me before I catch them. Yesterday I was hunting at my sister's place in Mercer County. I was sneaking through the woods and heard something big trotting through the brush about 75 yards away. This stuff was thick, I could hear just fine but couldn't see a darn thing. A huge doe (one of the biggest I've ever seen in the wild) suddenly bolted out of the woods and ran across a field out of sight. I'm thinking a hunter on the neighbor's place next door may have spooked her as that is the direction she came from.

[hornady308]

While 2-7x scopes make more sense for me, I have more 3-9x's than anything else because they are almost always the best deal. By the way, what is an "economy levergun"? A $500 Rossi or a $700 Henry?

[Mr_Sheesh]

I grew up long range bolt gun shooting; I'm setting up to go get back in practice picking on Rockchucks and if lucky the occasional Coyote. Not much luck on deer lately, I need to find property owners who want their varmints killed and would not mind a deer being harvested as well. Practice makes us better at shooting, definitely! I don't mess with the elevation / windage knobs, I just use my brain to solve the aim point, do change zoom on some shots tho, that helps me shoot better sometimes. I have a definite mix of scopes, trying a Vortex out and some VX2's added recently, Weaver K4 on the old Rem 722, VX3's, GOOD glass - Unless the Vortex disappoints, and I'm hoping it doesn't. Have to agree on harvesting humanely, that's the only way to go.

[Lloyd Smale]

What some don't take into account is in the 200-500 dollar range optical quality and even build quality have taken big leaps in the last 15-20 years. I mid priced scope today will probably blow an old high end scope out of the water in quality and even opticaly. Just take leupold for example. There vx1 line today uses the same coatings as the vari x III did 15 years ago and that was the scope most were measured by back then. A new vxIII is every bit as good opticaly as any scope made in the world 20 years ago. Ive used leupolds for years and will be the first to admit there old vari x 2 wasn't the best scope in the world. It had single coated lenses and friction ajustments and didn't to to well in low light. Ive got a couple of the newer vx1s with click adjustments and multi coated lenses and there just as clear if not clearer and probably better in low light then the old vari x 3s I have. All that said it seems that even some of the much cheaper glass is still the junk it allways was. some here will claim even a 300 dollar scope is to expensive for them. They go with the 75 dollar glass. Now factor in cost of living and what your buying for that 75 bucks is about a 10 dollar scope in the 60s and 70s. What do expect for that kind of money? I bought my first leupold in 1977. a varix 2 2x7 for a 120 bucks. Lots of money then. today you can buy a vx1 for 200 that's 5 times the scope and factor in cost of living and there selling them at tasco and weaver prices in the 60s. Never was a time where you got more performance per dollar in optics as today. Years ago if you wanted GOOD GLASS you had to pay BIG BUCKS and maybe even then it was justified because even the mid priced stuff was junk. today that isn't the case. id about bet my home that a ww2 or Korean war sniper would have about cut off his foot for a scope as good as a 500 dollar scope today.

[Lloyd Smale]

I'm on a fixed income too but cant use that to justify buying a 50 dollar scope that might fail. If I cant afford to put a decent scope on a rifle ill pass on the rifle itself and use what I allready have that's paid for or buy the gun and stick it away until I can save enough pop cans to buy a decent scope. Another thin I do is cruise the local gunshops for used glass. Lots of times they take trades in and sell them and the guy buying wants a different brand or magnification scope and it seems that some are pretty Leary about buying used optics so they can be bought for about half the new price if you watch closely. Id much rather have a used 200 dollar scope for a 100 bucks then a new 100 dollar scope.

You Guys just had to push my button LOL I am a #1 not because I want to be , but because of a low fixed income. Am I jealous of the other groups not at all. I am happy for them.

[hornady308]

"A mid priced scope today will probably blow an old high end scope out of the water in quality and even optically. "

So, if what Lloyd says is true, I'd be better off selling my 25-30 year old Leupold & Burris scopes, then buying new low-end Nikon, Leupold Rifleman, etc.?

[TenTea]

Quality optics are important to me, the older I get.
I own a Leupold and several Trijicon units.
I mentioned owning a Trijicon to a fellow earlier this year and he said, "that's a rich man's scope!"
I'm not rich, so I guess I'm doing OK.
Not sure what tier I belong to, but to each their own.
I agree lower priced scopes today are better quality glass than in years past, at similar inflation-adjusted price points.

[Geezer in NH]

Ahh.. A meat hunter, nothing else matters. Might as well walk out in a pasture and shoot cows, cheaper, easier, faster, and you get your 100% prime concern.. Meat...

EXCEPT farmers get real upset if you do like a city kid would.