Scope Ideas?

[1s1k52]

Well I should be going at some point to get the Ruger 30-06 I want. No iron sights so I need some scope Ideas.

This will be my deer/hog gun. I really would like something that illuminates the reticles handles well with low light, and has compensation for bullet drops. Eye relief is a big one I would like to be on target in less than seconds.

I would like to cap the budget at 200 if I can. I just want something that will work for awhile and that I dont have to worry about being bumped around etc. I literally know nothing about current scopes.

[Longshot38]

That budget really hinders your options. But personally I think a Bushnell 3200 Elite 10x w/ 1/10 mil adjustments is about as good as you will do for that kind of money.

[1s1k52]

That budget really hinders your options. But personally I think a Bushnell 3200 Elite 10x w/ 1/10 mil adjustments is about as good as you will do for that kind of money.

Man your telling me. I think that's why I like iron sights so much. I am used to it because I really have no scope experience, but with the gun having no sights IF I get it I will have to get a scope that day. Really any suggestions are welcome and thanks for yours. I really don't know what would be the most importan things to get out of a scope aside from eye relief. I have tried to google some factual information typically only find opinions.

[comp73]

In keeping with your budget, Nikon has the prostaff in 3x9x40mm with their BDC reticle. It lists for 169.00 on walmart.com. Full lifetime warranty as well.

[Rex B]

If you like iron sights, I bet a gunsmith could fix you up for about the same budget. For that matter, the middle ground might be a holographic sight.

[1s1k52]

Maybe this can help you guys help me. What dictates a clear fast sight picture for a scope?

A holographic won't allow me to reach out 200 yards will it? Or is like everything else anything is possible with practice? I know I am trying to get a lot or nothing. Just trying to still enjoy hunting for the next few years with a sort of a budget. Oxymoron I know.

[Rex B]

depends on the age of your eyes.
A 20 year old can shoot 200 yards with good iron sights. I sure can't.
I'd want a scope, and most of my rifles have a scope of some sort.

[Longshot38]

That budget really hinders your options. But personally I think a Bushnell 3200 Elite 10x w/ 1/10 mil adjustments is about as good as you will do for that kind of money.

Man your telling me. I think that's why I like iron sights so much. I am used to it because I really have no scope experience, but with the gun having no sights IF I get it I will have to get a scope that day. Really any suggestions are welcome and thanks for yours. I really don't know what would be the most importan things to get out of a scope aside from eye relief. I have tried to google some factual information typically only find opinions.

Alright with you having no experience with scopes a few question come to mind. How do you know you want BDCs without the experience? Obviously a budget is budget but where did your come from (all you have at present/all your willing to spend/etc...)? As for the most important thing to get out of the scope question it all depends on how you intend to use the rifle.

BDCs sound good in principal to people who have little to know understanding of ballistics/physics. What BDCs do is give you trajectory of a single specific bullet that is launched from the barrel at a specific muzzle velocity and into a specific atmospheric condition. But what happens when you change these variable? Well that is a matter of mathematics. New bullet equals new BC and probably muzzle velocity. New powder equals different burn rate and changes in muzzle velocity. Change in temperature, wind, humidity, elevation, or barometric pressure all change the flight path of the bullet and thus will throw off the calibration of the BDC reticle. For most hunters their target is about an 18 inch circle and they will see little difference out to 500 yards or so. But there is also a reason why the military and competition shooters do not use BDC reticles. Rather they have found more versatile solutions such as ranging reticles.

As for what is important in a optic that depends heavily on use. The optic used by one in F-class competitions is different from that of what is used by three gunners. And PRS competitions use different optics then the weekend shooter. Why? Because like our firearms, optics are simply tools. Thus we get optics to server a purpose and good optics, just like quality tools, are an investment. So just as you would purchase a quality torque wrench (which you should by the way but that is a different topic) if you are going to working on your car much. You should also also purchase a quality optic that is appropriate for your application. With being said the question here is what is your intended application?

[puma guy]

Maybe this can help you guys help me. What dictates a clear fast sight picture for a scope?

A holographic won't allow me to reach out 200 yards will it? Or is like everything else anything is possible with practice? I know I am trying to get a lot or nothing. Just trying to still enjoy hunting for the next few years with a sort of a budget. Oxymoron I know.

I think holograph sights are no or little magnification, Red dots can have some. If you are truly making shots at 200 yards a variable scope is proably the way to go. 3-9x or maybe 4-12x but your field of view is reduced at high power. I keep my 3-9 at 4-6 power for hunting. You should never rely on your rifle scope to "scope out" a game animal; that's what binoculars are for. The more money you spend the better quality glass and coatings you get. Better glass passes more light through, but if you're hunting open country with good lighting and not woodsy conditions a moderately priced scope should suffice. I recommend getting a good pair of binoculars, such as 8x by 40. Good Luck.

[Longshot38]

Maybe this can help you guys help me. What dictates a clear fast sight picture for a scope?

A holographic won't allow me to reach out 200 yards will it? Or is like everything else anything is possible with practice? I know I am trying to get a lot or nothing. Just trying to still enjoy hunting for the next few years with a sort of a budget. Oxymoron I know.

I think holograph sights are no or little magnification, Red dots can have some. If you are truly making shots at 200 yards a variable scope is proably the way to go. 3-9x or maybe 4-12x but your field of view is reduced at high power. I keep my 3-9 at 4-6 power for hunting. You should never rely on your rifle scope to "scope out" a game animal; that's what binoculars are for. The more money you spend the better quality glass and coatings you get. Better glass passes more light through, but if you're hunting open country with good lighting and not woodsy conditions a moderately priced scope should suffice. I recommend getting a good pair of binoculars, such as 8x by 40. Good Luck.

Puma guy FOV has nothing to do with magnification. If you read the specs on socpes you will find that FOV on different optics of the same magnification vary. And why not rely on a scope for inspecting game? And in the name of weight I don't carry around my spotting scope in my pack, rather a LRF and scope more then suffice.

[The Annoyed Man]

Maybe this can help you guys help me. What dictates a clear fast sight picture for a scope?

A holographic won't allow me to reach out 200 yards will it? Or is like everything else anything is possible with practice? I know I am trying to get a lot or nothing. Just trying to still enjoy hunting for the next few years with a sort of a budget. Oxymoron I know.

Yes, you can hit at 200 yards with a holographic sight. Think "iron sights," but better lit. An AR15 zeroed at 50 yards with a red dot sight will be no more than 2" high or 2" low of the bore all the way to about 325 yards. Basically, with a true holographic sight, if you can see it, you can hit it, limited only by degree of magnification and effective range of the rifle.

That said, don't confuse a "red dot sight" with a "holographic sight." Most holographic sights have a reticle with a dot in it. Not all red dot sights are holographic. A true holographic sight is likely to be well outside of your budget.

Next..... You're talking about mounting an optic on a bolt rifle of substantial caliber. So whether buy expensive or cheap optics, you want something that will stand up to significant recoil. I don't think a $100 red dot sight will serve your needs in that regard, and a truly rugged red dot/holographic sight (think EOTech or Aimpoint) could easily run you $400-$500......without magnification.

Next next.... You're probably better served with a scope. You mention that you want forgiving eye relief, and that you'll be shooting out to 200 yards. Go with a low magnification variable power scope.....something like a 1-4x or a 2-8x or a 3-9x.

Next next next.... You say you want illumination, good eye relief for rapid target acquisition, and those could be competing parameters. Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to spend between 50% to 100% of the value of the rifle on your optic choice. So, for a $500 rifle, spend $250-$500 on a scope, etc., but of course it would make no sense to put a $2000 scope on a $500 rifle. What time of day are you likely to be hunting at? Early Dawn? Late evening at last light? If so, the quality of the glass and its light transmitting properties would be very important......but that costs money.

What I'm getting at is that you may be limiting yourself by trying to get too economical. Naturally if you can find a decent scope at a good price, snatch it up. But just know that there is a HUGE difference in the quality of optics when you spend decent money. I don't mean this to be derogatory, but if you can be satisfied with compromising quality and features for low price, then have at it and have no regrets. On the other hand, if you can bring yourself to part with another $200, you can start finding pretty decent scopes in the $400 range, and once you're out in the field with the better scope, you won't regret the money.

One last suggestion.... yes, Ruger rifles are pretty good rifles, but have you checked out any of the Savage "package" deals? You can get a pretty good bolt rifle with a Accutrigger AND an included 3-9x scope for a pretty good price, and the Savage rifles also have free floated barrels which increases accuracy. For instance—and this is just one example—they have a model called the 1/111 Trophy Hunter XP. Here is the description:

Series: Package
AccuTrigger:Yes
AccuStock:No
Magazine: Detachable box
Stock material: Synthetic
Barrel material: Carbon Steel
Stock finish: Matte
Barrel finish: Matte
Stock color: Black
Barrel color: Black
Sights: Nikon 3-9x40 BDC Reticle

30-06 SPFLD
Sku:19690
Handed:Right
Rate of Twist:10
Weight:8 lbs
Overall Length:42.5"
Barrel Length:22"
Ammo Capacity:4 round(s)
MSRP:$675.00

I don't know what you were planning to spend on that Ruger, but this is a really good deal: $675 for a synthetic stocked .30-06 with an accutrigger AND a Nikon variable power scope with a BDC reticle.

Something to think about....

[bulletslap]

My advice is to forgo your illuminated reticule requirement and go with the new Redfield 2x7 manufactored by Leupold & Stevens.

[1s1k52]

First and foremost Thank you everyone for taking the time to right some things out. I really do like the Ruger American. I have not had my hands on a Savage 111 but I did get a hold of a Axis that came with a 3x9 for 350 and the Ruger is a far better gun. I just like the action, trigger, box mag, weight. I will keep an eye out for that Savage. There was a brand new Mossberg ATR 100 I think with a pretty decent size scope for 330.00 I didn't really mess with it though so feel free to comment on that.

I really just kind of through myself out here into this post with my "ideal" scope. Aiming really high (no pun intended) I was wanting long term knowing I am going to have to do some EXTREME settling in the end. Most the scopes I can get my hands on amongst friends and family are a minimum of 10 years old. That is my basis of a scope at this point. Basically you are inhibiting a lazy moron to do little to no research. I keep guns and ammo tv on in the background while working on homework, paying bills, or helping around the house. I have noticed scopes have a lot more to offer for a lot less. I just want a good all around scope. A lot of why I DON"T hunt at certain times, besides working all the darn time, is because I don't have anything to go. SO a budget bolt gun with an all around scope is what I need. I am planning to hunt deer and hog whenever I can. Hogs can be shot all day or night last I checked. Deer obviously are not the same case. For the record If I give the impression I wanted anything but a scope, sorry I do not. Just like anything else, whatever I get I will need quite a bit of practice. I just want a decent starting place and something I wont spend more time fixing then using. Something durable and has a good life span is probably the most important.

I called around and looked around alot online and the Ruger is pretty new so no one could help me much with iron sights. Which is fine because outside of 100 yards I wouldn't hit the darn thing anyways.

[Carry-a-Kimber]

At the $200 price point you will be hard pressed to find a quality optic with illumination, BDC, and magnification. I would look at the Nikon Prostaff line with BDC. This Nikon 3-9 is sub. $200, has BDC and the Prostaffs have nice clarity and decent light gathering capabilities but no illuminaton.

[Carry-a-Kimber]

Also wanted to add that getting a decent set of irons installed on a rifle that isn't cut for iron sights would probably exceed the cost of a budget scope. Say $40-75 for the set of sights and another $100 or so to install. If you go that route I suggest a quality Smith that does rifle sight installs on a regular basis. YMMV.