QuoteReplyTopic: Scoping light 3006 for elk? Posted: June/20/2007 at 19:53
An old friend wants me to hunt elk
with him. I've got an A Bolt Stainless Stalker in 30'06 that
shoots hot 180 gr. loads very well, but I'd need to re-scope the rifle
which I haven't used for 8-10 yrs. I'm 58 and need all the light
I can afford. I'm thinking good glass, 1.5-6x or 2.5-10x, @17 oz.
maximum, very good minimum eye relief and exit pupil. The price
is not critical if I'm sure the scope is worth the money. I'm not
sure the VX-7, Zeiss Davardi, S&D or Swaroski Professional Hunter
are.
I've chewed the specifications for about a dozen scopes and two on the
top of the short list seem to be the new IOR 2.5-10x42 or the Nikon
Gold 1.5-6x42. Comments?
Other questions for the experts:
Why is the new IOR so much lighter than their earlier scopes?
Why is the S&B 1.5-6x42 so stinking heavy?
i hunted elk for ever with an old varixII 3x9 and never had any issues with light gathering, the scopes you are talking about are far better than what i used, so i dont see how anything could go wrong with any of the choices you mentioned, an elk is a big critter so even at 300 yards with 6x you shouldnt have any trouble seeing it. i hear the ior is a good one, and i love nikons but i am pretty sure the ior is better.
They call me "Boots" 375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"
I built a custom 30-06 just for the type of hunting you describe. I've tried several scope and mount combinations looking for the best fit and feel. I'm more concerned about how the rifle feels, balances, and a nice trigger pull, than caliber and oversize optics. I'll take a smaller, lightweight scope nearly every time when hunting big game. I tried a Monarch 3-9, a Conquest 3-9, a Conquest 2.5-8, but I finally settled on a Sightron Big Sky 1.25-5 with Talley lightweight mounts. It puts the rifle at 7 3/4 pounds, balances perfectly, and points like a dream. It also fits the scabbard in my Eberlestock pack like they were made for each other.
Some will probably think the small objective and the lower power are a disadvantage. I've already done a thorough comparison of the little Sightron with SEVERAL other scopes in low light conditions, including the 2.5x8 Conquest, and an older 1.5-5 Vari-X III Leupold. The Sightron compares very well. I discussed this in another post on this forum. I've hunted enough with scopes like this that I don't feel handicapped in any way, especially in the steep, thick crap where I hunt elk. I this regard, it is a huge advantage.
The Sightron also has a reputation for toughness. That remains to be seen. They also have a pretty good reputation on their warranty. I hope I never have to use it. That's the best warranty to me!
Good luck in your search. I am so impressed with this particular scope, that I wanted to throw that option at you. SWFA is now carrying this scope. I noticed a post you made on another thread about lighter scopes, so I thought I would throw this option at you.
Be sure and check your ring spacing on the Sightron.I purchased one for my long action 30-06 and the ring mount spacing wasn't wide enough.My daughter is now the proud owner of it on her 243.Great glass though.It was the SII
3-12x42 I believe.Now have a leupold back on my 30-06 so I'm happy with the end result.
Good Luck either way,
Rock
Walk softly,keep the wind in your face and watch your back
I'm still chewing the mag question. 1.5-6 would probably be
adequate in most situations, but this gun shots so very well with the
Horn. Lt. Mag 180 gr. ammo (i.e. at the range I've shot groups prone
off sandbags that were 2" at 300 yrd.s, more typical groups were a
little under 3") that I might get in a situation where the gun would
shoot do ranges that 6X would not allow me to see to see well enough to
shoot. I replaced the 1.5-6X on my .270 with the Leupy 3.5-10X50
from the ABolt because I was getting shots over bean fields at ranges
the gun would do but the scope couldn't handle. The 1.5-6 went to
my 7mm08 Mt. gun and now I need to replace the scope on the
30'06. Besides, if the wt. of the new IOR is really about 17 oz.
it wouldn't be costing me much to carry the 2.5-10.
Am I making sense?
Thanks Duce,
I actually looked at the spec.s on the Swaro. It looks like a
good scope, but the exit pupil is actually not as good as the
others. I think when in a practical hunting scope the exit pupil
is more important than the last 1.86213% of sharpness. I've
always been impressed with the clarity of Swaro scopes I've seen.
They may even be 2% betteer than IOR's i've or Monarch Gold's I've
checked. But they cost three flippin times as much and I'd rather
spend the $1,000 difference on something else.
I have a swaro that I have had some time the biggest advantage is their wider field of vision with the Z6 new ones, I choke on the price now too. Mine is not a Z6 but it has been and excelent scope.
Urimaginaryfrnd, These scopes are cheaper than the IOR and Monarch Gold at the
top of my list, but I can see what I getting for the difference and
their worth it to me. The Swaro not so. What do you think
of the IOR and Monarch Gold?
And I really curious:
How can the IOR be so much lighter than earlier IOR's?
What makes the S&B so heavy?
A couple of months ago I did some extensive scope research. One of the first things I did was contact the companies of the scopes I was interested in. Not only was I interested in answers to my questions, but I wanted to get a feel about how serious the tech people took my questions, and whether or not they were committed to satisfying my inquiries. If I got a brush off, or a real dumby for a technical support rep, that generally tells a lot about that company, and weighs heavily in my final choice. If they seem to care, and are knowledgeable not only their product but how scopes function in general, it gave their particular models higher marks. If I got a tech rep who started reciting a product description that I had already read on the internet, well, I wasn't very impressed. If they care about their product, their company, and about selling scopes, you can usually tell after a short chat on the phone. Generally, the employees of a company that make an exceptional scope take pride in their company and their product, and are very willing to answer your questions and concerns.
Give'em a call, and see how they answer your questions.
I like the IOR scopes and if you look at the old models many had steel tubes where the new ones are alloy. As optics have advanced a lot of things about them have gotten better. Just because the scopes I laid out were a bargain price range dont totally ignore them. If it is a Nikon Monarch its good glass and if it is a Bushnell 4200 its good glass. Interestingly enough you do not see a lot of the 2-7x(33 +or -) power range scopes that were quite popular 25 or so years ago those scopes were nice on the low end for stalking and were quite compact. I am really tempted to put the 2x 1moa aimpoint on a hunting rifle. I put a 4moa aimpoint on a slug gun Encore last fall and it was great for pushing deer. I came very close to buying the Monarch Gold 1.5-6x42 had it on lay away and then spotted something I thought I needed worse. However I would love to have either the Monarch Gold or the IOR and I would want the tactical knobs on the IOR rather than the hunting version. The MP8 reticle is awesome. As far as S&B I know nothing about their scopes except that the Marines have gone to them following extensive testing. I dont see many $1000 plus scopes around here that are not Leupold Mk 4 or Nightforce. As far as the high dollar scopes I could really use a U.S.Optics or a S&B for my 300 WM but I have not spent that kind of money so far. The 3-9x40 range scopes are the most popular for hunting but I really like something in the 4.5-14+ range. I find that I use the higher power to evaluate the rack on game at several hundred yards. I just feel that you have to still keep the low end around 4x or it is really hard to use it stalking. The old reliable light weight fixed 4x and 6x scopes have a lot going for them very bright not too bulky.
One scope that I really think is a bargain is the 6x42 IOR Tactical, I would be pretty comfortable hunting with one of them so the 2-10 should be a great optic just remember to turn it down to 6x or lower as it gets dark.
"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger
Thanks urimaginaryfrng. I'll probably go with the IOR if I don't blow this years designated hunting mad money on a new Bowtech Stryker crossbow. A wise person once said ...You can have it all...just not all at once.
A lot of lenses, plus relatively thick tube and robust internal mechanics. Glass is heavy, so if a scope has extra lenses -- especially thick lenses -- for improved resolution, the scope will weigh more.
Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.
Dont think Ive seen the Bowtech crossbow, I like their bows but I have always shot Hoyt and now I have a Matthews Drenalin and it is awesome. I do have a crossbow made by PSE that I bought at Wal Mart after the season when they discount clearenced them for next to nothing. The problem I see with crossbows is that people are not inclined to practice with them as much as compounds and as a result I have seen some long blood trails some of which ended without recovering a deer. Most of my compound shot deer have gone down within 100 yds.
Dont completely disregard the lower priced scopes I listed all of which are capable of doing the job and a 4200 or a Monarch in 3-9 is still a very nice optic leaving enough money for a crossbow like:
Dont think Ive seen the Bowtech crossbow, I like their bows but I have always shot Hoyt and now I have a Matthews Drenalin and it is awesome.
Hey, U-frnd, I just recently bought the Mathews Drenalin as well and agree, it is an awesome, smooth shooting, quiet bow. I've been shooting the new Easton ST Axis 340 "Full Metal Jacket" arrows out of it, and it paper tuned quickly and easily with this arrow and I'm getting very good accuracy with it!
Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.
I recently put a Nikon Monarch Gold 1.5-6 on my Winchester Safari Express in .375 H&H and I've been extremely happy with it. Mounting can be a little tricky. Originally I was going to use Warne bases with Warne quick detatch rings. This turned out to be too long for the body of the scope. I was able to use Burris reversible Weaver bases and the Warne rings and it works, but not much room for fore/aft adjustment in the mounting of the scope.
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