Which Elk Rifle Scope from This list

Fellow shooters,

I am pretty close to buying a Browning A-Bolt Stainless 338 Win Mag with BOSS. I am using my plan to go elk hunting in Eastern Montana next Fall as an excuse to get this new set up. I know my 30-06 will do just fine. Sometimes you just need a little rationale to buy a new gun. For example, I explained to my wife that at 200 yards the 338 with 225 gr bullet generates 50% more ft lbs than my 30-06 with my standard 165 gr bullet. At 300 yds the same 338 round has 200 ft lbs of energy more than the 30-06 at 100 yds. So you can see that with the possibility of 300 yard shots in the Missouri breaks, I clearly need this rifle! After all, I have not bought a new set of golf clubs for years...

Now that I have softened up my bride on why I need this rifle, I hope to get your advice on a scope.

I think a 2-10x(40-44mm) scope is what makes sense to me. My thinking is that you need to be able to have a low power for a close shot in the wood and enough power for longer range shots.

Now I know most of you have an attachment of a particular brand. I am not particularly entranced with name brand. My impression is that th optics business has been making the kind of advances that cell phones have made. Her are the candidates that have come up so far:

Simmons 2.8-10x44 Aetec Master Rifle Scope - $159-189. Chuck Hawkes had nice things to say about this one. See http://www.swfa.com/pc-4715-704-simm...fle-scope.aspx

Leupold 3-9x40 VX-II Riflescope - $299. See: http://www.swfa.com/pc-3463-86-leupo...iflescope.aspx

Bushnell 2.5-10x40 Elite 4200 Rifle Scope - $369 See: http://www.swfa.com/pc-1278-185-bush...fle-scope.aspx

Thanks in advance for your advice and experience!

Edited by jdfuller1946

I like the Elite glass a lot but I wouldn't like that big scope on one of my boomers. The Leupy is just fine.

JD...............The Elite 4200 is the clear winner here! Superior over not only the VX11 but the VX111 too!.......Now! I know that there are those who think that there is not enough eye relief with the 4200`s. I will remind them that "martin 3175" a poster to this site has more than one 4200 sitting on a 300RUM and a big 338 too! Mine sits on a light weight compact 300 WSM! My friend has one on his 300 Wby. Another on a 340 Wby. Neither of us have been scope whacked!!.......The 4200`s eye relief on 9x is 3.3" and on the lower powers is greater!.........Many high quality scopes average 3.5" to 3.75." If one gets whacked hard with a 3.3" of eye relief, you`ll still get nailed hard at 3.5" or 3.75". Then, I would seriously question one`s cheek position and or body position!...........This business about placing an Elite 4200 on a hard recoiling magnum is, to say the least, a mute point. I`ve also seen them on .375`s at the range and have talked with those who have 4200`s on .375`s. No problems with them either!............The 4200 w/ Rainguard, not only is your better choice of the three you list, but a much better choice than many others as well. It will give you the best value to dollar ratio over any other scope on the market!....The 3X9 4200 is $260 on the site. There would be no disadvantage there as opposed to the 2.5x10 Elite. 

If you are talking about hunting then one of the things you really must consider is the trajectory of the cartridge and while there are a number of trajectory compensating reticles most are in the second focal plane which means you can only use them at the highest power of the scope. A reticle be it mil dot / TMR or what ever in the first focal plane gives you the ability to use the marks on the reticle for known hold over at any power. I put a Leupold Mk4 3.5-10x40 FFP TMR on my 300 win mag. If you select a scope with a balistic plex / Boone & Crocket or other range compensating reticle select the maximum power accordingly with the understanding that the hold over is only accurate at the highest power ( center x is always the same).  Additionally one can do something similar with a duplex reticle by using the point where the top stadia goes from wide to narrow as 100 yds the x as 200 yds and the point below where the stadia goes narrow to wide as 300 yds. (check on the range to see how close this estimation is). 

 

You also should give consideration to your style of hunting - someone who walks and stalks game would be better served by a lower power  - someone who hunts from a fixed position would be better served by a higher power.

 

here is a scope from sample list that makes some sense to me:

8341

Kahles 2-7x36 CL Multizero

51703, Matte finish, Plex reticle, 1" tube, fast focus eye piece, allows you to zero your scope at five different ranges, like new

$499.95

 

Why not a .375 H&H  ?

Edited by Urimaginaryfrnd

have an atec, wanted see if the aspherical lens helped a cheap scope out, it did but not this type of gun, personally don't think it would hold up. have used .338s -alot for big to small, and the common thing is, poor quality designed stocks on most. bet your wife really went for that, and you thought those stars in her eyes were for you when shes thinkin about that (pick anything that starts with shoes). If you are thinking hunker down on high power for a long range shot with a boss- have someone take videos -- please-- then post. While 338s are more than capable of outstanding long range accuracy, this discussion always includes somekind of "target" stock modified and control of the recoil with the stock is a given. Hitting a large animal above deer, 5-6x is high enough for shots even to 400 yds. and you may want to consider the additional margin this range has to offer.

Shooters, good stuff@  Thanks.

On that list the 4200 is clearly the best scope of the group.

Best of luck and welcome, jd!!

 

 

You could save some money by going with the 3-9x40 Elite 4200.

Wrote a big, long post with lots of wisdom and thought, checked the sample list, and now you get this post instead.



Swaro 3-10x42, off the sample list, $699.95.  I know it costs significantly more; but, as an owner of a 4200 and this Swaro (with different reticule) the difference is staggering and you will never (NEVER) regret the extra $$.  My humble advice: save for a few more months, cut back on the cokes and Lay's tater chips, squirrel every penny away, and purchase this beauty.

Many people consider the scope on a rifle to be a necessary evil and roughly equivalent to lipstick on a dead person; I would say the scope needs to be every bit as good and well made as the rifle.  That's a nice rifle you're buying; why top it with a $200 scope?  Why buy a Porsche 911 Turbo and fill it with regular unleaded?

Hemmingway said our greatest weapons are time and patience.  Save for the Swaro, you'll be glad you did when hunting day comes.


Edited by Rancid Coolaid

From your choices the 4200 hands down. Atec won't last real well with the recoil, leupold won't be in same league with 4200 optics wise. 3x9 4200 would be a less expensive choice and as good optically. If price was less of a consideration there is another level of optics such as zeiss - kahles - swaro  to consider, they won't kill the game any deader, just look a little brighter and contrasty especially in lower light periods. 4200's are the best bang for the buck out there right now IMHO.

     focus

Of those on the list the Elite 4200 has the best glass. On a boomer the eye relief can and for me is a problem. I tend to crawl the stock especially in improvised hunting positions. Getting clocked by the scope is a great way to ruin your hunting day..Never liked Simmons, have had a few. Will have no more. The Leupold is OK, but at VX-II level glass is not that good for the money. Have you looked at Burris or Sightron? Both good scopes and in the FFII line for Burris and Sightron SII will fit your price range and give better eye relief. The Leupold VX-III line has good glass but is more expensive.

I think that what the Leupold VXIII lacks in glass it more than makes up for in reticle design not so for VXII. As for top glass the Swarvo and Kahles used off Samplelist are obviously the best glass. The 4200 is nice glass and of the original three the pick of the litter but still not best in class. Zeiss 3-9x40 being only slightly more might be worth a look also but of what I'm seeing here I think the samplelist 2-7 Kahles with multi-zero offers more than the rest of the field dollar for dollar.  I'm still thinking the 338 is a bit much gun and that the 30-06 would work quite well, I think a 300 Win Mag or a 300 WSM. I saw a SAKO finlight in 300 WSM that I think would be a pleasure to pack up and down mountains hunting elk and what a great extractor - oh yea. The best elk hunter I know uses a 270 (but the Sgt Maj. was an Army Sniper Instructor).

Welcome, Jeff!

 

First off, I like your justification for buying a new rifle!  I've used far flimsier excuses for adding another gun to my collection.  Good job on the spousal management!

 

Of the 3 scopes you listed, I'd go with the Elite 4200, but as previously mentioned, I'd be more inclined to get one of the Kahles, Swaro, or Zeiss scopes currently on the Sample List.  You can get some top-drawer optics for a pretty significant discount if you don't mind very minor cosmetic blemishes like faint ring marks (in some cases, you can get essentially new optics on the Sample List).  For instance, right now, SWFA has a bunch of Kahles scopes on sale on the Sample List:

http://www.samplelist.com/default.aspx?display_num=10&mf g_selection=5&prod_type=1&hide_sold=false

 

Good luck on your hunt!

broadfoot wrote: Here's one that broke both shoulders of a mature cow Elk at 125 yards from a 338-08 and then went 8" into the hill behind her.

 

Wow!  Forget bullet performance...you managed to find a bullet imbedded 8" in the ground on the opposite side of an elk you shot from 125 yards away?!!!  That's some impressive detective work there, broad, akin to finding the proverbial needle in the haystack!  How long did it take to finally find it?

Edited by RifleDude

4200 Elite is far and away the choice of the optics you listed. I have several on rifles that smack pretty hard ( 300 RUM, 300 Wby, 338 Win Mag, and  45/70 XLR ) ,,,and absolutely no issues whatsoever..Rainguard helps also..