I'm usually the guy recommending scopes to friends and on the FB pages I run, but am stuck between 2 scopes.

I need a scope for a 35 Whelen I built my wife for a moose hunt and cape buffalo hunt (yes, you can use 35 Whelen in RSA and it's effective).

I'm torn between the German Precision Optics Spectra 1.5-9x44 and the new Eotech Vudu X 2-12x40. Both are SFP - which I what I want. And both are illuminated. I like the 1.5x on the GPO for the dangerous game, but the Vudu X is a little more compact with a 40mm objective. Now, I could get the GPO Spectra 1.5-9x32 if I wanted a lower profile.

I considered a 1-6, but not sure if my wife would like 6x for the moose. Now, unlikely she would be shooting over 200 yards. I shot a red lechwe at 350 yards with a 5X on a 375 H&H and it felt fine.

Thoughts?

As you can imagine, AH, both of those scopes are too sexy for me.

I don't trust high-multiple variables because of the extra complication and (probable) mass they require. I don't trust illumination, either, if it requires batteries. Leupold haven't even trusted their own electrics, limiting the warranty to a year or two, though the scopes are guaranteed for life.

Furthermore, I have no respect for German Precision Optics, because they are not made in Germany, despite the name. Bosch might get their dishwashers from Portugal or NZ but if you invoke a country in your brand name it is misrepresentation to make them elsewhere, esp. from the get-go.

Considering the recoil and looping trajectory of the 35 Whelen, I'd settle for a Leupold 2.5x if you can find one, even in a pawn shop. Then, if it is no good, send it back to Beaverton.

I won't comment on the Vudu since I have no personal experience with it, but I've had several mid-to-upper end GPO scopes and have been impressed by both their tracking and optical quality. The 1.5-9x44 sounds like it would be just the ticket for your needs.

I do wish, however, that they'd offer illumination that goes dimmer than what they currently offer. In truly low-light, it's a bit much. Their original offerings were even brighter on the lowest settings, but they did change that up a bit with subsequent lines. Still, that aspect could be improved, though for 99 percent of hunting situations, it would do just fine.

sambarman-

You wrote "Considering the...looping trajectory of the 35 Whelen, I'd settle for a Leupold 2.5x..."

I don't know what load AH will be loading for that rifle, but it's well-known that the 35W can safely push the 225 grain Accubond or Partition to 2700+ fps. Both of those have BCs in excess of .4, so I wouldn't exactly consider those trajectories "looping." The 200 grain TTSX BT will approach 2800 -- and that's no slouch, either. Or how about a 180 grain premium approaching 3000 fps?

Neither a moose nor a buffalo takes a lot of magnification to see well enough to shoot. A good fixed power scope, as Sambarman suggests, would likely serve better. And cheaper. And much more dependable. And will never be set at the wrong power when the occasion arises.

The very best of these (in my experience, at least) would be the now discontinued Leupold full-sized 3X. Lots of folks agree because when those come up for sale in the used market they typically go for a princely sum. If the stock fits the shooter well and the scope is mounted properly so that the shooter acquires the sight picture quickly, then a 4X full-size Leupold would be a good alternative. Forgiving eye relief/placement, water and dust proof, and guaranteed for life. Hard to do better.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
... sambarman -

You wrote "Considering the...looping trajectory of the 35 Whelen, I'd settle for a Leupold 2.5x..."

I don't know what load AH will be loading for that rifle, but it's well-known that the 35W can safely push the 225 grain Accubond or Partition to 2700+ fps. Both of those have BCs in excess of .4, so I wouldn't exactly consider those trajectories "looping." The 200 grain TTSX BT will approach 2800 -- and that's no slouch, either. Or how about a 180 grain premium approaching 3000 fps?

I guess it depends what you want to shoot with it, Bobby.

AH mentions moose and Elmer and I would use nothing less than 250 grains for them. We use 250-grain bullets for our 'Indian elk' over here and I would load 275s if I could find some - and thought the slow Remington rifling would keep them end-on.

Yes, if you want or need to use unleaded slugs, some reduction in weight will be required, and I am impressed with the wind-cheating accuracy I get from Barnes .338 TTSX bullets. I would question the suitability of 180-grain bullets in .35 calibre for moose at long range, though.

That said, Townsend Whelen thought his little Zeiss Zielklein (2.25×) was good for 350 yards on big game, so Stonecreek's 3x Leupold sounds good to me.

Some things just never change lol. As another forum member has previously pointed out, you can always depend on the internet to recommend to recommend sushi when someone is clearly deciding between pork or beef. The OP asked opinions regarding scopes a and b but was told scope "c" is a better choice.

Probably going to go with the VuduX 2-12. Going to mount my 2-10x36 Credo on there from my 6.5 Grendel AR and see of that looks for close up objects. The drawback to the Credo is that it's FFP. Not SFP, but will give me a good idea about magnification and what my wife is comfortable with. She says the FFP on the Credo is fine, but did not like the FFP Trijicons we looked at last week at the Western Hunting Expo. I don't remember if they had any VuduXs there. She was focused on backpacks.

FFP reticles are a nice salute to the old days when they meant something more than range estimation, but if installed in a brass cell at the front end of the erector tube may increase the destructive recoil-inertia on that assembly.

However, being in front of the power scroll, they won't transmit zero changes between different magnifications as the mechanism wears.

My Whelen in the rebore state at JES will be wearing a Leupold Alaskan 2.5X, nice to look at and handy as all get out. I don't need many X,s to kill a 2000 lb. Moose or 1600 lb Cape Buffalo. Longest shot I ever made was on a Black Wildebeest with my 338 and a 3X Leupold. Hunting with Swarkei Safaris PH Phillip Price. My point is you have a good sight picture at long range, and Xs magnify your wiggle tmes the power.

BTW. in all my years I never hunted with a better RSA PHs than the Price bothers. No interest to be gained in the recommendation, Im retired.