After reading posts here and a few other sights I think I might have to re-scope my .300 win. I am looking to go west to hunt at least once a year, I'm just starting to handload and would like to shoot some extended ranges. My question is what scope and what reticle? Do I get a reticle like a mil-dot or a scope that you adjust elevation according to range? Keep in mind I'm new at this, longest shot to date at whitetail was 379 paces next to longest shot was 286 paces( pre range finder days) Thanks Chain

What scope do you have now? In the big game hunting that I am familar with there is no time to fool around adjusting the sights. I hold over, under and to the side depending on the circumstances.

If possible I now use a laser to determine distances beforehand.

Both my 300 win mag and I like the Leupold Vari-X III in 3.5 - 10.

I feel if I'm not happy with what I see at 10X, I need to get closer!

I've always been a "hold-over" shooter and it has worked many times but, w/ todays mordern technology, there is no more need for the guessing days.

I bought a Burris Fullfield II w/ Ballistic Plex a year ago and got to test it out on a couple of rifles this past summer. W/ the right loads and a Good range finder that scope is deadly. I've yet to go past 400 yards w/ it but, this spring I may just for kicks.

I've got another Burris FFII w/ Ball. Plx on order as we speak that I'm going to match up w/ a Remington Model 700 7mm RM. I am going to taylor some loads for that setup and I'm planning on using it on a Texas whitetail hunt this fall. I'm not planning on shooting at a deer at long range but, if the opportunity arises, I'll be ready.

Good Luck!

Reloader

I have a Redfield 3X9X50 That is very clear to my eye. I just wanted to stsrt shooting at extended(for me) ranges, 500-600 yds. The scope is fine here where I hardly shoot past 100. Thanks Chain

Good question, you should get some interesting replys here.

I own and use a number of scopes with target type elevation knobs. I find them a big assest when shooting prairie dogs or ground squirrels at extended range. BUT, I do not want the knobs on a hunting rifle.

A friend's son put a target knob type scope on a 30-378 Wby Mag and went elk hunting last fall.
First off, he could not get the darned thing in and out of the rifle scabbard. Secondly, when he did he the missed the elk. Seems the target knobs had gotten turned while in the scabbard.
No thanks!

On the other hand, I have bought two new scopes in the last few months. I have put new Leupold VX-III scopes on my 7mm Wby mag and 300 Wby Mag rifles. I bought the 3.5 X 10 X 40 matte version with the new Boone and Crockett reticle.
This scope has no AO feature and is not too large. I mounted both scopes in low rings.

I bought the new B&C reticle after seeing the shooting my dad was doing with one on a 270 Winchester. That new reticle just plain works.

After mounting mine I did some testing and found that the 300 and 400 yard lines on the reticle are actually right on for my rifles at 305 and 405 yards. (Shot groups at 100 using those lines, measured the group centers, then plugged that data into the Sierra ballistic program.)

Go to the Leupold web sight and check out these scopes and reticles. I really recommend them.
They are so new, I have not used them much. I did take the 7mm Wby Mag coyote hunting the other day just for fun. Shot a coyote just right at 400 yards using that new scope.

R F

I have scopes with target knobs and they are a pain for handling. I suggest taking a look at the Stoney Point Target Knobs.


Just buy one and put it on the elevation of your scope when you feel the need to spin the dials.

I have taken big game out to nearly 500 yards with 3x10x42 scopes that do not have target knobs.Not only are they not required but they can cause confusion when a hunter gets excited or if time is short as an animal crosses a small opening.I do however use scopes with target knobs on my varmint and target rifles.

Bushnell has a new Legend out that I am thinking seriously of getting for my 300Wby. It is a 5-15x40AO with the Mil-Dot. Not too expensive and should work well for the hunting that I do. Sit and Snipe! derf

There's a couple of us on this board that like the 3.5-10x Shepherd reticle, 18 or 24" ranging circles (chose depending on the primary game being hunted) with the aiming point in the center of the circle. For the "mid-range" distances your shooting the Shepherd should be fine.
With any "drop compinsating" scope, you need to try and match the spacing as close as possiable to the actual ballistic curve of the ammo your going to be using (I had to select the "Magnum" spacing for my 30-06 handloads, due to the higher BC of of the NBT's), and than verify everything with actual test firing at extended ranges.

I have mounted a Swarovski 4-12x50 AV with the TDS reticle on a couple different 300 Win Mag class of trajectory rifles. I've found it to be nearly ideal. With a 180gr bullet at 3000-3100fps I site in at 200 yds and then the bars are set for 200,300,400,500 and 600 yds. Of course you need to practice at all of the different ranges but it works extremely well. Plus the optics on the Swarovski scope are going to be a bit of an improvement over what you are used too. Check one out........DJ

Thanks for the info guys. I think I will get a Swarovski, I've never looked thru one but everyone speaks highly of them. Does anyone have trouble with the 50mm and a rifle scabbard? Thanks Chain

quote:

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Originally posted by chain:
Does anyone have trouble with the 50mm and a rifle scabbard? Thanks Chain

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Yes it is a problem, but scabbard fit is the least of your worries with a 50mm objective.

1. The 50mm will be heavier than a "normal" objective. The last thing you need in a hunting rifle is more weight.

2. The 50mm will require higher mounting in order to clear the objective bell. This forces the line of sight so high that you can't properly place your cheek against the comb of the stock (some call it "cheek weld"), making offhand shooting slow and unsteady. If you're handicapped in offhand shooting, you're going to miss a lot of opportunities.

3. The higher, heavier mounting places much greater stress on the mounts, making them more easily damaged or knocked out of zero.

4. The only advantage of a large objective is to gather sufficient light at higher magnifications to make the target visible. A "normal" 40mm objective provides the maximum usable exit pupil at about 6.5X if it's pitch dark. For legal light conditions (30 minutes prior/post sun in most U.S. jurisdictions), the 40mm objective provides all the light your eye can use at up to 10X.

5. High magnifications are for little targets like prairie dogs. Even a small deer is sufficiently visible at 500 yards for sighting at low magnification. Anything more than 9-10X for game hunting is superfluous. If you get a 15-18X scope, you're dead certain to have it set at maximum magnification when a buck bounds out from behind a lone cedar tree at 25 yards distance, and you can't find him in the scope's narrow field of view for love or money. (Hell, you can't even find the scope's sight picture way up there a couple of inches off of the stock's comb!)

6. It may not matter to you, but when some city boy shows up in camp with a scope that's bigger than his rifle, everybody strongly suspects that it's going to be a long and less-than-happy hunt.

Bottom line: Buy any quality 3-9 or 10X 40mm variable you like, get some new mounts that place it absolutely as low against the barrel as possible, set the zero for NO MORE than 300 yards (any further and you're sure to shoot over an animal at mid-range), learn the needed holdover at any reasonbly longer yardages, and get as close to your target as possible before making the commitment of trying to take the life of a noble game animal.

Stoncreek, Thank you. I've always liked my scopes as low as possible and I mounted this 50mm scope on my muzzleloader, maybe it was the cut of the muzzleloader stock, but I liked it. I however don't like the same scope on my .300 win. I think I'm going to a Swarovski, while I am still single in a 40mm. Thanks for the sound advice. Chain

Here is what you do, put a good fixed 4 or 6 x scope on that 300 Winchester. Then zero it spot on for 200 yards. You can then hold on hair and make good solid hits to around 375 or so yards. It dose not have to be complicated. I have hunted all over for years with either a fixe 4 or 6 power or the scope set on either 4 or 6 when I took a shot. My current favorite rifle a 300WSM has a fixed 4 power on it. I had no problems or needed more. Sometimes less is best.

quote:

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Originally posted by Stonecreek:

quote:

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Originally posted by chain:
Does anyone have trouble with the 50mm and a rifle scabbard? Thanks Chain

---

Yes it is a problem, but scabbard fit is the least of your worries with a 50mm objective.

1. The 50mm will be heavier than a "normal" objective. The last thing you need in a hunting rifle is more weight.

2. The 50mm will require higher mounting in order to clear the objective bell. This forces the line of sight so high that you can't properly place your cheek against the comb of the stock (some call it "cheek weld"), making offhand shooting slow and unsteady. If you're handicapped in offhand shooting, you're going to miss a lot of opportunities.

3. The higher, heavier mounting places much greater stress on the mounts, making them more easily damaged or knocked out of zero.

4. The only advantage of a large objective is to gather sufficient light at higher magnifications to make the target visible. A "normal" 40mm objective provides the maximum usable exit pupil at about 6.5X if it's pitch dark. For legal light conditions (30 minutes prior/post sun in most U.S. jurisdictions), the 40mm objective provides all the light your eye can use at up to 10X.

5. High magnifications are for little targets like prairie dogs. Even a small deer is sufficiently visible at 500 yards for sighting at low magnification. Anything more than 9-10X for game hunting is superfluous. If you get a 15-18X scope, you're dead certain to have it set at maximum magnification when a buck bounds out from behind a lone cedar tree at 25 yards distance, and you can't find him in the scope's narrow field of view for love or money. (Hell, you can't even find the scope's sight picture way up there a couple of inches off of the stock's comb!)

6. It may not matter to you, but when some city boy shows up in camp with a scope that's bigger than his rifle, everybody strongly suspects that it's going to be a long and less-than-happy hunt.

Bottom line: Buy any quality 3-9 or 10X 40mm variable you like, get some new mounts that place it absolutely as low against the barrel as possible, set the zero for NO MORE than 300 yards (any further and you're sure to shoot over an animal at mid-range), learn the needed holdover at any reasonbly longer yardages, and get as close to your target as possible before making the commitment of trying to take the life of a noble game animal.

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StoneCreek, I'm sorry but you must not be the least bit familiar with a Swarovski 4-12x50 TDS scope as almost every point you mention is almost completly unfounded.

1. At 13.9oz a Swarovski 4-12x50 is LIGHTER than many 2.5-10 Scopes - A Bushnell 2.5-10x40 Elite 4200 weighs 16oz. The Swaro is in the same weight class as a Leupold VX-III 3-10x40 which weighs 13.0 oz.

2. The 4-12x50 Swaro fits in Low rings on Kimber 8400's with either Kimber factory bases or Talley rings and bases. They fit Sako's in Low rings (even Ultra-Low). They fit Winchester M-70's with low QRW rings. These are just the ones that I've personally used, the bell is small enough in overall diameter since it doesn't have a adjustable objective to fit many more.

3.Since they are as light or lighter and as low or lower this point is simply incorrect in this case.

4. A 10x scope with a 40mm objective only provides a 4mm exit pupil. Even a 50mm objective provides your 6.5mm exit pupil only up to 7.7x. Low light conditions can exit in Rainy, overcast not just 30min before/after sunset.

5. I typically leave my variables at the lowest power and only turn them up when I have time on longer shots. I shot an Elk this year at 16x and a deer at 3.5x - different scopes, same technique no problems.

6. Predjudice is almost always stupid. If a hunter can shoot he can shoot, if he can't he can't, doesn't matter what scope he's using. For years everyone thought that 4x scopes were the Ultimate for all around a 4-12 gives this power plus the advantage of higher magnifications.

Bottom line: A little more magnification sometimes (if rarely) can provide enough extra target identification to make a tough shot. Some large 30mm tube 50mm obj scopes are as you have described but maybe you should try the scope that you are trying to talk about before you make negative comments about them........DJ

Another reason that higher magnifacation is useful is that it makes seeing Mirage much easier. If you are really going to become competant at longer ranges you must learn to read Mirage..........DJ

Hello,
There are many fine optical sights on the market these days and they do wonderful things, but the one thing they will not do for any of us is make us better marksmen, or riflemen. Developing the skill to shoot accurately and place the humane shot is primary and would not advise taking shots at big game over super long ranges. Turned down a shot on a huge Alaskan moose some years ago that was probably some 450 to 500 yards away, but felt not the right thing to do. Next day got one not quite as big, but was also some 200 yards away and shot placement was not an issue at all. Just my thoughts.
Favor Center!!
dsiteman

I'll just add one more rifle to DJ's list for the Swaro 4-12 X 50 TDS - It fits on low talley rings on the Weatherby Mark V's as well. It is a sweet scope and weighs only one ounce more than my Kahles 3-9 TDS.

I don't know about you guys that live out west but the gun shops around here let you look at a scope inside the building, with the flourescent lights and everything else going. I would like to find a shop that youcould go and look at things in the distance out back in the low light hours of the day. At verying distances. Thanks Chain