Good scope for light weight hunting rifle (under $1000)

Great scope for a 7 PRC. Sight in at 200 yards, so no need to think about drops from 0-300 yards. Beyond 300 yards, dial. Definitely get an illuminated center dot for hunting. A lot of shots happen at first and last light.


 
I am a very similar shooter to you as it sounds, except I am an MOA guy. I have migrated slowly Zeiss scopes on my hunting rigs as the clarity and low light performance seem to be the best for me out of the brands I've tried. V4 series scopes would seem to check most of the boxes you've mentioned. I really think you'd be happy with one.
 
I was looking at the leupold VX3D 4.5-14x40 or the Vortex Viper HST or HSLR 4-16 x 50. But the reviews are mixed.
I have the Leopold 4.5-14x40. It's a good scope for the money and my use for it. The turrets are "mushy", not very tactile at room temperature and worse when cold ( almost have to use the lines as you can't really feel them around 0 degrees F.

The glass is acceptable but not amazing.

In my experience, if you consider the main name brands, for any given price point, the values are equal, just not the same. What I mean is that for any given price you are picking features. If you want great turrets, glass quality may suffer. Great glass may carry a weight penalty. Some scopes will do a better job of balancing features than others.

Once you double or triple your budget, those features are all going to be top notch and it takes a critical eye to discern the differences between scopes of equal value.

Perhaps you would get better responses in the Optics section of the forum. Enjoy the process/addiction. Lol
 
I was looking at the leupold VX3D 4.5-14x40 or the Vortex Viper HST or HSLR 4-16 x 50. But the reviews are mixed.
I put a leupold vx3d 4.5-14x40 on my Cooper model 92 back country. It was my pick because of the weight. I believe the scope weight is about 17 ounces. I did not want a 3 lb scope on a 5.75 lb rifle. The scope has performed great and was an awesome match for my setup.
 
https://www.longrangehunting.com/th...50-great-condition.345817/page-2#post-2970990

This Swaro is about as light as you can go. Almost perfect (except the BRX vice BRH) reticle for a mountain type rifle. I have one of the 3-10 with the BRH and these are great glass. Had it on a lightweight 300 RUM and it held zero. On a 338 Sherman now and it holds up. No dialing to worry about and with the PRC, you should be able to get good usage out of the reticle without having to dial. Outdoorsmans makes dials, but not sure if they do for this one.
 
Zeiss V4, or something Leupold. Other good brands over 1000. Make sure it is not Chinese or Phillipines made. Their turrets do not always track well. That said I have had decent luck with the Vortex Viper series. They are made in the Philippines.
 
As others have stated, personal preference trumps most other things in rifle scopes. Light weight needs to be defined by you, but I look at 25 ozs and less as fairly light weight scopes. I put a good glass at high priority for a hunting scope. It can make a huge difference during critical hunting times (low light or tough sun angles). In your price range I have used a VX5HD 3-15x44. It has been berated by many on durability, but it has never let me down. Mounting solutions are as critical as the scope IMO. Good luck in your search.
 
Thing is, glass quality is paramount so you pretty much have to look through them yourself and make your decism

I would say that ability to hold zero and not fail mechanically are higher priority than glass quality. The first two are objective, glass quality is very subjective. Also, it doesn't matter how well you can see your target if you can't hit it because your scope won't track or has shifted zero.

Check out Maven and Tract. Both offer FFP and SFP in both Mil and MOA reticles.
 
Tagging in. I have a sig tango 4 I love but they are not made anymore and the next sig option is out of my price range... interesting to hear the different opinions and suggestions.
 
VX3HD 3.5-10x50, 30 mm tube with Firedot Twilight Hunter reticle. From Leupold. Comes with free dial up turret for whatever ballistics profile you want. Have one on my CZ Grendel for thick woods, early morning/late evening hunting. Most any scope works in bright light. You have to look through this with five minutes of shooting time left to see its worth.
 
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