Picking scope for new ridgeline 300rum

Hey all I'm picking up my new Christensen Ridgeline 300RUM tomorrow and am now focusing on what optic to pick up in the next few months. I'm planning to use this for hunting mule deer to elk in NC Montana.

Right now I'm looking at
Nightforce SHV 5-20x-56
Burris xtr ii 4-20 or 5-25
Vortex PST gen 2 5-25
Whiskey 5 5-25

Then possibly if I can justify the extra cost similar magnicification in a vortex razor, Nightforce nxs, or Sig Tango 6

Does anyone have hands on experience with with these scopes and help recommend which direction to go? This is my first step over $1k glass and rifle. (Also currently have a vortex 5-20 scheels exclusive with turrets on a 6.5 creedmoor that works well)

One manufacturer I don't see on your list is Leupold?
I would recommend a Leupold
VX-5HD or VX-6HD with the CDS and ZL2 turrets, they come in 3-18 or 4-24 power. I personally like and use the 3-18x50.
I have experience with all the scooes you listed except for the Whiskey.
The Leupolds I mentioned will have better glass than the SHV. The Leupolds are also lighter which is nice when considering weight for a hunting rig. Another consideration is the excellent warranty Leupold has.
All the optics you mentioned I'm sure would work and everyone will have different preferences and opinions. This is just my preference and opinion.

Mnovak73 said:

One manufacturer I don't see on your list is Leupold?
I would recommend a Leupold
VX-5HD or VX-6HD with the CDS and ZL2 turrets, they come in 3-18 or 4-24 power. I personally like and use the 3-18x50.
I have experience with all the scooes you listed except for the Whiskey.
The Leupolds I mentioned will have better glass than the SHV. The Leupolds are also lighter which is nice when considering weight for a hunting rig. Another consideration is the excellent warranty Leupold has.
All the optics you mentioned I'm sure would work and everyone will have different preferences and opinions. This is just my preference and opinion.

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Gold rings are my typical go to but I thought id seen a lot of people having issues with the tracking on the turret scopes so I didn't include them

Remington92 said:

Gold rings are my typical go to but I thought id seen a lot of people having issues with the tracking on the turret scopes so I didn't include them

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I've never had problems with any of their turrets personally but I have read that some people experienced issues with tracking in the older style turrets. Their new ZL2 turrets are excellent, I have not had any issues and I have not read anything negative on the new turrets. I think it's like anything else if you take care of it and use it properly it will last. I'm sure there's an occasional lemon in most any manufacturers product. But as I stated previously this is my opinion and my experience. Everyone will have different opinions I'm sure.

I have only looked through the Whiskey 5 and thought it was a good scope. For the Vortex, my experience is on higher powers the glass really struggles. I have a SHV but more of a target rifle given the weight. Depending on the upper end of your budget, the Swaro Z5 could be an option. It just depends on what kind of turrets and reticle you prefer as they are a little limited in that area but are a great low light hunting scope.

werth338 said:

I have only looked through the Whiskey 5 and thought it was a good scope. For the Vortex, my experience is on higher powers the glass really struggles. I have a SHV but more of a target rifle given the weight. Depending on the upper end of your budget, the Swaro Z5 could be an option. It just depends on what kind of turrets and reticle you prefer as they are a little limited in that area but are a great low light hunting scope.

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Does Swaro offer a standard graduated turret? From what I remember seeing they just have quick turns for 100-400 or 500 yards

From what I was told earlier you can buy a custom turret from swarovski, but you may want to double check if you go that route, don't kill me for the next part but it seems to me that there are more Leopolds up for sale on this site then there is anything else, and to me that says something but I could be wrong, but to your scopes listed I like my vortex gen 2 a lot I like the tree reticle it has, I held it side by side with a shv and would pick it over the shv, but I like Bushnells g2 g3 reticles better myself I think it's easier to see, they make a LRHSi or the HDMR II both are a little more than the ones you mentioned but imo they are worth it, but if your sticking to your list and it's a good one I'd go vortex, and great choice on Christensen I love mine

Swaro has a ballistic turret set up that allows you to set up to 3 additional distances with rings that have a colored dot on them for quick point of reference. I have used them on a 338-378 and 6.5-300 and they worked well. If you want MOA turret or BDC, Outdoorsman can make you one as well.

I run nxs 5.5-22x50 on all my long range hunting rigs, they track perfect and have really good glass. My buddy uses the Burris xtr ii they also track well and have a good solid zero stop.

I would also take a look at the Zeiss V4, they've been getting some great reviews.
Glass is extremely good on every Zeiss I've looked through, and they have a zero stop.
Might be one of the best deals right now at just over a grand.

I like leupolds, but one other option is a Burris veracity 5-25 with scr reticle. Gets you back to 30mm tube for weight consideration over the xtrii

Whiskey 5-25 would be my choice. Anti cant reticle is nice

I just picked up a Zeiss V6 conquest. The glass is exceptional. It's right there with my Schmidt & Bender and looks clearer than my Night Force. As noted above, I skipped on leupold given how many come up for sale on this site.

I just tested a V6 3-18x50 the other night and would agree that the glass is incredible.
Even when it was too dark to see 30 yards with the naked eye, I was able to clearly see objects out to 800 yards.
I hate to admit it but the V6 completely blows my Leupold vx6 out of the water in clarity and brightness, I mean it's not even comparable