$300-$500 new scope input for .300 win mag

[rbcowboy]

Hey Fellas, I'm looking for a new scope for my .300 win mag with a 24" barrel and no muzzle brake! I need to stay in the $300-$500 price range. The 3 that I'm currently looking at are the SIGHTMARK Ezekiel 3-30x56, KONUS KonusPro M-30 8.5-32x52, and the VORTEX Viper 6.5-20x50 PA. If you have any previous experience with any of these or viable knowledge of their capabilities I would appreciate your input. I'll also welcome any other scope suggestions in this price range. I do want a variable power as this is a hunting rifle as well as a long range target riflel and would like a 50mm or better objective. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[westcliffe01]

Cheap scopes and high magnification seems like a recipe for disaster. What is your application ? I suggest that for the same money, you would get a considerably more useful scope if you stay with a 3-12x or 4-16x magnification. More than likely you should have no issue using full magnification on either of those, whereas at 20x or above the scopes you listed would probably be unusable due to inferior optical quality.

I recall getting a Remington 700 223 with a cheap chinese 4-16x milldot scope. Well, above 8x the scope was useless. Turrets of course were junk too. I gave it away.

Look at the 4-16 scopes again and pay attention to the range of internal movement. Some of the Nikon scopes were quite good optically, but only had 40 or 60 MOA total movement, so you may need to shim the scope if it is installed on a 20MOA base, just so it can be zeroed with the range of movement available.

Also, if you hunt in areas subject to mirage, the high magnification may be useless even in a high quality scope.

 

[Tikka 300wsm]

I dont have any experience with minox but ive heard alot of great things, id really consider these.
Minox - Camera Land NY
Minox - Camera Land NY

 

[westcliffe01]

I bought a 3-15x Minnox and it was terrible. No parallax adjustment and the error at 100 yards was terrible. Its the last time ever that I will buy a scope with no parallax adjustment. I returned it and got my first Viper PST and have never looked back.

 

[rbcowboy]

Westcliffe I'm trying to work my way out to 1000yrds and better is the reasoning behind the high power scope and just wanted the variable power to be able to hunt with the rifle as well! for the most part i only shoot targets but an ocassional coyote or other varmit at 200 yards needs to be doable also. i know a rifle is only as good as its optics but right now i can afford a $1000 scope but i definitely need better than the BSA 8-32x I have now! I really appreciate the help!!!

 

[westcliffe01]

If you look at the scopes sold by the host of this forum, few of them are higher than 22x magnification. And at the asking price, they have some of the best glass on the market.

It does not sound like you have actually used the high power scopes you are suggesting. Most of my hunting is for coyotes and because of the lay of the land I have few opportunities under 250 yards. When I started out, I quickly settled on a 3-12x42 which worked very well. Going up to a 4-16x50 a while later did provide a brighter image a bigger exit pupil so eye position was not quite so critical. I later got a 6-24x50 and the goal of that scope was to prepare for longer range hunting out west in the mountains. It sits on a 6.5x284 that has ballistics more suited to those kind of endeavours.

I can tell you right now that a 6x min magnification scope is much more limited in hunting because at 6x the field of view is a lot narrower than a 4x or 3x min magnification. If one can reliably anticipate a long range shot, that is fine. But you may want alternatives like a red dot sight mounted to the main scope in case you have to make a close up shot.

My main point is that the image quality of anything over 16x is going to suck within your price range. Even at 16x the exit pupil is so small that your eye has to be in just the right place to see anything at all. I can assure you that shots on coyotes out to 450 yards are no problem with a 12 or 16x scope. I think you may be surprised how hard it is to hold a rifle steady so the reticle is not dancing all over the place at that range and magnification. It is more important to have a calibrated reticle (especially for coyotes) and know how to use it in high pressure situations than any amount of magnification.

One scope for you to consider that I recently used in a rifle build for a lady is the Hawke Optics HK5134. It is a 4-16x44 with side focus (parallax correction) and a mill dot reticle. It was just $200 at opticsplanet Hawke Sport Optics Varmint SF 4-16x44mm Rifle Scope FREE S&H HK5134. Hawke Sport Optics Rifle Scopes.

It also has target turrets which appear to work fine based on my sighting in of the rifle system. Its not a Leupold or a Vortex PST but its not the same price either and I think you will not be disappointed with it.

 

[Tikka 300wsm]

I bought a 3-15x Minnox and it was terrible. No parallax adjustment and the error at 100 yards was terrible. Its the last time ever that I will buy a scope with no parallax adjustment. I returned it and got my first Viper PST and have never looked back.

Thats the first bad thing ive heard about them but its something to take note of, i will second your opinion on vortex its what i got on my rifles and i love them, cameraland has the hst 6-24 for 500...it should get you to 1k but i dont really like anything more than a 4x on the low end for hunting. This is only 50 bucks over your budget so if you can swing it go for it.
Vortex - Camera Land NY

 

[rbcowboy]

thank you gentlemen i will definitely take your input into consideration in my decision! i'm guesing nobody has any info on the sightmark ezekiel? i liked the idea of the 3-30x and the 56mm objective but am having difficulty finding any reviews on the scope and dont know if thats a good or bad thing??? LOL

 

[Panchik]

I would go with Nikon Monarch either 2,5-10x42 or 3,5-12x42, the first is more preferable for hunting for me. The latter has a side focuse adjustment. Great glass and very reliable turrets.

 

[lloydsmale]

Nikon monarch or vx2 leupold can both be bought in that price range.

 

[baldhunter]

I recommend the Weaver Super Slam 3 x 15 x 50.Natchez has them on sale right now.They are the best scope for the money you can buy.They are right in line with Zeiss Conquest and Bushnell 4200,in fact the rifles I had these scopes on have been replaced with the Super Slams.They are heavy and built rugged,but I have no problem seeing my bullet holes at 200yds.i now own five of them.
Weaver 3-15X50 Super Slam Riflescope Side Focus Dual-X Reticle Matte - Natchez Shooters Supplies 3-15X50 Super Slam Riflescope Side Focus Dual-X Reticle Matte

 

[timmay]

Just my opinion and preference:
you don't need those super high magnifications for long range, especially in a lower grade scope. For 1000 yards all you need is a good 10x scope. Even for super long range like 1700yds you don't need 20x
The higher magnification, the worse the view and mirage gets (unless you are spending $2500 and up on a Shmidt and Bender, and the like).
I have the Vortex 6.5-20x50 PA and its a very good scope for $475, but I never go over 10-12 power and wish I just got the 2-10.
Now after gaining more experience, I prefer nothing more than 10 power and prefer fixed 10 scopes for target shooting over variable (in my opinion nothing beats the US Optics fixed 10 but thats about $1000-1200)
If I were you with that budget Id get a super sniper fixed 10. Great scope and 100% reliable turret tracking (which is the number one thing to be concerned about in a scope for long range...tracking dependability)
But most guys want the variable scopes because they don't want to feel locked in a fixed power, but they are much more durable and much easier to use especially if (like me) you like to use your reticle for ranging targets....its always on the setting you need

 

[rbcowboy]

Thank you very much gentlemen I really appreciate your input! I think I've narrowed it down!

 

[Rich Coyle]

rbcowboy,

I have one of the 3-30X's. I will compare it with a Leupold and Bushnell tomorrow and let you know what I come up with. I use high magnification a lot.