Best scope for new light weight rig

[snox801]

So I'm having pierce build an ultra light 6.5 creed for me. Everything is ti even my littlest screws. This rifle will be an all around hunting rig. I want to use it to carry while walking through Texas where it can be very think so 2.5x or 3 is ideal but I also want enough mag to shoot long range 1000 yards. So I have a bushnell 2.5-16 at 17ish ounces. But then I found the z5 3.5-18 that is a few ounces less so that is where I'm leaning. I like the high mag any other scope I should be looking at?

 

[Rshooter]

I would look at the VX3i LR 4.5-14 x 40 with the T32 moa reticle from the custom shop. I use it on several of my light weight long range rifles. These rifles are also used in heavy timber and have been used for some very close shots.
They come in somewhere around the 15 oz. range.

Ron

 

[jsthntn247]

Vortex Razor LH 3-15

 

[Tract Optics]

So I'm having pierce build an ultra light 6.5 creed for me. Everything is ti even my littlest screws. This rifle will be an all around hunting rig. I want to use it to carry while walking through Texas where it can be very think so 2.5x or 3 is ideal but I also want enough mag to shoot long range 1000 yards. So I have a bushnell 2.5-16 at 17ish ounces. But then I found the z5 3.5-18 that is a few ounces less so that is where I'm leaning. I like the high mag any other scope I should be looking at?

Do you plan on holding over or dialing when you want to shoot 1k? I only ask because the higher mag scopes that have less weight usually are 1" tubes, and typically have less travel. That z5 is nice at 16 oz, but has i think around 58 moa of travel.

Now, the VX6 HD at a 30mm tube, 3-18x44, has 75 moa of travel, but is 19 oz

My hat isn't in either ring, but depending on how you will be shooting, holding over or spinning the turrets, you may want to keep a 3 more ounces for that extra travel if you need it.

 

[snox801]

More than likely holding over I'm doing 30 moa rings to help. To be honest for hunting I will not go that far just be nice to know I could. If I can get to 1000 with a 30 moa rings. If not not a huge deal. I also have a new in box bushnell elite 6500 2.5-16 mil dot I was gonna use at 17.3 once so it's not bad just wondering if I'd be giving up a lot not going to the z5

 

[el matador]

Leupold VX-6 2-12x. Plenty of magnification for 1000 yards, nice and light (16.8 oz).

 

[cell4soul]

Leupold VX-6 2-12x. Plenty of magnification for 1000 yards, nice and light (16.8 oz).

This is what I just bought for my lightweight build

 

[Rich Coyle]

I would like for someone to buy one of the Track 3-15X and let us know about it.

 

[snox801]

The vx 6 has less mag range and weighs more than the swaro. I no I'm good with 3.5 on the low end cause that's where I run my other scopes most time when stalking. So what would the vx6 have over the swaro. Only thing I can see is more moa of adjustment. But the trade off would be less magnification.
So would the swaro be a great scope with some custom turrets? It seems to be the lightest wig the most mag in the range I want. Glass is amazing. Is there something this scope isn't good at I'm missing. How about repeatable adjustments?

 

[Rich Coyle]

The vx 6 has less mag range and weighs more than the swaro. I no I'm good with 3.5 on the low end cause that's where I run my other scopes most time when stalking. So what would the vx6 have over the swaro. Only thing I can see is more moa of adjustment. But the trade off would be less magnification.
So would the swaro be a great scope with some custom turrets? It seems to be the lightest wig the most mag in the range I want. Glass is amazing. Is there something this scope isn't good at I'm missing. How about repeatable adjustments?

I had the Swarovski z5 5-25X52 BT. Twisting the turret was fun. I used it for a couple seasons. During those seasons it went to customer service twice. Both times the note with the scope told me the erector springs needed to be replaced. I suppose if one sighted in his z5 and left it it might be a good scope.

 

[catorres1]

If you are oz conscious, You might look at the vx3i with a 30mm tube. The 4.5-14 x40 cds with side focus is right about 15 oz as I remember (just bought one for my son for Christmas). Has 113 MOA in adjustment, so no need for a canted base. The 3-10 is lighter still.

Glass wise, it's no swaro, but it is very nice, and more than enough for the legal shooting hours we have in Texas, which is 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset.

Talking to the techs, the erector system was improved over some older Leupolds to make dialing spot on.

That said, swaro glass, while pricey, is really nice! Another option to check out would be Leica. Glass is really nice, and they too are light. Not sure on their travel though, nor how tough they are or repeatable, but they come with locking turrets, or they used to.

.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Talking strictly glass... I owned a Swarovski Z5 5-25X52, a Leupold VX-6 4-24X52, a Bushnell 6500 4 1/2-30X50, and a Minox ZA 5HD 5-25x56 SF PLEX.

The first three were head and shoulders ahead of the Minox for all magnification except for 25X. As for low light one would think it would smoke the others. It didn't. It matched my Nikon Monarch 3 5-20X44 which is not as good as the first three listed.

My surprise came when two of us compared them on a military optics chart at 127 yards The best is the Bushnell, second the Leupold, and the one with the reputation for great glass came in third. These were not samples of one. I have two 6500's. I had four z5's and kept the best one. The one VX-6 was a sample of one and so were the other two. The Leupold fell between the two 6500's and the z5 came in behind the second 6500.

I sold all the scopes except the 6500's. They go clear (pun intended) to 30X and are crystal clear all the way from 4 1/2X. I still have a Weaver V24 6-24X42 I am going to sell also to help pay for a 6500 2 1/2-16X50 for my coyote rifle.

 

[snox801]

That great to know thanks I have a 6500 2.5-16 that I got for it originally cause it meet the zoom range I wanted and was very light at 17 ounces. But then I saw the z 5 and began to think it had better glass and was a touch lighter. I just didn't want to be leaving anything behind using the bushnell guess I won't be

 

[Rich Coyle]

snox801,

Over the years I bought three of the 2 1/2-16X42 and returned them because the glass falls behind their big brother. The 2 /1-16X50 I got last week seems to be as good as my 4 1/2-30X50 for low light in my comparison the other evening.