new scope

[chain]

I am new at this so bear with me. I have a .300 win mag that I am going to start reloading for, soon as I get the bench built. I also want to start shooting at extended ranges. I use this gunto hunthere in Mi and will be taking west at leasst once a year. What scope should I get and what reticle? Do I want a mil-dot or boone& crocket or should I get one that has knobs you adjust for elevation? I do have a rangefinder. Thanks and thanks for the wealth of info contained here. Its good for us Rookies. Chain

 

[QuietHunter]

Two questions.
What is your idea of "extended ranges"?
What is your goal?

Boone and Crockett and other holdover reticles are nice, but limited in effective distance they can be used. I figure they are good for 600 yards in general. If that is good enough and you want to keep it simple then I would go with one of these kind of reticles. To learn more and have the ability to extend your ranges, look at target knobs of some kind.

As far as specific scopes, well it kind of depends on how the other questions are answered. Give a little more information about how close and how far your shots might be. If you will be carrying the rifle or pretty much just setting it up for spot and kill.

 

[chain]

I guess for right now I would limit myself to 500-600 yds. I would be carrying this rifle also maybe on horseback. I am amazed at the guys who are shooting farther but I would have to become proficient at these ranges before extending. Thanks Chain

 

[QuietHunter]

For under 600 yards with a 300 win mag that you carry around or carry in a scabbard I would look at a Leupold VX III 3.5-10 with the B&C reticle. It will be reliable and as long as you practice at hunting distances and conditions you should be fine. You might choose more magnification however you will add some weight and lose some simplicity when you have to go to an AO or side focus. 3.5 is good for short distances and close running shots and I have found 10x to be fine out to 600 yards.

If you decide to get something with turrets so you can learn for further distances consider the difficulty in putting into a scabbard with tall turrets. Many scabbards are not designed for that sized scope.

 

[preacherman]

I agree with "quiethunter" 100%... you couldn't pick a better scope for all the reasons he mentioned, plus you'll be really impressed with the VX-III optics...Larry