Opinions on a good straight up hunting optic for $500-$700 dollars

[RYEWSKY25284]

Hey guys, what all your opinions on a good hunting scope to go on a tikka t3x lite in 6.5 creed? Trying to keep the overall package around 8lbs scoped. This will be my 0-500 yard whitetail rifle and will also be for my boy when he goes hunting next year so I dont need anything fancy. Looking for something in that 3-15ish power range with an easy to use reticle. Illumination is nice but not a must. A low profile exposed turrent is a bonus. I've seen a few but just cant make up my mind. Trying to keep in around d 500-700 bucks

You can spend less than that for an
ARKEN SH4 4x14x44 A.O. Zero Stop FFP $349.99
Absolute true tracking, clean & clear glass. I like it much better than my Zeiss and my Nikon Monarch.
https://arkenopticsusa.com

 

[Stgraves260]

Well try this. It's a new company that I feel that is targeting Vortex Optics. A company call ( Athlon ) . Go to SWFA website look up Athlon 2.5-15x50 Ares BTR Gen 2 30mm Riflescope Stock# ATH 212003 $800.00 it has a Illuminated Reticle, FFP, 100 MOA of adjustments for both Elevation and Windage, Zero Stop. Full lifetime Warranty. Good luck.

 

[Rooks]

Nightforce SHV 3-10x42
Leupold VX-3i 4.4-14x50 CDS
Leupold VX-3i 3-10x50
Ive used all three on sporter weight hunting rifles in the field and on the range and all work extremely well with regard to accurate tracking and acceptable clarity/light transmission. All are within reach of your budget. They are listed in order of my personal preference. Nightforce has a brighter picture and less slop in the turrets.

 

[Stgraves260]

You can spend less than that for an
ARKEN SH4 4x14x44 A.O. Zero Stop FFP $349.99
Absolute true tracking, clean & clear glass. I like it much better than my Zeiss and my Nikon Monarch.
https://arkenopticsusa.com

Appears to be pretty good. For the price. What turned me off of it was no MOA option does not come in illuminated reticle and supper heavy scope. Over Twice the weight of Leopold. But all in all seams to be a really good scope. Thanks for sharing it. I thank it would be a good choice when just getting into long range. MOA version would be nice though.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Appears to be pretty good. For the price. What turned me off of it was no MOA option does not come in illuminated reticle and supper heavy scope. Over Twice the weight of Leopold. But all in all seams to be a really good scope. Thanks for sharing it. I thank it would be a good choice when just getting into long range. MOA version would be nice though.

Yea, I wanted the MOA too, but took the leap on my 1st FFP and Mil scope. I'm sure glad I did.
It's only a mathematical correction. I'll get use to it.

 

[Stgraves260]

Yea, I wanted the MOA too, but took the leap on my 1st FFP and Mil scope. I'm sure glad I did.
It's only a mathematical correction. I'll get use to it.

Make a range card. I mill is .333 MOA @ 100 yards. This will help you sight your scope in. Will also help when you make a range card.
100 yards .333" 600 yards 1.998"
200 yards .666" 700 yards 2.331"
300 yards .999" 800 yards 2.664"
400 yards 1.332" 900 yards 2.997"
500 yards 1.665" 1000 yrds 3.333"


MOA Chart
100 yards .25" 600 yards 1.50"
200 yards .50" 700 yards 1.75"
300 yards .75" 800 yards 2.00"
400 yards 1.00" 900 yards 2.25"
500 yards 1.25" 1000 yrds 2.50"

 

[jpndave]

Make a range card. I mill is .333 MOA @ 100 yards. This will help you sight your scope in. Will also help when you make a range card.
100 yards .333" 600 yards 1.998"
200 yards .666" 700 yards 2.331"
300 yards .999" 800 yards 2.664"
400 yards 1.332" 900 yards 2.997"
500 yards 1.665" 1000 yrds 3.333"


MOA Chart
100 yards .25" 600 yards 1.50"
200 yards .50" 700 yards 1.75"
300 yards .75" 800 yards 2.00"
400 yards 1.00" 900 yards 2.25"
500 yards 1.25" 1000 yrds 2.50"

That's not quite accurate. A mil is 1/1000 the distance. So at 1000yds it's 1 yd or 36". At 100yds it's 0.1 yds or 3.6". Most of the scopes are 0.1 mil per click or 0.36"@100yds.

 

[Stgraves260]

That's not quite accurate. A mil is 1/1000 the distance. So at 1000yds it's 1 yd or 36". At 100yds it's 0.1 yds or 3.6". Most of the scopes are 0.1 mil per click or 0.36"@100yds.

I used to do the 0.36" math but could never get it to work on my scopes. That's why I used the .333" I Used to have some Night Force and Leupold Scope and I still used the same .333 click value For better accuracy. It's just like the 1/10 mill. For some reason The .333 seams to work better for me when dialing up And building a rang card or even just zeroing my scopes in. When I use my .25 scopes they all seam to all ways be that .25. But when I have used mill scopes they all seam to differ .333, .36, .331 they have just never been consistent. 4 quarters is a dollar. So .25 x 4 = 1.00 you can never get a dollar out of .333 or .36 no mater how hard you try. I thank your talking about degrees in a circle. I'm talking about click value. I do know there is 360 Degrees in a circle and each degree is divided into 60 minutes. You seam to be explaining the math on how to range a target, and yes sir you are correct. it's very hard to explain thangs sometimes in a email or text. On a .25 MOA scope at 100 yards, every click of the scope is .25". So at 100 yards if you want to move your bullet impact 1" you must make 4 clicks or 1 MOA adjustments. Now if I'm ranging something and want to know how big it is using the mill Dots in a scope then I will use these numbers 1.0472. Why it's because there is 1.0472" in a circle at 100 yards. So when you are ranging a target at let's say 700 yards away and it takes up 1 MOA in your reticle, then the size of the target is 7.33" Tall. (( If I want to move my bullet impact 7.33" at 700 yards It Would only take 1 MOAs of adjustment or 4 clicks. )) the math on that would be 1.75 x 4 = 7". It's because at 700 yards your .25 MOA scope is no longer moving .25" for every click. It's moving 1.75" for every click. On a Mill scope you can use your .36 method to range your target. But to dial your scope up you have to use the .333 method. So to move your bullet up 7.33" at 700 yards the math would look like this. 2.31 x 3 = 6.93". Or 3 clicks.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Make a range card. I mill is .333 MOA @ 100 yards. This will help you sight your scope in. Will also help when you make a range card.
100 yards .333" 600 yards 1.998"
200 yards .666" 700 yards 2.331"
300 yards .999" 800 yards 2.664"
400 yards 1.332" 900 yards 2.997"
500 yards 1.665" 1000 yrds 3.333"


MOA Chart
100 yards .25" 600 yards 1.50"
200 yards .50" 700 yards 1.75"
300 yards .75" 800 yards 2.00"
400 yards 1.00" 900 yards 2.25"
500 yards 1.25" 1000 yrds 2.50"

thank you.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

thank you.
[/QUOTE

 

[Stgraves260]

Yes sir. YW You can try the .36 instead of the .33 like someone else suggested. I'm not knocking it. It's just never worked for me. I do wish you the best. Keep me posted. Would like to know how the scope is holding up. My Night Force and Leupold scopes were over 25 years old. That could have had something to do with it. Don't know.

 

[tribb]

I might just have a VX5HD 3-15x44 for sale.

Why?

 

[Stgraves260]

Why?

yes sir you welcome

 

[gopherslayer]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the SWFA 3-9 HD.