Toughest Long Range Hunting Optic?

[OzRanger]

The 50 buck Chinese 3-9x40 scope on my 223 has had 3 years, countless drops, ****ing down rain, fallen off the Ute, used by friends, covered in mud and ****. Was sighted in 3 hrs ago.
Still holds zero and a 1 inch group at 175.
Wish I could say the same for vortex...

 

[Irish Neil]

US military were using Schmidt and Bender PM II, but what do they know? A current Irish Ranger tells me that you can drop one off a cliff and it will still hold zero.

 

[X47guy]

US military were using Schmidt and Bender PM II, but what do they know? A current Irish Ranger tells me that you can drop one off a cliff and it will still hold zero.

They have also used SWFA, Nightforce, US optics and Leupold. Doesn't make them tough. They aren't Shift and Bender for nothing.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Back in 2002 I and a friend went to Alaska. I put Tasco World Class 4-16X on both rifles because more experience scopes failed. One was a .300 Weatherby the other was a .375-.416 Remember Mag. Years later both are fine. The .300 still has the Tasco. Being a nut I put a Bushnell 4 1/2-30X50 on the .375.

 

[Quarter Round]

Nightforce. Own 2 ATACRs. Never an issue. Used one on the same Rifle out at Todd Hodnett's Accuracy 1st training while they were evaluating our bipod system (Protean Innovations Stability Bipod) on 3 different occasions over the course of a year and a half. That same scope is used on that classroom rifle every week by either a military or LE unit. Still worked great a year and a half later. Those units are tough on equipment. The two I bought are worth every penny!

This tells me more about the scope and its' toughness.

 

[747fullscale]

What is the toughest long range rifle scope on the market? The one that can get the crap kicked out of it and never lose zero? The one that you would trust the hunt of a lifetime to? I know nothing is perfect, but if your life depended on this scope holding zero, what would it be?

 

[747fullscale]

What is the toughest long range rifle scope on the market? The one that can get the crap kicked out of it and never lose zero? The one that you would trust the hunt of a lifetime to? I know nothing is perfect, but if your life depended on this scope holding zero, what would it be?

I own 8 Nightforce scopes....never looked back... slightly heavier than other scopes but well worth it!!

 

[pinshootr]

 

[luceteeth]

What is the toughest long range rifle scope on the market? The one that can get the crap kicked out of it and never lose zero? The one that you would trust the hunt of a lifetime to? I know nothing is perfect, but if your life depended on this scope holding zero, what would it be?

I seem to have the same opinion as many others on this question but I would vote hands down Nightforce. I have dropped mine,(not on purpose), and had it hit everything solid it could find on the way to rocky ground out of a truck and never lost zero. I have 4 and they all are rock solid!

 

[muleystalker]

thanks for the feedback.

I have to say, I have 2 SWFA 3-15's and they are better than any glass in their price range and durable. I have 4 SWFA 5-20x50 HD and they are great glass and very robust and in a whole different class than their non HD scopes. I have beat the crap out of mine and they have never failed, the glass is as good or a little better than the NF NXS's I have used and they are very repeatable. Its hard to touch anything close to their quality in their price range, it would take another $600.00-$800.00. I even shot one quite bit in long range F-Class until I out grew the FFP reticle. For background I have had US optic, Khales, and currently own 6 ATACR's and 2 NF Comp Match's. The SWFA 5-20 HD isn't an ATACR as far as glass, it doesn't have zero stops, but it is rugged and I wouldn't be afraid to take it on the hunt of a lifetime. Heck I have it still sitting on one of my 28 Nosler's and just hunted with it a couple weeks ago.Last year it took a Bull elk, cow and a mule deer out to 980 yards on a hunt in Colorado.I could have used one of my ATACR's but the SWFA was doped on that gun and I had plenty of confidence in it that I didn't feel under scoped. If thats what you could afford and in that price range I would take that scope hands down. Between it and an ATACR, money not being a factor I would take the ATACR or a Kahles 5-25. I am kind of wanting to get my hands on the new NF NX8 4.5-32 and see how it holds up, shaving 10oz off of my optic would be nice.

 

[muleystalker]

Nightforce 100%. I'm the proud owner of 2 currently, an ATACR 5.5-25 and an older NXS that has survived the brutality of a .338LM in F-class competition and 14 miles of washboard road one-way to the gun club a few times a month. In almost 10 years I've never had a single issue with it. You get what you pay for.

You us a 338LM in F-Class competitions?

 

[GLTaylor]

Guess I'm the slow one. I have 3 NF and a bunch of Leupolds. What is a SWFA?

 

[Starlite]

Guess I'm the slow one. I have 3 NF and a bunch of Leupolds. What is a SWFA?

https://www.swfa.com/

 

[Bruce Treloar]

If a complete rifle won't group under 1" at 200 and keep point of impact then it's not worth having. Most scopes will keep point of impact but if you want to give them a real hiding then go steel tubes. Most point of impact changes are caused by the stock not being stiff enough or changing due to heat or moisture, timber being the worst.
I'm a retired stock maker, making 100% carbon stocks since 1970. I have had numerous shooting companions who always needed to check impact before setting out on a hunt. All I had to do was push a couple of patches through the barrel and swab out the chamber. I built my field rifle in 1974 and never touched the adjustments until 2008 when the 12X leupold suffered lens separation. Leupold replaced the scope no charge honoring the lifetime warranty. Professional fox shooters commented, my stocked rifles never had to be adjusted the whole winter season.
Most stock makers use Twill woven carbon because it is easy to use and looks great, but there are much better options if you want stiffness and strength. Try to steer clear of carbon that looks like it is immersed in a deep pool of water as they are usually resin rich. Remember carbon gives the strength and resin (Epoxy) just holds it in place If a stock needs aluminium bedding blocks then it's not good enough for me.