zeiss conquest 3x9x40 - 270 or 7mm08

[onpoint85]

Hi folks, im new to the forum and needing a little help. Im gonna buy a new rifle pretty soon and its more than likely going to be the savage weather warrior in left hand. I do like the feel of the X bolt more but its not offered I synthetic for lefties. Heres the thing I know what scope im getting, the zeiss mentioned in the title. I see that alot of guys prefer a smaller more compact scope on a short action gun. Whats the reason for this? Is it just for looks or do the smallee scopes balance these handier rifles better? For the scope mentioned which caliber would you choose?

 

[varmintH8R]

Welcome to the forum! In my opinion, long action vs short action doesn't have much to do with scope selection (at least directly).

Typically, the scope will be matched to the purpose of the rifle:

xxx- A lightweight scope on a mountain or carry rifle.

xxx- A heavy, higher-mag scope on a heavy, dedicated long range rifle.

xxx- A low-mag scope on a rig used at shorter range.

Because you already have your scope chosen, I would pick caliber based on your preferred ballistics (and what type of shooting you are going to do).

I don't have a 270, but it is an established, flat-shooting cartridge that lots of folks swear by. There are a lot of options in factory ammo, but bullet selection is somewhat limited if you reload (relative to other bullet diameters, but by no means is it rare). I do have a 7-08, and think it is a great, low recoil deer caliber. There are lots of 7mm bullets to choose from if you reload, and factory ammo is available (maybe less premium stuff than 270?).

Let us know what type of hunting and shooting you plan on doing, and I'll bet you get some opinions on these two calibers (and probably some others)!

 

[TBuckus]

Can't help you decide. I have both calibers and both have a 3x9 scope on them.
The above post has good points as far as bullet selection.
I feel the 270 will reach out a little farther than the '08, but the recoil on the '08 is almost non existant, making follow up shots easy.

Great scope selection. I have one on my wsm in 3.5x10x44 and love it.