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Author
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Topic: scopes for predators
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smoke em
Knows what it's all about
Member # 785
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posted January 21, 2006 05:23 AM
What configuration and how much do you need to spend for a coyote scope and mounts.I have kind of come to believe it needs to be at least as much as the rifle and anything less is shorting yourself.I can't believe how guys will describe a great$1000 plus factory or custom rifle and then use $20 rings and bases and $200 or
less scope.And I don't want to here the "thats all I could afford "line.
[ January 21, 2006, 05:33 AM: Message edited by: smoke em ]
Posts: 43 | From: midwest | Registered: Jan 2006
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted January 21, 2006 09:06 AM
Vic, you got a copy?
(my version)
It depends on how you intend to hunt your coyotes.
Personally, I don't buy cheap, (or inexpensive) scopes.
I know one thing. I have concluded that a 3.5X10X44 scope will cover a lot of ground. Not perfect for some applications, but good enough for most applications.
I always mention night hunting, because a lot of people are not able to night hunt, but some are, and, without specific recommendations, I will offer the opinion that anything above 12X is not useful.
I have a couple scopes that crank way up there, but I bet most of my animals are shot at about 5X.
Anyway, there are hunters that would dispute your rule of thumb that you spend as much for the scope as you spend on the gun, itself.
I know one thing, a few of the trends in scope preferences are getting out of hand, as far as I'm concerned. We don't need high magnification, and we don't necessarily NEED huge 50MM objectives. One trend that I resisted for a long time was 30mm tubes, but there are valid reasons. If you need it, get it.
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Bryan J
Cap and Trade Weenie
Member # 106
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posted January 21, 2006 09:08 AM
Smok em, you just reminded me of a couple of purchases I have made. Ten or so years ago I bought a Remington 700 in 22-250 from a dealer. It was his personal gun but he couldn’t get it to group despite having the barrel trued and some trigger work done. I dropped the change for a 4.5-14 veriX3 and can print groups from the bench that can almost be covered by a dime. 5 years later, I had just made my selection of a straight power 4X Leupold that my new mini was to wear and the guy was getting ready to mount it. A regular walked in and questioned my choice. I tried to explain that I wanted the rifle to have the best chance of being accurate and didn’t want a cheap scope to be the problem. Things didn’t work out so well in the second case though, I was hoping for something around inch groups but it didn’t happen. I don’t think it is the scope though I was doomed from the start.
I know there are guys that poke their head in here that have killed A LOT more coyotes than me looking through less expensive glass. Hopefully they will chime in.
[ January 21, 2006, 09:10 AM: Message edited by: Bryan J ]
Posts: 599 | From: Utah | Registered: Feb 2003
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UTcaller
NEVADA NIGHT FIGHTER
Member # 8
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posted January 21, 2006 09:55 AM
For my money I have really enjoyed my 4.5x14-42 Burris fullfield 2 with the ballistic plex.Excellent scope for a good price.FWIW Good Hunting Chad
Posts: 1707 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2003
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Tim Behle
Administrator MacNeal Sector
Member # 209
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posted January 21, 2006 10:06 AM
Put me down as another one who believes that the scope should cost about the same as the rifle.
I know guys like Vic have good luck with the cheap scopes, but then Vic is also a gun trader. That new rifle he brings home today, will probably be gone by summer.
I want a scope that can take being bounced around in the front of the jeep all morning, and still hold accuracy well enough to pick off a jack rabbit at 800 yards.
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Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take
an ass kickin'.
Posts: 3160 | From: Five Miles East of Vic, AZ | Registered: Jun 2003
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted January 21, 2006 10:17 AM
I am sure of one thing. If pocketbook considerations were to get in my way; I would browse the used market. Second solution, I would make a critical evaluation of my needs, and look at a quality fixed power scope, be it 4X, 6X, 12X. But you need to be brutally honest with yourself about your needs. Everybody errs on the high side, but that weakness will eventually cost you a lot of coyotes.
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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JeremyKS
Knows what it's all about
Member # 736
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posted January 21, 2006 11:19 AM
I don't see very many people using these scopes but I really like them. They are the Weaver Tatical Scopes. Mine is the 4.5-14x40 mil dot. I would say they are worth a look for sure.
Posts: 369 | From: Texas panhandle | Registered: Nov 2005
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onecoyote
Knows what it's all about
Member # 129
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posted January 21, 2006 03:30 PM
I don't care what others think, ![[Razz]](tongue.gif) I like a 3x9x50 / duplex crosshairs. leupold, Weaver and a few others have them for around $300. In my opinion that combo is the best all around predator hunting scope for day and night hunting. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Great minds discuss ideas.....Average minds discuss events.....Small minds discuss people.....Eleanor Roosevelt.
Posts: 893 | From: Walker Lake Nevada. | Registered: Feb 2003
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KevinKKaller
Knows what it's all about
Member # 559
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posted January 22, 2006 11:57 AM
I have both sides of the fence On some guns I have BSA if thay are traders or fun guns that you dont reli on thay are ok you never know when thay will fail I have had plenty of failyers. On my go to guns or high recoil I prefer my Burris 204 caris a 4.5x14 bil plex. my favrite all I have are bulistic plex. 3x9 or grater. Good luck Kevin
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Maker of K-Kalls
Posts: 126 | From: Idaho | Registered: Feb 2005
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted February 06, 2006 08:52 PM
Yes I'm like some of the others and believe that if you are going to have a high dollar gun it should be the same with scope. There fore i use leopolds on most of my guns. Starting to get exspensive, so i looked for an alternate route, I switched to Warne quick-tach bases and rings on all my rew. 700's. now if i want to use one of the other guns i switch scope, site in and go hunting. Also bought a cheaper scope, super-sniper made by tasco for SWFA. paid 400.00 and it was worth it. no problems yet. It's a fixed 10x with really big target knobs, 30mm tube, installed a Kenton BDC dial, calibrated for 17 cal. 30 gr. Scope also has a side focus knob, mil. dot reticle. This is my maine scope now, really happy with it.
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5613 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted February 07, 2006 06:57 AM
I have a bushnell elite 3200 3-9x40 that was on my .270 for a season and is now on my 22-250. It was a display and I got it for $130, regular price was $199. It sits on a $399 savage 11fl 22-250. So the scope was about 1/2 the price of the rifle.
I could follow the "same price as the rifle" line of thinking and put a $400 scope on my $400 rifle. Or buy an $1000 rifle (ar, custom, etc) and put a $1000 scope on it. But honestly I don't think I'd kill any more coyotes with a $400 scope verses my $200 scope. Kind of like I don't see me killing alot more coyotes with a $1000 custom 22-250 verses my $400 savage 22-250. The $1000 custom might shoot a group size that's half that of my Savage's sub moa groups, but I don't think the coyote will notice the difference.
My next scope purchase (I want to move the elite back to the .270) is a burris fulfield II 3-9x40 with the ballistic plex recticle for around $200-$240.
I could probably afford to spend more on the scope, but like I said, it likely won't kill me any more coyotes so I'll continue to spend what I do and get what I feel I need. If you feel you need to spend more, that's great. Some feel they need more magnification for coyotes than a 3-9, I don't. To each there own. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
later,
scruffy
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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Krustyklimber
prefers the bunny hugger pronunciation: ky o tee
Member # 72
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posted February 07, 2006 05:53 PM
My rifle only cost $79, what's a good $79 scope?
For the yardages I have shot (at coyotes) I don't need a scope... I just need more coyotes.
Krusty 
P.S. They only sell crappy mounts, and mostly for scout scopes, for my rifle. Some of them, the action/barrel isn't ground round and true (like mine) so it'd be difficult a scope base to sit flat, without a healthy amount of machining.
[ February 07, 2006, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Krustyklimber ]
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Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize that half of them are stupider than that!
Posts: 1912 | From: Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia | Registered: Jan 2003
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TOM64
Knows what it's all about
Member # 561
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posted February 09, 2006 05:33 AM
I like my 2.5-8 Leupolds on huntin guns and nothing more than a 4.5-14 power for long range. I also like the 1.5-5 leupold and it would work for me but the 2.5-8 is a little more versatile. Some can use high power scopes, I can't.
Posts: 2283 | From: okieland | Registered: Feb 2005
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smoke em
Knows what it's all about
Member # 785
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posted February 12, 2006 07:54 AM
Krusty, admire the fact you shoot iron sites.Not many can say the same.Some old timers here used to shoot peep sites very well.
Posts: 43 | From: midwest | Registered: Jan 2006
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Krustyklimber
prefers the bunny hugger pronunciation: ky o tee
Member # 72
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posted February 12, 2006 10:33 AM
Smoke em,
I don't do it to be admirable, I do so because there's no other effective and/or affordable option.
But thanks.
I really liked the idea of Tru-glo's 2x red dot, but I got talked out of it.
I haven't had the pleasure of, or the confidence to try to, shoot this rifle at a predator yet.
I flat out refuse to pull the trigger again, unless and until I know I can hit what I am shooting at, bang flop.
A scope loose in it's rings, and the same borrowed rifle with a load that didn't match the sight in, cost me "my first coyote" two diffent times.
I never used a rifle again, until I could afford my own ($79 M-44), which I had to save up for.
I trust my eyeball.
Krusty
P.S. The Mini, my 22lr, and the A3/03 I used for bear all have peep sights.
[ February 12, 2006, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: Krustyklimber ]
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Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize that half of them are stupider than that!
Posts: 1912 | From: Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia | Registered: Jan 2003
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