Now I live in the back woods of Northern California, but there seems to be a trend at my local range. As guys gear up for deer hunting season, which starts as early as mid August in some zones, I’m seeing a lot of light weight hunting rifles with huge tactical scopes on them. All black tail hunting in my area is stalking, so no one really uses tree stands or blinds. Is this just my area or is it a new fad? I used to see maybe one or two a year at my range and during my last trip over half the hunting rigs had massive pieces of glass in them.
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Hunting & Fishing 5 pound scopes on 6 pound rifles?
- Thread starter Slab74
- Start date
Here I am with a gen 2 PST 3-15 for deer hunting in the Wyoming hills thinking this scope is huge. Can’t imagine trying to use a 4.5-27 razor on top of my hunting rifle.
maybe they are dual purpose rifles, hunting and target shooting?
Maybe they don't hunt where you hunt or how you hunt. Maybe they shoot a lot throughout the year with those optics and are confident in/proficient with those optics. Maybe it doesn't matter and guys should worry about their own shooting instead of what gear random strangers buy 
@ 8.75 pounds loaded it is a lot lighter than the AI I used to pack for miles and it works just fine from 8 to 800 yards
Or my 300 Norma match barrel with a 527 ZCO under 12 #
And yes I shoot them both 300win and 300N a lot, steel and lots of meat
And yes I shoot them both 300win and 300N a lot, steel and lots of meat
I'd like to know what scopes you're seeing that weigh anywhere close to 5 lbs??
I've noticed quite a few guys on the interwebs and YouTube showcasing sleek hunting rifles with heavy tactical scopes. I think that is is becoming much more of a trend these days........... Just like the dudes who sit five feet behind their kills...Alright jethro, we know you didn't shoot a 500lb whitetail.
But these guys have to pack their own gear around. When they do it more than a couple of times they'll figure it out.
But these guys have to pack their own gear around. When they do it more than a couple of times they'll figure it out.
The guys here are much as you described. With all due respect more shooters than woodsman. Great shots many of them. Shooters, many are not raised it the woods types.
Wow, bunch of bashing going on here....
I hunted Dall sheep in Yukon a couple years ago. The couple hunters before me wasted $25k each and ruined their hunts and my hunt by missing 8 sheep because they showed up with their Walmart scopes and rings. Neither could hit an animal at 100 yards. I’ve humped my hunting rifle with a 30 oz “tactical scope“ over dozens of mountains and hills in a handful of countries and don’t have to worry about a bump knocking it off. I‘ll take a pound off my belly and add it to my scope.
As for the suppressor, I don’t enjoy saying “huh?”...
I hunted Dall sheep in Yukon a couple years ago. The couple hunters before me wasted $25k each and ruined their hunts and my hunt by missing 8 sheep because they showed up with their Walmart scopes and rings. Neither could hit an animal at 100 yards. I’ve humped my hunting rifle with a 30 oz “tactical scope“ over dozens of mountains and hills in a handful of countries and don’t have to worry about a bump knocking it off. I‘ll take a pound off my belly and add it to my scope.
As for the suppressor, I don’t enjoy saying “huh?”...
Yeah I cut my hunting rifle down to 18”. With a 8” long can it’s back to 26”. That deer doesn’t know the difference between 2600 vs 2800fps.
I was not making a judgment on my fellow hunters. Many may be going out of state to shoot 500+. I’m guessing that the light fluted barrels were not being used to bag steel all day. It was just a new thing in my area and wondered if this was a local thing or a wide spread theme. I could personally care less if you want to pack around a boat anchor to shoot deer. It just looks weird to see a scope on a sleek hunting rig that makes the rifle look like a toy.
I would have to have one to try it. I think the 3-15 with its 44mm objective makes it just small enough to pack around without giving up too much
I think it’s great. Bridging the gap between “Fudd” and “Tacticool”. I’ve come a long in my education of firearms, I started out hunting with a Rem 700 ADL .243 and a Bushnell scope. I wasn’t born into a hunting/shooting family so everything has been an educational journey for both hunting and firearms. A lot of these guys I suspect are just cutting their teeth and learning the role a proper scope can play in engaging longer range targets.
the 4.5-27 is severely lacking in low light performance IMO. They’re great optics for match rifles and target guns, but in their price range there are so many more viable options. Between it’s low light performance, weight, and size it’s non starter for me.
Nice pictures Westernhntr !!
I don't have the experience that many do here, but I'm also using heavier more durable / repeatable scopes than I did hunting 10 years ago. I got really spoiled using match scopes that held zero with repeatable tracking, and I was frustrated that not all of my older hunting scopes did that.
In my case I now generally use a featherweight with SWFA 3-9 or Bushnell LRHS 3-12.
I have used an older USO 3.2-17 x 44 or Nightforce NXS in the past, though might not be optimal for a back country backpack hunt where you would be counting ounces.
I don't have the experience that many do here, but I'm also using heavier more durable / repeatable scopes than I did hunting 10 years ago. I got really spoiled using match scopes that held zero with repeatable tracking, and I was frustrated that not all of my older hunting scopes did that.
In my case I now generally use a featherweight with SWFA 3-9 or Bushnell LRHS 3-12.
I have used an older USO 3.2-17 x 44 or Nightforce NXS in the past, though might not be optimal for a back country backpack hunt where you would be counting ounces.
IMO, if you can’t see it you can’t hit it. I’ve got a Swarovski 5-25 and leupold 3-18 on my 2 “go too rigs”. A little extra weight for optics doesn’t bother me.
My go to rig for deer and sometimes hogs is not exactly a 6lb rifle or a 5lb scope. It is heavy for some folks, and I wouldn’t dare hunt without the suppressor. I make up for the added weight with lighter footwear.
A bunch of dudes at the range using & getting better with their chosen equipment.......and a lonely fudd stands to the side and tries to find things to whine about.
Kinda reminds me of this classic
Kinda reminds me of this classic
Hog hunting in your Jesus sandals! I like it. The weight you gain with a suppressor is also offset but the foam earplugs you no longer have to carry.
All joking aside, it’s just a matter of preference and priority. Of the guys that do hunt with suppressors, a large percentage on this forum use an Ultra 7 to keep weight down. I’m likely in the minority that likes some extra weight on the end, so I hunt deer with a Sandman L. When I burn through the barrel on my rifle pictured above, it’ll be replaced by one a little heavier. The price I pay in weight for a scope w/a 34mm tube + suppressor on the barrel is worth the ability to spot my hits and see what direction an animal goes into the sticks. It’s fairly flat and the brush is thick here. I have 500 yard long clearings, and and I like to see and shoot to the end of them. If I hunted open plains or mountains maybe my priorities would change a little.
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Ha ha ha !A bunch of dudes at the range using & getting better with their chosen equipment.......and a lonely fudd stands to the side and tries to find things to whine about.
Kinda reminds me of this classic
View attachment 7393205
Dude you have the best memes
