I am wanting to find the best scope to pair with my Seekins .300wm. I’ve looked at all the optic brands you could imagine. I have kinda narrowed it down to the Zeiss S5, ATACR 7-35 and SB 5-25 which are all FFP. I know ZCO and TT are as good as it gets but they are also just about expensive as it gets. I haven’t really heard anything about the S5 but I hear good shit about the other 2. I know it’s a hunting rig but I still want to push out to over 1000 yards one day just bc I can. Just want to hear everyone’s 2 cents.
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Rifle Scopes Best hunting scope around 3k
- Thread starter pflum22
- Start date
Got 2 of these...
www.eurooptic.com
They're great scopes, great glass, amazing turrets, and once you get used to using the parallax ring under the elevation turret, you really start to like the design, because it's out of the way, and won't get bumped and knocked-off adjustment easily. Also, it allows the scope to be thinner from side-to-side (width) instead of having huge tall knobs sticking out and hanging off the sides.
Also, the illumination adjustment is a smooth dial with no preset detents, so you can really dial it in perfectly with night vision or a thermal clip-on.
Kahles K624i 6-24x56mm RSW CCW SKMR4 FFP Riflescope 10681
FREE SHIPPING on Kahles K624i 6-24x56mm RSW CCW SKMR4 FFP Riflescope 10681
They're great scopes, great glass, amazing turrets, and once you get used to using the parallax ring under the elevation turret, you really start to like the design, because it's out of the way, and won't get bumped and knocked-off adjustment easily. Also, it allows the scope to be thinner from side-to-side (width) instead of having huge tall knobs sticking out and hanging off the sides.
Also, the illumination adjustment is a smooth dial with no preset detents, so you can really dial it in perfectly with night vision or a thermal clip-on.
Wait, you’re eyeing S&B but are put off by ZCO price?? Have you looked at S&B pricing lately
You can pick up a used ZCO in the PX at about your price range, I believe
I suggest not putting a 7-35 on a hunting rifle. That's an elr optic. You should be looking for something in the 3-18 to 5-25 power range. 90% of the time you'll be taking shots of 500y or less. Most often long shots.......can be shortened by actually stalking and hunting the animal. A ZCO 420 mpct 1 is a perfect high end hunting optic as is the atacr 4-20. The zco usually go for 3200-3300 second hand market. I've shot steel to 1320y with the zco 420, it's plenty of glass for what you're doing. The K624i previously mentioned is a good hunting optic, I have 2, but the glass is out dated and falls in line with most 1000-1500$ Asian market scopes, everything else out the scope is top tier though.
You want one of those so-called cross over optics. Where is @Glassaholic when you need him? ;-)
If you were gonna do an ATACR, I'd tell you that for a cross over optic you want the 4-16. It's gonna be lighter, more compact, and generally better in keeping with what you're doing. 10-16x might not be ideal for 1000 yds, but it'll get you there (especially if the glass is good). You might also consider the Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 that Signore Bill just reviewed alongside the March F 3-24x52 and S&B 3-27 and found to not be terrible. The NF and the March are both somewhat compact, somewhat lighter options that might make sense for you.
You could consider the Minox ZP5 5-25... it's not as heavy as some of the other options out there. Not as many options for reticles and features, but it's supposed to be nice glass (no personal experience, haven't even seen one in person, let along seen through one) and might make more sense than the K624 to you.
The Zeiss LRP S5 3.3-18 got a nice review from DLO in comparison to the rest of its class (ZCO, TT, March, S&B, USO)... my only qualm on a hunting gun would be that the turrets are large enough to qualify for their own address and may force you to pay additional property tax. The windage locks, at least, but not the elevation (unless I've missed something).
There's the March FX 4.5-28x52... but it has a restricted exit pupil at like 4.12 mm or so (if memory serves, from this very site). It's good glass... but might not be the right choice for hunting if low light is on the menu. I haven't had mine out in truly low light, so I cannot say how much of a deal breaker that may be for legal shooting light (30 mins before and after where I've lived).
You could go down market to the Vortex LHT - if you're willing to bias towards hunting and also sometimes shoot out long. If you're going to be doing a lot of range work with this rifle, the LHT might seem limiting to you.
I spend a lot of time researching this segment because it's interesting to me. I may swap my Tac Ops Delta-51 optic to something in this category and put my March on a more range oriented gun. However, if you anchor on "how much scope can I get for 30 ounces (i.e. March weight)" it can become a difficult problem set. Opening up to 35-36 ounces gives you a lot more options... and you can maybe worry about that .25 lb or so somewhere else. ;-)
If you were gonna do an ATACR, I'd tell you that for a cross over optic you want the 4-16. It's gonna be lighter, more compact, and generally better in keeping with what you're doing. 10-16x might not be ideal for 1000 yds, but it'll get you there (especially if the glass is good). You might also consider the Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 that Signore Bill just reviewed alongside the March F 3-24x52 and S&B 3-27 and found to not be terrible. The NF and the March are both somewhat compact, somewhat lighter options that might make sense for you.
You could consider the Minox ZP5 5-25... it's not as heavy as some of the other options out there. Not as many options for reticles and features, but it's supposed to be nice glass (no personal experience, haven't even seen one in person, let along seen through one) and might make more sense than the K624 to you.
The Zeiss LRP S5 3.3-18 got a nice review from DLO in comparison to the rest of its class (ZCO, TT, March, S&B, USO)... my only qualm on a hunting gun would be that the turrets are large enough to qualify for their own address and may force you to pay additional property tax. The windage locks, at least, but not the elevation (unless I've missed something).
There's the March FX 4.5-28x52... but it has a restricted exit pupil at like 4.12 mm or so (if memory serves, from this very site). It's good glass... but might not be the right choice for hunting if low light is on the menu. I haven't had mine out in truly low light, so I cannot say how much of a deal breaker that may be for legal shooting light (30 mins before and after where I've lived).
You could go down market to the Vortex LHT - if you're willing to bias towards hunting and also sometimes shoot out long. If you're going to be doing a lot of range work with this rifle, the LHT might seem limiting to you.
I spend a lot of time researching this segment because it's interesting to me. I may swap my Tac Ops Delta-51 optic to something in this category and put my March on a more range oriented gun. However, if you anchor on "how much scope can I get for 30 ounces (i.e. March weight)" it can become a difficult problem set. Opening up to 35-36 ounces gives you a lot more options... and you can maybe worry about that .25 lb or so somewhere else. ;-)
I think you might be buying into the fallacy that you need extra magnification to shoot long distance, as 406shootist mentions above, you do not, I've shot to 1.5 miles at 16x no problem and even had hits at 12x (when I forgot to increase magnification after I backed off to get wider FOV). You start pushing beyond 20x at 1000 yards and longer and you're likely going to run into dancing targets due to heat waves (what we typically call mirage). That being said, there is nothing wrong with putting a 7-35 on a hunting rifle; however, on most hunting rigs the shooter typically wants to be able to reduce magnification for greater FOV in case their game is up close. If 7x FOV on the ATACR works for you (keep in mind different scopes have different FOV at same magnification - some are better than others), then nothing wrong with going that route, but don't get the 7-35 because you think you can hit targets at 1000 yards or longer any better - you can't in most situations and as I mentioned above, higher magnification starts to become a hindrance when mirage is at play. My ELR buddies shoot with 5-25's mostly with Charlie Tarac's, no need for 7-35's, 8-40's et al, I see those scopes as being much better for rimfire shooting where range is limited and increased magnification can help. The other feature many crossover hunters are looking at is weight, this is personal preference and may be somewhat limited by your physical abilities in the field so this is something you need to determine for yourself.
For a crossover hunter you can get away with a 3-15/3-18/4-16/4-20 scope pretty easy and still have confidence in making shots beyond 1000 yards and have the FOV at the bottom when needed. This is a general rule, YMMV based on your specific needs.
With 3K... You can buy just about most of the top tier glass.
Let's see... there's Kahles, Vortex HD Razor Gen2, Schmidt & Bender, Tangent Theta, Premier, US Optics... what am I forgetting??? Point is there are just too many. What's the magnification power are you looking for? Cuz... most of the guys I've seen shooting Scar 17 was running AR type scopes. I don't really remember them trying to shoot long range. Most of them were running 1-5X or ACOG.
Let's see... there's Kahles, Vortex HD Razor Gen2, Schmidt & Bender, Tangent Theta, Premier, US Optics... what am I forgetting??? Point is there are just too many. What's the magnification power are you looking for? Cuz... most of the guys I've seen shooting Scar 17 was running AR type scopes. I don't really remember them trying to shoot long range. Most of them were running 1-5X or ACOG.
uh wtf is going on in this post. none of this post makes any sense for the topic at hand. Razor Gen 2? Premier? USO? those are all dead. and SCARs?? no one cares
to the OP. the Zeiss S5 is quite the scope for a higher power hunting option with a definite precision side to it
I sometimes watch a guy called western desert shooter. And he regularly shoots 1k yards and usually never goes past 16 on the magnification. Much more than that and the detail is too much and you see all the wavering. Dial back to 16 and the sight stabilizes. Just call the wind and let it go. So, yeah, whatever brand, you might not need more than a 5-25. I have a 5-25 because I like the eye box. It is kind of heavy.
And there are people shooting long distance with hunting scopes, as well.
The best advice I have received was to buy glass quality over fancy features.
Also, another idea, have two scopes. One for hunting, one for long range. The ELR scope can be big and heavy and do the dishes and make a creme broulee.
The hunting scope, as long as it gets you a good sight to maybe 800 yards and in, that is going to be fine.
And there are people shooting long distance with hunting scopes, as well.
The best advice I have received was to buy glass quality over fancy features.
Also, another idea, have two scopes. One for hunting, one for long range. The ELR scope can be big and heavy and do the dishes and make a creme broulee.
The hunting scope, as long as it gets you a good sight to maybe 800 yards and in, that is going to be fine.
^ Just realized that he hit the leaderboard in posts after a 2+ year dormant life.
Color me suspicious.
I'm in the group that recommends a crossover scope. I do enough target shooting with my hunting rifles, that an optic which contains more target/tactical features is welcome. I've not been left for wanting in the first/last light with a midrange tactical optic (think $1500-2000). I've also never been left for needing more magnification above 18x when trying to precisely hit smaller targets at reasonable (750-900) distances. However, my experience with the $3K optics is very limited, so I'll shut up beyond my previous points.
So what I’m seeing is Zco 4-20, zeiss s5 3-18, and kahles 6-24. I also saw good things about S&B Polar T96 4-16. But if someone could maybe like rank all the scopes they think are best and or provide a link that would be greatly appreciated.
I have hunted with both a 7-35 and a 5-25 pmii but my primary hunting setup has a 3-15 Premier on it. Between the NF and S&B both are great just a smidge large depending on your hunting style here in the Texas plains they are fine imo. In heavy brush the 3-15 is better imo but your mileage may vary.
You're not in the wrong yet, but you will be once you get more experience and your older, wiser self is angry with your younger self. Seriously, not having a reticle preference is simply reflective of not enough time spent behind the glass. Everyone develops their own over time. You'll start being picky once you know what you like.
There are clearly (crazy) people out there that like as much shit as you can fit on the glass. If you could etch War and Peace onto their reticle, they'd be thrilled. I think Christmas tree reticles are over done for 99.9% of shooters 99.9% of the time. Are you holding for 8+ mils of wind and 10+ mils of elevation? Yeah, me neither. I'd point out world champion PRS shooter Austin Buschman (see the interview here) runs a plain old Mil-C reticle in his ATCAR. My unsolicited opinion is that unless the conditions are really gnarly and/or you refuse to touch your turrets, a Christmas tree is clutter most of the time. If it's unobtrusive, no big deal.
My personal preference/recommendation: keep it simple as you start out, and if you're gonna do a decent amount of range/target shooting a .2 mrad hash makes sense, ideally with an open top for unobstructed spotting/observation.
For $3k, you can pick-up a used ZCO in the PX. I didn't see a weight goal, but if you don't mind the weight of the ZCO, that's a pretty easy choice. ZCO is the best all around/general purpose scope that I've owned or used.
If the ZCO is too heavy, used 3-15 Tangents can still be found for barely over $3k. My opinion is that the Gen2XR & Gen3XR are too thin for a hunting set-up, and the Gen 2 Mildots can be hard to come by. But if you can save up or be patient and find a used one, the new marksman with Gen 2 Mildot is the best hunting scope that I've owned/used.
I've had a Kahles k525i, and I had a really good experience with the one I had. Based on what others have said on here, maybe I had a higher quality sample. This isn't a bad option, and the weight is between the Tangent and the ZCO. I don't think the Kahles is in the same league as TT or ZCO, but you can regularly find them in the $2,200 - $2,400 range, and I think they are a decent option at that price point.
In the next step down, I think the 4-16x42 ATACR, 3.6-18 Mark 5, and 6-24 AMG are decent options. There's obvious differences in magnification range, weight, and other features, depending on what you are looking for.
I’ve had all of the above, and many others, on hunting rifles. The Tangent is the best fit I’ve found so far. I’m hopeful that whatever ZCO has in the works will be better yet.
If the ZCO is too heavy, used 3-15 Tangents can still be found for barely over $3k. My opinion is that the Gen2XR & Gen3XR are too thin for a hunting set-up, and the Gen 2 Mildots can be hard to come by. But if you can save up or be patient and find a used one, the new marksman with Gen 2 Mildot is the best hunting scope that I've owned/used.
I've had a Kahles k525i, and I had a really good experience with the one I had. Based on what others have said on here, maybe I had a higher quality sample. This isn't a bad option, and the weight is between the Tangent and the ZCO. I don't think the Kahles is in the same league as TT or ZCO, but you can regularly find them in the $2,200 - $2,400 range, and I think they are a decent option at that price point.
In the next step down, I think the 4-16x42 ATACR, 3.6-18 Mark 5, and 6-24 AMG are decent options. There's obvious differences in magnification range, weight, and other features, depending on what you are looking for.
I’ve had all of the above, and many others, on hunting rifles. The Tangent is the best fit I’ve found so far. I’m hopeful that whatever ZCO has in the works will be better yet.
I think you should go with my tangent you emailed about
. We can complete the transaction off of gunbroker, I’ll drop the price a tad, and you can save on taxes. This is a great all around optic.The Polars are great, but they don’t have quite the resolution as the tangents (I prior owned several). Some of the other optics that are referenced are fantastic, but are heavy and huge for a hunting rig. Good luck with your search!
You can buy a brand new K624i for less than $3K... Especially if you have MIL/LE/Vet credentials. Contact Clay Hawkins at EuroOptic.
Kahles K624i 6-24x56mm RSW CCW SKMR4 FFP Riflescope 10681
FREE SHIPPING on Kahles K624i 6-24x56mm RSW CCW SKMR4 FFP Riflescope 10681
SOLD/EXPIRED - ZCO 4-20
I HAVE A USED ZCO 4-20X50 .1 MIL LOCKING CONTROLS MPCT-1 RETICLE W/ZCO RINGS GLASS IS PERFECT SOME WEAR MARKS ON EXTERNALS BUT NOTHING MAJOR WOULD LIKE TO GET $2600 PLUS SHIPPING OR STRAIGHT UP TRADE FOR EXACT SCOPE IN MOA OR NIGHTFORCE ATACR MOA MOAR 4-20X50
This was $2600
There’s multiple active listings for 420s for 3000-3200
Don’t compromise
I’d look for a good sample of a Zeiss v8 in the 20x or above, great illumination and as a hunting scope it’s better than anything listed above imo, by a solid margin, especially the 4.8x35x60, it’s a next level optic, again assuming you don’t get a bad sample.
yeah that 12" is definitely make or break when i'm stuck with a shit SFP reticle for the majority of the shooting the scope will be doing
if one wanted max FOV it isn't from a 20+ mag scope...
That 20x mag drops down to 2.8 on the low, I was referring to the 2.8x20x56 if that helps clarify any confusion, I’ll be sure to spell it out next time. And I’m referring to the apparent fov which is the same regardless of what magnification you’re on unless it tunnels a bit at the very bottom, in which case many do. And when did a sfp become necessary for hunting, I guess I missed the memo.
What you missed was making the following statement without any context - that's going to ruffle some feathers.
What are you hunting?
I’m no master hunter, but for little varmints at 400 yds you want a FFP optic with 25x-30x (occasionally for harder shots) and 18x-20x (usual use).
My rationale is at higher mags there’s more eye/neck fatigue if I’m behind the scope all day. It’s way easier to shoot at 18x-20x for hours, and that’s how long I tend to shoot at little varmints.
For large game, how far are you shooting? In the trees at 50yds, well, a 2-8x, 2-10x, 2-12x , or 1-8x sort of magnification would probably work way better than a 7-35x. Unless you like to just shoot at a random fur location lol (i.e. you might find all you’ll see is fur in the scope at 7x).
Low light and the above scenario? It’s blasphemy here, but consider a second focal plane scope. You can see the crosshairs at low mag without illumination.
Keep in mind a lot of people here shoot steel at longer ranges, and you’ll get a lot of responses based on that.
Give us some more info.
Crap. Missed the bit about 1000yds. If that’s for hunting game that isn’t invasive, I’m out.
If you can become a proficient shooter at 1k, being able to make a very high hit percentage on moa targets cold bore at 1k, I'd say you're comfortable engagement range on critters should be around 700y. Most people shooting long range at animals, don't have much business doing so. Unfortunately that's their decision, and ego gets in the way......all the time.
F I know I have to keep mine it check at times!Wait, are you suggesting some of us have ego issues
Eh, I’m not talking about the raw ability to hit, say, an elk in the vitals at 1000yds. I have no doubt some people can do that quite often.
I’m just saying that endeavor doesn’t really strike me as sporting. It’s more like subsistence hunting (like you are starving and willing to take a long shot) or a rather dry skill-proving exercise.
Not going to harp on it, but I think there’s an argument to be made that it’s more sporting to give the beast a fighting chance to smell, see, or hear you before you shoot at it. Otherwise it’s more assassination, less sport.
For example, Henry, one of the proprietors of 9-Hole Reviews, has this funny intermission during most reviews. Sometimes during which he says, “They say that snipers commit an act of ungentlemanly warfare. Guilty as charged.”
Warfare is one thing. Hunting for sport is another. And shooting vermin with a goal of eradication is yet a different bargain.
Others may have different ideas than me about the long-distance hunting of larger game. That’s ok.
Bow hunters, especially those that hunt dangerous game, have my eternal respect.
However, if the OP meant instead that he wants a scope that can shoot steel at 1000yds AND hunt at 50yds at low light in the trees, then he needs something that has a pretty wide FOV at the low end and goes up to maybe 15x.
For that, among many choices, there’s the 3-15 PST II and TT 3-15. The PST is, I think, wider at 3x than the TT but is a cheaper optic all the way around. The TT is more than $3k.
There’s a ton more choices under $3k, a selection of which one of our resident optics mavens has put together (@koshkin). Here is one of his choices: March Compact 1.5-15x42mm FD-1. Perhaps they offer a tree reticle that would also work for 1000yds?
Browse away.
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