Long range deer hunting scope advice please.

[Blackforesthp]

I am awaiting the completion of my newest rifle build. It is a 300 Win, BAT action, Krieger barrel, McMillan stock. The primary purpose of this rifle will be long range deer hunting past 800 yards. I will be hunting open country over alfalfa fields with shot opportunities which will be presented to well over 1200 yards.

Lower light capabilities will be paramount. I will want a FFP.

If Swarovski had a FFP that is the direction I would go as a second focal plane Swaro is what I have been using up to this point. I have been able to consistently take deer and antelope out to 665 yards with TC Encore / Swarovski set up. Now it is time to step it up and extend the range.

My budget will be $2500 - $3000

 

[Painless300]

TT 3-15M or the new H model is the absolute top in alpha glass, forgiving parallax, turrets and resolving and its weight is 27oz. However its a little more than your budget at $3700 and some change. ZCO 4-20 would be my second choice but still $3500. So the Leopould MK5 3-18 is well under your budget you amy want to take a look at it.
Just remember you get what you pay for.

 

[Straw Hat]

If you can afford it NF ATACR. If your on a budget I’d go Vortex Viper PST gen2.

 

[Secant]

I used the Kahles K525i last year on my hunting rifle, and I’ve been pretty happy with it. I think the DLR is the better option now with a wider FOV, and 10 mil/rev turrets. My K525 does weigh 34oz, so that may be too heavy for some. The optic length and eye relief make it really easy to mount on a long action. For me, it has good low light performance, good reticle, I like the left side windage and parallax location, and it’s pretty close to MY favorite hunting scope. You can find used or demo models in the mid $2,000 range.

I had an AMG for a little while. The weight is good (28oz) the I liked the reticle & turrets and the comparative FoV was good. But the absolute FoV was small on 6x for me. Liberty Optics puts these on sale from time to time for a great price (sub $2k).

I’ve also had the 3.6-18 Mark 5 and the 4-16x42 ATACR. Overall, these are pretty similar optics. My Mark 5 was right about 26oz and my ATACR was barely over 30 oz. Depending on your stock setup and body type, it may be tough to get good eye relief with these on a long action. If illumination is not needed/wanted, then the Mark 5 is the better choice IMO. You can find used ATACRs in the PX for $2k or less and a new unilluminated Mark 5 can be found for $1,500 or less.

I haven’t used one, but you might look at the 5-25 Mark 5 if you like the reticles & features.

I have a ZCO420 that I may use this year for hunting, but it is a chunk. Optic is about 36oz, ZCO rings are a little over 5oz, and scope caps add a couple more ounces. It’s also a little outside your stated budget, but it has a good feature set.

DVOR has the TT315M and TT315H on sale through Friday I think. The H is something like $3,100 and the M with Gen2XR is $3,300. It’s a good deal if you like the reticle and features.

 

[Bangin]

Bought the TT LRH for $3,100 on dvor.

 

[fdkay]

Color me suspicious. I would assume that anyone that is confident of making a 1200 yard shot on deer would be an accomplished long range shooter and have an idea of what scopes would fit his needs.

However, maybe you don't. The Nightforce ATACR is right at your max budget.
Below that is the MK5 Leupold.
The next stepdown gets you in the range of the 1500-2000 dollar glass, which is VERY good.
Delta Stryker HD/Tact Toric UHD/Razor Gen 2/EOTECH Vudu
Also in the mix is the Vortex AMG if it can be found.

 

[Blackforesthp]

Color me suspicious. I would assume that anyone that is confident of making a 1200 yard shot on deer would be an accomplished long range shooter and have an idea of what scopes would fit his needs.

However, maybe you don't. The Nightforce ATACR is right at your max budget.
Below that is the MK5 Leupold.
The next stepdown gets you in the range of the 1500-2000 dollar glass, which is VERY good.
Delta Stryker HD/Tact Toric UHD/Razor Gen 2/EOTECH Vudu
Also in the mix is the Vortex AMG if it can be found.

I didn't say I was confident in making a 1200 yard shot on deer. I said I will be hunting open country over alfalfa fields with shot opportunities which will be presented to well over 1200 yards.

I am just getting into shooting longer range. Up until this point I have just used typical hunting rifles and scopes to harvest more deer than I can remember up to 665 yards. I am at a point where I am improving the quality of my equipment to a point where I can see where my limits are. I'm not claiming to be an expert, I'm just looking for advice.

 

[jda2631]

I'd look at the Minox ZP5 5-25 too. The glass on it is incredible, would make a great dedicated long range hunting scope. Buying them used on PX you'll come in well within your price range. Glass is much better on it than anything else you'll find in the 22-2300ish range they go for used.

Atacr, Schmidt PMII, Kahles all would be great in that price range, may have to go used but all can be had in that price range.

I have a Schmidt PMII ultrabright I'm trying to move. It's only 4-16, but glass is incredible, they are ultra bright like the name says. Great for hunting. PM me if you're interested.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Surely your not “testing your limits” on deer? Seems kinda unethical and just bad sportsmanship for a hunter. Maybe I misread but that’s how I interpreted it.

 

[Painless300]

Secant, thanks for the DVOR tip. Just got the TT 315H to try out. Been wanting to see their hunting reticle. $3119 is a hell of a deal on that scope.

 

[ma smith]

MATH says 2MOA is roughly 400-600yds for most "medium" size game animals...
Anything...beyond that is sub MOA in field conditions...Not "precision shooting basics" IMHO
and probably topic for another thread.

 

[Blackforesthp]

Surely your not “testing your limits” on deer? Seems kinda unethical and just bad sportsmanship for a hunter. Maybe I misread but that’s how I interpreted it.

 

[Blackforesthp]

I'm not looking to get into an ethics debate. I just asked a for advice about scopes.

 

[fdkay]

I'm not looking to get into an ethics debate. I just asked a for advice about scopes.

What type of scopes are you accustomed to?
I ask because if you are used to running 200-300 dollar scopes, when you step up to 1200 and above, it is a very noticeable difference. Once you get to about 1500, you really have to spend a lot more to get significant improvement.
Also, if you hadn't considered it, for your intended purpose, illumination is a must have.
Don't think you need massive magnification, 16 to 18 power is fine for your purpose. More doesn't hurt though.

 

[Blackforesthp]

What type of scopes are you accustomed to?
I ask because if you are used to running 200-300 dollar scopes, when you step up to 1200 and above, it is a very noticeable difference. Once you get to about 1500, you really have to spend a lot more to get significant improvement.
Also, if you hadn't considered it, for your intended purpose, illumination is a must have.
Don't think you need massive magnification, 16 to 18 power is fine for your purpose. More doesn't hurt though.

As stated in my original post, I've been using a Swarovski. My current set up is a 4-12 with a basic plex reticle. Not ideal for extending the range.

 

[deersniper]

Zico 5-27
Or NF 7-35

I’d go ZCO

 

[deersniper]

Surely your not “testing your limits” on deer? Seems kinda unethical and just bad sportsmanship for a hunter. Maybe I misread but that’s how I interpreted it.

Why is it ok on hogs or coyotes?

 

[roostercogburn98]

Why is it ok on hogs or coyotes?

I never said it was

 

[fdkay]

As stated in my original post, I've been using a Swarovski. My current set up is a 4-12 with a basic plex reticle. Not ideal for extending the range.

Duh. Sorry. You did say that.
Swaro glass does enjoy an excellent rep, but they, like everyone else, have different levels.
Have you looked at their X5i series?

 

[260284]

I'd look at the Minox ZP5 5-25 too. The glass on it is incredible, would make a great dedicated long range hunting scope. Buying them used on PX you'll come in well within your price range. Glass is much better on it than anything else you'll find in the 22-2300ish range they go for used.

Atacr, Schmidt PMII, Kahles all would be great in that price range, may have to go used but all can be had in that price range.

I have a Schmidt PMII ultrabright I'm trying to move. It's only 4-16, but glass is incredible, they are ultra bright like the name says. Great for hunting. PM me if you're interested.

This. I have two of the Minox ZP5 5-25 with the MR4 reticle and they have great glass for the $$ and are really bright at the limits of legal shooting hours. They have a newer model, the LR that is a little cheaper and has a different reticle.

 

[ULTRAEDGE]

The Swarovski x5i is an excellent hunting scope. It is second focal plane, but has good tracking and lowlight capabilities. I have an S&B ultrabrite, but the Swaro is hard to beat.