Rifle Scopes Looking for lightweight, quality scope recommendations

[BlkZ06]

I just recieved my new rifle build a couple weeks ago, and I'm looking for some scope advice. The gun is a 7WSM, with Carbon Fiber barrel, and a Manners lightweight stock.
Probably going to see most use as a carry type rifle for hunting Mule deer, Elk, etc. My last Elk hunt I carried my 300WSM which has a Nightforce on it but comes in around 10 pounds. The entire setup was just a bit too heavy for that type stalk hunting, even though I took a nice 370 class Elk at 412 yards with the rifle in the end.

Clear glass is a must, as is an easy eyebox and turrets. My shots tend to be anywhere from 200-500 yards. I'd like to stay around or under 3K, but thats not a hard cap.

I'm a big Nightforce fan- own several of them, but obviously they tend to be on the chunky side. I know March Optics has some lower weight options, but most guys don't seem too fond of them for hunting applications. I'm honestly not familiar with S&B and some of the others I see mentioned on this forum.

Any suggestions?

 

[Bender]

Leupy Mark 5 3-18 punches way above its price. It’s on my short list.

 

[mdmp5]

Try a sig tango 6. They are cheap now

 

[7WSMShooter]

I have a bit of everything and for what you're doing I'd prob go Vortex AMG. Glass, knobs, reticle, illumination, and weight. It's hits all five.

 

[Rootshot]

I asked a similar question on another thread. Recommendations came in for the Leupold Mark 5, so I have one on order.

I also own a March 3-24 and really like it. Took down an elk at 400 yards and ring steel plates at 800.

The only issue I have is that the best clarity is only achieved at the optical center. If you have a rail with a cant, you will find that it is not 100% crisp at 100 yards, but when you move to far out targets, it is really sharp.

 

[surgeon260]

Why the requirement for turrets it you are only shooting out to 500 yards? That 7WSM is crazy flat at the ranges you are talking. Turrets really aren't necessary, and with that requirement you are excluding a ton of great, lightweight scopes.

Both of my dedicated hunting rifles (28 Nosler and 338 Norma) have Swarovski Z8 scopes with capped turrets. The BRX reticle gives you mil holdovers, which I have found to be plenty adequate for minute of vitals precision, and I have stretched them quite a bit beyond 500 yards. The Z8 2-16 is about 23oz, or you could go Z6 3-18 at 21oz. Both have awesome glass.

 

[mdmp5]

^^ Swarovksi is probably what I would get myself in your case, if cost permits

 

[SLG]

I agree with reticle holds as that can get you into much lighter weight stuff.

Which NF though, is the question? a 2.5-10 is 19oz, and will do everything you want, plus stay within one revolution of the turret.

My lightest, trusted hunting scopes are 12oz (VX3), but are, as you know, much less rugged than the NF, and have no real dialing ability, plus limited factory reticle options. I use them on lightweight guns designed for 300 and in hunting. Perfect for that.

 

[BlkZ06]

Great suggestions everyone, thanks. I really like the Mark 5HD, discounted its a downright steal. But ugh...35MM tube? Not a lot of great choices out there ring wise unless I'm missing something. I'm guessing by the time you factor in the bigger ring weight, you are not saving much if any weight over some of the other recommendations here.

 

[mdmp5]

Great suggestions everyone, thanks. I really like the Mark 5HD, discounted its a downright steal. But ugh...35MM tube? Not a lot of great choices out there ring wise unless I'm missing something. I'm guessing by the time you factor in the bigger ring weight, you are not saving much if any weight over some of the other recommendations here.

There are plenty of choices for 35mm today

 

[RNWRKNP]

My 6.5 CM gasser is my 500 yard gun and it wears a Sworavski Z5, 5-25 with a BRX fine reticle. At full mag, holds out to 500 are easy money. Phenomenal glass, mil Subtension in reticle at full mag, MOA turret bummer, 2nd focal plane. Strictly 500 yard light weight no shitter?

 

[BlkZ06]

I agree with reticle holds as that can get you into much lighter weight stuff.

Which NF though, is the question? a 2.5-10 is 19oz, and will do everything you want, plus stay within one revolution of the turret.

My lightest, trusted hunting scopes are 12oz (VX3), but are, as you know, much less rugged than the NF, and have no real dialing ability, plus limited factory reticle options. I use them on lightweight guns designed for 300 and in hunting. Perfect for that.

Yes I love the Nightforce. Definitely a difference in the glass quality from the NSX line to the ATACR line, and therein is my issue with it. Outside of that, it would be my choice 100%.

 

[SLG]

Yes I love the Nightforce. Definitely a difference in the glass quality from the NSX line to the ATACR line, and therein is my issue with it. Outside of that, it would be my choice 100%.

I too wish NF would put ATACR glass in the compacts, but then they would weigh a fair bit more too, so maybe not so ideal.

The compacts don't have the light transmission of the ATACR's, but I have never run out of shooting ability before legal time with them. Ive used them at night as well, and though not as good as some other options, still quite usable.

 

[koshkin]

If you can afford around $3k, get Tangent Theta TT315M.

ILya

 

[Scotch_egg]

35mm rings please check out tierone.eu

They are a British firm ignore the cheesy name. The products are very good and they ship directly to the USA. They do a lovely one piece mount and the rings are lightweight and rugged.

They manufacture for Zeiss and March who both put their brand names on them.

 

[TSU99]

Leupold Mark 5 for sure. Ring choices are great. I went with Badger because they make a 1 inch height ring the lowest I could find and it works great. There are several other quality offerings.

 

[Glassaholic]

OP, you did not mention if it needs to FFP or if you're okay with SFP? NF's typically poor FOV and chunkier weight have for the most part kept me away so I understand what you're saying, that being said a 10lb rifle is by no means a heavyweight and something many would gladly carry into the field, you might want to look into a good pack which can hold your rifle like the Eberlestock, Kifaru or Vorn. I have a similar setup to you, I have a PROOF barrel in a Manners EH1 with a Vortex AMG 6-24x50 on it and I chose the AMG pretty much for it's lighter weight and greater magnification for both hunting (Elk and Antelope mostly) and long range. With just over 20' FOV at 6x at 100yards that is more than enough to frame an entire Elk at 50 yards which is what I consider my minimum, and if the elk is closer than 50 yards then it's time to pull out my hunting knife and get primal (just kidding of course but I think you get the point).

If you're sticking with FFP and want to stay under 30oz then your options or more limited. I have a Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 on order and based on early reviews this should hopefully be the first Leupold worth it's weight so we'll see. Don't worry about the rings, get a set of ARC M10 35mm rings (see pic above) and you're good to go.

If you really want lower magnification then look into the Tangent Theta TT315M as it really has no equal, if it's too pricey then you might be able to find a used Premier LT 3-15x50 for under 2k which is the older sister to the TT315M and is still a fine scope.

If you're okay raising the bar to under 35oz instead of under 30oz then you have even more options like the Schmidt & Bender Ultra Shorts, the new Kahles scopes, the ZCO ZC420 and Minox ZP5 5-25-56 rounding out the higher end and scopes like the Vortex PST II, Burris XTR II, Bushnell LRTS/LRHS 4.5-18x44 (great deal on the LRHS from GA Precision for only $750 right now!!!) rounding out the lower end.

Check out the link in my signature as I've used/reviewed a lot of these scopes in my never-ending search for the perfect optic (it doesn't exist but I search for it nonetheless )

 

[Glassaholic]

Leupold Mark 5 for sure. Ring choices are great. I went with Badger because they make a 1 inch height ring the lowest I could find and it works great. There are several other quality offerings.

American Rifle Company makes lower rings in 35mm - https://www.americanrifle.com/product/m10-scope-rings/

 

[Glassaholic]

I asked a similar question on another thread. Recommendations came in for the Leupold Mark 5, so I have one on order.

I also own a March 3-24 and really like it. Took down an elk at 400 yards and ring steel plates at 800.

The only issue I have is that the best clarity is only achieved at the optical center. If you have a rail with a cant, you will find that it is not 100% crisp at 100 yards, but when you move to far out targets, it is really sharp.

I loved my March scopes, my first was a 3-24x42 FMA-1 (MOA) reticle version but I quickly realized it wasn't going to cut it for low light so then bought the 3-24x52 with FML-1 (mil) reticle and optically that scope was pretty amazing. There is some field curvature at low magnifications that are mostly cleaned up above 12x or so, at 24x the IQ suffers a little but not too bad, the sweet spot is probably around 10-20x with very usable 3x and 24x. The reticle was a tad too thick for my taste and I'd prefer an updated .2 mil hash reticle while the FML-T1 is not particular to my tastes, I'd like to see something more along the lines of the Minox MR4/Kahles SKMR style. One of the biggest issues with the March is its sometimes finicky eyebox and parallax. For me the eyebox was never too bad, but the parallax control had to be played with some. If you use this scope regularly I think you will simply get used to how it functions, but some have complained they might miss a shot on an animal while trying to get the parallax just right. If these issues are not of concern for the OP, then I think the March is a truly remarkable optic for what it offers.

 

[SLG]

We all know the old saying about opinions....

My LRHSi is a really nice scope for 750. Mine weighs 27-28 ounces without rings. It is obviously not in the same class as the NF you are used to, but if you want ffp and turrets, it is a solid choice for very little money. I would prefer it not have the circle in the reticle, but it is a very usable reticle at 4x, and at 18, offers all the mag you could ever need for any kind of Reasonable big game hunting. I was watching deer last night till the end of legal hunting.

Of course, for 2 ounces or so, Id likely stick with the atacr, especially with your budget. In order to save any real weight, I personally would have to go with the 2.5-10, as it is extremely capable at 500 and in. Much further as well.

10 pounds is not bad, but the joys of carrying a 6# rifle cant be understood if you havent done it. Yours wont weigh 6#, but if you know how to shoot lighter guns, lighter field guns are pretty much always better.

 

[Birddog6424]

We all know the old saying about opinions....



10 pounds is not bad, but the joys of carrying a 6# rifle cant be understood if you havent done it. Yours wont weigh 6#, but if you know how to shoot lighter guns, lighter field guns are pretty much always better.

Funny you should say that about opinions
I've done both, and I can't really say as one way or another makes me any more or less tired at the end of the day. I still cover the same country in pretty much the same manner.

I currently carry a 12lb 300 Norma mag, and I really don't notice it's weight. I will say however that I toted around my 16lb 6.5 Creedmoor gas gun one season for whitetails in Riggins Idaho (meaning very steep country) and that was noticeable. So there's a limit for me as well somewhere north of 12lbs or so. But I really don't feel the difference in carrying a 6-7 lb rifle.

I certainly wouldn't give up on the scope I want to shave 5 or 8ounces.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

If your shots are under 500 I'd forgo the turrets and get a Swarovski Z3, Z5, or Z6 with the BRX reticle. It's a very usable reticle and is mil based unlike your typical BDC reticles so you can zero and use a ballistic computer for your exact dope vs being close with a normal BDC reticle.

If you absolutely insist on turrets the X5/X5i with the BRM reticle would be a great option too but the turrets are MOA and the reticle MIL. Also for the weight you can get into many tactical scopes without adding much or any weight. The Leupold Mark 5 3.6-18 is actually lighter than the X5's.

 

[DXT_Shooter]

I have read that the Leupold VX-6HD is awesome at dawn and dusk for light transmission and it is very light. With the Zero stop turrets, CDS system and firedot I think this is the scope I a may buy or perhaps the VX-5HD as its under $1000.

 

[Cotay]

Leupy Mark 5 3-18 punches way above its price. It’s on my short list.

Where are these cheap Tango 6's of which you speak?

 

[SLG]

Funny you should say that about opinions
I've done both, and I can't really say as one way or another makes me any more or less tired at the end of the day. I still cover the same country in pretty much the same manner.

I currently carry a 12lb 300 Norma mag, and I really don't notice it's weight. I will say however that I toted around my 16lb 6.5 Creedmoor gas gun one season for whitetails in Riggins Idaho (meaning very steep country) and that was noticeable. So there's a limit for me as well somewhere north of 12lbs or so. But I really don't feel the difference in carrying a 6-7 lb rifle.

I certainly wouldn't give up on the scope I want to shave 5 or 8ounces.

I wouldnt give up the scope I want for a few ounces either. But if a lighter scope will do what I want...

It all comes down to preferences and style. I've happily and not so happily hunted with guns of all weights, down to 4.5# and up to 18#. Not including handguns, of course. Weight is not in any circumstance the deciding factor.

From a pure performance standpoint, everyone can move faster and further with less weight. You have to decide where that line matters for you and your hunting style. I carry all my animals out on my back, so that plays into my thinking quite a bit.

 

[Birddog6424]

I wouldnt give up the scope I want for a few ounces either. But if a lighter scope will do what I want...

It all comes down to preferences and style. I've happily and not so happily hunted with guns of all weights, down to 4.5# and up to 18#. Not including handguns, of course. Weight is not in any circumstance the deciding factor.

From a pure performance standpoint, everyone can move faster and further with less weight. You have to decide where that line matters for you and your hunting style. I carry all my animals out on my back, so that plays into my thinking quite a bit.

I've carried a fair share out on my back, but I'll readily admit it's a rarity these days. Between my horses and more mechanized methods, I haven't taken an elk out in bits and pieces in some years..

This is my 16lb 6.5 Creedmoor, and a pic of how far we had to drag this buck to the UTV..

And better yet, the bull I got last year.. Took him out whole and dragged him right up on to the trailer..

I'll hike my ass off for them. But luckily I've been pretty fortunate the last few years at getting them out..

 

[Glassaholic]

^^^ You always make me jealous Birddog! But if I had your mentality of "I'll hike my ass off for them." I would probably have better luck. In the past we've stayed pretty close to camp but the elk have gotten smarter and I think the only way is to do as you say and hike your ass off. I no longer hunt with my buddies from the 90's and am now getting back into it and hoping to take my son this year, we will have to consider going further in.

 

[eff10mm]

SportOptics has the Tango6 on a super sale. They are a Hide sponsor.

 

[TSean]

Hey BlkZ06,

What are your "must haves" and what is the order of importance? Absolute size/weight, reticle style and illumination, turrets (locking or not, how many mils?), glass and overall quality (I assume top tier based on your original post), FFP vs. SFP, power range, etc. That will dictate the available choices. Also based on the caliber and ranges you mentioned it looks like you wouldn't often need much more than 2-2.5 mils on the elevation turret or reticle, so I am sure you are already bearing that in mind.

Which NF were you using previously that is too heavy? How much does your 7WSM weigh without an optic, and how light are you trying to keep it? How much does your 300WSM weigh without a scope? If they are identical then yea you will really be stuck shaving weight from the optic. If the 7WSM is overall lighter then you may have wiggle room for a lighter optic without having to go as light as possible and still be net "lighter"...hopefully as much as you had in mind.

I think the available options fit into 2 categories for me: "around 26-30 ounces and full featured", and "around 20 ounces with lots of features but some compromises".

Short answer (my opinion and in order, price no object):

~26-30 ounces: TT 3-15M (Gen. 2 mil dot), S&B 5-20 Ultra Short (MSR), NF ATACR 4-16 (Mil-R or Mil-C), Vortex AMG 6-24x50 (EBR7B MRAD)

~20 ounces: NF 2.5-10x42 (Mil-R), S&B PM2 1.5-8x26 Short Dot (P3), S&B PM2 fixed 10x42 (P3).

Obviously the scopes all have differences (some little some large) and so I leave the feature by feature comparison and preferences to you. All of those scopes are excellent.

Ok man hope that helps. Happy to flesh that out more so please ask if you want, but defining that first part/answering the first questions oughtta help point you in the right direction regardless of these specific suggestions (which could even be all wrong depending on what your answers to those questions are ha!). At any rate I hope you pick an awesome scope and that it goes on to stack bunches of critters with you! Have a good one!

-TSean

 

[Birddog6424]

^^^ You always make me jealous Birddog! But if I had your mentality of "I'll hike my ass off for them." I would probably have better luck. In the past we've stayed pretty close to camp but the elk have gotten smarter and I think the only way is to do as you say and hike your ass off. I no longer hunt with my buddies from the 90's and am now getting back into it and hoping to take my son this year, we will have to consider going further in.

The old adage, "legs kill elk"..

I also had great luck with one of those single wheeled game carriers from Cabela's. That thing has saved my ass on several occasions. I shot a beautiful 4x5 muley in the Bear Trap wilderness area on the Madison River in Montana some years back. I was way further in than I should have been. But I took that carrier in with me in the morning and turned a two times 2 mile trip into one guy getting him out in one.

To stay relevant to the thread, that was a 10 1/2 lb 30-06 that I used to chase everything that runs, jumps or swims, for about 20 years. Lightweight rifles didn't even seem to be much of an option back then. We have great choices these days.

 

[DXT_Shooter]

Where are these cheap Tango 6's of which you speak?

Someone just posted one in classifieds for a good price.

 

[BlkZ06]

So many great choices, and I appreciate everyone that chimed in. I do shoot further than 500 yards, so that is the reason for turrets. I should have been more concise in my original post.

Couple good replies about not worrying about 3-4 oz of weight is great advice. I basically have 3-4 new scopes just sitting in their boxes...a Steiner TX5 5-25x56 and a M5X 3-15x50, along with a Burris XTRII in 2-10x42. All things being equal, the MX5 is only about 5oz heavier than the Mark5 and I’m sure is probably a better scope overall. Outside of the NXS I’m going to be around 27-32 oz with any heavy duty scope, unless I ditch the turrets.

 

[CSTactical]

@BlkZ06 there's many great suggestions here and we'd be happy to pick your brain to help you choose the correct scope for your application. Feel free to call 916-670-1103

 

[Birddog6424]

So many great choices, and I appreciate everyone that chimed in. I do shoot further than 500 yards, so that is the reason for turrets. I should have been more concise in my original post.

Couple good replies about not worrying about 3-4 oz of weight is great advice. I basically have 3-4 new scopes just sitting in their boxes...a Steiner TX5 5-25x56 and a M5X 3-15x50, along with a Burris XTRII in 2-10x42. All things being equal, the MX5 is only about 5oz heavier than the Mark5 and I’m sure is probably a better scope overall. Outside of the NXS I’m going to be around 27-32 oz with any heavy duty scope, unless I ditch the turrets.

You have some great scopes already to choose from.

I wouldn't hesitate to run any of those three on my rifles.

 

[XTREM HTR16]

Doug at Cameraland arranged for a run of S&B PMII 6x42 fixed scopes. Look to be a great option for lightweight bulletproof hunting scope. I hope to get mine this month...

http://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet....-P3-schmidt&catalog[product_guids][0]=1751661

 

[maverick2]

This Leica might be a good candidate.
https://www.eurooptic.com/leica-er-i-3-12x50-ibs-bdc-56032-rifle-scope.aspx
Great hunting scope that checks your other boxes. Awesome glass. Light (compared to the tactical scopes your comparing to), 4" eye relief, one of the most forgiving eye boxes I've seen, locking turret. This is also my favorite reticle. I've got this scope with this reticle in Leica's 2.5-10 and 3.5-14 versions -- by far my favorite scope for what you are doing. One sits on a 6.5 Creedmoor for long range targets and deer, coyote, and wolf hunting, and the other sits on my elk rifle.

 

[Rootshot]

I finally received my Leupold Mark 5 HD 3.6-18. Thanks for all the input that led me to buy this.

So far I like virtually everything about the scope. The weight is reasonable. The CCH reticle looks nice. The machining is flawless. There are no plastic parts to weaken and break over time. I like the integrated throw level on the magnification ring. The capped windage turret is a nice touch to prevent unintentional adjustment. The elevation knob turns nicely, has positive audible and tangible clicks, has useful rotation indicators, locks on zero, and has a zero stop that allows you to go under zero by 5mil. There is plenty of elevation to get to 1000 yards without a canted base (17 mil factory from zero stop, but probably more if I were to reset zero). You can "zero" the parallax knob at a known distance. The glass seems really clear (i've yet to test it at distance). The price is very reasonable.

I see very little downside to this scope. The one thing that puzzles me is the elevation knob is 10.5 mil. This feels like it will just require unnecessary mental math on the second rotation. Luckily I don't need 10 mil to get to 1000 yards, so this is just a strange design choice and not a limitation. One hypothetical issue (that doesn't impact me) is that the elevation knob internals that provide rotation indication are relatively fine and could gunk up over time if you are a swamp warrior who drags their rifle through the mud....

As soon as my 35mm ADM mount arrives, I'll take it out on my GAP10 to see how well it performs.