Scope for Hunting Rig

[Quackaddict]

I have a 6.5 PRC that has worn a Mark 5 3.6-18 since I bought the rifle. I sent it in to have some work done this winter and have since moved said Mark 5 to a Bergara B14r which I really like. I had originally looked at buying perhaps another Mark 4 for the 22 and moving the Mark 5 back, but I have since decided to explore another scope for my 6.5 PRC.

I am leaning heavily towards an ATACR 4-16 of some flavor for the PRC. If I had to pick right now id likely choose the 4-16x42 option. There is some benefit to an SFP 4-16x50 variant when using low power at dawn and dusk, but then you loose out on the benefits of stable reticle sub tensions at different magnifications.

The major question of this group is are there any other scopes I should consider? Not opposed to another Mark 5 but id like to try something else. NX8 2.5-20 has some merit, but a lot of people say it struggles with optical quality and a tight eye box at high power.

Rifle use is deer/big game to 500 yards. the 3.6-18/4-16/3-18 power is a good fit for what I am doing with it. Tube size does not matter, I dont mind some weight for quality glass and tracking but I dont want a 3lb club either.

Appreciate your responses!

 

[fdkay]

Kinda hard to argue with the 4-16 atacr.
The mk 4 4.5-18 might be worth a look.
I just picked up a March FX 4.5-28 on sale at eurooptic.com for not much more than the atacr. Haven't had an opportunity to run it through it's paces yet.
The NF 2.5-20 is an attractive option.
The Leica AMPLUS 2.5-15x56 .mil model is on sale at eurooptic.com, it is a solid, SFP scope. It does have some quirks. It's on sale for 969 bucks. It does not have a floating dot, if that is important on a hunting scope to you.
I have one and I have a trijicon credo 2.5-15. I very slightly prefer the trijicon. But they are both solid.

 

[clark33]

I personally use NXS 2.5-10 on my hunting rigs. But if you want some extra mag without a weighing too much the Trijicon Tenmile 3-18 is rock solid.

 

[3rdfocal]

I hunted with a 2nd focal 4-32 NX8 last year and it was excellent. There's really nothing I'd change about it.

 

[KAIFS]

I hunt quite a bit here in WI. Most of my deer hunting is with 6.5x55. My distances are from 15m to 500m. For me, 2-16 power is ideal magnification (I never tried higher power that goes down to 2x. SFP is typically cheaper and lighter, however, FFP is definitely easier to compensate for my drop- especially when a game can pop up at any distance and magnification adjustment is warranted. I used to chase an illuminated scope for hunting until it became evident that a legal shot always has a sufficient light. While I still have a few with lighted fine x-hairs or a dot - my current main rigs are fitted with non- illuminated FFP BDC (yes I still use my rangefinder with a ballistic calculator to verify, especially on down slopes).
As far as 22lr small game hunting- i have outfitted ALL HUNTING rifles with Hawke 22lr scope (HV) and federal HV ammo is dead on for that BDC reticle (Red/Green illumination). I routinely harvest rabbits (head shots only to avoid mites) out to 150m.
As far as deer- 75% of my harvested White Tail deer is between 400-500m (16x is plenty of magnification)- most are DRT placed shots with 140gr Lapua Naturalis pills.

 

[ChrisAU]

Maven RS1.2 2.5-15x44, has a reticle that can still be seen when the critters are moving.

 

[Gunny89]

I will seriously consider the Huskemaw 4-16x42., good holdover hash marks, good custom turret system, low profile, lightweight, excellent glass, reasonable price. extremely reliable tracking for dialing

 

[Secant]

The 2.5-20 NX8s that I’ve used have been shitty. I’ve liked the 4-16x42 ATACRs that I’ve had. The Mk5 3.6-18 that I had was pretty comparable to the ATACRs. But the TT315M has been better in every way for me on a hunting rifle.

 

[mrmarklin]

For big game at the distances you’re talking about, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around more magnification than 12x. Or less. I realize I’m against the tide here. ;-)

 

[hafejd30]

Throw a DNT on the B14R and move the MK5 back to the centerfire

 

[Quackaddict]

For big game at the distances you’re talking about, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around more magnification than 12x. Or less. I realize I’m against the tide here. ;-)

In fairness you’re right, and I’ve never shot a critter on more than about 10x with the mark 5. The extra power on the top end is useful in certain applications.

Throw a DNT on the B14R and move the MK5 back to the centerfire

I like your style!

 

[FuhQ]

I have a 6.5 PRC that has worn a Mark 5 3.6-18 since I bought the rifle. I sent it in to have some work done this winter and have since moved said Mark 5 to a Bergara B14r which I really like. I had originally looked at buying perhaps another Mark 4 for the 22 and moving the Mark 5 back, but I have since decided to explore another scope for my 6.5 PRC.

I am leaning heavily towards an ATACR 4-16 of some flavor for the PRC. If I had to pick right now id likely choose the 4-16x42 option. There is some benefit to an SFP 4-16x50 variant when using low power at dawn and dusk, but then you loose out on the benefits of stable reticle sub tensions at different magnifications.

The major question of this group is are there any other scopes I should consider? Not opposed to another Mark 5 but id like to try something else. NX8 2.5-20 has some merit, but a lot of people say it struggles with optical quality and a tight eye box at high power.

Rifle use is deer/big game to 500 yards. the 3.6-18/4-16/3-18 power is a good fit for what I am doing with it. Tube size does not matter, I dont mind some weight for quality glass and tracking but I dont want a 3lb club either.

Appreciate your responses!

Kahles K318i SKMR3... I run one on my main hunting rifle. Phenomenal glass IQ, FOV & DOF.

 

[diggler1833]

I have a 6.5 PRC that has worn a Mark 5 3.6-18 since I bought the rifle. I sent it in to have some work done this winter and have since moved said Mark 5 to a Bergara B14r which I really like. I had originally looked at buying perhaps another Mark 4 for the 22 and moving the Mark 5 back, but I have since decided to explore another scope for my 6.5 PRC.

I am leaning heavily towards an ATACR 4-16 of some flavor for the PRC. If I had to pick right now id likely choose the 4-16x42 option. There is some benefit to an SFP 4-16x50 variant when using low power at dawn and dusk, but then you loose out on the benefits of stable reticle sub tensions at different magnifications.

The major question of this group is are there any other scopes I should consider? Not opposed to another Mark 5 but id like to try something else. NX8 2.5-20 has some merit, but a lot of people say it struggles with optical quality and a tight eye box at high power.

Rifle use is deer/big game to 500 yards. the 3.6-18/4-16/3-18 power is a good fit for what I am doing with it. Tube size does not matter, I dont mind some weight for quality glass and tracking but I dont want a 3lb club either.

Appreciate your responses!

Out of your options listed, the ATACR 4-16 is going to be noticeably better. If you dial wind, the SFP of the 50mm isnt an issue...if you hold wind, the stick with the FFP 42mm.

I don't like large zoom ratios (6x plus) on hunting scopes because the reticle on the low end is almost useless. A 4x ratio is still kind of useful on the bottom end. 2023 saw me using a 3-12 on 3x to kill a decent buck with essentially a snap shot. If the reticle was any smaller, I'd have had a hard time.

Everyone has their pet brands, but it seems like you have experience with what you listed. The 4-16 ATACR will not have you wondering later on if you need to upgrade again.

 

[waveslayer]

Honestly, sell the other scope and use the extra funds for a top tier scope and your rifles can share it. Get a nice ATACR, Kahles, March, TT, and or ZCO.

I hunt with a ZCO527. No complaints. Yes it's a bit heavy but I know it will survive the crap I'm hiking through, falls in the rocks and snow...

That's my .2 cents. Unless money isn't an issue and disposable income is plentiful, there are a lot of options.

 

[Quackaddict]

Have

Honestly, sell the other scope and use the extra funds for a top tier scope and your rifles can share it. Get a nice ATACR, Kahles, March, TT, and or ZCO.

I don’t need to sell anything at the moment. The point of this thread was to make sure I’m not blind to another option that might be better for my use. The reviews of the 4-16 ATACR are excellent and I just want to make sure I don’t buy one and then find I could have bought brand x that might have been a better deal. I have been looking at and considering a lot of different scopes because of this thread, and I am appreciative of that.