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8K views 47 replies 21 participants last post by  Irish Lad 
#1 ·
I’m needing a scope a tikka 25-06. It’ll mostly be an antelope and deer hunting gun and I don’t see shooting it further than 500 yards. I’d like to keep it relatively lightens not throw on a large bulky scope. What’s your optic of choice? On both my 7 rem mag and 300 win mag I have a viper HST 6-24x50, but I think that’s overkill. Any suggestions?
 
#3 ·
I have a Leupold VX-5HD that is pretty sweet. I have the 3-15x I believe. It has a lighted dot in the middle that is very good for low light conditions. I have the custom turret made, but I don't plan on long range shooting because it's not my thing. It's a lot of scope. But it's the nicest scope I've ever purchased. It's on my 6.5 Creedmore, but I'm thinking about getting another turret made for the .270 and switching scopes.
 
#4 ·
I have a Leupold 4.5-14x40 VX3 CDS on my .25-06 and it did a great job for my coues deer hunt, I shot the deer at 420 yards but have the dial set to 700. I have no plans on shooting it at a animal beyond 500 yards.

I have yet to try it on antelope since Wyoming and Utah won't draw my name.
 
#5 ·
About any half decent built(Leopold, Vortex, etc) 3x9 will work great for hunting at normal ranges and normal conditions. I guess I am old school but as you say, a lot of these scopes are way over kill. I even have a couple of my favorite "hunting" rifles fit up with fixed power 4's and 6 powers. Reticle selection in my mind is very important for a good quick-aiming hunting rifle. My choice, if you can find one any more, is the old tried and true cross hair. I believe your eye tends to place the exact cross hair on the exact spot you want to hit more readily than with any other reticle choice. 4-plex are almost as good, but you still need to mentally center your desired aim point and that is never as exact as placing that cross hair right on the spot. Some of the fancy rangefinder reticles are the worst choice unless long range shootin is your game. I also recommend you use good quality bases and rings, mounted correctly and torqued to manufacture recommendations.
Just a few of my thoughts, hope they're not to old fashioned or, heaven forbid, out of style.
 
#6 ·
SWFA SS Fixed 12x - I’ve got one my Tikka and does everything I could ever want it to do. Buy a shim kit (for zero stop) and you’ve got one heck of scope.

I always ran a variable power scope before, but always found that I kept it on the highest magnification - so variable scopes really served me no benefit.
 
#19 ·
SWFA SS Fixed 12x - I've got one my Tikka and does everything I could ever want it to do. Buy a shim kit (for zero stop) and you've got one heck of scope.

I always ran a variable power scope before, but always found that I kept it on the highest magnification - so variable scopes really served me no benefit.
SWFA is a great scope for decent money. I've got one of their variable tactical scopes and it will out dial many big name brands for consistency.
 
#8 ·
For hunting, 4.5-14x40 VX3i CDS is about the lightest scope with a turret and decent magnification you can mount. If you're shooting at 500 yards, a turret is very helpful. It has a small profile and will save you about 6oz over that vortex. If you have unlimited funds, a swarovski Z3 or Z5, but they are 2-3x the cost of a leupold.
 
#9 ·
Whatever the brand you have confidence in I think is a great choice. I have a Burris 4.5-14X??? with a MIL and it took me a while at the range to get to know it. It's on top of a .25-06 and I, like Critter have yet to test it out on Antelope because my name hasn't been called either. Mule deer and White Tail have been killed out to 400yds. without a problem.
 
#10 ·
Leupold 4.5-14X40 VX3i CDS. Best medium range hunting scope available in my opinion. I have over a dozen VX-3 scopes and they have been very good to me over the years. My newest version is on a 28 Nosler with the custom dial out to 1000. That's about 500 yards farther than I would shoot at an animal.

I mounted it on the rifle when it was new 4 years ago. It's been on over 20 hunts since then and never needed a sight adjustment.-----SS
 
#16 ·
Thanks all. Sorry for the butchered original first post, I'm on my phone and autocorrect didn't do me any favors.

Looks like I better breakdown and try a Leupold. Maybe somewhere will have a Black Friday deal. Fingers crossed.
Leupold has good options at several price levels. Pick the one you can afford and give it a whirl. You wont be disappointed.---SS
 
#13 ·
Don't discount the Burris scopes. While I have mostly Leopold's Burris makes a good optic.

While Vortex has a fantastic warranty I wonder just how good they really are when they have a refurbished outlet store selling the optics that have been returned and repaired.

Leupold also has a no question lifetime warranty on their optics, and while I have never used it on a rifle scope I did send some binoculars back to them to get the pivot tightened up. They didn't send me back my old binoculars but a new pair.
 
#46 · (Edited)
While Vortex has a fantastic warranty I wonder just how good they really are when they have a refurbished outlet store selling the optics that have been returned and repaired.
That's where I've bought my last 3 scopes and a Red Dot. Great deals, fast shipping.They come in factory boxes like brand new with lifetime warranty. 0 issues with any of them.I bought a Viper scope Saturday to replace a leupold on my 280 rem. There is usually limited stock and choices so I have no idea how many scopes get sent back for warranty.
 
#20 ·
I ended up buying a Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x 40mm with the CDS and just got it mounted this morning. I went to the range to get it sighted in and at 25 yards I’m 6” low and am already out of elevation. Smith and Edwards mounted it and put on Weaver 61 bases and low Leupold backcountry cross-slot rings.

I’ve never had this happen so I’m at the mercy of mixed google and forum reviews. At this point do I just get a 20 MOA rail or should I try something different to troubleshoot?
 
#25 · (Edited)
I'd seriously check to see if your bases came in a F/R. No reason you should be 6" low at 25yds and out of adjustment range.

I would look at the bases and installation quality as my first suspects. What bases did you get? Have a link?

Edit* looks like the backcountry bases are the base and rings in one unit. They didn't install the rings on top of the weaver bases did they?

Have a pic of the rifle/ring/base setup?

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
 
#26 · (Edited)
I'd seriously check to see if your bases came in a F/R. No reason you should be 6" low at 25yds and out of adjustment range.

I would look at the bases and installation quality as my first suspects. What bases did you get? Have a link?

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
These are the bases (they used the same for front and rear): https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1477218533

And yes, they did instal the scope rings on to the weaver bases. See attached picture.
 

Attachments

#27 ·
Those look different than the ones that came up on my google search...

https://www.leupold.com/product-series/backcountry-mounts

Do you have a set of calipers to measure the height at front and rear? I'd measure just behind and in front of the bases themselves to see if the scope is angled up at the front. It is probably just the pic but it looks like that could be the case.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
 
#31 ·
What I mean is that if you take the turret off you will then have just the adjustment post sticking up that you can adjust for elevation. Then once it is zeroed you can put the original turret on or the custom ordered one.

On my first CDS scope I had the same problem until I pulled the turret completely off, then I was able to adjust to where I needed to.
 
#32 ·
What I mean is that if you take the turret off you will then have just the adjustment post sticking up that you can adjust for elevation. Then once it is zeroed you can put the original turret on or the custom ordered one.

On my first CDS scope I had the same problem until I pulled the turret completely off, then I was able to adjust to where I needed to.
That's what I did, but I have no more "up" elevation adjustment. I'm still too low and can't adjust the adjustment post any higher.
 
#34 ·
I'd say that something is off then if it is indeed out of adjustment.

With today's equipment everything should work the way that is is suppose to without having to add some shims. I've put Leupold scopes on a half dozen rifles and have never came up with this kind of a problem.

Leupold has a number that you can call and talk to a technician to see what you may have to do to correct the problem

https://www.leupold.com/riflescope-troubleshooting#ICannotDial

Did Smith and Edwards bore sight it for you after they installed the scope?
 
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