30-06 optics

[kidkawaii]

Hello All!

New to both hunting and BC. Been given numerous tips about rifles and hunting in general but have so many "pieces of advice" in regards to optics that I'm completely out to lunch when trying to decide.

Just bought a Weatherby Vanguard 2 Synthetic (Kryptek Typhoon) 30-06 as a versatile rifle to switch between deer, bear and sheep. No idea what optics to put on her. I've been told the, "half the price of your rifle," rule; told this brand over that - too much info from too many different hunters with different game/hunting styles.

As I said, looking for deer, bear and sheep. Not too familiar with the BC territory outside Esquimalt harbour but I've heard that anything beyond 150-200yd lines of sight is unrealistic (not that I'd be particularly interested in trying to humanely hit game beyond that anyways).

My neighbour has hinted at Leupold in every situation, I'm partial to Nikon as a former camera junkie and married to a professional photographer.

Any advice for a newb looking to hunt primarily on Van. Island?

[Moe.JKU]

I'm upgrading my scope on my 30-06 and looking at a leupold vx-2 from everything i have heard its the best choice in my price range. Ive looked through the Vortex viper, VX-2, Burris fullfield II, and few others and like the Leupold the best.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Vortex Viper 3-9x40 or Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 best bang for your buck.

[adriaticum]

Vortex Viper 3-9x40 or Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 best bang for your buck.

x2
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[todbartell]

Vortex Diamondback High Performance (HP) 3-12x42

[tinhorse]

It really comes down to what you are willing to spend on your optics.... If you want to stay under $350 ish bucks Then yes the Vortex and bushnell are really great scopes that will do everything you need a scope to do. Personally I wouldn't go with anything past a 12x zoom as it really isnt needed. A good 3-9x40 scope will be perfect for almost any and all hunting situations you may be in. I have a nikon monarch3 on one of my rifles and love it. Easy and accurate to adjust, clear glass and I find it nice to look through. I also have a bushnell 4200 that is equally as good in my opinion. I bought the 4200 used for a great price and it hasn't let me down. Never tried a Burris but have heard good things about them. Look though as many as you can in the store in the price range you want to spend and go from there. See what fits your eyes best. The problem with asking a question on the internet is you are going to get a whole lot of different opinions. Good luck,

[emerson]

I'm upgrading my scope on my 30-06 and looking at a leupold vx-2 from everything i have heard its the best choice in my price range. Ive looked through the Vortex viper, VX-2, Burris fullfield II, and few others and like the Leupold the best.
I received one as a gift. Perfect fit for my 30-06.

Vortex Viper 3-9x40 or Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 best bang for your buck.
This is true budget wise.

[Iron Glove]

Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9 x 40 on my Remington 700 BDL in 30-06.
Happy with performance and price.

[Weatherby Fan]

Vortex Diamondback High Performance (HP) 3-12x42

You forgot to tell him add some Talley Lightweight one piece rings and bases to go with that scope.......makes mounting a snap !

[Fella]

Leupold, Vortex or Bushnell. Go to the store and look through each and buy what looks the clearest and brightest.

[luger]

Go with a good guarantee, votex ,leupold, Burris, red field. All these brands are full lifetime no argue warrentys. I'd say stick between 3-9 4-12 for scopes in the couple hundred bucks range. Try and stay way from Nikon, great cameras but I reseached them a lot before buying my scope. Lots of bad ones and hard to get warranty's.

[250 sav]

Have a elite 2.5-10 on my 3006 and I find it excellent on my rifle

[Ohwildwon]

You forgot to tell him add some Talley Lightweight one piece rings and bases to go with that scope.......makes mounting a snap !

Yep, great bases! Have the same rifle in Stainless..
I went with the Vortex Viper 2.5-10 x 44mm BDC with medium height bases..Great out to 250 yds.. With the Viper your getting more light with the 30mm tube, compared to the 1" Diamondback.. Wanted to go for 50mm to capture as much light in lowlight conditions. Unfortunately you need high bases. Which means you will have to add padding to the Monte Carlo stock...
Vortex has a great warranty to boot!
Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing...

[REMINGTON JIM]

Vortex Diamondback High Performance (HP) 3-12x42

AGREE ! Beauty Scope - Mount it up in Talley 1 Pc LW rings-bases and go kill everything with it ! :smile: RJ

[keoke]

I find lots of people have the misconception that a 30mm tube allows for more light transfer. The only benefit of a 30mm tube is a stronger scope body and more internal adjustment for the turret.

Cheers

[604redneck]

Leupold canadian 3-9x40 with cds are about 400$ taxes in

[eaglesnester]

Ya get what cha pay for when it comes to glass. Always buy expensive, although Vortex seems to be the new kid on the block and they have a good product. I was so impressed I bought the Vortex Viper PST for my long range shooting from Tod Bartell. at Omenica Sports.

[todbartell]

HBC has proclaimed the Leupold Vx3 3.5-10x40mm w/ Duplex reticle to be the ultimate 30-06 scope :D

[BRvalley]

I find lots of people have the misconception that a 30mm tube allows for more light transfer. The only benefit of a 30mm tube is a stronger scope body and more internal adjustment for the turret.

Cheers

I often hear staff at the gun counter using this as a sales pitch...

[P-17]

I've used most of the big name scopes on various rifles over the years. Currently, I have a Vortex Viper 3-9 on my main hunting rifle, a Remington 700 Stainless Synthetic Mountain Rifle in .30-06. Love it. Before that, the rifle wore an older B&L (now Bushnell) Elite 2-7. That scope resides on another rifle now and it was used on yet another rifle before that. Utterly reliable, though not quite as bright and clear as the Vortex. A used (or new) Elite would be a decent choice. The better Elites are the 4200 series, or the brand new ones, just called Elites.

My second hunting rifle is an older Sako .300 Winchester Magnum. It wears a 3.5-10 Nikon. Love it. Great optics (I too am a dedicated Nikonian in my camera choices).

I've also used a number of the recent Weaver scopes. I have a couple of Nitrex (a discontinued line but essentially the same as the Weaver Grand Slam). Love them. In fact, I can't speak highly enough about them. To my eye, they seem as bright and clear as a Leupold, and they track reliably. I'm talking about the made-in-Japan scopes, not the made-in-China scopes. I generally avoid the Chinese-made scopes from any company because I've had bad experiences with them over the years.

I also have a few Leupolds: great scopes. You can't go wrong with them. The standard against which others are judged. And priced accordingly.

The bottom line is that any recent offering from these established names, in a price point of around $250 or above (ideally $300 or above) should give you great service in your .30-06. Look through them all if you can (looking at a dark and gloomy spot in the store) and see which one looks best for you. I would recommend that your top power on the scope not exceed 10x because you don't need any more than that, even to make shots at 600 yards with a .30-06. Too much power results in a heavier, more awkward scope, with more to go wrong. The general principle is to use the smallest, lightest, simplest scope that you can get away with for your intended hunting plans. The standard 3-9 or 2.5-10 is all you would need for any big game hunting in the world, at any reasonable range. This is the most common power range, and priced accordingly. Your lowest power should be 2 or higher, and your high power should be 10 or lower.

I'd also go with a 42 mm objective or lower. The big glass scopes are super bright, for sure, but they are disproportionately large and heavy, in my opinion. With modern lens coatings, a 40 mm scope will allow you to see right up to the end of legal shooting light, especially if you back the power down to 6. In fact, for all my hunting, I keep the default scope setting at 5 and only go above it if I am in a situation where I can take my time and the shot is beyond 200 yards. Otherwise, my scope never sees high power while hunting.

I am personally a fan of the reticles with the dots or hash marks for distance aiming, but it takes a bit of experience and knowledge to use them properly. Most newbies are better served with a simple type of crosshair, using a 200 metre zero, and keeping all their shots inside 300 yards.

There are lots of guys with experience who can give you some pointers. Just be aware of the marketing hype.