Which Rifle scope is best ofr Whitetail and Mule deer hunting.?

Question

Having been away from hunting for several years due to overseas work i am now refitting rifles with scopes etc. Considering that I WILL be using something between 3-4 X 9-12 with a 50 mm rec. Im now looking at brands..
Busnell, Nikon, BSA, Leatherwood, leopold. Taking into consideration the bang for the bucks In leaning toward the Leatherwood. We have all heard that its better to have a $ cheaper gun with a $500 scope than vise versa... * Dont always agree with that.* Anyway id really appreciate personal opinions...

Answer 1

I can tell you from my experience..... The best scope I've used was a Leupold. The glass has very good clarity and can with stand the recoil of any gun. Next in line would be the Nikon, it to has good clarity and with stand the recoil of a semi-auto .30-06 rifle. Bushnell, is third on my list. The clarity isn't as good as a Leupold or Nikon, but it can with stand the recoil of a .300 Winchester Mag. As for a BSA scope.... I wouldn't put it on a centerfire rifle. I have my doubts that it can take a blow from a recoil of a deer rifle. I'd keep the BSA on a rimfire rifle.

I have no experience with a Leatherwood scope, so I can't offer any feedback on that brand of scope.

Answer 2

If all you are going to shoot is white tail, then either will do. But if you some day wish to shoot an Elk, or a Black Bear, or a Moose, then the 30-06 is a better choice. I say buy a Remington in 30-06 with a 24 inch barrel, and you will have a great shooter. Put a 2 to 7 scope on it, and you have a perfect hunting gun for shots 25 meters to 300 meters. If all you have is a total of 600 dollars, then look into a HR1871 rifle. A stainless Handi Rifle in 30-06 will run about 250 to 300 dollars. Then you will have 300 for a decent scope. It is better it spend the cash on a good scope than a perfect rifle. Can't hit what you can't see. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Oh my, where to begin? Pretty much all scopes today work fine. but you do pay more for superior optics. The size of scope you get will be dictated by where you hunt, a 4x14x50
will be a disappointment in the woods but will be a godsend on the prairies or cross canyon work. I have an old Leatherwood ART {sniper} scope and love it for my .30-06 and a BSA with Illuminated reticule in 3x12x40 on a 25-06 that's the cats a&&' for coyotes. A 4x12x40 Leopold on my 300 mag for elk {superior optics at sun up & down}. For up close I have a 2.5x20 on my woods gun and it works with both eyes open up close and out to 150yds. comfortably. A nikon 4x16x42 on a .223 for praire dogs and such, and a 30 yr. old tasco 4x32 that has been on almost every thing I own at one point or another {it now resides on a marlin .22}. Point being they all work but definatly pick the scope for the task, bigger is not always better. Go to a spoting goods store that will let you take them outside one at a time and look around with them, do this at dusk for telling which one works best in low light. Welcome back to hunting and good luck.

Answer 4

Best Deer Hunting Scope

Answer 5

I have owned several and the one I have now is the best I have ever owned (it's a Nikon)
I agree with part of your statement ....about the importance of a good scope, but I would put more like this. It's just as important as the gun!
I have a Leopold mounted on a handgun, and they are good quality scopes too.
When you start getting into cheaper scopes you will find it may work out fine, but if they start to fail on you you don't want to keep it mounted. You may miss the trophy of a lifetime because of it. Before I bought the Nikon, I had a scope that would be erratic enough to make you miss, it was mounted to my 7MM mag . It seemed to bounce around like every other shot and I could never get a good pattern so I got rid of it.

Answer 6

Yep, as stated by many. Just get a quality scope. I had a BSA for many years and worked fine until after one shot (that killed a deer) the reticule rotated 90 degrees. Nothing wrong with Tasco or BSA, as long as they work, it's just that their quality standards are not equal to Leupold, Nikon, or Bushnell. Lastly, I would never pay more money for my scope then my rifle. I'd rather have a great rifle with open sights then a POS with a Swarovski any day!!

Answer 7

IMHO, for rifle scopes, you can't beat Leopold. I've owned several different brands, and seen many that others have owned. I had an uncle that smashed a Leopold in his car door and the company replaced it, no questions asked. Can't beat a company that stands behind their product no matter what. For most whitetail and mule deer hunting a 3 to 9 variable should be sufficient.

Answer 8

Leopold and Bushnell aren't too bad. Not too crazy expensive. Depending on your shot a 3 X 9 variable would be good. Just about anything out there is alright for a 3 X 9. I would just stay away from Tasco if they even sell them anymore. But in the end you get what you pay for also.

Answer 9

I own a Ruger M77 .243 that was my first deer rifle. It has an "El Cheapo" 3-9x32 Tasco scope. I have killed many deer with it and I have no problems with it what-so-ever. I shoot it every year in preseason and it is always spot-on. I wouldn't trade Tasco for any Leupold. It is a great combo for me. It's 20 years old and I still use it quite often. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Answer 10

I have a Nikon and it is a decent scope for the $$

Get the best htat you can afford. I have the Nikon mounted on my .45 - 70 ... takes a beating and stays in Zero