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Rifle Scopes Best Hunting Scope under $2k

D

dmossu

Private
Minuteman
Mar 18, 2021
52
11
Pennsylvania
Hi all!

I am new to this form and was hoping someone could give some suggestions on a hunting scope! See below answers from recommended questions!

  • What is the platform for the scope? Bergara Premier Highlander | Bolt action
  • What cartridge are you shooting? 300 Win Mag | Handloads w/ Berger 215g and H1000
  • What is your intended use for the scope? Elk Hunting/ big game hunting
  • What type of conditions will you typically shoot in? Combination of day/morning/evening
  • What are the typical distances you intend to shoot? Likely from 500 yards and in at game, but who knows if I will want to ring some steel depending on how it shoots
  • Are there any specific specifications you would like? I am indifferent to FFP or SFP, both have pros and cons | weight is a decent factor as this will be a hunting rig, which means I want some thing with reliable turrets and dependability (ie repeats)
  • What is the price range you can afford? Preferably under $2k
I hope that filters a bunch of them for you guys. Right now, I am looking at the Nightforce NX8 4x32, but am open to suggestions! Like anyone, I want the highest quality glass that is dependable and meet the above tests.
 
dmossu said:
Hi all!

I am new to this form and was hoping someone could give some suggestions on a hunting scope! See below answers from recommended questions!

  • What is the platform for the scope? Bergara Premier Highlander | Bolt action
  • What cartridge are you shooting? 300 Win Mag | Handloads w/ Berger 215g and H1000
  • What is your intended use for the scope? Elk Hunting/ big game hunting
  • What type of conditions will you typically shoot in? Combination of day/morning/evening
  • What are the typical distances you intend to shoot? Likely from 500 yards and in at game, but who knows if I will want to ring some steel depending on how it shoots
  • Are there any specific specifications you would like? I am indifferent to FFP or SFP, both have pros and cons | weight is a decent factor as this will be a hunting rig, which means I want some thing with reliable turrets and dependability (ie repeats)
  • What is the price range you can afford? Preferably under $2k
I hope that filters a bunch of them for you guys. Right now, I am looking at the Nightforce NX8 4x32, but am open to suggestions! Like anyone, I want the highest quality glass that is dependable and meet the above tests.
Click to expand...
Anything in the Athlon Cronus Series. That is there flagship and they are all under 2G.
 
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dmossu said:
Never looked through their glass, how does it compare to NF? Do they track well/seem durable?
Click to expand...
Glass is very similar to a Razor Gen 2. Better than bushnell. Tracks better than both. Heavy duty built by a company trying to establish themselves, similar to Primary arms Platinum series, so can get top of the line without the top end price.
 
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RedTimber said:
Glass is very similar to a Razor Gen 2. Better than bushnell. Tracks better than both. Heavy duty built by a company trying to establish themselves, similar to Primary arms Platinum series, so can get top of the line without the top end price.
Click to expand...
I really like the Razor Gen 2, but it is like carrying around a brick. I see Midway has the Athlon on sale now for a pretty good price. How is their customer service/warranty?

Does anyone else have any experience with these?
 
Easy answer from me, a used Vortex AMG. under your price range, excellent glass and reliability, excellent customer service. I have one that's been on several rifles, and it tracks all the way to its limits on my 22lr. They're also a great option weight wise, I think they're 28oz.
 
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86alaskan said:
Easy answer from me, a used Vortex AMG. under your price range, excellent glass and reliability, excellent customer service. I have one that's been on several rifles, and it tracks all the way to its limits on my 22lr. They're also a great option weight wise, I think they're 28oz.
Click to expand...
Haven't looked through one of those either. Just not sure how I feel about the minimum zoom being 6
 
dmossu said:
Haven't looked through one of those either. Just not sure how I feel about the minimum zoom being 6
Click to expand...
Really not an issue as long as you're comfortable with the scope. I've found that, even in the woods here in Missouri, I can still easily find a target at 5-6-7-8 power without much issue. The field of view is pretty good, so that helps as well. The only place I'd see it as a deficiency would be on a deer drive, or something where you need a very wide FOV and possibly shooting at a moving target at close range.
 
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86alaskan said:
Really not an issue as long as you're comfortable with the scope. I've found that, even in the woods here in Missouri, I can still easily find a target at 5-6-7-8 power without much issue. The field of view is pretty good, so that helps as well. The only place I'd see it as a deficiency would be on a deer drive, or something where you need a very wide FOV and possibly shooting at a moving target at close range.
Click to expand...
Where do you find used AMG's at? I definitely love Vortex, own about 8-10 in total, just the Razor is too heavy. Might look into the AMG's
 
Personally I use both a leupold VX-5 in 3-15 and a VX-6 in 2-12 On my 300 WMs. VX-6 may be a bit clearer, but both have worked well and held up well from elk in CO to PG in Africa.
At my age I need the illuminated dot and have found it to give me quicker sighting and much better in deep shade on dark animals such as black bear. JMO&E
Best of luck finding what works best for you!
 
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Swarovski Z6 maybe? Disclaimer: I don’t own one (yet) although I have several other Swaro optics. For an upper tier lightweight hunting scope with excellent glass that’s where my thoughts usually land....
 
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Love my 4-16 atacr F1. Picked up for $1700 on here. Also have a Cronus BTR. The Cronus glass is just as good as the atacr. The atacr is a proven tough optic

Size comparison obviously the Cronus is larger than the 4-16 atacr.
 
NF has a transferrable limited lifetime warranty. check it out on their website if interested
 
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dmossu said:
How would you rank those three for a hunting rig?
Click to expand...


Well I don't have experience with the NX8. There are pros and cons of the AMG vs MK5. I like the mag range, weight, and price of the mk5. I like the glass, turrets, and reticle of the AMG.
 
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@dmossu I'm in a similar boat and have narrowed my choices down to:

Vortex Razor HD AMG
NF NX8
Leupold MK5HD

Haven't bought anything yet, as I haven't had the chance to use the NF or Leupy to compare to the AMG. Probably can't go wrong with any of those though.
 
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godofthunder said:
@dmossu I'm in a similar boat and have narrowed my choices down to:

Vortex Razor HD AMG
NF NX8
Leupold MK5HD

Haven't bought anything yet, as I haven't had the chance to use the NF or Leupy to compare to the AMG. Probably can't go wrong with any of those though.
Click to expand...
Yep those are about my selections too. I think the difference in glass between all is minimal at most. The thing that brings me back to NF is the reliability
 
duckhunter175 said:
I've owned the NX8 4-32, ATACR 4-16F1 and the Razor AMG--

I still own 2x AMGs (on hunting rifles- 22CM and a 338RUM) and the others went down the road. The ATACR had the best glass (not by much) but I preferred the physical features and reticle of the AMG.
Click to expand...
Do you think the 6x min is too much for a hunting rifle though? Plan on making it a CO, WY gun
 
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dmossu said:
Do you think the 6x min is too much for a hunting rifle though? Plan on making it a CO, WY gun
Click to expand...
The only critters I've shot in recent memory at magnification less than 6x have been hogs and whitetail. BUT-- it still depends, I hunted WYO this past fall for deer. There were definitely some spots in the forests where I would have been better suited with a lower magnification scope-- but, I primarily spot and stalk and stay to timber edges so 6x was more than fine and I think I ended up on 12x for my 425y shot (another benefit of FFP).

If you are going to be spot and stalk, most hunting edges or large openings (hillside to hillside) then the AMG will suit you fine.

If you are going to be 50/50 timber vs openings then you might consider lower power like the smaller Mark5 option. If that is the case you may also want to revisit the SFP vs FFP options because in timber, at low mag an FFP can be hard to see for sure. I had a March 3-24x42 that probably had the best FFP reticle for low magnification but the finicky parallax was not what I wanted.

Another more budget minded option with a slightly thicker FFP reticle at low (4.5x) would be the Bushnell LRHS or LRTS(if you do MIL)- which also have solid reputations for tracking and durability (at HALF your budget).

Currently I'm building a lightweight 7saum that will double duty timber and open spaces (6-800 yards). Right now I'm planning to run a VX6HD 3-18x44.
 
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duckhunter175 said:
The only critters I've shot in recent memory at magnification less than 6x have been hogs and whitetail. BUT-- it still depends, I hunted WYO this past fall for deer. There were definitely some spots in the forests where I would have been better suited with a lower magnification scope-- but, I primarily spot and stalk and stay to timber edges so 6x was more than fine and I think I ended up on 12x for my 425y shot (another benefit of FFP).

If you are going to be spot and stalk, most hunting edges or large openings (hillside to hillside) then the AMG will suit you fine.

If you are going to be 50/50 timber vs openings then you might consider lower power like the smaller Mark5 option. If that is the case you may also want to revisit the SFP vs FFP options because in timber, at low mag an FFP can be hard to see for sure. I had a March 3-24x42 that probably had the best FFP reticle for low magnification but the finicky parallax was not what I wanted.

Another more budget minded option with a slightly thicker FFP reticle at low (4.5x) would be the Bushnell LRHS or LRTS(if you do MIL)- which also have solid reputations for tracking and durability (at HALF your budget).

Currently I'm building a lightweight 7saum that will double duty timber and open spaces (6-800 yards). Right now I'm planning to run a VX6HD 3-18x44.
Click to expand...
All very good points. How about the NX8 on SFP?
 
dmossu said:
Yeah it is a must - most come with it anyways nowadays
Click to expand...
Right just make sure you confirm that. I was looking at the Burris XTRIII but when I saw the current models wasn’t illuminated it was a no go for me. Same for the big sales midwayusa was running recently on the bushnell XRS
 
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dmossu said:
All very good points. How about the NX8 on SFP?
Click to expand...
Haven't put my hands on one-- my understanding is the 2.5-20 model subtends 1moa at max (20x) but the 4-32x subtends 1moa @ half mag(16x) and .5moa @ max (32x). I like the concept of keeping the math easy and having a good reference at a lower power on the 4-32 but it isn't really a selling point for me.

I do use some SFP scopes but I either dial my elevation or I'm using them at distance and max magnification where my subtensions are correct. My SFP hunting scopes are VX5HD or VX6HD-- windplex and impact-29 reticles-- both of which have not had issues to 800 yards, back and forth, dialing and maintaining zero. For hunting I also prefer the ZL2 system to a zero stop only system-- but again an AMG with push to lock is even better IMO.
 
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dmossu said:
All very good points. How about the NX8 on SFP?
Click to expand...

NX8 glass is not as good as the rest of your consideration set. It's fine @ 100 yards, but marked difference at 500, and huge difference if 1000+. I sent mine back for a Mk5hd, and sent that back because it lacked the FOV of the XTR3. Mk5HD seems to have more contrast than others in the range. Trijicon/Delta seems to have the best resolution but slightly washed out image. All that I've tried in the price range are splitting hairs with regard to glass, except for the NX8, which is a step behind. I like the XTR3 best for the price range because of the thin reticle and FOV, which makes a big difference for me.
 
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Chickentoast said:
NX8 glass is not as good as the rest of your consideration set. It's fine @ 100 yards, but marked difference at 500, and huge difference if 1000+. I sent mine back for a Mk5hd, and sent that back because it lacked the FOV of the XTR3. Mk5HD seems to have more contrast than others in the range. Trijicon/Delta seems to have the best resolution but slightly washed out image. All that I've tried in the price range are splitting hairs with regard to glass, except for the NX8, which is a step behind. I like the XTR3 best for the price range because of the thin reticle and FOV, which makes a big difference for me.
Click to expand...
Very interesting, so you would say there is a large gap optically between NX8 and XTR3/MK5HD
 
Wish COVID didn't have everywhere shut down. I would love to get my hands on these, but they are gone everywhere local. Have to take your guys word for it 😂
 
Chickentoast said:
Yes, and vs everything else from LOW. NX8 looked great on paper, so I had to try one, but once I lined a few rifles up side by side and compared, it was obvious.
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The XTR3 is FFP and not illuminated- like mentioned above, that is the one downside I see there
 
Chickentoast said:
NX8 glass is not as good as the rest of your consideration set. It's fine @ 100 yards, but marked difference at 500, and huge difference if 1000+. I sent mine back for a Mk5hd, and sent that back because it lacked the FOV of the XTR3. Mk5HD seems to have more contrast than others in the range. Trijicon/Delta seems to have the best resolution but slightly washed out image. All that I've tried in the price range are splitting hairs with regard to glass, except for the NX8, which is a step behind. I like the XTR3 best for the price range because of the thin reticle and FOV, which makes a big difference for me.
Click to expand...

Great review that mimics my experience. and Ive owned or still own all scopes mentioned above.

Ive also been hunting with my XTR3 (made in America BTW, like the AMG) and nvr once thought I needed illum. The FOV over the other scopes is extremely noticable. Ive ben hunting my entire life in CO and have taken over 15 elk and countless deer and never once thought I needed or have I ever used illum.

Being in CO I have obvious bias towards the XTR3 since its made here...and it hasnt dissappointed.

GL!
DT
 
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D_TROS said:
Great review that mimics my experience. and Ive owned or still own all scopes mentioned above.

Ive also been hunting with my XTR3 (made in America BTW, like the AMG) and nvr once thought I needed illum. The FOV over the other scopes is extremely noticable. Ive ben hunting my entire life in CO and have taken over 15 elk and countless deer and never once thought I needed or have I ever used illum.

Being in CO I have obvious bias towards the XTR3 since its made here...and it hasnt dissappointed.

GL!
DT
Click to expand...
Good to know! The XTR3 is a bit cheaper too. How does it look on low magnification with it being FFP?
 
D_TROS said:
Great review that mimics my experience. and Ive owned or still own all scopes mentioned above.

Ive also been hunting with my XTR3 (made in America BTW, like the AMG) and nvr once thought I needed illum. The FOV over the other scopes is extremely noticable. Ive ben hunting my entire life in CO and have taken over 15 elk and countless deer and never once thought I needed or have I ever used illum.

Being in CO I have obvious bias towards the XTR3 since its made here...and it hasnt dissappointed.

GL!
DT
Click to expand...
Also, how is Burris's warranty?
 
RedTimber said:
That test only measures consistency in quality control. By that standard every scope in the high 90s is exactly the same with little to no significant difference in results.
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I mean, yeah the all fell within their "acceptable" range but it did score lower than the razor g2. While it scored better than the XTRII it was behind the LRHS, DMR2, and ERS.

How does the test "only measure consistency in quality control"? And if that is "all" it is doing, wouldn't you want something produced with higher QC and better tested functionality?

I have no dog in the fight, but I like to use real world data to make decisions. The data suggests that the razor is better tracking, even if it is marginal.
 
godofthunder said:
I mean, yeah the all fell within their "acceptable" range but it did score lower than the razor g2. While it scored better than the XTRII it was behind the LRHS, DMR2, and ERS.

How does the test "only measure consistency in quality control"? And if that is "all" it is doing, wouldn't you want something produced with higher QC and better tested functionality?

I have no dog in the fight, but I like to use real world data to make decisions. The data suggests that the razor is better tracking, even if it is marginal.
Click to expand...
By that standard the NF ATACR is behind the razor gen II. The forum was for a purchase for a new hunting gun and he was thinking about NF. But why would he pay 2000k for a scope or 1800 for a gen 2 when he can pay 1500 for one that has the same QC from the same factory in China or Korea.
The sample size is far too small on all scopes except the Gen 2 to accurately describe anything else.
 
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