Platform: Short Action Customs 1-10 twist bartlein .308 on a Big Horn, in a Rock Solid Chassis with a 30BA going pending any day now. Rifle not yet in hand.
Ammo: McCourt Munitions 175gr
Existing optic on hand: 2.5-10x32 Nightforce ZS, illuminated mil/mil mildot
Reason for considering replacing it: Nice little scope, but mildot isn't optimum....I hate to rig up and learn to shoot with it, then replace it later with something more like the ERS and have to learn another reticle/optic. Would prefer to "do it right the first time."
Potential optic replacements, as I see it, based on my budget:
Bushnell G2DMR 3.5-21x50 with G2 reticle
Bushnell ERS 3.5-21x50 with G2 reticle (zero stop and 10 mil per turn)
Bushnell SMRS 1-8.5 with BTR2 reticle
Application: Coyotes, Hogs and steel/paper from 10 yards (down on the river in the brush) to 500 or slightly farther (Precision Rifle class and plinking)
Vast majority of use would be hiking/hunting from 4.5 to 8.5 miles in pasture and along a creek, several times a week (heavy gear can be put up with, but not without good reason). Most hogs present themselves from 10 yards to 50 yards, and coyotes range from 50 to 300 yards, typically. Coyotes don't present much of a target vertically, so a decent level of magnification is needful or a long shot is just a game of chance. Being West Texas, wind is always a factor, which makes me want a G2 reticle that allow fast holdovers/offs before the coyote moves out of site. No time for dialing, basically.
So, the G2DMR is larger, heavier and considerably more magnification, with the G2 reticle. Those of you that have one - how hard is it to aquire a fast moving target at 10 to 50 yards on 3.5x? Is the reticle big enough to pick up in the shady river bottom and catch up with a mover? As light dims, are you still able to pick up the reticle fairly well? Varmint hunting turns into lowlight stuff, but distances shrink to 100 and less pretty quick, enabling me to light up the yote with a light, but it's not high noon, by any means.
The ERS is all the same, but probably the kind of optic that I would keep even if I start shooting at longer distances, making the ZS and 10 mil turrets more of a possible future benefit/good long term investment rather than an immediate advantage in my 10-to-500 yard current application.
The SMRS would shine in the majority of my current shots, close range movers and targets out to 200....but would hamper my ability to confidently shoot at live targets past 200 just based on a lack of magnification. Keep in mind this is mostly for coyotes at the longer distances that I need volume magnification, with a vertical target of not much more than 6 inches. If I can't see it well enough to hold precisely, it's a crap shoot. Nearly never time for a second shot "correction" with a yote, they cover ground fast after that first report. I'm not into wounding, so unless I can really lob a round in with a significant level of confidence then I just can't take a shot. The reticle is a nice one, and would allow holdovers but a normal Texas crosswind makes that tough right away. Still....MOST of my real world shots happen at less than 50 yards on the creek and less than 200 in the open. Taking it to a Rifles Only class would probably be off the table with the SMRS, though.
4th option would be to keep the Nightforce, learn to dial, and put up with the less-than-optimal mildot reticle. The benefits are lighter, smaller and a FOV at 2.5x that is nearly twice that of the ERS/G2DMR at 3.5x and 10x instead of 8x (SMRS) on the top end. Happy-ish medium?
I realize this is just another "What scope should I buy?" thread, but I hope it is concise enough for you to give feedback.
One of the first responses will be, "Go play with them all and see what you like!" It's not an option - it's at least 5 hours to a shop that MIGHT carry optics this expensive. Nothing but tasco and simmons for deer hunters out here. To see it, you gotta order it. Trying to make an informed decision before spending!
Thanks for the help.
Ammo: McCourt Munitions 175gr
Existing optic on hand: 2.5-10x32 Nightforce ZS, illuminated mil/mil mildot
Reason for considering replacing it: Nice little scope, but mildot isn't optimum....I hate to rig up and learn to shoot with it, then replace it later with something more like the ERS and have to learn another reticle/optic. Would prefer to "do it right the first time."
Potential optic replacements, as I see it, based on my budget:
Bushnell G2DMR 3.5-21x50 with G2 reticle
Bushnell ERS 3.5-21x50 with G2 reticle (zero stop and 10 mil per turn)
Bushnell SMRS 1-8.5 with BTR2 reticle
Application: Coyotes, Hogs and steel/paper from 10 yards (down on the river in the brush) to 500 or slightly farther (Precision Rifle class and plinking)
Vast majority of use would be hiking/hunting from 4.5 to 8.5 miles in pasture and along a creek, several times a week (heavy gear can be put up with, but not without good reason). Most hogs present themselves from 10 yards to 50 yards, and coyotes range from 50 to 300 yards, typically. Coyotes don't present much of a target vertically, so a decent level of magnification is needful or a long shot is just a game of chance. Being West Texas, wind is always a factor, which makes me want a G2 reticle that allow fast holdovers/offs before the coyote moves out of site. No time for dialing, basically.
So, the G2DMR is larger, heavier and considerably more magnification, with the G2 reticle. Those of you that have one - how hard is it to aquire a fast moving target at 10 to 50 yards on 3.5x? Is the reticle big enough to pick up in the shady river bottom and catch up with a mover? As light dims, are you still able to pick up the reticle fairly well? Varmint hunting turns into lowlight stuff, but distances shrink to 100 and less pretty quick, enabling me to light up the yote with a light, but it's not high noon, by any means.
The ERS is all the same, but probably the kind of optic that I would keep even if I start shooting at longer distances, making the ZS and 10 mil turrets more of a possible future benefit/good long term investment rather than an immediate advantage in my 10-to-500 yard current application.
The SMRS would shine in the majority of my current shots, close range movers and targets out to 200....but would hamper my ability to confidently shoot at live targets past 200 just based on a lack of magnification. Keep in mind this is mostly for coyotes at the longer distances that I need volume magnification, with a vertical target of not much more than 6 inches. If I can't see it well enough to hold precisely, it's a crap shoot. Nearly never time for a second shot "correction" with a yote, they cover ground fast after that first report. I'm not into wounding, so unless I can really lob a round in with a significant level of confidence then I just can't take a shot. The reticle is a nice one, and would allow holdovers but a normal Texas crosswind makes that tough right away. Still....MOST of my real world shots happen at less than 50 yards on the creek and less than 200 in the open. Taking it to a Rifles Only class would probably be off the table with the SMRS, though.
4th option would be to keep the Nightforce, learn to dial, and put up with the less-than-optimal mildot reticle. The benefits are lighter, smaller and a FOV at 2.5x that is nearly twice that of the ERS/G2DMR at 3.5x and 10x instead of 8x (SMRS) on the top end. Happy-ish medium?
I realize this is just another "What scope should I buy?" thread, but I hope it is concise enough for you to give feedback.
One of the first responses will be, "Go play with them all and see what you like!" It's not an option - it's at least 5 hours to a shop that MIGHT carry optics this expensive. Nothing but tasco and simmons for deer hunters out here. To see it, you gotta order it. Trying to make an informed decision before spending!
Thanks for the help.
