• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Rifle Scopes Design your ideal precision hunting scope

I really like the VX5hd line. Wish they offered the TMOA in the vx5 line but i guess ill have bump up to the vx6 to get but really like the weight of the vx5
 
The Bushnell LRHS was VERY close. A little bit different reticle and it would have been the perfect long range hunting scope.

John

I agree it is very close, if it had a wider FOV I'd say it was damn near perfect.
If they could do a 5x or 6x erector and a wider FOV then it'd be the dogs bollocks.
 
Myself and Ilya have been bothering the optics Co's for years to produce "this" kind of scope.

There's always something I didn't like about the current offerings. That could be the quality being too low, the glass quality being barely acceptable, non close focus or fixed parallax, too heavy, too long, stupid reticle or just it falling short in different ways, moa mixed with mil, not illuminated or not daylight bright, or being really expensive/$4000-ish.

Those guys that are hunting from close in to 300-ish yards could use any decent standard SFP scope and be fine, that's not what this thread is about IMO! I think we want max versatility in a FFP scope made specifically for long range hunting but can be used well in almost any hunting scenario.
I/we already have dandy FFP scopes for a plethora of long range tactical, benchrest, Fclass, NRL22/rogue 22, Field Target air rifle, etc.

Just commenting here...Another scope I had that met a good amount of my qualifications was a FFP Athlon Ares BTR 2.5-15x50.
The good - It had 10Y close focus, a great .2 mil reticle, 10 mil knobs with ZS and illumination.
The bad - glass was only okay, the build quality almost acceptable, but kinda heavy and long especially for a 2.5-15x50.

I had great hopes for the Meopta Optika 6 line, but since it's release the hype has really died down.
I'm guessing it's not met expectations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: steve123
I had great hopes for the Meopta Optika 6 line, but since it's release the hype has really died down.
I'm guessing it's not met expectations.

Meopta seems to have underestimated the demand for Optika6 a little, so they are hard to find in stock.

They are very good scopes, but they do not have a configuration that fits the subject of this thread.

ILya
 
Myself and Ilya have been bothering the optics Co's for years to produce "this" kind of scope.

There's always something I didn't like about the current offerings. That could be the quality being too low, the glass quality being barely acceptable, non close focus or fixed parallax, too heavy, too long, stupid reticle or just it falling short in different ways, moa mixed with mil, not illuminated or not daylight bright, or being really expensive/$4000-ish.

Those guys that are hunting from close in to 300-ish yards could use any decent standard SFP scope and be fine, that's not what this thread is about IMO! I think we want max versatility in a FFP scope made specifically for long range hunting but can be used well in almost any hunting scenario.
I/we already have dandy FFP scopes for a plethora of long range tactical, benchrest, Fclass, NRL22/rogue 22, Field Target air rifle, etc.

Just commenting here...Another scope I had that met a good amount of my qualifications was a FFP Athlon Ares BTR 2.5-15x50.
The good - It had 10Y close focus, a great .2 mil reticle, 10 mil knobs with ZS and illumination.
The bad - glass was only okay, the build quality almost acceptable, but kinda heavy and long especially for a 2.5-15x50.

I am close. I think I will finally get something done with the configuration close to what I had in mind originally.

ILya
 
What are y’alls thoughts on the Zeiss conquest v6 3-18? How does the glass compare to the higher end Zeiss offerings? That scopes size, weight and mag range seem ideal to me and price isn’t off the charts either. if they just had a ffp version with better illuminated reticle.
 
These two were close



If they would only come in less that’s 20oz we would have some winners.

can’t comment on the PA glass but the Athlon Midas I have is pretty good glass and I imagine the Ares should be better.

My Gen1 Ares BTR 2.5-15 was from the first shipment so maybe other units made later on were improved?? One thing that definitely wouldn't work for hunting is the turrets were too easy to turn. I didn't mind for general shooting and my wife liked them because of that but....

I haven't tried the Gen2 version yet but I hope the glass or prescription was refined more?? I might buy one of these. My Midas TAC 4-16 does have a more pleasing image quality than the Ares BTR did. There's little to complain about with the TAC's, they turned out well. My 4-16 TAC would make a poor hunting scope because the reticle is so thin.

Would you happen to know how close the PA 3-18 focuses ?
 
Last edited:
As stated at least once, the LRHS is the best I’ve found. It checks so many boxes, leaving very little off the table. It’s misses are inconsequential as compared to the product as a whole.

It’s shocking to me that none of the other scope manufacturers have taken the LRHS and said - let’s make one like this.
 
As stated at least once, the LRHS is the best I’ve found. It checks so many boxes, leaving very little off the table. It’s misses are inconsequential as compared to the product as a whole.

It’s shocking to me that none of the other scope manufacturers have taken the LRHS and said - let’s make one like this.

LRHS is an excellent scope, so Bushnell discontinued it... Go figure.

The 4.5-18x44 is close to what I wanted, but it is a little heavier than I want. Also, for offhand shooting I really like the low power to be around 3x or lower. That having been said, the LRHS and LRTS are easily my favourite off all Bushnell scopes I have seen in the last decade or so.

ILya
 
  • Like
Reactions: YotaEer
LRHS is an excellent scope, so Bushnell discontinued it... Go figure.

The 4.5-18x44 is close to what I wanted, but it is a little heavier than I want. Also, for offhand shooting I really like the low power to be around 3x or lower. That having been said, the LRHS and LRTS are easily my favourite off all Bushnell scopes I have seen in the last decade or so.

ILya

I was all exited about the 3-12 LRHS at pre release because the original specs were for a 10Y focus, so I ordered two. When they came in they had 50Y min focus, man was I pissed off! When I called Bushnell it was a 'so sad -too bad" answer. I sold one within a few weeks and kept the other for a few years.

The other thing I didn't like which Bushnell fixed later on was the 50/100 spline, so invariably I'd end up 1 click high or low when I tried to sight in. Later they did the 100/100 spline.

Other than those I wished it was a 3-15 and the reticle wasn't my flavor, I sold it because of those 3 reasons. That arrow on the top was a good idea and the glass was very nice.
 
Last edited:
I was all exited about the 3-12 LRHS at pre release because the original specs were for a 10Y focus, so I ordered two. When they came in they had 50Y min focus, man was I pissed off! When I called Bushnell it was a 'so sad -too bad" answer. I sold one within a few weeks and kept the other for a few years.

The other thing I didn't like which Bushnell fixed later on was the 50/100 spline, so invariably I'd end up 1 click high or low when I tried to sight in. Later they did the 100/100 spline.

Other than I wished it was a 3-15 and the reticle wasn't my flavor, I sold it because of those 3 reasons. That arrow on the top was a good idea and the glass was very nice.
A $2500 S&B Ultra Short 3-20 in 44mm with the Bushnell illuminated G2H that has .2 mil horizontal subtensions . 10 mils per rev double turn. 34 mm tube is ok. . Illumination control like "normal" Scopes. 1000 hr battery life on a CR2032. 27 0Z max. 10 yard focus ....
 
A $2500 S&B Ultra Short 3-20 in 44mm with the Bushnell illuminated G2H that has .2 mil horizontal subtensions . 10 mils per rev double turn. 34 mm tube is ok. . Illumination control like "normal" Scopes. 1000 hr battery life on a CR2032. 27 0Z max. 10 yard focus ....

Yeah, that's getting close, except at 1 lb or so!

It's plain for me to see that many of us want very close to the same type of hunting scope! As each decade passes the wants in riflescopes are changing rapidly. Like with FFP, mil/mil, and wanting all the nice modern features combined into one scope giving a high versatility in use.
There is definitely a market for this kind of scope and the desire for it will grow!

As much as I love my S&B 5-25/H59's, they are ridiculous expensive, huge, and heavy. I literally used to change them around often from PCP air rifles for comps, to 22rf's for comps, to the tactical rifles, and to the ELR rifle!!! Why, I liked the quality and all those combined features so much no other scope satisfied!
But I only had them on the heavy varmint rifles for hunting because of the weight and size.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TacticalPlinker
S&B PMII 5-25 that weighed 16-20 oz instead of 30+, had the Polar t96 improved light transmission, with a vortex price tag.
 
Just make a 40-45mm version of the top tier tactical scopes, with smaller zoom ranges, and a damn capped windage.

A nice easy to get behind eye box would help too.
 
Just make a 40-45mm version of the top tier tactical scopes, with smaller zoom ranges, and a damn capped windage.

A nice easy to get behind eye box would help too.

Leupold MK5hd and ATACR 4-16x42 are exactly that.
 
Sounds like we all want more or less the same thing, and the only ones making anything close to it is March with the 3-24x and Leupold with the Mk6.
 
yes Sir i have 3 of them and only thing missing is better turret and a red dot
Lightweight, excellent glass, and the dead hold BDC reticle works pretty damn well out to 500, at least on my .264 winchester. Despite it being a 1 inch tube i've never felt hampered during low light conditions. Turrets seem to track well, but are complete mush. Improve them and I'd never look elsewhere for a hunting scope. Illumination would be the icing on the cake as you said. I snagged a nice used one to put on my remington 541S .22 rifle as well, and will continue to buy them up when a deal presents itself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sparky1985
For me an SWFA 3-15 with HD glass at a sub $800 list price. Lightweight, simple, decent turrets, decent reticle, and a good price point and I'm in for 4 of them.
 
all I want for christmas
a winning lottery ticket would be nice but not nesesary