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Hunting scope options with mil reticles?

Bakwa

Bakwa

Prophetic Marksman
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    • Mar 22, 2017
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    FL
    There really doesn't seem to be any number of good options for nice hunting scopes that have mil reticles.
    I'd love to have a Swaro or Leica but their reticle options are plex or BDC.

    Is another 2.5-10 NXS my only real good option? S&B Klassic? Wait for ZCO's crossover and pony up when it comes out?

    I was hoping for something with a usable mil reticle out to 400-500yds, good light transmission, light weight, not too big, illuminated reticle. Hopefully under $1600.

    What's out there?


    Cheers
     
    Last edited:
    You’ve just described the S&B klassik/precision hunter 3-12 mil/mil FFP
    If you’re satisfied with only 3.3 mils of exposed elevation turret it checks all the box for a lightweight hunting scope.
    Illum, 20oz, mil/mil, good low light performance, decent glass.
     
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    Bakwa said:
    There really doesn't seem to be any number of good options for nice hunting scopes that have mil reticles.
    I'd love to have a Swaro or Leica but their reticle options are plex or BDC.

    Is another 2.5-10 NXS my only real good option? S&B classic? Wait for ZCO's crossover and pony up when it comes out?

    I was hoping for something with a usable mil reticle out to 400-500yds, good light transmission, light weight, not too big, illuminated reticle. Hopefully under $1600.

    What's out there?


    Cheers
    Click to expand...
    NF SHV,
     
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    Leupold finally has mill offerings in a hunting model, in there vx5 lineup. Haven’t actually looked at what reticle options there are etc but the vx5 is a nice optic.
     
    Bushnell LRHS Gen2 HD @ GA Precision .
    (G1 in pic)
     

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    Bakwa said:
    There really doesn't seem to be any number of good options for nice hunting scopes that have mil reticles.
    I'd love to have a Swaro or Leica but their reticle options are plex or BDC.

    Is another 2.5-10 NXS my only real good option? S&B Klassic? Wait for ZCO's crossover and pony up when it comes out?

    I was hoping for something with a usable mil reticle out to 400-500yds, good light transmission, light weight, not too big, illuminated reticle. Hopefully under $1600.

    What's out there?


    Cheers
    Click to expand...
    side question what cal / cartridge are you hunting with

    thanks
     
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    Trijicon Credo 2-10, Ares 1-10, primary arms 2.5-10 GLx (apparently hit or miss, you either get good glass or you don't). Razor LHT
     
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    ULTRAlight get the SWFA 2-10 that is like 10 ozs & sfp


    3-15 under 20 ozs is slim pickings and around $1k
    the VX5HD is very nice and can usually be found for under $1k not FFP 19.7 oz
    Bushnel LRTS can be had for under $1k FFP 24 oz
    Burris has the Veracity has better brightness than the VX5HD and can get a MAD cap to dial with and is FFP 25 oz



    1500 dollar range
    or as mentioned get a 3-18 and be super confident in your shot
    XTR3 3-18
    Mk5 3-18 (over 2k if u want illum)
    Tenmile 3-18
    Steiner 3-15 I love the package but glass is hit/miss.
    Vortex LHD 3-15 is 19 oz no experience with the LHD yet. Looks promising on weight but have heard of a couple going down as well as at the last hunter match I was at. I hope its operator error


    1600-2k
    Vortex AMG is one of my favorites. great scope
    older March 3-24x42 is close to if not the best option if you can find a used one 21oz


    Lots of us here hunt with 3-18 scopes and love it. I never get why anyone would hunt with a scope that they arnt absolutely confident with. I dont care the range. Even if its a 4 lb Gen2 Vortex, use what you know. Nothing worse than losing an animal because you dont know where your rifle will impact.

    IE dont throw on a scope and go hunting. Shoot with it. go home drive with it in your tuck on bumpy roads. shoot again and see if any shifting. will be eye opening test for your gear.

    GL!
    DT
     
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    forgot about the NX8 so just ref this thread. I had the 2-20 I sold as i didnt like the FOV and it weigh same as my xtr3

    www.snipershide.com

    Rifle Scopes - Burris XTR III 3.3-18x50 mini review and comparison to Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50

    Backstory The Burris XTR II has been the top of the line offering from the Greeley, CO sport optics company for many years now. Initial manufacture of these scopes had some issues optically, but Burris was able to rectify those over time and the latest XTR II is a pretty well refined scope for...
    www.snipershide.com www.snipershide.com
     
    The only issue with the DMR3 is that it doesn’t have illum in a FFP form for hunting I think it helps. But a lrtsi or a DMR-2i would work.
    Mark 5 is another great choice, much better than lht HD but also more expensive if you want the illum.
     
    Bakwa said:
    There really doesn't seem to be any number of good options for nice hunting scopes that have mil reticles.
    I'd love to have a Swaro or Leica but their reticle options are plex or BDC.

    Is another 2.5-10 NXS my only real good option? S&B Klassic? Wait for ZCO's crossover and pony up when it comes out?

    I was hoping for something with a usable mil reticle out to 400-500yds, good light transmission, light weight, not too big, illuminated reticle. Hopefully under $1600.

    What's out there?


    Cheers
    Click to expand...
    Leupold Mark 5 PR2 Reticle…
     
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    Much lower than your budget, a little heavier than the LHT is the 5-25 Strike Eagle. Mil reticle, locking turrets, zero stop, illuminated reticle.
     
    Bushy LRHSi, Burris XTR3 or Vortex LHT. Hell, a Gen1 PST 2.5-10x32 is what I use on my 450 Bushmaster for Ohio deer gun season.
     
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    Riton Optics have a hunting line that may be worth a look. I have no personal experience, just seen some of these in an email.
     
    Kahles is bringing back the Helia line of hunting scopes in April! So that might be right up your alley! 👍🏼

    I love my old Helia KX 3.5-10x50 4D-Dot reticle. I've had it for about 15 years now. Super light, amazing glass, and has never let me down.
     
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    Im a fan of the Bushnell LRHS for this.

    With donut for those point blank elk at 60 yds if you can find one.

    Have used one to 1k on a .308 and the 4-18 past that on a 6.5 without issue.

    Use one on my main hunter and DMR type AR.

    I love the 3-12 for a hunter only rig
     
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    The G4B reticle is really close to the old 4D-Dot reticle that's in my old Helia KX.

    Man, the only thing this scope is missing is exposed MIL/MIL turrets! Hell, I'd settle for just a dial-able 0.10 MIL (10 MIL rev) elevation turret w/ a lock or ZS setup. 👍🏼

    KAHLES: Riflescopes

    www.kahles.at www.kahles.at
     
    Last edited:
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    SWFA 3-9 x 42 is one of the best matches for the OP's stated needs.

    The Bushnell LRHS/LRTS 3-12 x 44 are great, but the reticle is not as visible, and weight goes up a little.

    Some of us are crossing our fingers for the Trijicon Tenmile for reliability.

    For a great hunting reticle, but certainly not a lightweight option, the Minox ZP5 with the THLR reticle is picking up its adherents - see https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/minox-zp5-5-25x56mm-thlr-field-evaluation.253283/ and https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/q-a-for-minox-zp5-5-25x56mm-thlr-scope.253284/
     
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    If you decide to go the Credo route. I have one looking for a home. I sold two rifles so i have an extra scope. 2.5-15x42 Ill. Mil Rad PM is best
     
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    I appreciate all the response.

    Let me refine this criteria a bit; I took for granted what my expectation of the scope was by merely calling it a hunting scope. That was my fault.

    Being a hunting scope I want it to do well at low light. LVPO's are out.

    I don't mind SFP or FFP, but it has to be usable.
    Thus if max power is 15x then SPF is out. That reticle that I'm looking for is now not unusable at 8x, 10x, etc... if the max power is too high and it's SFP.
    A 2.5-10 or 3-9 may be my limit for SFP because 9-10x is most likely where I'll be using the reticle for holding and the lower powers will be there for closer shots and scanning.
    If a FFP reticle, it needs to be usable at lower powers with a dark/wooded background.

    Being a hunting scope it needs to be lightweight. To draw a line, let's say 24oz and lighter. So many of the good tactical crossover scopes are out.

    I'm mainly placing my budget as high as I am to afford decent optical quality. I want to be able to use my scope to glass things across the next ridge if necessary. For example I'd consider a NXS 2.5-10 of minimum optical quality for this application within this rough price range.

    So based on this refined criteria, this is what I have on my current menu.
    S&B Klassic series,
    Another NXS 2.5-10x42,
    Trijicon Credo 2-10x36 [poor light transmission?],
    Trijicon Credo 3-9x40,
    SWFA 3-9x42,
    SWFA 2-10x32 Ultralight [durability concerns and poor light transmission?],
    or do I give up and find a BDC that I can use...
     
    Bakwa said:
    I appreciate all the response.

    Let me refine this criteria a bit; I took for granted what my expectation of the scope was by merely calling it a hunting scope. That was my fault.

    Being a hunting scope I want it to do well at low light. LVPO's are out.

    I don't mind SFP or FFP, but it has to be usable.
    Thus if max power is 15x then SPF is out. That reticle that I'm looking for is now not unusable at 8x, 10x, etc... if the max power is too high and it's SFP.
    A 2.5-10 or 3-9 may be my limit for SFP because 9-10x is most likely where I'll be using the reticle for holding and the lower powers will be there for closer shots and scanning.
    If a FFP reticle, it needs to be usable at lower powers with a dark/wooded background.

    Being a hunting scope it needs to be lightweight. To draw a line, let's say 24oz and lighter. So many of the good tactical crossover scopes are out.

    I'm mainly placing my budget as high as I am to afford decent optical quality. I want to be able to use my scope to glass things across the next ridge if necessary. For example I'd consider a NXS 2.5-10 of minimum optical quality for this application within this rough price range.

    So based on this refined criteria, this is what I have on my current menu.
    S&B Klassic series,
    Another NXS 2.5-10x42,
    Trijicon Credo 2-10x36 [poor light transmission?],
    Trijicon Credo 3-9x40,
    SWFA 3-9x42,
    SWFA 2-10x32 Ultralight [durability concerns and poor light transmission?],
    or do I give up and find a BDC that I can use...
    Click to expand...
    Vortex LHT HD 3-15 meets your specs, street price falls under your budget.
     
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    @Bakwa if you need to hold the line at 24oz, then IMO, it comes down to budget.

    SWFA if you want to save a bit
    NXS if you have the dough to spend

    Both resale well.

    If you bump your weight up 6oz, you can easily jump into LRHS2.0 from GAP or XTR3 from Doug.

    I'm a fan of the LRTS/LRHS line, but I'm going to try the XTR3 for something different. Burris seems to be in a sweet spot on these scopes, so my gut is that I can use it for a year, decide whether I like it or not, and sell in the $700-800 range this time next year if it (meaning the reticle) doesn't work for me.
     
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    Bakwa said:
    I appreciate all the response.

    Let me refine this criteria a bit; I took for granted what my expectation of the scope was by merely calling it a hunting scope. That was my fault.

    Being a hunting scope I want it to do well at low light. LVPO's are out.

    I don't mind SFP or FFP, but it has to be usable.
    Thus if max power is 15x then SPF is out. That reticle that I'm looking for is now not unusable at 8x, 10x, etc... if the max power is too high and it's SFP.
    A 2.5-10 or 3-9 may be my limit for SFP because 9-10x is most likely where I'll be using the reticle for holding and the lower powers will be there for closer shots and scanning.
    If a FFP reticle, it needs to be usable at lower powers with a dark/wooded background.

    Being a hunting scope it needs to be lightweight. To draw a line, let's say 24oz and lighter. So many of the good tactical crossover scopes are out.

    I'm mainly placing my budget as high as I am to afford decent optical quality. I want to be able to use my scope to glass things across the next ridge if necessary. For example I'd consider a NXS 2.5-10 of minimum optical quality for this application within this rough price range.

    So based on this refined criteria, this is what I have on my current menu.
    S&B Klassic series,
    Another NXS 2.5-10x42,
    Trijicon Credo 2-10x36 [poor light transmission?],
    Trijicon Credo 3-9x40,
    SWFA 3-9x42,
    SWFA 2-10x32 Ultralight [durability concerns and poor light transmission?],
    or do I give up and find a BDC that I can use...
    Click to expand...

    Please explain how the reticle size differs with the magnification on a SFP scope.

    The Vortex Razor LHT HD 3-15 is the scope u seek.
     
    Vortex razor LHT in whatever flavor, 4.5-22x50 ffp is what I would do.
     
    Last edited:
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    Bakwa said:
    I appreciate all the response.

    Let me refine this criteria a bit; I took for granted what my expectation of the scope was by merely calling it a hunting scope. That was my fault.

    Being a hunting scope I want it to do well at low light. LVPO's are out.

    I don't mind SFP or FFP, but it has to be usable.
    Thus if max power is 15x then SPF is out. That reticle that I'm looking for is now not unusable at 8x, 10x, etc... if the max power is too high and it's SFP.
    A 2.5-10 or 3-9 may be my limit for SFP because 9-10x is most likely where I'll be using the reticle for holding and the lower powers will be there for closer shots and scanning.
    If a FFP reticle, it needs to be usable at lower powers with a dark/wooded background.

    Being a hunting scope it needs to be lightweight. To draw a line, let's say 24oz and lighter. So many of the good tactical crossover scopes are out.

    I'm mainly placing my budget as high as I am to afford decent optical quality. I want to be able to use my scope to glass things across the next ridge if necessary. For example I'd consider a NXS 2.5-10 of minimum optical quality for this application within this rough price range.

    So based on this refined criteria, this is what I have on my current menu.
    S&B Klassic series,
    Another NXS 2.5-10x42,
    Trijicon Credo 2-10x36 [poor light transmission?],
    Trijicon Credo 3-9x40,
    SWFA 3-9x42,
    SWFA 2-10x32 Ultralight [durability concerns and poor light transmission?],
    or do I give up and find a BDC that I can use...
    Click to expand...
    I don’t recall seeing:
    a) what you are shooting
    b) what is the typical distance for the shot

    Why would you use your scope for lots of scanning across valleys? That’s what 10x to 15x binos are for (or spotters).

    I also don’t see a minimum mag preference. Is a 4.5-22 FFP Vortex LHT that has illumination in the cards? 21.7 oz.

    No? How about the SFP LHT G4i reticle Vortex 3-15x50mm (mil based, not evenly spaced however)? The reticle is really nice and thick for low light usability with a illuminated center dot. 20.5 oz.

    They also make a 42mm objective version with the evenly spaced illuminated mil reticle HSR-5i. 19.1 oz.
     
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    And re: S&B Klassic precision hunter series, not sure how you’re going to find a 3-12 at $1500 or under. Currently $1700 at Eurooptic.
     
    Leica came out with an amplus6 scope in 2020 I think.
     
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