Rifle Scopes Pistol scope for SW 500

[Biggie1976]

What scope are you guys running on the heavy caliber pistols? I will use this to deer hunt this year.

I like the Leupold VX3 they have. Havent seen many out there.

 

[WB300]

Interested as well. I use an old Nikon that doesn't track for shit, but once zeroed, it holds. I was searching not too long ago for something new and didn't find anything i was happy with. If i recall, Burris and Leupold had the most offerings, but i was looking for qualities found in todays alpha rifle scopes... reliable tracking, durable, illumination, AND great glass.

 

[Mike Casselton]

You're not going to find anything even remotely resembling the optical/ tracking quality of even a $300 Athlon.

Pistol scopes are an afterthought for most optical companies.

You're correct that Leupold and Burris have the best selection.
Leupold has never offered anything other than 2x, 4x and a 2.5-8x.
Nothing wrong with their pistol optics it's just that they never got past the 1990s in design.

Burris has always had a good selection of styles and power selection. 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 1-4x, 5x, 2-7x, 3-9x, 10x and 4-12x.
Optical quality is a wash with Leupold.

My 3-9x that lives on a 221 Fireball.

IIRC, the Burris LER scopes are made in Asia now, not the US. ☹

There are other pistol scopes available if you don't mind buying used.

A few come to mind like the Bushnell and even Bausch & Lomb. (Same scopes, different company names)

Here's one that spent a hard living on top of a 44 mag Redhawk.

Here's the Bushnell.
It's been riding a 309 JDJ TC Contender since the early 90s.

Believe it or not, the Simmons pistol scopes were tough. They even built the scopes sold as Thompson Contender scopes. Good stuff back then.

Here's two. Don't buy the type with the silk screened logo (black one).

7-TCU top and 45-70 bottom.

Here's one that will surprise you. Tasco. Two scopes they made were/are tough as nails. They had a variable 1.25-4x and their 30mm series scopes are damn near the toughest ever built by any company.

The only Tasco I have left rides on a Colt Anaconda.

What would I do differently today?
Other than the 221 Fireball, I'd slap a red dot or reflex sight on top and call it a day.

 

[Biggie1976]

Burris and Leupold are about the only decent things I see. The eye relief for pistol scope are different so it has to be one made for a pistol.