Hello all. Seeking some advice. I am building a rifle for some longer range hunting in Africa next year. The rifle is being built off a Rem 700 (300 WM) with a 26 inch barrel. I will be shooting Barnes TTSX 180 gr. bullets. I would also like the rifle for target work off season also. I need a scope that can do do both. Price range: $1400 - 2200.
Hunting requirements:
Durable: I will need to drag the rifle at times while stalking while crawling.
Uncluttered mil reticle with illumination. Most of the time I should be able to dial in a solution, but sometime I will need to shot quicker. Also with occasional bushy background and hunting at dawn or dust, a lit reticle is handy.
Ranges for shots: 300-600 meters.
Very good warranty and CS.
Target requirements:
Ranges for shot: max 1300 meters.
Good enough glass to see a IPSC sized white target out to 1300 meters.
US Optics: SN3 3.2-17x44mm (priced out past $2500, above budget).
Obviously you get what you pay for, but some times that is not true. I did not include Leupold. I have their 1-5x20mm scopes on my dangerous game rifles (458 Lott, etc) but their long range stuff was not the same value. So which scope do you recommend? Thanks in advance.
Be sure to get a zero stop high speed turret. I’d have said USO, but like you said… outside of budget. The nightforce doesn’t tunnel under 5x like the USO, so it would be better for a hunting rifle. The nightforce is smaller and lighter also.
I normally would load with heavy for caliber bullets for hunting but the Barnes .308 is not avaliable for TTSX BT at 200 grains. Also my barrel is going to be 1:11 twist which theoretically doesn’t do as well for 200+ grain bullets. The TSX FB is avalible at 200 grain but its BC is .423 compared to .484 for the 180 gr. TTSX. Given the great penetration power and weight retention of the TSX/TTSX bullets, I figured that 180 grains is more than enough for kudu, gemsbok, and zebra. But…I’ll develop a load just to see.
NightForce. Either the F1 or the NXS 2nd plane. I personally do to like the front focal plane reticles. My vision isn’t good enough to use the front focal plane scopes on low power.
But, either way the NightForce are great optics. Leupold is another really fine optic that is in your price range. But for me, it would be the NightForce hands down.
Namibia. Kudu, Springbok, Gemsbok, Hartebeest, Blesbok, Zebra, Wildebeest…maybe a warthog. It is true…one drop of blood and you paid for it. But that makes the hunt so much more awesome.
I saw some used US Optics scopes that would met my needs but I am not sure if US Optics would honor any type of warranty work second hand.
Every USO owner I’ve met said their warranty experience was good. Where in Namibia? Kalahari I’m guessing? You can do a 500m poke there easily. I hunted two half days there and thirteen more out of Okahandja where 200m was a long poke.