New scope choice for T/C Encore 209x50
 

I am looking for new optics for my T/C Encore 209x50 magnum ML. I have had the Nikon Omega suggested to me but have been looking at the Leupold Ultimate Slam 3x9 also. Just wanting opinions from those of you that have experience with either of them. I have Leopold on my center fire guns and love them so I am familiar with their quality. What are each scope's good and bad points?:confused0024:

Myself, i wouldn't get either of them scope. Right now i have my eye on this new Leupold 2-7 scope set up for the cds dial. Cabela is selling this scope too, and they are offering a free cds dial customized for you. One sends Leupold Custom Shop the information for the bullet and powder of your choice, and they will engrave a cds dial using the information you send them. What you have then is a dial that can put your bullet on target out to at least 300 yard, depending on your load. It works. The idea is especially great for muzzle loaders. One sets the dial for the range, and that is where the bullet hits. No circles, dots, or special power settings to worry about. Some may prefer the 3-9 scope.

I have the Leupold Ultimate Slam MLer Scope and LOVE IT......BUT I have found out that I DONT NEED the S.A.B.R.E. I used it set to specs for the load recommendations and it worked well. The Leupold has more settings than the Omega, with the Leupold you can set your load to a Shotgun, a 20 Guage Shotgun or a Magnum Load of 150 grains, these settings are compareable to some other blackpowder loads but I cant get to all the specifics now as Im not going to look into it:) But the Leupold is much mor User friendly than the Omega as the Omega you can only set your Load to one and only one setting.
So to the point I just sight my Leupold USML Scope to sight in at 2" high at 50yds and Im dead on at 125yds and 4" low at 175yds. So I can just hold dead on, middle of the lungs from 50yds to 175yds and Im in the kill, anything under 50yds I just hold heart area. This is much more simple than in the moment trying to decide where to hold when I can just hold dead on and be good, if it's a close shot I just have to remember to hold on the heart.
I hope this did'nt confuse anyone but a fixed scope is much better to me than one with a BDC, less to think about and easier in the moment. But if you shoot a 250gr bullet and either a 100 or a 150gr BP Load or a 12 or a 20 Guage and want to be confused but still be on than the Leupold USML scope will be a good choice, better than the Omega for the exact same money as it does way more.
I like to aim, hold and shoot, but if I wanted to think, hold and decide and shoot I;d use the SABRE more.
(BP)

I agree with Ron, I haven't got to use my CDS dial yet but the idea is great and he has proved it works. I like the idea of having my regular crosshairs and if I have a deer way out there, just range it click the dial to where it needs to be and your ready to go. With practice at all ranges you intend to shoot at of course.

I use a similar setup as well. When shooting out to 175 or 200 yards (depending on the load) you really don't need a BDC or CDS type scope. My current load is 2" high at 100 yards and dead on at 150. I haven't tried it at 200, but it should be maybe 4" - 6" low at the most. So if I would have 200 yard shot, I would just hold on the spine.

Now if you are shooting in the 200 - 300 yard range with a muzzy, you do need a BDC scope. Personally I would go with a Leopold or Nikon with the extra lines on the scope as opposed to a CDS dial. I guess mostly because it is faster- you're not having to twist a range dial in the heat of the moment, but I guess that is just personal preference....

I have shot my rifles at 300 yard, and then moved back to 100 yard; taken the shot at 100 yard without moving the cds dial back to the 1 setting. Am thinking i have done something like this a couple of times. Wow, was i ever puzzled when looking for bullet hole in the target, and seeing none. Finally it dawned on me that the cds dial was set for the wrong range.

Only set the dial twice this past season whilst hunting. It worked good. The time it takes to twist the dial is negligible compared to the time it takes using a range finder to find the yardage to the deer.

At one time i was using a long range reticle, and i liked it at first, but as time went by, i didn't like it as much. The power setting has to be just right for the bullet to fly to where the dots say it will. I don't much care to hunt with the power set to the higher end. My scope had to be set to 8 1/2 power to work with the load i was using. No way i am going to carry the rifle with the scope set to 8 1/2 power. Maybe 5 power, or perhaps 6 power; no higher. I never actually hunted with the BDC scope, but had i done so, i would have had to reset the power before making the shot at a ranged deer.

If you're going with the Ultimate Slam Leupold the best price I found was opticsplanet.com I bought mine there and I love it.

Breechplug

Same here... i have ballistic reticule scopes on all my ML's but the need for them or even a CDS is extremly limited.

If i were shooting for money that would be a different story, but i am shooting for hunting purposes and sight the rifles in with a 3" PBR. In most cases that allows me to aim dead on from 0 yards to 180 yards and be certain that I am inside the PBR... takes a whole lot of guess work out of the equation and less time aiming or twisting.

My self imposed max range is 200-225 yards so I am right where i want to be. I still worry about to many things to shoot any longer than that... temperature.... elevation.... wind drift.... energy... etc. I just want the animal on the recieving end to get a terninal shot where it stands not some time or distance later.