Windog1

Hi Guys,

I am looking for a recomendation on a good, but inexpensive scope for mule deer and elk out west. I know you can spend over $1k for a scope with a pretty little hawk on it, but I don't have that much to drop on a scope. Is there anything you recomend to put on Browning A-Bolt .300 wsm that will not break the bank. If possible I would like to spend less than $300. Anyhow, this will be my first real scope (besidesa youth .22) since I typcally hunt with shotgun in the midwest.

Thank you.

okiejaco

I have a Nikon Buckmaster and I like it very much.

gunnermhr

4.5-14 Leupold. Around $500. If your spending the money on an Elk Hunt spend the extra couple bucks on a good scope. It will be a great investment and money well spent. If your short on cash sell it when you get back. I bet you'll find a way to keep it though! Besides it will look good on top of that Browning

skeeter 7MM

Try looking on some optic sites like Opticzone, etc or ebay to find a Bushnell Elite 4200 3x9x40, selling below 300 I don't think there is a better scope for this price right now.

Folically Challenged

My thoughts exactly! At $300 or below, nothing comes remotely close to this scope. Even up to $400, it holds its own against some very fine competition.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/145/products_id/21475

http://theopticzone.com/detail.aspx?ID=4094

http://www.swfa.com/pc-7280-185-bushnell-3-9x40-elite-4200-rifle-scope.aspx

http://www.bearbasin.com/catalog.htm#b_l_scopes

As for mounts, I'd suggest Talleys or Leupold Dual Dovetails.

If this is your 1st real scope, does that mean the .300 WSM will be your 1st real rifle? Make sure you get plenty comfortable with it prior to heading out West!

Good Luck,


FC

bugsNbows

Good advice rendered by skeeter and FC. Another consideration would be Sightron SII Big Sky.

CamoCop

Pentax Light Seeker

The Rifleman

To answer your question logically, the answer is that you have the wrong set up for a cheap scope application.

It's kind of like buying a plow horse and then complaining about the feed bill.

There is a massive amount of recoil in a 300 Winchester Short Magnum.
You would have been better off buying a 270 / 30-06 type of rifle and then spending the money that you saved compared to theMagnumonA scope of your choice instead of spending all your money on the rifle and then not having a sufficient amount left over for a good quality scope.

Your rifles range- how far you can shoot accurately is determined by how good your scope is.

There is no one that I know ofthat is going to shoot 1000 yards at a 3 inch bulls eye with open sights.

Something as big as a buffalo - you didn't need a scope to shoot.

Even a monster 200 + lbs whitetail deer at 400 yards looks mighty small in a 9 power scope - through the woods - at first light and the last minutes before dusk. Normally the time when the big ones have a tendency to appear.

Re think your idea on a cheap scope and spends as much as you can - when you can afford it.

You still have a long time before most deer seasons begin with a rifle, 6 or more months in most places.

Surely - even if you just give up buying lottery tickets and coffee, you can save $20 a week, which would add up to$500 that you could use towards your purchase.

Folically Challenged

Actually, $300 is hardly "cheap" for a scope. $50 - now THAT would becheap.

Granted, we've all taken the top end of the guy's spending range & conveniently bumped right up against it. But a good quality 3-9 is perfectly adequate to ranges most people have no business shooting. Is it the perfect setup for consistently shooting to the far edge of the .300 WSM's range? No. That would lean toward a 12x or 16x magnification, and probably a 50mm objective. In other words, a target scope.

In the original post, however, the rifle was purchased for use on Elk & Mule deer. While some shots may be at 400+ yards, the vast majority are inside 200. And crawling around through thick timber isn't fun to do with a giant scope on one's rifle. Actually, trying to get a rifle with a large scope into a saddle scabbard isn't much fun, either.

In my eyes, a Bushnell 4200 is a pretty fine setup for his rifle, & what he says he wants to do with it.

Just my $.02.

FC

gunnermhr

Well said Rifleman. Like I said before, 4.5x14 Leupold and don't look back. I can't imagine that you'll find anyone that owned one that didn't like it. I own several Leupolds and this is my favorite for deer hunting point blank to 500 yards. I don't see how it can be refered to as a giant scope either. You can get them in a 40mm objective with a 1" tube. The 30mm with side focus is REALY nice though. It is larger but if your dragging that Browning through the brush I'll bet your gonna be a little careful anyhow.

I've heard a lot of good about the 4200 just haven't looked through one. Might be fine.