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Scope recommendation for prairie dog hunting?

Hey guys, I am putting together a gun for a prairie dog hunt and need a scope. For a budget, I am wanting to stay at or below the $500 mark. Cheaper is better, and I can also go more expensive if it is necessary. Bottom line, I want to spend what I need to spend to get the performance I need, but no more.

I am thinking I want at least 16x magnification, and maybe out to 26x, but I am open to suggestions. I am also curious as to what your thoughts are if I need zero reset turrets and what type of reticle.

For that budget, you’re not going to have many options for really supreme optics or the reticles which come with them. I have started really enjoying open reticles for prairie dogs, which lets me see my target, not covered up by crosshairs. Conventional crosshairs obviously work, but the open center or floating dot is very nice.

For ~$500, I would save a little more and get a Vortex Viper HSLR 6-24x50 through a discount program (mil/LEO friend) for about $650. It’s first focal, zero stop, and has reliable tracking. The optic is clear for the price point, and well featured to do the job. A second focal scope would be fine, but it’s a distinct advantage to have a first focal reticle when you might be tracking prairie dogs in the scope from one mound to the next, or transitioning from one range to the next quickly as a dog pops up here or there.