How to Choose a Scope

YoteXX

YoteXX

New member
Ok boys, I'm new to the forum. I've hunted Coyotes for years with a 30/30 Win without a scope. This year I will purchase a .243 Win rifle. I don't know crap about how to pick a scope, I know that there can be much debate about who makes the best scope, I want to avoid that whole topic. What I do need to know is what power of scope to put on a .243 I'm looking at a 2.5-10X42 or a 5-15X40 power scope. Keep in mind the gun will be dual purpose for yotes and deer. I don't think I'll ever take a shot past 375 to 400yds.
Please give me some wisdom.
 
Stay close to 3-9x40 and buy the best brand you can. If it is $50 that is fine. If $500 then that is better.

There are some pretty good values on the used market on EBAY. If you are on a tight budget you might want to check there.
 
2.5-10 would be a better choice, it's quicker to find something close-in with the scope at 3 power instead of 5. I wouldn't want my low end of magnification to be that high. 10X will get you out to 300 yards okay, maybe a little farther if it's good quality glass. 3-12 would be ideal, in my opinion.
 
10X's is plenty out front, my brother and I have been shooting woodchucks out to almost 600yds less any issues with 10x's. I prefer a 2-7 on my calling rifles and am looking hard at dropping to a 1-4X. I would keep my eye's peeled in the classifieds here and at 24hourcampfire. There are alot of good leupolds trading hands. Buying a known quality used piece of glass is another way to stretch out those dollars.
 
Welcome to Predator Masters, YoteXX.

Good advice here. Many many more shots have been lost because of too much magnification than too little. As you no doubt know from your own 30-30 experience, iron sights and no magnification at all works pretty well for a pretty fair ways out there.
 
brdeano...i think that ya might be right on the 1x4...i have been threatening to do that on this board at least a year now...i know it will work just haven't had the gut's yet...i guess it boil's down to i have no gut's !! yet the time i think a coyote will for sure show up @ 200 yard's or whatever & crank the scope to 5-6 power...sure enough he show's & give's a good shot @ 30 yard's...enough to drive a guy to drink...i'll gut up one of these day's...
 
I'm thinking seriously of going this route (genesis's rifle). Sometimes I like to deliberately set up long range shots, setting my e-caller waaaayyy out there, and of course using a higher power scope. I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many times I've had my scope cranked up to 18X and had a coyote show up within 100YDs of me headed for my far away caller. More often than not, I not only don't get a shot when they are in my lap, they don't show themselves out at the caller either.

I have absolutely Zero experience with these newfangled Eotech sights, but they look they might just be the best of both worlds.

eotechonside.jpg
 
The EOTech is nice, because if you can see the dot, that's where the bullet will strike (ignoring range drop, of course). There's no need to center the dot in the sight, it can be at the top, left, etc. side of the window and will still be accurate. Much quicker than a scope to get alignment for quick shots, and the 1 MOA dot doesn't obscure much of the target. I'm loving mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
The 65 MOA circle could be used as a crude rangefinder or lead estimater if you did a little math, I'm going to test that idea out in the near future.
 
Others might not agree with me but I think the 4.5-14 Nikon Buckmaster is a great all around scope ! I have 3 of them , one is on a deer rifle , one is on my 17 Ackley Hornet , and the other is on a .204 Ruger . I use the .204 and the 17 AH both as calling and Varmint rifles and the 4.5-14 scopes serve me well . I've got a Swift 4.5-14 on a 257 Wetherby too .
I am not trying to say anyone else is wrong (Heck , I might be nuts). I just feel that the 4.5-14 X scopes are very versitile .
 
There is no wrong answer, if it works for ya then its good. Depends on conditions , terrain, vegetation and distance. Notice the replys are from all over the country with tons of variables and all the suggestions work for them all. Choose the one that suits you the best. Now the quality would be a concern to me. Spend as much as you can afford. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
One simple rule when looking at scopes is look at the field of view rather than at the power range. The wider the field of view is at the low power setting the easier it is to pick up a close animal.

I like to have a minimum of a 35 foot field of view at the low power setting be it 2, 2.5 or 3 power, the wider the better. The top power doesn't matter a whole lot. Anything from 7 to 12 will work well for shots under 500 yards on coyote sized animals.

One scope I've really liked over the past few years is Simmons AETEC 2.8 to 10. Mine have a 44 foot field of view at 2.8 power and these scopes are not very expensive.

Now that I've said that I'm also going to add that over the years I've used a bunch of Leupold's and even the bottom line ones have great warrentees. If you break it not only will they fix it for free, but they will thank you for doing business with them. Wally world sells thier lower priced scopes and so do a bunch of online stores such as Cabela's and Midway and Natchez.
 
A few years back, I was dragging a nice buck up out of a deep ravine in the Missouri Ozarks and dropped my rifle scope down onto a large rock. I knocked a chunk out of the bell and later found that I bent the maintube. The scope would not zero. I put it in a drawer and forgot about it for a few years. I did not think it was possible that they would fix it because not only was it my fault, but I didn't buy the scope new. I got it on a used rifle that I bought and I know I was at least the 4th owner. It was several years old when I got it. It was a 2-7x33 Vari X 2. One day I decided to send it in and see what they would charge me to fix it and told the entire true story in my letter to them. In about 3 weeks I got a call from them apologizing to me that they did not think they could fix my scope and asking my permission to replace it with a new VX2 version for FREE! They thanked me for my business and continued to apologize that I had a problem. I said, "but I damaged it?". "It is supposed to be the last time you have to buy this scope when you buy from us, Sir" They said. I have been a Leupold customer ever since. I do not buy anything else, I have 13 Leupolds. If I do not have the money for the Leupold that I want at the time, I just wait until I do. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
 
First off, I would like to thank everyone for replying to this post....it has been a huge help. Second, I going to brake my own rule. The wife really isn't too happy that I'm going to by a weatherby Vanguard .243 I would like to buy a cheap scope now then upgrade in a year or so to a Leupold. The scope I was looking at is a Tasco 2.5-10X42, I have read several reviews on this scope and most people seem to like them....I know that the glass quality won't be good, but I would like to keep the peace in my house.
 
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...2.5-10X42...



Excellent power range for what you're doing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

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but I would like to keep the peace in my house.



That's the reason I don't have 3 or 4 more rifles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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You can check around on ebay and get a nicer scope used than what you would pay for a new tasco. Check it out they have all kind of deals on there
 
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Good info above...
Also take into account that a 3-9x, although not as "sexy" sounding as 2.5-10x, is pretty much covering the same spectrum of magnification for you. And quality 3-9x40(Bushy Elite, Nikon Buckmasters, Leupy VXI) can be had for under $200 NEW...somewhat cheaper than the "sexy" sized scopes. Or as Brad stated, buy a quality used optic.

That said, I've set up a cute little Model 7 .223 I "stole" on GBroker with an Elite 2-7x32 to break in on fur for this year. 2-7 is PLENTY of power for coyote hunting. PLENTY.

Last year,I boned it on a pair of close in coyotes (50yds)because I was toting my 25WSSsSSsmmmm with a 5.5-16 on top (way too much glass, my fault). I wanted to whack one with that gun & the Nikon was already on it so...I lived & learned. I did connect with the 2nd shot @285...still on the lowest 5.5x setting. More food for thought there...

Coyote killing this year will be aided via Aimpoint or low power variable optic(2-7x)...any more glass than that is balast on a coyote gun, IMHO...

still living & still learning
 


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