SCOPE RECOMENDATION

[billyzink]

Got a Bushmaster varminter, need to put glass on it for coyote hunting, probably 300 yards and under hunting situations, from daylight hunting to night hunting in the moonlight over snowcover, would like to keep cost under $1000 if possible. LET ME HAVE IT!!!!!!

[Buckskin]

I have a Leo VXIII 4-14x50 on mine I think they run about $800 now days, got mine for $500 about 5 years ago.  Great glass with fine objective which may not be the best thing for dog hunting at night. But I have shot them with moonlight off of snow at 300 yds with mine.  You kind of have to know where your x-hairs are.  There are tons of options under $1000,  I bought a used Bushy that had a 3-9x40 Bushnell 3200 Firefly on it.  That was pretty cool, but I never hunted with it.  Don't know if they have a 4200 in Firefly and a little higher power, if they do, that is the way I would go...  I have a 4200 4-16x50 and it is a hell of a scope for the money.

[Graybeard]

If my budget allowed that much scope I'd buy the new Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16. You want a good wide FOV for the closer shots yet enough magnification for longer shots. That's where the 6500 shines as it has a magnification range of 6.5 times from low to high power the most of any scope on the market today. Optics are superb and should do just fine. I'd buy one for myself but just ain't got the bucks to afford one.

[huntfamily5]

I have the S&W MP Tactical AR-15 with a Nikon Bushmaster 3-9 x40 scope with the Balistic Drop circles.  The scope is fantastic and costs $225. 

[Lloyd Smale]

id look at the leupold mark 11 iluminated reticle scopes and the trigicon 3x9. Both have good glass maybe the leupold has a slight advantage but the tridgicon is illuminated with trinium and never needs batterys. either would be a top choise for your application

[Bigeasy]

I would look for a quality illuminated recticle scope like Leo / Burris / Bush 4200 / etc., and for reliabilities sake, stay away from the cheap stuff, especially when illumination is involved.  Make sure it has vairiable brightness controls.  Something in the 3x9 or so range is fine.  I have a Burris Fullfield ll in 3x9 with the Illuminated B Plex recticle, and it works fine at night, without over powering the target and spoiling your night vision.  Another tactic we use hunting dogs at night up in Maine in the winter is a million CP portable spotlight with a red lens cover.  I am not sure why, but they seem to be able to see the red light, but it does not spook them right off the bat.  It gives you time to take the shot.

Larry

[teddy12b]

I have the S&W MP Tactical AR-15 with a Nikon Bushmaster 3-9 x40 scope with the Balistic Drop circles.  The scope is fantastic and costs $225. 

I have a burris 2-7 ballistic plex and it's the same idea as the BDC.  Either of these scopes make longer range shooting much more simple.  Out to 300 yards, you won't have many problems.

[Arier Blut]

http://www.arcadian-sales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SIIISS3510x56LRIR4A_25131&Category_Code=Sightron_SIII&Store_Code=AS

The only way I know how to top this one is to add more money to the budget and buy German. I compared this against the Leupold vx-7, which is more than twice as much, at night and day outdoors. There was no difference in clarity or light transmission to my eye. The third was a Swarovski Z6i which beat them both, but is more than 3x the price of the SIII. It was a shade brighter and a hair clearer. The fourth a Zeiss Diavari, again my eyes could not tell the difference of this and the Swaro. I chose the SIII.

[fastbike]

I have found the Nikon Monarchs to be brighter and clearer (to me) than comparable Leupold or Burris scopes.

[Lloyd Smale]

Me i stick mostly to leupolds anymore. I wont argue that you can get some scopes with better glass for the same money, especially in the under 300 dollar range. But ive owned about all of them and the only scope manufacture that ive never needed to send something in for repairs or warantee work is leupold. There brutely strong and dead reliable and to me especially on an ar those traits are more important that a tad bit better glass and even in that aspect leupold doesnt take a back seat to anyone with there top line scopes. Just look whats on the line in shooting compitions. Id bet there 5 leupolds to every other scope manfacture combined. Same reason. these guys insist on reliablity. Another thing is your buying american. Other then burris, leupold is the only other truely american manufacture and i havent had the best of luck with buris scopes. Leupold has been the scope of choise for just about any profesional shooter or custom gun builder or serious hunter for as long as i can remember. Might be a reason for that!!!

[coltchris]

I've got (2) Elite 4200's 4-16 and think they're hard to beat dollar for dollar.  If you want to burn most of your $1000, then I'd go with the Zeiss in your preferred power.  I also have (4) Zeiss in various powers and they are GREAT scopes.

[Default]

Billy ,

 Are you wanting a respectable scope that comes with illuminates recticles for the night missions ??

 Or are you wanting good glass and making due with normal cross hairs ?

 I ask since this might lend to peoples experiences pointing you in a direction that helps you more with their recommendations

   http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=746570    I have used this scope Simmons Whitetail Classic Rifle Scope 6.5-20x 50mm Adjustable Objective Truplex Reticle Matte (crinkle paint finish it looks like , and compliments my target grey very well) on a number of different rifles with nothing but great results , I bought three of them when Midway had them for a $100 bill ... They carry a 5 star rating after 130 reviewers and doesnt kill the check book .. with none of the distortion at higher magnifacation that you find with some other scopes that say they go to 20+ power ...
  I also have some Nikko sterlings that im very happy with..
  Nikon and Leopuld are always great choices , if the wallet can handle them in the higher magnifacations prices ..
  My experiences with those two are limited to a Nikon 4x and 3-9s  Leopuld is a nice 4-12x44  which i have nothing but praise for ..

   Default

   Here is my rugwer target grey 223 , 3 rounds @ 100   topped with the first mentioned simmons scope