Scope 4 300RUM 4 out west

[kudzu]

Have a 300RUM(rem bdl). This will be my gun of chioce for my first elk hunt. Have several scopes including Atec 2.8x12x44 (currentlly on gun) , sightrons, WT Expeditions, and Alasken Guide scopes from cabelas. All of these scopes have worked well and are very clear with great light gathering capabilities.  In my mind the perfect scope for this gun will be in the 4.5x14or16x 50. Will this be sufficent for Co. elk hunt.  This gun will also not be used very much due to other choices hunting here at home. I thought about just leaving the Aetec mounted as I have several of them and they have never let me down. Also thought about putting the 4.5x14x50 sightron on it off my 270wsm because a new 4200 4x16x50 is very what I have decided to put on it for my (every day gun).
Any thoughts(LOL)

thanks,DM

[kudzu]

since original post, my 300rum BDL turned into a 300rum sendero. Finally decided to put an Elite 3200 5x15x50 on it. So far so good.

[freddogs]

Sounds like a good choice to me. I used a elite on my slug gun last year and I was very pleased. I myself would use a bit less power but I'm not expert on long range elk shooting.

[crow_feather]

Three years ago, I'm sneakin thru the woods in the Rockies when two elk come bustin outta the trees about 25 yards from me, make a big circle and head off in another direction.  I wish I had a one power on my rifle then.  No way a 4 power was gonna pick them up to where I could get a decent shot.  I prefer to hunt now with a 2 to 3 power on the low side and a 50 mm bell so I can get distance from the scope. A 7 to 9 is all that is needed on the high end.  I have seen people shoot antelope at 300 yards with a 4 power scope. 

[Graybeard]

In spite of what the magazine writers are trying to convince folks of these days that's a VERY POOR choice for the type of hunting you are planning. The rifle is way heavy for the walking and stalking you'll be doing and the scope is physically HUGE and too heavy to wear on a walking rifle.

If you were shooting whitetails from a shooting house it "might" be an OK choice but even then it would be far from ideal.

All you need is a 2-7, 2.5-8 or 3-9 scope on a gun for any big game hunting and for sure you don't need and seldom want a varmint weight gun for big game hunting. I truly hope you're happy with it but I predict after one hunt you'll be looking to trade it off.

[Don Fischer]

Went out shooting this morning with my elk rifle, 6.5x55 Winchester featherweight with a 1-4x Redfield using 140gr Hornady's. To make a long story short, at 2x shooting at 250 yds, this load printed 3 1/4" groups dead on. This is about a 275 yd set up. Living in the west and hunting in the west, I assure you, that is well over the average range elk are killed around here. Not to say you couldn't shoot at them farther if that's what you wanted to do. But you shoot farther because you want to, not because you have to! Your talking a lot more rifle and scope than you need but then, you'll have to carry it.

[sniperVLS]

When is the hunt? let us know how it goes

I guess Ive become accustomed to heavy rifles, I havent had a non-varmint type in well over a decade. You wont know how youll cope with a Sendero until you try.

**Shes so beautiful you might get distracted, taking peeks at her(Sendero) instead of watching for animals, lol

[crow_feather]

I can see you've never drug elk while carrying a big rifle with a huge scope flatlander.  Best of luck with your hunt and may you get the elk of your dreams.

C F

ps  I would also tape up those adjustable scope knobs, they catch on heavy coats and get moved easy.

[nomosendero]

I have a Sendero in 25-06 that I use in Wy. for Antelope & Mule Deer. I have used it on several of these hunts & I plan on using the same next time. I have a Lam. stock Sendero 300 mag. & take a lightweight M70 Featherwt. 30-06AI for a back-up gun if anyone in the party needs it on my Elk hunts. I will take these same 2 next time with my 300 again as the primary rifle. I am not concerned about the weight at this stage of my life. Everything is relative & I am somewhat bigger than average. When I was young my Dad confused me for a Pack Mule (ugly I guess) & worked me accordingly. I played some sports & did some powerlifting, only saying what is heavy to others may not be heavy to me. I am 53 now & someday I am sure things will change, but I don't have the warning signs yet.
Gunwriters want to tell us exactly what a gun should weigh, I know they need to sell guns & all but
Hulk Hogan can carry more gun than Twiggy, I'm sorry!
  Dancoman, I have never seen you & know nothing of your background, so I have no idea how heavy is heavy. I do alot of hiking before a big hunt, so grab your Sendero & carry it for many hours at a time. Only you can determine what YOU can carry.
  Personally, for a scope I would prefer a 3.5X10 on the 300, I like that & I carry a 2X7 on the 30-06AI. If it is all very thick dark timber stuff, I will carry the 30-06 more because of the scope more than the gun.
Oh, another thing about the wt/Sendero thing. I have a sling that fits over my opposite shoulder
like carring an M60. The sling has alot of give & I can throw the rifle up fast for a quick shot & the weight of the gun is dist. where it is no harder to carry than a Win. Featherwt. with a conventional sling. I will learn how to put a picture on here soon & show you. Blows the idea of the heavy being hard to carry out of the water even for a smaller person.

Sniper VLS, I would not worry about those turrents, I know that is not your Elk gun.

[Don Fischer]

Have lived and hunted in Colorado. Now do most my hunting in the breaks of the John Day River in Oregon. Have also hunted elk in the coast range of Oregon. Several years ago my son came home for the weekend from the Navy and brought a friend with him. This friend was a fitness fenatic and thought he was in pretty good shape. We went out deer hunting, same area we hunted elk in, and he damn near killed himself just carrying hs pocket knife. The hills get very steep and the air gets fairly thin here, it gets thiner in Colorado. We were only up about 3000 feet. I'd bet a dollar to a sugar cookie that Hulk Hogan would have a problem here until he got used to the country. It would kill Twiggy! The less weight you have to carry, the better off you'll be. Unless of course you'll be riding horses.

Nomosenderos 30-06 with a 2-7x scope would be a good choice.

[nomosendero]

I can start hunting, carrying, Sendero, pack & everything the first day on the Wyoming hunts. The altitude is high, but not high enough to give me trouble.

But in Colorado with the camp we used being at about 9,000feet is a different story. I need 2 days or so before the hunt to get used to the altitude. What I carry has little to do with it as I weigh 250
or so in decent shape. Whether my gun weighs 7# or 11#, it is small in the overall picture.

Of course the Hulk Hogan & Twiggy discussion was only in reference to how much rifle weight a person can handle, had nothing to do with altitude. Just as the example that Don gave indicates, even a person in good shape & not carrying anything can & often will have trouble, which shows you are used to the altitude or you aren't regardless of what you are taking along & I agree with that. If
you can, get there early & enjoy.

[Dogshooter]

I used a Weatherby Accumark in 300 Weatherby mag for years and finally got tired of lugging it up and down the terrain I hunt elk in. Sold the Weatherby and bought a Kimber in 300 WSM. I used it for the first time this season and the weight difference sure made a BIG difference when I was dragging out my elk. As for a scope, I went with a Zeiss 3 X 9 X 50. Big scop for a smallish, lightweight rifle, but the light gathering ability is important as most of my kills were very early or very late. I have used the high end power for identifiying "looks likes" but most shots i take have the scope set at 3 or 4 power.