scope recommendation
 

I have bought a 7mm-08 and I am looking for the best scope I can get for under $500. Any recommendations?

Depends what you want to do with it, what, and how do you hunt. Is the gun a light weight, etc. Stick to the big names, and go look thru a few. Also don't be afraid to purchase a good used scope, I hardly ever buy new scopes anymore, way better deals used, and if required the big guys all have warranty anyway. I'm partial to Leupold, VXIII 2.5-8, FX II 4x, 6x, or VX2 3-9's.

PS you should've posted in the guns and ammo section.

It's a Tikka T3 lite. I am going to use it for a bit of everything, bush to cut blocks.

Zeiss conquest 3-9x40

Well you won't go far from wrong with any of the above mentioned. Zeiss Conquest is another popular one in 3-9x40.

Redfield Revolution.

does anyone have any other ideas? The Zeiss conquest seems past my price point the redfield is in the running. How about a vortex? Anyone use one and has pros and cons?

You can find the Conquests on sale for under $500 if you are not in a rush. Another good option is to advertise here for a good used one. I have owned 5 Conquests and bought them all from the AO Buy & Sell :sHa_shakeshout:

×2 4×12.-40.

Leupold VX2 - LR reticle.

Scope Choice
 

Have a vortex PST. Very happy with it. I have heard the entry level scopes they have are very good also. They have excellent customer service- I needed a shim package for a used scope I purchased. They mailed it to me- no charge for postage or the shims. Will buy Vortex again without hesitation!!

I'm in the market for a scope as well. I had a Vortex viper, Zeiss terra and a Redfield rev lined up on the counter and spent some time looking thru all 3.
I'm going with the one that had the best eye relief at the highest power. That was the redfield. I'm really struggling with the fact that I'm buying the least expensive of the bunch! :)
I suggest you try a similar exercise and see what ya think.

A man who can make up his own mind!

Thanks for the input. Always nice to get some other opinions as to what has or hasn't worked for people.

Hello,
Sorry to dig out/high-jack the old(er) thread, but it helped me to kind of narrow down my new scope as well (possibly).
I have the following questions:

For the vortex diamondback there is AO option. The manufacturer's web page explains it as "Adjustable Objective for image focus and parallax removal". Is it even useful? Is it worth 50% mark-up over the identical scope but without it?

The best Leupold 3x9x40 that you can afford

A lot of times there are VXII's on sale for $399 in 3-9x40 :)

6x42 Leupold.

Nikon prostaff 5. very nice for the price

Please, the AO (Adjustable Objective) option. Yay or nay?

AO has no place on a hunting rifle IMO. I have the Redfield and for the life of me I cant understand why so many people think they are so great? They will hold zero and the glass is acceptably clear but beyond that I find them lacking. The fit and finish is poor, the adjustment clicks feel "mushy" and imprecise, whatever they use to coat the lenses is not great and hunting in wet weather or fog is frustrating. The Bushnell Elite series scopes have been good to me, for more money the Nikon Monarch is a great scope.

I don't get the obsession with high magnification, I can shoot up to 300 yards with 4x and an offhand shot feels pretty squirly to me with anything higher than that. 3-9 is as much as you should need on a hunting rifle but I prefer 2-7, been playing around with the idea of going to a straight 4x. I've seen a lot more shot oportunitys blown because a scope was turned up too high than because the shooter lacked enough magnification. With something that shoots as flat as a 7-08 I wouldnt bother with range compensating crosshairs, just sight it 3" high at 100 and figure out what range at which it will have dropped too far to make a kill (probably around 300 yards) keep your shots inside that range.

I used to buy nothing but Lu's, then once the kids came along I started looking for something more affordable. The Nikon Monarch is an amazing scope for a great price.

Thanks for the reply bush, kinda what i was thinking. If it is not there it can't break, right. I just asked in case it was one of those options "i can't believe i didn't have it before". It sounds like just one of those BS options that was thrown into the mix for the mark-up (as i said - 50% more for the identical scope).
Thanks.

For a hunting rifle that's going to see some field use I'd check into the Vortex lines (Diamondback, Viper, etc). I'm very pleased with the glass in mine and I don't baby it when I'm in the field because I know the warrantly will cover whatver happens. Some guys complain that us Vortex owners quote the warrantly like its a bad thing, but it isn't. Leupold has a similar warranty and the glass is comparable for VX2 and down. Either works.