Combat Optics on Hunting rifles

[Shako Badhan]

Is anyone else using, or has tried using “combat” type lower power 1-6 or 1-4 optics on their medium to larger caliber rifles? I ran the vortex pictured below on my R8 this last deer season just to test the principal and it worked very well.

There are a large number of these types of optics on the US market mostly for the AR15 and “tactical” application. In theory they should work well but long term I wonder if they can handle the recoil? I know they are rugged, that vortex as several trips to Afghanistan under its belt and is still functionally perfect if not cosmetically.

 

[BC.Pat]

I have run S&B short dot PM2 on my Ruger RSM in 375HH with no issues. Just a simple crosshair reticle nothing to complicated.

Pat

 

[WAB]

I asked Steiner this question regarding their P4Xi. They assured me that it was designed to withstand recoil up to and including 50 BMG. The bigger issue with these scopes is mounting flexibility (they’re short) and availability of reticles appropriate for DG hunting (most have way too much going on).

 

[Red Leg]

I just don't get it. Anything I hunt with a 1x6 scope is not going to require a bunch of indices cluttering up the objective. My R8's carry 1.5 x 10 Leica scopes with illuminated German No.4 reticles. I can cleanly take any animal to 300 - 400 yards with such a combination depending upon caliber.

 

[Shako Badhan]

I just don't get it. Anything I hunt with a 1x6 scope is not going to require a bunch of indices cluttering up the objective. My R8's carry 1.5 x 10 Leica scopes with illuminated German No.4 reticles. I can cleanly take any animal to 300 - 400 yards with such a combination depending upon caliber.

I totally agree. I think the complicated reticles are more of a sales thing then anything. I tried a Nightforce NX8 1-8 on my R8 but found it a bit too busy and not well suited for hunting. I ended up trying out that vortex as it has a simple mil crosshair with red dot.

I find simple is best unless the glass is for very long range, then the wind holds are nice.

 

[YancyW]

I think part of it is what you are comfortable with through practice. I shoot 1000s of rounds a year on rifles with Nightforce scopes using MOAR reticle. I certainly don't believe they are needed, and they are not what I hunt with personally, but I can't for the life of me understand why people view them as a negative.

 

[WAB]

I just don't get it. Anything I hunt with a 1x6 scope is not going to require a bunch of indices cluttering up the objective. My R8's carry 1.5 x 10 Leica scopes with illuminated German No.4 reticles. I can cleanly take any animal to 300 - 400 yards with such a combination depending upon caliber.

I’m with you, German No4 for any rifle intended to be shot out to 300 or 400. Sight in at 200 or 250 and know your trajectory.

Long range rifles can benefit from other approaches. I used a Z6 1.7-10x with the BRH reticle on my Coues deer hunt. That setup works perfectly in that application.

I can’t for the life of me see a valid hunting application where turrets provide an advantage. They only come into their own at 600+ IMO. At that point, are you really hunting?

 

[TucsonFX4]

I think part of it is what you are comfortable with through practice. I shoot 1000s of rounds a year on rifles with Nightforce scopes using MOAR reticle. I certainly don't believe they are needed, and they are not what I hunt with personally, but I can't for the life of me understand why people view them as a negative.

I think this sums it up. Fancy cross hairs aren’t for everyone, nor is a 458 Lott, etc. That doesn’t make the reticle system pointless or an assault on proper hunting. I personally prefer a simpler reticle, though a bit of windage/elevation hold indices are welcome to me. I feel like proper training and substantial trigger time would allow me to take advantage of one of those fancy reticles, maybe even for hunting. I’ll most likely be sticking simpler reticles though.

To the OPs point, I believe the combat short power optics are likely well-suited to medium/big bore rifles. While their shortness may have some mounting limitations, I think their straight-tube nature makes that unlikely.

 

[USMA84DAB]

I use a VX5HD 1-5x24 with a fire dot reticle. The crosshairs do not clutter things up. The red dot is absolutely perfect for aiming at critters in the shadows, or in the open, assuming you have started out with the reticle adjusted for the amount fo daylight you are hunting in.

I have never had a Leupold die from recoil. One had a focus bell seize and Leupold replaced it with the currently made equivalent scope. My old 1.5-5x20 VX3 with heavy duplex endured many a round from my .495 A-Square and is still in service. The VX5 rides on a Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger, so is really pretty light for a DG rifle.

The LPVOs have provided the sweet spot/Goldilocks optic solution for at least 3/4s of all hunting. I could see in Namibia needing/wanting, say, a 2.5-10x40, or a 3-9x40. I think I would just keep the 1-5x24 though. It is enough for hunting. (To me hunting is 300 yards and shorter. I don't feel like longer range than that is hunting, but rather target shooting on live animals.) The moonscopes weigh a great deal more - I don't like carrying a great deal more weight.

YMMV

 

[steve white]

My deal breaker points are width of field of view and lack of flatness of the image

 

[Bert the Turtle]

A Swarovski z6i works very well indeed as a hunting scope. I don’t personally want the “combat style” scope on my hunting rifle but I see no reason why it wouldn’t be a reasonable choice. The optical quality is going to be better in the Swarovski than in the vortex and it will be priced accordingly.

As far as complicated reticles, it is much a matter of taste. I’d rather a simple circle dot or German4- I prefer as simple as possible but no simpler these days. When I was younger, I was a “better to have it and not need it” kind of guy.

 

[ldmay375]

Is anyone else using, or has tried using “combat” type lower power 1-6 or 1-4 optics on their medium to larger caliber rifles? I ran the vortex pictured below on my R8 this last deer season just to test the principal and it worked very well.

There are a large number of these types of optics on the US market mostly for the AR15 and “tactical” application. In theory they should work well but long term I wonder if they can handle the recoil? I know they are rugged, that vortex as several trips to Afghanistan under its belt and is still functionally perfect if not cosmetically.

View attachment 450008

My scopes are by far simple single aiming point reticles. It took me a long time to try illumination, basically I was tired of trying to find a scope with a decent reticle without it.
I had the same reluctance with 1-6x24’s versus 1.1-4x24’s.

Busy, tactical / long range types. Well that recently changed also. When looking for a straight tube 30mm for a 308 shorter barrel, magazine fed, bolt action. That one got a 1-6x24 Trijicon Credo HX, first focal reticle. I thought this might also work on a medium to large bore rifle. But, there were a few too many lines in that reticle for me.

Next search was for a straight tube scope for a 223 bolt rifle.
I ordered a Tract Optics 1-8x24 MRAD reticle with small center reticle illumination. With this reticle, I have no problem with the extra lines distracting me from the center aiming point. It is a second focal plane reticle. Perhaps, my eye has adjusted to not allowing clutter distraction.
It has a 3.9 / 4” eye relief. I would be plenty satisfied with 6x top end. The field of view is
105’ on low power. The 11” length and turret spacing is ample for mounting on H&H length actions
So, a similar type scope and reticle, I could get along with on a 375, 416, or 458.

 

[RTG]

Is anyone else using, or has tried using “combat” type lower power 1-6 or 1-4 optics on their medium to larger caliber rifles? I ran the vortex pictured below on my R8 this last deer season just to test the principal and it worked very well.

There are a large number of these types of optics on the US market mostly for the AR15 and “tactical” application. In theory they should work well but long term I wonder if they can handle the recoil? I know they are rugged, that vortex as several trips to Afghanistan under its belt and is still functionally perfect if not cosmetically.

View attachment 450008

If you are trained on an optic and have thousands or tens of thousands of rounds with it, why not put it onto a DG rifle? It would be the most instinctive scope you could use. Real world experience trumps all.