What scope do you trust? Most rugged, dependable rifle scope?

TakeMeLord

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I am searching for a new scope. I have 50 years experience. Looking forward to feedback & opinions. God Bless, Dale
 
Offhand, after research, I’m going with Nightforce.

I’ve used Zeiss, Leupold, Vortex, Bushnell, Nikon, Burris, and a smattering of others but research has led me to Nightforce.
 
Swarovski Z8 is a gold standard here
 
Schmidt & Bender zenith, Swarovski z6, leupold vx6,….in that order from my experience.
 
Recent story on SCI about a rifle falling off a truck that had a Trijicon scope that still worked.

This is a ten year old video but still relevant with Nightforce.


Disclaimer, I use NF NXS and Trijicon Ten Mile for my PG hunting rigs.
 
I am searching for a new scope. I have 50 years experience. Looking forward to feedback & opinions. God Bless, Dale
I am pretty brand loyal but that comes from a lifetime of experiences. My best scopes are Leupold VX6 and Swarovski Z8. Anyone who has not used these scopes, and especially the Z8, owe it to themselves to try one.
 
For my PRS competition rifles I only use Nightforce as they have never let me down. I have recently started using Leupold Mk4 HD scopes on my hunting rifles and have been impressed. Time will tell how they hold up.
 
I’ve had Nikon, Bushnell, Trijicon, Leupold and Swarovski.

My big game rifles all wear Swaro Z8i’s of some sort and I have complete confidence in their performance, abilities and durability. My only other scope is a 4x fixed power Leupold for the 22lr.

Brands I would trust for DG would be Leupold VX-5&6, Trijicon AccuPoint, Swaro Z8i & Z6i and Leica Amplus.
 
I have Leopold on all of my big game hunting rifles except for one that packs a 70's vintage Redfield.

A outfitter friend of mine recommends either Leopold or Nightforce. He says that he has seen way too many of all the others loose zero and other problems after a long pack in on horses or when a horse rolls on it's side with the rifle in the scabbard.
 
I like Leupold but i think I’d try trijicon if looking for a tougher scope. I’ve only had one scope fail me. It was a Leica.
 
Recent story on SCI about a rifle falling off a truck that had a Trijicon scope that still worked.

This is a ten year old video but still relevant with Nightforce.


Disclaimer, I use NF NXS and Trijicon Ten Mile for my PG hunting rigs.
I can’t recall if that episode is tracks across Africa or hornady dark and dangerous but I watched the episode where he continued using that rifle. It’s really impressive especially considering the other hunters rifle snapped in the impact. I love my Leupold scopes but I don’t see the newest models surviving that.
 
I have used Leupold scopes for 45 years and have only had one problem. That was when I sent a scope in to get a taller turret on it and they messed something up and it would not adjust for elevation. They fixed it no problem. Other than that I have never had an issue.
I am brand loyal when I have that kind of experience so while I know there are other scopes equal in quality and some maybe better, I will stay with Leupold.
Also, I have the CDS dial on most of my scopes based on my own load development ballistics and I can tell you all of them are spot on.
 
Two best I have had , Burris signature, leopold, nothing fancy but very, very reliable and rugged
 
I will ad, for heavy recoil rifle like my 458 Lot CZ. I use Leupold and it has held up very well. Even after a fall this year and eyepiece coming loose it held zero for the rest of the hunt
 
Nightforce and Vortex Razor line are going to hold up to alot of abuse.

Hensoldt and S&B.

I'm running a March Genesis on my 22lr. I have been impressed with the abuse it has taken. My rifle is 30#s rigged out. The rack it was in fell and my rifle fell right on the scope. It did not loose zero and tracked true. Have shot it 4k times since then. Have had it out to 800 yards. Tracking has been spot on.
 

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Reach out to the guys at Epic Outdoors.

They will steer you right for landowner tags and outfitters that have them.

I have held a membership with them for years and they are an invaluable resource.

Way better that asking random people on the internet...WAY better

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