Your Deer Rifle and Optics Set Up

[OlongJohnson]

As said many places elsewhere, a Leupold VX-3i 2.5-8x32 is hard to criticize as a basic whitetail scope. Long distance guys who crank knobs a lot are critical of Leupolds, but people who get their scopes zeroed and go out in the woods and kill things seem to love them. Inside 300 with 6.5CM, you should be able to handle any necessary holdovers Kentucky-style if you've done enough range work ahead of time; sounds like you may have enough experience to know that. Below the VX-3 level, Leupolds stop being really good value, but the VX-3 level seems to be a sweet spot for usable glass without breaking the bank. They also tend to be quite a bit more compact and lighter than comparable optics from most brands, which people who hike with their rifles usually appreciate.

I'd ditch the Pic rail and buy some steel mounts like these https://warnescopemounts.com/product/m902902m/ that will let you get that slim little scope closer to the comb line.

I also like these rings. https://warnescopemounts.com/product...w-matte-rings/
Everything is strong steel. You can replace the QD handles with socket head cap screws and washers so they can't get knocked loose accidentally, but you keep the ability to remove the scope from the rifle without disrupting its relationship to the rings. So you can take it off for shipping or transport just to be sure it doesn't get knocked around, or have a back up scope pre-zeroed if something goes wrong with the primary, or change scopes between shooting scenarios without having to start at zero on the setup when mounting them.

I heard of early adopters of Americans sometimes having trouble with magazines, but Ruger would always make it right. So be sure to vet it for reliability with the exact ammo you'll use, well ahead of any serious trips.

[HCM]

As said many places elsewhere, a Leupold VX-3i 2.5-8x32 is hard to criticize as a basic whitetail scope. Long distance guys who crank knobs a lot are critical of Leupolds, but people who get their scopes zeroed and go out in the woods and kill things seem to love them. Inside 300 with 6.5CM, you should be able to handle any necessary holdovers Kentucky-style if you've done enough range work ahead of time; sounds like you may have enough experience to know that. Below the VX-3 level, Leupolds stop being really good value, but the VX-3 level seems to be a sweet spot for usable glass without breaking the bank. They also tend to be quite a bit more compact and lighter than comparable optics from most brands, which people who hike with their rifles usually appreciate.

I'd ditch the Pic rail and buy some steel mounts like these https://warnescopemounts.com/product/m902902m/ that will let you get that slim little scope closer to the comb line.

I also like these rings. https://warnescopemounts.com/product...w-matte-rings/
Everything is strong steel. You can replace the QD handles with socket head cap screws and washers so they can't get knocked loose accidentally, but you keep the ability to remove the scope from the rifle without disrupting its relationship to the rings. So you can take it off for shipping or transport just to be sure it doesn't get knocked around, or have a back up scope pre-zeroed if something goes wrong with the primary, or change scopes between shooting scenarios without having to start at zero on the setup when mounting them.

I heard of early adopters of Americans sometimes having trouble with magazines, but Ruger would always make it right. So be sure to vet it for reliability with the exact ammo you'll use, well ahead of any serious trips.

The current gen Ruger Americans with the Magpul AI mags addresses the issue you describe. They also stiffened the forearm so you don’t have to take an exact knife to it to keep it from contact with the barrel.

[Matt C.]

I'll update after I get setup.



True. Just not confident that a max of 6x with the triangle reticle will offer the same degree of precision the rifle is capable of.

I use a German #1 reticle in a Leupold 2.5.
I don't believe precision at 300 yds will be an issue with the aforementioned glass.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[texasaggie2005]

Been playing with Strelok this morning, maybe it's not too bad to put the LPVO on the 6.5cm. But past 300yds, it's all wild ass guess and Kentucky windage.

Hornady 143gr ELD-X @ est. 2,650 ft/s from the 22" barrel and a 200yd zero at the tip;

Attachment 41503

[Nephrology]

I'll update after I get setup.



True. Just not confident that a max of 6x with the triangle reticle will offer the same degree of precision the rifle is capable of.

The Leupold Mark 1 Mod AR series is being discontinued and can be found at great prices. I have the 6-18 and the 3-9 Firedot.

Cabelas occasionally lists them for close to nothing to clear their inventory - the 6-18 mildot was on sale at $250 not long ago. I paid $250 for my 3-9 firedot and consider it a great value. It's mounted on my 20" AR, does very well for me.

[ASH556]

@texasaggie2005

As someone who's over-scoped more than my fair share of rifles, I'll advise you not to go down that rabbit hole.

I've done it more times that I can count. It usually goes something like this:

"I want a nice, light, all around rifle that's fairly accurate."
"Holy cow, this thing shoots, it deserves better glass!"
(removes optic suited to the original purpose of the gun and mounts something like a Nightforce with too much weight and magnification for the intended purpose in order to "wring performance out of the gun.)
(ends up hating the new "too-heavy" and "over-magnified" setup. Ends up swapping back to other optic or selling the whole setup outright.)

Unless you want to keep the 1-6 Trijicon on your AR, start with that. If you do want to keep it on your AR, buy a Leupold VX3i 2.5-8x36, mount it on the Ruger and shoot. When you encounter a shooting problem that your optic prevented you from solving, assess the situation and purchase a new optic accordingly.

I've found myself in WAY more situations where I wished I had lower mag than situations where I wish I had higher mag. Further, upon obtaining higher mag, I've found I could shoot no more accurately than I had with the lower mag.

Also, watch your reticle design. If primarily for hunting, a super-fine target (mil-hash, etc, etc) reticle will disappear at dusk and dawn in the woods.

[SteveB]

I can’t think of a better deer hunting scope, in terms of value and features than the Leupold VX-3i 2.5-8X36. Even better, you can get the scope from the Leupold Custom Shop with a custom BDC reticle based on your rifle/load ballistics. $399 for the scope and $70 for the reticle; it’s a deal. I’ve had 5 of them, and I know GJM has had a bunch of these, and they are great.

https://customshop.leupold.com/confi...6&r=&aw=5&ae=5

[Slalom.45]

BCM Recce 16" with Aimpoint PRO.

[OlongJohnson]

Leupold VX-3i 2.5-8x32

Leupold VX3i 2.5-8x36

I was sloppy. It's a 36.

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compa...-3i-2-5-8x36mm

[ASH556]

I was sloppy. It's a 36.

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compa...-3i-2-5-8x36mm

To be fair, the handgun version is x32, and this is pistol-forum. I’m sure that’s what you were thinking

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/handg...gun-2-5-8x32mm