I just picked up a 300WM Weatherby Mark V Accumark to use on everything from white tail up to elk and nilgai. My rifle shooting experience is more long range target focused and therefor I'm more in tune with 50-56mm objectives on 34mm tubes and quick change turrets. I'd prefer to run the Talley direct mount rings for the Mark V but they only come in 1" and 30mm so that ellimanates the use of 34mm scope that I'm familiar with unless I run a one piece rail and then attach 34mm rings to it. I'm not opposed to this option but it's bulkier, more connections for things to come loose and shift, and it closes in access to the action due to the rail making it harder to top load the chamber.

All of that said, since this is a hunting forum and I'm just now getting back into hunting 4 legged critters since the late 90's I'm seekjng assistance and guidance here. I'd like a 3-12, 4-16, 3-18 power scope and I'd prefer to keep the objective to under 44mm simply for mass and weight. I've looked at Vortex, Nightforce, Bushnell, and Leupold. I'd prefer to keep it $1500 or less but I might be able to swing $2K if there's a clear winner in that range. I'm a huge first focal plane fan but I don't think it's necessary on a hunting rig so second focal plane suggestions are fine by me. So help me pick a respectable piece of glass for my needs and my new bang stick.

Well IMHO most of the time budgets are lower and expectations are higher. This time though seems you are realistic. I recently set up a Vanguard deluxe .270. I ended up going with the Vortex Viper HS 4 X 16-44 this allowed me to stay with Leupold Med rings and for the first time I used a two piece base. I normally use a leupold one piece base and high rings for a 1.0" 50 mm scope. Vortex viper has good glass, the 30mm tube compensates for the 50mm objective lense, 4*16-44 helps the not so youthfull eyes, and the $500.00 price tag helps my wallet.
Your budget was larger than mine so maybe you go a different route but the way I look at it is in the 25+ years optics have improved so much along with our guns that the weakest part of the link is the nut behind the trigger.

G'Pa Lee...1st let me say welcome to the forum. It seems you know you the difference in the butt from the bore, and have a good handle on the parameters of your needs/wants/desires with a specific goal in mind.

There are a number of THF'ers on here regularly that should be able to give you the bottom line insight and answers you seek, but alas I am not one of them, but just an avid consumer of the free information and discussions on the merits of this or that. Another voice with earned wisdom is always welcome. Stay tuned regularly.
Ron

Welcome to the forum and back to hunting. There are plenty of great options in that price range. I think I would look pretty hard at Swarovski Z5 or Leupold VX6. Nightforce might also be worth a look.

Bushnell LRHS

Night Force SHV F-1

Those are the two I'd look the closest at. I put a pic rail and Talley Tactical or Badger Ordinance rings on everything, though.

Both of those are on my list since they are illuminated and are first focal plane optics. The Bushnell is at 26.5oz and the Nightforce at 30oz so they'll both be 2-2+ pounds when combined with rail and rings. The lighter option I've been exploring is the Vortex HS-T 4-16x44 at 21oz, its significantly cheaper with my discount but no illumination and it's a second focal plane scope with arguably the worst glass of the bunch. I looked at the Leupold VX-6 line and didn't see anything I liked with mil/mil options. I could consider the Mark 6 3-18x?!

• Vortex Viper HS-T 4-16x44 21oz, under $500 with mil discount, no illumination, second focal plane

• Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50 FFP 22.4oz, under $750 with discount, illuminated, first focal plane

• Bushnell LRHSi 4.5-18x44 26.5oz, $1339, illuminated, first focal plane

• Nightforce SHV 4-14x50 F1 30oz, $1125 with discount, illuminated, first focal plane.

Better look through a Mark 6 before you buy one. The ones I've looked through had a very thick reticle.

The turrets on Vortex, save the Razor are way too easy to turn. They'll turn while the rifle is slung, riding on your shoulder. Cost me a javelina and a Mule deer buck last December for that very reason. I got a Viper PST for the same reason you're looking at them, they are light weight. But it let me down, so I was no longer a fan as much as I was.

Bushnell participates in Promotive.com if you're Fire, LE, or Military you qualify to join the site. Not sure if the LRHS is an option on there, though.

Not much a fan of Bushnell but I'll give it some consideration. Unfortunate to hear that the turrets move too easily on the Viper line of optics, they really are an awesome value.

Bushnell is not what it was 15 years ago. I use an ERS 3.5-21X. I've put it up against a Gen 1 and Gen 2 Razor, and the Bushnell is clearer.

The VX-6 is getting some pretty good reviews. I can't say what the glass is like firsthand because I've never looked through one, and the reason for that is I know what would then happen to all my VX-3s, and my budget won't tolerate it!

Bushnell LRHS 3-18x44. Try it and you will buy it. The perfect hybrid hunting/tac mil ffp scope.

I run a bushy 4.5-30 on my hunting 300 and like it (save for the weight)


You may look at the new Amg from vortex. It will be 6-24 but is supposed to be better than gen 2 razors

I have a Vortex Viper 4-16 PST FFP, which I use mostly for hunting. I like it way more than I thought I would, and it's on my favorite hunting rifle and will stay there until it disappoints me. As for the glass, I personally can't compare it to the NF and high dollar Bushnells, but it's plenty good enough for my needs. The illumination, to me, is too bright even at the lowest setting. And I've had no issues at all with the turrets turning when they aren't supposed to. Maybe if I low crawled through a Louisiana lowland briar patch I'd have a different opinion. Due to forum chat on that, I do check the turrets from time to time.

My other scopes are all Leupold, and mostly VX3 in 4.5-14x40. I can't imagine that the OP would really need more than that in a scope for hunting if SFP is acceptable. Unless a fellow is going to shoot long distance targets or steel, why spend $2000 or more on a scope - unless you just want to - which I can understand.

I own these and rank them all EXCELENT, hard to pic a winner they all fit in your budget and are very light, I would buy any all over again.

Sleeper: Meopta, best bang for the buck!!

Swarovski Z-5 (barely in your range) 5-20
Swarovski Z-3 2-10
Leupold V-6 1-6
Nightforce SHV 5-20

The New Burris XTR and Steiner's are getting good reps but are heavy as are many of the "tactical" scopes

some pictures

Swaro Z-3



Swaro Z-5



Meopta 6-18



Nightforce




leupold V-6



leupold 6.5-20

oops

I really like the features of the Nightforce SHV F1 but at 30oz and only 14x it's hard to justify when the other options have more power and all weigh less. I don't know if it's just me but I have a hard time wanting to buy a 1" tube and my mind is trained and works in Milradians not MOA and I really don't want to fumble with changing. Vortex seems to be out of everything at the moment in terms of purchasing directly at a discount.

I like Meopta also or a VX-6 2-10 or 3-18.

I went between swfa and Burris and got the burris. My 4-20x shipped in 4 days and arrived in less than a week.

Many excellent choices already mentioned but two not yet listed that came up tops when picking a new scope for my Sako Bavarian Carbine:

Vortex Razor HD Light Hunter in 3-15x42 with choice of two innovative reticles (I went with HSR-4) ~$900
Trijicon Accupoint 2.5-12x42 with MOA-Dot Crosshair (modification of German #4) ~$1100

Scale is appropriate for a hunting rig (capped turrets, can be mounted relatively low to barrel, weight and length good) and glass is excellent at price point.

<EDIT> - just read thread again and see OP prefers Mil instead of MOA and prefers 30mm over 1 in - these scopes in some way violate both these conditions so disregard. I really like the Razor HD LH, FWIW.