[rev-arb]

Originally Posted by cpttango30

Bushnell Elite 4200 Luepold VX-II, VX-III, Burris Nikon woud be what I was looking for.

All of those would be great if i had the cash. I am thinking it will need to be $200 or less. There are a couple options in that category. Namely the Sightron and the Barska. (even though the sightrons get spendy as well)

[cpttango30]

I would not even wast the money on a Barska. You would be better served by going with a Bushnell Trophy or Simmons Master Series Aetec.

Another one to think about is a new comer to the optics world Muller Optics. Good quality for the price. I know a few Varmint hunters that swear by Muller.

A lot of your price depends on how much power you are wanting for your rifle. I think 2.5-10 power should work at most 3-12 power. But that is up to you.

I have right now
Rem 700 VLS: Leupold VX-II 4-16x40mm
Rem 1917 Enfield 308: Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x40mm
Rem Mod 30Express: Simmons Pro Hunter 4-16x40mm
Rem 511-x (22lr): BSA 4-16x40mm It works good for a rimfire but I would not trust it on a centerfire.

I also have a BSA Platinum 36x42mm target scope (Does not hold zero) and a Weaver KT-15. That weaver if you can find it used for around $200 is a great scope. it is a stright 15 power. Has a good field of view great clarity and good light transmission. It might replace the Simmons on the model 30. Not sure yet though.

[stalkingbear]

My 2 favorite scope lines are leupold and burris,the 2 most reasonably priced but good scopes is nikon and weaver. The weaver V10 goes from 2x to 10x for bout 160-170.

[rev-arb]

I have a Bushnell Legend 3-9x50 on my .30-06 and I really love that scope. It was given to me by a friend who is a FFL and deals alot with scopes and rifles putting together combos for people.

I will be needing two scopes in the future. One for my #1 Ruger (the 7mm rem mag) and as well I have a Remington 788 in .243 that I am turning into a varmiter. I have had it since I was a kid and always loved the rifle to shoot but the stock never felt right, so I am getting a laminated thumbhole varmiter stock for it.

For years I had an old 4x Tasco on it. It worked out great, but was never great quality.
I also have an old 1963 4x Weaver that was on my .30-06 when I bought it. It is a great little scope and I ended up putting it on my .17HMR.

Anyway that is the dilemma that I am working on. To many things to buy and too little money to do it all.

[sureshot43]

You have a nice set-up going. I have a Rem.700 in 7 mag and love it. Shoots 3/4"groups with federal Powershok ammo. I also have a 788 in 243(was my 1st deer rifle). Wife will be using it this year. I love that little gun. BTW what condition is the factory stock in???

[rev-arb]

Originally Posted by sureshot43

You have a nice set-up going. I have a Rem.700 in 7 mag and love it. Shoots 3/4"groups with federal Powershok ammo. I also have a 788 in 243(was my 1st deer rifle). Wife will be using it this year. I love that little gun. BTW what condition is the factory stock in???

Thanks!

The stock is in pretty good shape. Just a few scratches and wear. It has been in alot of brush but has held up good. It just has always seemed short after I got older. It was the first real gun that my Dad bought for me. We both have that sentimental value to our 788's.

[tmroper41]

I have used a 7mm here for many years and find it hard to switch to any other caliber. I have used it for all game including moose, deer, sheep, elk, bears, and even coyotes and wolves. I own many other calibers but every hunting season I still pick up my 7mm.

[polarnewfie]

If you want a quality scope for 200 bucks or so, then look at the Bushnell Elite 3200. These were formerly Bausch and Lombe scopes that were rebadged Bushnell. They are probably The most underrated scopes in the field and have THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.
I have gone through most of the bargain priced scopes at one time or another and they did well on my .30-06 , .308, .223, etc. But when they got mounted on my 7mm and .300 mag, they couldn't hold zero because the recoil was too much. Once you get into the magnum class , felt recoil goes from 25-28 pounds for the 30-06 which is the upper limit for the lower priced scopes ability to keep zero, to a whopping 40-45 pounds of felt recoil. This will mean any bargain priced scope WILL shake itself loose and probably within a few shots. So you just wasted 100-150 bucks on a scope that would be fine on a normal caliber rifle, and now you need a new scope and your money is gone. I would really look at the bushnell 3200 as it is reasonably priced at around 179-199 bucks and it is built to take 10,000 shots from a .375 H&H magnum . The optics are crystal clear (being a bausch and lombe- they know how to make optical glass) , and the rainguard coating really keeps wetness and water droplets minimized to help you see. The tube is made from 30% titanium and I guarantee you wont be dissappointed with it.
The 4200 is far more expensive but generally not much better, only if you want to get the 6-18x power zoom objective. A 3-9x40mm is perfect for most any hunting you said you were interested in and It will hold up well on your 7mm. It has for 4 years on mine and If it ever did go wierd, bushnell has a lifetime warranty on the Elite's. So you cant go wrong.

[rev-arb]

Thanks polarnewfie......

I really like the Bushnell Legend on my 30-06. But not sure like you said would it handle the power of a mag. That is certainly somethign I will look further into.

I am really looking at the Vortex Optics now. They have a lifetime unconditional warantee. I bought one of their binoculars and it is so super clear. They do not make a lowend scope......they start at about 180.00 and only go up from there. My thought is that I would like to try it on the 7mm and then if I need to I can put it on my .243 if I need to.

[gunsandoptics.com]

Check out these websites: SWFA, Optics Planet and Bear Basin outfitters.

The Bushnell Elite 3200 series can be had for under $200 or close to it from Bear Basin. Even their 3X9X40 4200 series can be had for $258 including a pair of binos thrown in. This is an incredible buy.

Dan