# Glass for my new rifle - Elk Hunt 4th Rifle Season in Colorado



## AFadenholz (Sep 19, 2015)

I recently found out I was successful in drawing my tag for the fourth rifle season in Colorado for elk. I have always hunted in Ohio and I was wondering if anyone had experience with a good quality scope for that environment. I just purchased a Tikka T3X Superlite Bolt-Action Rifle in TrueTimber VSX 300 win mag from Cabela's. It hasn't come in yet, but I am hoping to get pretty comfortable with the rifle over the next few months. I was thinking about purchasing the Burris Eliminator, but after doing some research I don't think it's legal to use in Colorado, as it is deemed a smart scope: https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/burris-eliminator-iii-laser-scope

If you have any suggestions on good optics, I would appreciate it. I have never been elk hunting so this is all new territory for me and honestly, I don't know a lot about rifle scopes. I mostly bow hunt and I have a 350 legend and 450 bushmaster that came with a Leupold and vortex that I use in Ohio for deer. 

New Rifle: https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/tikka-t3x-superlite-bolt-action-rifle-in-truetimber-vsx
Left-handed 300 win mag 

Thanks,

Andy


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I prefer higher magnification for hunting out west. I use a 6.5-20 Simmons 44 Mag on my .308. It’s a pretty cheap scope and it’s old, but it works fine for me. It’s actually the cheapest scope that I own. The biggest thing is lots of practice shooting at long range, using a good range finder, knowing your Dope chart backwards and for awards, and then practice shooting more. I’ve killed an elk, multiple mulies, and a pile of antelope with it. If I put a new scope on my rifle some day it will be a 4-12 or 4-16.


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## DUCKHEAD (Apr 28, 2007)

Vortex HST is a good scope for hunting. I think the HST stands for hunt, shot, and tactical. Pretty good glass, adjustable turrets, multiple powers, lifetime warranty.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

I second the Vortex brand and I would look at the Viper line for one that suits your needs, and they fall in the price range of the Burris glass you were looking at. Like Muddy said you will most often be looking at longer range shots out there, especially fourth season, so you will want higher magnification and the Viper line has different options for that as well as choices in reticle styles. I'm fond of the Vortex quality for the money and many of my rifles sport them, and most rifles I put together for others carry them on top, too. Good luck, find a range that you can shoot at least 300 yards at and get yourself comfortable with it because that is not an uncommon distance in the mountain states and your new .300 Win Mag will certainly do its part to get you there.


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## Ravbuck (Jul 29, 2009)

Be careful, I read where there were states out west that changed or were about to change their scope laws and am not sure if CO was one of them. One state I do remember was Utah but there were others. I believe the scope law was concerning auto programming scopes and the other was concerning trail cams. A large majority of the instate hunters were actually for the laws. I am not a rifle hunter but found the article interesting. Good Luck on your hunt.


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## DH56 (Dec 31, 2012)

I have a 4 x 14 x 50 Leupold Vari X II on one of my guns I use out West. I have hunted there since the 90's. It's a different ball game with potentially long shots being probable. Most opportunities are under 200 yards but if and when you need to, you want to be able to take the shot. I also have 3 x 9 x 40 Leupold's on other rifles I use out there and the clarity and light gathering ability has been good for me. (The 40 and 50 mm objectives help with light gathering in low light conditions). I have harvested two Mule deer at 380 yards and 510 yards so it is not out of the question at long range shooting.

It's Best to practice as much as possible at different distances so you are comfortable when and ift the opportunity arises.

Quality Range Finder and Spotting scope would be very helpful. Good Binoculars as well.

Buy the best glass you can afford and know how to use them.

Good Luck. It's big country and challenging as well.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

[QUOTE="DH56, post: 3159958, member: 38600

Buy the best glass you can afford and know how to use them.

[/QUOTE]

BOOM!


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Burris is by far the best scope I've ever used for quality and clarity. Find a good Burris to top your rifle.


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## 0utwest (Mar 21, 2017)

Gonna send you a PM i have a brand new Burris Signature HD and some other high quality scopes in 30mm and 1" tubes that will work great on that Rifle as well as other items .


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Agree with putting on the best glass for the situation you can afford.
Far as my preference between Vortex and Leupold...with Vortex being made in China and Leupold here in the U.S. ...my $ will be spent here every time.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

I’m pretty sure leupy gets its glass from overseas. Assembly is the USA though.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

bobk said:


> I’m pretty sure leupy gets its glass from overseas. Assembly is the USA though.


Believe you are correct Bob.
My prior post should have read...designed,engineered and mostly made in the US.
Sadly...think there is only one...maybe two scope brands (believe US Optics is one) sold here that doesn't outsource their glass. Like with many other industries...Just no manufacturer left here in the US making lens. Heck...talked to a Zeiss Rep a couple years ago and he stated even they were starting to outsource some of their glass to Asian companies. He stated just as Leupold along with most all other scope manufactures do ...they have their outsourced glass made to their specs and stated the quality and finish has been very good.
Guess when it comes to buying a scope with quality glass these days...it all depends on the specs. and how stringent the 'ordering' company examines the lenses before accepting them.


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## snagless-1 (Oct 26, 2014)

For what is worth I know some snipers from the Army and Marines and they use and like Leupold scopes.


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## Drm50 (Dec 26, 2014)

I had Leupold 6x on most of my bolt action big game rifles. I’ve never shot extreme long range, don’t miss much that way. I just bought a Burris 6.5 to 20x. I’ve sold off most of my rifles and scopes. I kept my pre 64 Win 308 / 6x Leupold and 1st year Ruger 77 270/ 6x Leupold. I needed scope for my Ruger#3 375 for Ohio season. After looking at hundreds of scopes I decided to peel 6x of 308 and put on Ruger. I did just that and the very next day bought Leupold 2.5x NIB. 
I use to only by US made, now with everyone subbing Chinese parts it might make sense to buy brands that are the same as US for less money. The Burris is the first non US scope I’ve bought for myself. The Leupold I just bought is old stock and USA material.


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## DH56 (Dec 31, 2012)

Most of my Leupold scopes were bought since the 80's with most bought before the year 2000. I like their lifetime warranty and used it one time with good response and correcting it properly(Damaged on plane on the way to Wyoming around 1996). Not bad for over 40 years of use on approx.13 or so scopes that I have from them. Several of them have been used extensively. My 870 Deer Gun is topped with one and that scope has taken a pounding over 20+ years form the 12 gauge and the set up is a tack driver. It is one of my favorite combinations that I own. I don't use it much anymore since the 350 Legend has taken some time from it, but I have a hard time leaving it knowing the past I have had with it.

In regards to Made in America, they do out source their Binocular line but from what I understand their optics portion of the Riflescopes along with manufacturing, quality control etc, is carried out in Beaverton, Oregon. 

Below is a brief paragraph from the link I enclosed below explaining the 5 generations of family that has owned and operated the company. The article focuses on the Binocular line, but it goes into detail on riflescopes and how they are made. Can some be out sourced? I don't know with 100% certainty in todays world..


*Machine Workshop *
The Beaverton factory has a *150,000 square-feet* area just for the machining of metal bar stock into main tubes for riflescopes. The on-site raw material storage department is responsible for material procurement and availability. Leupold uses an *aerospace-grade Aluminum alloy* to manufacture riflescope housings.

The workshop area features numerous computer-controlled machines for high-speed machining. Most of the milling machines are from the notable ‘Index’ brand while the lathe machines used for turning are a mixture of ‘Hardinge’ and other local brands. The resulting metal chips from the machining process are compressed into small cylindrical shapes for further recycling.

The bead blasting process is used to minimize the surface roughness before the housings are sent for anodizing, which is the last step in the mechanical workshop.


*Optics Manufacturing *
Just like binoculars, Leupold uses top-quality *calcium-fluoride glass material* for the riflescope lenses. *The designing, manufacturing, and testing of lenses are carried in-house at the Optics Department*. *Leupold keeps their optics processing methods a secret, so we all are familiar with the very basic processes that take place there. *

After the grinding process, the lenses are thoroughly washed before they are sent for multi-coatings. The next step is testing the optical performance of the lenses, which is done both manually and by machines to ensure no defective piece becomes part of any riflescope. 


*Assembly *
Before individual components reach the clean assembly area, they are cleaned at the sonic cleaning station. The main assembly area features an atmosphere-controlled environment that filters out dust particles from the air. Assembly is the most critical process in the line of optics; therefore, to prevent dirt from entering the optics housings, all workers wear lab coatings, gloves, and hair coverings. All riflescopes are assembled by hand using tools designed at the factory’s tooling department.


*Quality Control *
Each workstation at Leupold includes a set of quality control equipment for *on-spot inspection.* This is true for CNC milling, machines, lathe machines, and all other places where any operation is performed. The adherence to specified geometric tolerances is mandatory for each tube and knob mechanisms, otherwise unfit parts might create problems during the assembly phase.

Optical performance is similarly checked both visually and through the use of interferometers and collimators. In addition to machine inspection, the optical performance of riflescopes is also gauged through an outdoor test board for color, contrast, glare, and chromatic aberration. The real-life test enables quality inspectors to gauge optical performance in key areas.

Assembled products are also subjected to the *Punisher recoil testing,* which checks the scopes for 5000 impacts at three times the recoil speed of a 0.308 caliber. Only a randomly selected sample of scopes needs to pass this test for the design to be worthy of a lifetime guarantee. The rigorous testing procedures are the reason behind Leupold’s lifetime guarantee on all lines of products.


*Nitrogen Processing *
After the products have passed all quality control tests, they are now sent for the final stage of *Nitrogen filling* after which they are sent for packaging. The Nitrogen processing is followed by weather testing in environmental chambers to ensure devices do not contain a leak.


*Technical Service Department *
The service center at Leupold’s headquarters is responsible for responding to numerous calls and emails every day from customers around the world. All team members are avid hunters and shooters, so they are skilled in diagnosing problems and providing solutions over a call without the need for sending the malfunctioning device.



Link-








Where are Leupold binoculars made? - Optics Trade Blog


Introduction Leupold & Stevens is a US-based optics manufacturer that provides riflescopes, scope mounts, red dot sights, rangefinders, spotting scopes, and binoculars for hunters, tactical shooters, law enforcement agencies, and the US military. Based in Beaverton, Oregon, the sports optics...




www.optics-trade.eu


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## nksmfamjp (7 mo ago)

If I was holding that rifle and planning to hunt elk, I would be looking at the Vortex PST Gen2 3-15x, Tract Toric 4-20x or Nightforce NX8 4-32x….Three good price points.

I would also add the Meopta Optika 6 3-18x or Vortex LHT 4-22x…


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## fireline (Jun 14, 2007)

This is a decent scope, 50mm objective lens and the CDS bullet drop compensator that is custom to your ammo and doesn't break the bank.









VX-3HD 3.5-10x50 CDS-ZL Duplex


The VX®-3HD 3.5-10x50mm delivers legendary performance and extreme clarity in an incredibly tough, lightweight package. Its versatile magnification and larger objective can get the job done in almost any scenario.




www.leupold.com




If you are looking at used scopes check the serial number at Leupold, there are lots of Chinese counterfeits out there, I have found a few when looking at used scopes


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

If I were suiting a new long shooter and going west I'd opt for this Burris. I already know the quality and optic clarity but the 5 x 25 magnification out west really helps. I'm sure you'll see "all I use is a 4 power", but after numerous trips I can almost assure you unless you trip over one hunting public it won't be a chip shot. I work at 300 yard zero shots on the bench. This will put you in the boiler even further with very little adjustment as well as closer hold on aiming. I like to hunt at atleast a 12 power setting so I can see well, or crank that baby up for a longer look. This would be my choice. Good Luck.





Signature HD 5-25x50mm | Burris Optics







www.burrisoptics.com


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## nksmfamjp (7 mo ago)

I have spent decent money on optics….Sightron,Burris, Bushnell, Vortex, SWFA SS, Athlon, Tract, Nikon….Burris got my money twice and I was unhappy both times. Once over a warranty issue and once over a resolution issue at 100 yds. I could not resolve targets well enough. The Bushnell Nitro offered a lot of scope for the money, but in the end, it didn’t belong on a custom rifle.

The Tract has been really good. Need more time to say it is better than my Vortex PST Gen 2’s. Those Vortex scopes I have a fair amount of time on and they just work. I have used cheaper Vortex Viper HS and Diamondback HD. Both were darn good for the money and use.

The SWFA SS is not super popular, but is a best value in optics. At about $600, my 3-15x has good glass and good turrets. Sure, the PST’s are better, but quite a bit more.

The Athlon was as bright and clear as the PST Gen 2, but the reticle was too fat for me.

Nikon was fine, but gone now.

My Sightron is great, but it is 45x, so limited utility.


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## supersport 170 (Apr 10, 2014)

Well unfortunately I spent the $2500.00 on a Leupold and guess what the $900.00 Vortex strike Eagle is just as good . I've shot this rifle at 1 Mile with both scopes and the hit ratio was the same . With the additional $1600.00 I can buy a lot of reloading components .


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## matt doyle (Jul 9, 2010)

I used a Burris Black Diamond 4x16x50 on an Ibex hunt in Kyrgyzstan. I had it side by side with a Swarovski Z series, and if there was a difference, you couldn’t see it. They’re no longer made, but it’s a LOT of scope for the money if you can find one used. I now have the newer Veracity series in a 5-25. It’s is nicer, but pricey.
Matt


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## AFadenholz (Sep 19, 2015)

I appreciate all of the advice - I will be sure to let you know what I end up going with. I am going to take some time and go look at a few scopes this weekend in person. I'm excited to get behind the gun and send a few rounds down range. I have an AR .223/556, .22, 350 legend, and 450 bushmaster. I've never shot a 300-win mag though.


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