DLO Recomendations: Scopes For Hunting

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3 жыл бұрын

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In this video I go over my recommendations for hunting scopes, including general guidelines of what to pay attention to and how to look at things.
This is by no means an exhaustive list and there are additional recommendations on my legacy website. If you have specific questions about a specific scope, please Join and ask via the community board.
2:24 General Guidelines
7:40 Over $2k
16:40 $1.5k - 42k
21:50 ~$1K
32:50 ~$600
39:05 Under $400
Leica Magnus 1.8-12x50
alnk.to/aWvy90P
S&B Exos 3.5-21x50
alnk.to/6bN5F0U
Tangent Theta TT315H 3-15x50
alnk.to/9xbuit5
S&B Polar T96 3-12x54
alnk.to/gdYhzyZ
Blaser Infinity 1-7x28
alnk.to/eZyYHW8
Leica Magnus 1.5-15x42
alnk.to/1BZoU6F
Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44
alnk.to/fatKqG3
Swarovski Z5i 2.4-12x50 with BRH reticle
alnk.to/eZyZs7H
Meopta Meostar R2 2.5-25x56 PA
alnk.to/aWvyTow
Vortex Razor HD-LHT 3-15x42
alnk.to/fS8NzCq
Vortex Razor HD-LHT 3-15x50
alnk.to/clPDXcW
Meopta Meostar R1r 3-12x56
alnk.to/bP5n0Uv
Swarovski Z3 3-9x36
alnk.to/eZz0FBx
Swarovski Z3 3-10x42
alnk.to/bEaC27s
Delta Stryker 1-6x24
www.edgunwest.com/store/scope...
Vortex Razor HD Gen2E 1-6x24
alnk.to/flowNLz
Leupold VX-6HD 1-6x24
alnk.to/fS8NKeD
Meopta Meopro 3.5-10x44RD
alnk.to/3IYw4ad
SWFA SS HD 3-9x42
www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-hd-3-9x4...
Meopta Meopro 3-9x40
cameralandny.com/shop/meopta-...
Meopta Meopro 6x42
alnk.to/6IxoK3h
alnk.to/4fIN0Ew
Leupold FX-3 6x42
alnk.to/74mUI2r
SWFA SS Classic 6x42
www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-6x42-tac...
Burris Fullfield II
alnk.to/6Ts9QCL
Vortex Diamondback
alnk.to/6mHSUcq
Sig Whiskey3
alnk.to/5F2QYWQ
#darklordofoptics
#opticsthoughts
#riflescopes
#huntingoptics
#huntingrifles

Пікірлер: 70

@billmeyers4895 3 жыл бұрын

Great Video Ilya, best gun and optics related channel on KZfaq by far. Every time you post new videos, it’s a holiday!! Keep cranking them out!!

@michaelguerin56 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Ilya. Another great video. I appreciate the fact that you always aim to educate people in optics assessments as opposed to simply lecturing. I recommend your channel and website on that basis.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

@joeldubose5762 Жыл бұрын

What do you think about Arken scopes.

@michaelguerin56 Жыл бұрын

@@joeldubose5762 Better to look up Mr Koshkin’s recent posts. I seem to recall that he made some positive comments about the brand in either his 2023 SHOT Show commentary or another post, within the last month or so. I have yet to see, that I am aware of, an Arken sighting telescope in my part of the world.

@MVarminter 2 жыл бұрын

Found it! Thanks

@timetodopatriotstuff2315 3 ай бұрын

I've watched this review a few years ago excellent job but I still can't afford the Tangent long range hunter 😂

@benjotyson7183 2 жыл бұрын

I have an old zeiss, from my father. They should be very good in low light condition, compared to other brands. Low light is my main focus for hunting scopes. Now i am looking for a low light scope for long range shooting and hunting. Now i would buy the meopta optika6 3-18x56 / 5-30x56. But i am not 100% sure.

@scousewillo62 3 жыл бұрын

New sub over from Cyclops

@lukefoster3550 2 жыл бұрын

Couldn’t help noticing no night force scopes mentioned. Was curious about that and I notice that r2 meopta has turrets you can dial that they sell extra . I have been eyeing a r2 , vortex rzr lht , leupold vx5 . I’m retired army and they all have a great military discount . Do you think any of these are a lot better than the others or all similar in glass , tracking , and overall quality. Purpose is for hunting with occasional long range dialing for plinking on a hells canyon long range 7 mm .

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

I like NIghtforce ATACR scopes. SHV and NX8 are not my cup of tea. R2 is a bit better optically. Razor HD-LHT and VX5 are fairly similar, but Razor is a bit better in terms of center field performance. For the money, I really like the Razor HD-LHT, to be honest. I have a good amount of mileage with these and I could not be happier.

@Scottyman99 3 жыл бұрын

You mentioned not being able to decide on the Conquest V6. Would you elaborate on that and also compare it to the Meostar R2?

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

I have seen a couple of them and they looked vastly different from each other. All the Meostar R2 scopes I have seen were consistent. That is one of the reasons I did not do a full test of the V6. I can only test one and if there is a lot of sample variation, it is sort of a waste of time. At some point next year, I need to re-visit Zeiss scopes more carefully and figure out if what I saw was a fluke or if there is indeed very significant inconsistency there.

@jamesmeals1430 3 ай бұрын

I know this is an old video, but I'm looking into getting a s&b klassik as a no frills hunting scope. I was curious if you had any experience with them or if I should just go with the swaro z5i

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 ай бұрын

I like the Klassic quite a lot. Since my personal preferences lean toward FFP designs, I would lean toward the Klassic over the Z5 if it was me. We do not usually think of S&B as "good for the money", but the Klassic definitely are. The 2.5-10x56, for example, is likely the best low light hunting scope you can get for anywhere near that amount of money: alnk.to/8EJ3Ja8 Of the smaller objective design, I have a good amount of mileage with the 3-12x42 with illuminated P3. It is easily one of the best general purpose hunting scopes I have seen to date. Lack of side focus does not seem to be a huge deal if you are staying within 500 yards or so. Optically it is really superb as is the 2.5-10x56. I really need to update my recommendation videos.

@patrickwageneder3389 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your Videos! I am thinking about the Leica PRS 5-25x56, Zeiss V8 4.8-35x60, Swarovski X5 5-25x50 and Nightforce Atacr for long range shooting and hunting! Which one would you recommend? I am using it more for hunting, after Tons of Research I am still not Sure which one to pick! I go more hunting than shooting and do not care about the weight! Thank you very much!

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

This really depends on whether you prefer FFP or SFP scopes. With the ones you mentioned, Leica is FFP, Zeiss and Swaro are SFP. ATACR is available in both configurations. Generally, PRS, ATACR and X5 are very good, so you need to figure out what reticle configuration you prefer. I do not have enough experience with this model of Zeiss V8 to have a strong opinion.

@MegaGouch 3 жыл бұрын

What kind of reticle do you prefer for hunting? There is a very broad range of designs you have recommended throughout the video. I find it interesting that scopes in the 3-15ish range seem to have a variety of mil/moa reticles but in the 2-12 range you only get a basic duplex reticle. Leupold offered the VX6hd 2-12 in the TMOA and firedot windplex for a while but are now discontinued, sounded like a good best of both worlds for a SFP lower magnification hunting scope.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

That sorta depends on the kind of hunting. I generally prefer designs that are a little on the bold side, but since I also like to practice shooting somewhat far away with my hunting rifles. For dedicated hunting rifles I like #4 based designs. For example Vortex' G4 reticle came out of a long conversation I had with them during SHOT. I like Meopta's various #4 variants as well.

@MegaGouch 3 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics whats your thoughts on FFP for dedicated hunting scopes then? Seems there was a lot of requests for a FFP LHT option.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

@@MegaGouch As long as there is illumination and the reticle is properly designed, I prefer FFP. However, that is largely a function of my person proclivities. I do a lot more shooting than hunting and I am very used to FFP reticles. I am not a good enough shot to push the distances when hunting, so for any hunting I do, a simple reticle is sufficient. For example, I really have three somewhat dedicated hunting rifles: Tikka M695 in 280Rem has Vortex Razor HD LHT 3-15x42 on it, Browning BLR Takedown in 300WSM has Vortex Razor HD LH 1.5-8x32 and 458SOCOM AR has another Vortex Razor HD LH 1.5-8x32 on it. Other hunting suitable guns I have are more like cross-over design. My Fix by Q with a nice 308Win Proof barrel has Tangent Theta TT315M on it and that is my go to rifle/scope combination for anything in a pinch.

@MegaGouch 3 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics I think most of us do more target shooting than hunting. I guess that's why I spend so much time looking for my "perfect" crossover scope. Seems like its a market segment that's lacking in FFP options.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

@@MegaGouch The options are slowly popping up, but not enough of them. There are good things coming though. The problem is that with most relevant designs, they are so worried about making the reticle too thick on high mag, that they make them too thin to be usable on the low end. There are ways to work around that with careful reticle design, but I have not been getting a whole lot of traction with most manufacturers. The original Bushnell LRHS reticle was a good example of a workable crossover design. I made a reticle for Meopta Optika6 3-18x50 with the same purpose in mind. Simple mil hash reticle in Tangent Theta TT315H also works well, but all of these still really benefit form illumination on low power.

@GregB92 3 жыл бұрын

Whats your opinion on meopta dichro reticles?

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

I have looked at a prototype 3-12x56 with the dichro reticle and I think it is pretty promising. I am not convinced it is a replacement for a proper illuminated reticle, but it is a viable approach for dusk conditions.

@Ouwkackemann 3 жыл бұрын

How about the Zeiss V8 1.8-14x50? Finest dot on the market, and in opposite to the Leica it has a parallax.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

I have not spent a whole lot time with the 1.8-14x50 V8 scope, so it is hard for me to say. From what I have seen, optically, I like Magnus more than V8, but I have also spent a lot more time with the Magnus scopes.

@Ouwkackemann 3 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics Thank you, I very much appreciate you sharing your knowledge. The brightest scope I know is the S&B Polar, but with the sharpness, the colours, the illuminated point, I like the V8 more. Never have handled a Leica though.

@johncrenshaw1383 3 жыл бұрын

I just purchased a Fierce Carbon Rival .300PRC and I would like your thoughts & opinion on what “no budget” optic would compliment this rifles capabilities the best. The rifle will primarily be used for hunting but I will be taking some precision long range courses like the one Fierce offers so that I can stretch it out to 1000+ yards. Thank you in advance for your time.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

That's a nice gun. How much magnification are you looking for? For distance shooting, do you prefer to dial elevation? or hold with a christmas tree reticle? Personally, I would look really hard at Tangent Theta Hunter TT315 LRH if you prefer to dial or TT315M with Gen3 XR if you prefer to hold.

@johncrenshaw1383 3 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics minimum magnification 20 and 30 for the max... would prefer to be 24-27ish. I prefer FFP MOA markers but the full Christmas trees get a little busy for my preference.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

@@johncrenshaw1383 High Magnification scopes get a little too heavy for a hunting rifle. In that case, your best option is probably March 4.5-28x52, but I do not know if they already have a MOA version.

@johncrenshaw1383 3 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics one reason I went with the carbon rifle is because of its 6.5lbs weight. So I can get an optic that’s up to 2.5lbs and still be 9lbs or less and that’s the weight of a lot of bare rifles. Thank you for your time and recommendations and I will check out all the optics you mentioned. Keep making great videos!

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

@@johncrenshaw1383 keep in mind that it’s not just weight. It is also balance.

@jagmeetsmann 3 жыл бұрын

With my 35% Meopta discount do you think it is worth for me to go with anything else in that price range ? I am looking at 1.7-10x42 , 2-12x50 and 2.5-15x56. I need one scope for tikka 22lr and one for sako 85 30-06. TIA

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

Meostar R2 is a really nice scope and if you are getting a good deal, there are few reasons to go elsewhere unless you need to dial the turrets regularly. They are really not made for that. My nearly default recommendation for a general purpose SFP hunting scope these days is Vortex Razor HD-LHT 3-15x42. The R2 is optically better though and if you are getting it in the same general price range, it is the way to go. The HD-LHT is nearly perfect in terms of configuration with locking elevation turret that is still available for dialing when you need it to.

@MVarminter 2 жыл бұрын

What about Meopta MeoTac 3-12x50?

@johnsmith-ub7vr 3 жыл бұрын

swarovski 1.7 -13.3x42 has better fov better light transmission and is lighter and has a great reticle for hunting called the flexchange where you can have a circle dot or just a dot in the centre of the reticle fantastic all round hunting scope imho the best on the market at the moment

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

Z8i is an excellent scope. On the very highest end, a lot comes down to personal preference. My eyes prefer the Magnus.

@justinmcginty9975 7 ай бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOpticshow would you compare the glass between the z8i to the tt315s?

@rossgeiger4575 Жыл бұрын

What are your thoughts on the credo hx 1-6 sfp?

@DarkLordOfOptics Жыл бұрын

It is a perfectly reasonable scope. Like all LPVOs, it suffers a bit in low light owing to a small objective. Aside from that, if that's the configuration you are looking for it is a well made scope.

@rossgeiger4575 Жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics thank you for the response sir. Would you prefer the credo hx 1-6 over the eotech vudu 1-8? I can get the vudu for 150 more than the credo hx. Which would you grab?

@DarkLordOfOptics Жыл бұрын

@@rossgeiger4575 I have not spent enough time with the Vudu to form any strong opinions. From the little that I have seen, it is likely very similar to the Tract Toric 1-8x24, except Tract is less money at a bit under $1k. Honestly, if you really need 8x, I can recommend the Tract. If you do not. Delta Stryker1-6x24 is the best deal going.

@nasdaqgabe8020 2 жыл бұрын

DLO, I keep reading at Rockslide and others that the Vortex are extremely unreliable, losing zero easily. A couple of youtubers have made video stories regarding their unreliability. Warranty aside, what is your take on Vortex reliability? Your answer is most appreciated.

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

Vortex makes several different levels of products from very cheap to fairly expensive. QC follows price. For all brands. Razors are built really well and are quite robust. Crossfires I am not real big on. Couple that with the fact that Vortex sells more optics than any three companies put together and just statistically, some duds will make it out there and you are likely to hear about scopes with problems than about the ones that just work.

@nasdaqgabe8020 2 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics Thank you

@Guide504 3 жыл бұрын

No highend Swaro?

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

Swaro Z8 scopes are very nice, but I slightly prefer Leica Magnus.

@judodavid1 2 жыл бұрын

What is your website?

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

www.darklordofoptics.com

@judodavid1 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you@@DarkLordOfOptics

@Guide504 3 жыл бұрын

Why do Swaro Kahles not like you?.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

I did not like one of their scopes and they took it a little personally.

@Guide504 3 жыл бұрын

That's unfortunate but I think the game is up on the top brands they are really feeling the pressure and running out of excuses for the ridiculous prices some of them charge.

@axelsprangare2579 2 жыл бұрын

Ilya you can get a Delta Optical Titanium 6-24x42 AO Mil-Dot for 450 dollars (atleast where I live). 😂😂 Why don't you have Deltas scopes on this list.

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

Because I live in the US and Delta has very little presence here with hunting scopes. I have seen several Delta scopes for tactical/precision use and like them. The only hunting scope I have used from Delta is 1.5-9x45 which I thought was rather nice.

@axelsprangare2579 2 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics Ok but you can probably hunt most game with it though. 24x zoom is enough for long range elk hunting and 6x zoom is possible for close range white tail shots. As for me I will use it to hunt Western Capercaille here in Sweden or as you say in Russian: Глухарь.

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

@@axelsprangare2579 For me, 6-24x is a bit much for hunting, to be honest. Even for Western hunting where I live, I prefer less magnification on the low end. 6x is doable, but less is better. For me, a near perfect hunting scope magnification range is 3-15x, although I am obviously pretty happy with the 4.5-22x on my primary hunting rifle. In terms of shooting distances, looking at the last year, the longest shot I had on game was an aoudad sheep at a bit over 450 yards and I took that shot on 12x, although the scope went up to 22x. Last month, the shots I took on an elk were at 300 yards and the scope was on 8x. The hog in October was a lot closer: ~150 yards. I tried to get my son on a black bear in Alaska back in June, and their the distances were practically nerf gun range: less than 50 yards. In the rainforests in Alaska, I would not want to be using a scope with low end magnification of more than 3x and less would be better.

@axelsprangare2579 2 жыл бұрын

@@DarkLordOfOptics I couldn't agree more on 3-15x magnification being the ultimate range for hunting. That's why I'm getting the delta 2,5-15x50 titanium HD for my combination gun voere 2120 in 222 rem and 20 GA. I can hunt every small to medium size animal with it at ranges of 50 - 400 meters. (Bellow 50 meters i use the 20 GA).

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

@@axelsprangare2579 That's a very nice scope.

@lidijabacic8348 Жыл бұрын

best for hunting are old fixed 6x zeiss schmidt geco hensoldt and such.

@58harwood 2 жыл бұрын

It’s a shame how quickly these recommendations become dated! This video is less than 18 months old and more than a few models have already been discontinued and are no longer for sale.

@DarkLordOfOptics 2 жыл бұрын

That's the unfortunate truth. I do plan to make an updated video on the subject.

@room_rambo 3 жыл бұрын

Хочу попросить вас дублировать свои ролики на русском языке. Такого рода каналов не видел в русскоговорящем сегменте. Думаю, вам это не сложно будет делать, а количество подписчиков увеличится значительно.

@DarkLordOfOptics 3 жыл бұрын

Если честно, те несколько роликов которые я сдублировал никто особенно не смотрел. Я собираюсь записать ещё несколько на русском в декабре когда у меня будет отпуск. С одной стороны это действительно не сложно, но времени занимает кучу.

@user-bs2cj2yp9t 3 жыл бұрын

Спасибо за ваш труд. Купил Вортекс випер 4-16 джен 2 и вот думаю перейти на джен 2 3-15 там Филд оф вью лучше и зеростоп лучше но масса на 200 гр. больше. Скажите пожалуйста, разница в стеклах у Вортекс первого и второго поколения большая или ненастолько чтобы переплачивать?

@DrILLeR86 3 жыл бұрын

Тоже хотел бы эту тему про охоту на русском...