Handi Scope

[7 MM]

Alright I receive my 223 handi in 10 days.
Comes with scope ramp.
What is a good (not The most expensive) scope to put on it?
Is it possible to get one scope for multiple barrels?
I expect to send it back for the 30/30 and 45/70 barrels as soon as I get it and if a single scope will work so much the better.


7 MM

[rickt300]

Well which barrel style did you order?  On my Superlight I put a 4X Weaver with a post and crosshair reticle as I plan on using it for night hunting and general varmints.  If you ordered the standard barrel I'd be tempted to put a 3.5x10 Mueller Extreme as this is what I put on my standard barreled 30-06 and it balances nicely, this scope tracks very well and has excellent optics.  The sky is the limit if you ordered a bull barrel and plan to shoot prairie dogs and paper.

[Swampman]

I'd get one of the Nikon Prostaff models.

[quickdtoo]

The Mueller APV is one of the most popular scopes here for your purpose. 

Tim


http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,171156.msg1098798395.html#msg1098798395





Forgot the link!! 

[bigvarmnt]

I have a Burris 3-9 Fullfield on my 223 Superlight. I like it but want to replace it for night pred. hunting. Don't know what would be a good switch between those calibers. I'll have to check those Muellers Tim keeps braggin up. I met the owners or sales reps for Mueller a few years back. We walked out of G.M. together and got to talking in the parking lot. They showed me their scopes and I liked how clear they were outside. It sure is different outside the store. They spent a lot of time with me. Very nice fellows. I'd never heard of Mueller. I think they were just starting up selling to Gander Mountain. If they hold up they seem like a heck of a deal for the money.

[dw06]

I've got two handi rifles in 223, on the bull barrel I have a Mueller scope and am very pleased with it.It is a 4-12 e.a. brown which is same as the 4-14 AVP  but slightly shorter and cost alittle more. One the other one which I pack around more I just put a Bushnell 2-7 elite 3200 on it, and can say I'm impressed with it also. Depends on what use you have in mind for the package as to the size scope you want to pack around.

[Hodr]

Start by defining your main use distance target, plinking, hunting (terrain, game size, weather, range to target, how often)  If you are talking 3 calibers with one sight/scope you are going to have to comprimise somewhere.

blindhari

[cwlongshot]

You get what you pay for...  NEVER skimp on optics! 
   Buy LEUPOLD and you will forever be grateful. Buy at least a VXI and you get a LIFETIME GAURANTY. If you cant swing the new cost... Watch our classifieds and gun auction sites for a used model. Good models can be had for the cost of some lessor models recommended so far.

CW

[bilmac]

I take the opposite view of CW. I would get 3 scopes that I could afford. I have lots of cheaper scopes and I have some Leopolds. I can't see lots of difference.

 Using one scope on three barrels would be a pain in the butt though. In the first place, are you going to want the same scope on your 45-70 that you have on a 223? Secondly, you will have to resight every time you switch. If you have a life , there will be times when this won't work out for you and you will have to go hunting with a rifle that you don' have confidence in the zero. Maybe you had to sight in in the wind or some other problem, maybe you will have to give up a half a days hunting because you have to sight your rifle. You know how busy ranges are just before hunting season, so are you going to quit hunting with the 223 in the middle of the summer,so you can get on the range to sight in the 45-70?

You know what you can afford , but scopes that work fine can be had for not much money. If they break in 10 years ( not many of mine have) you will be making gobs of money by then like CW.

[Swampman]

There are tons of good inexpensive scopes these days.  Bushnell & Nikon both make some excellent scopes for under $100.00.

[bilmac]

Well, I'm back after having thought about your question some more, and I wonder why you would want both 30-30 and 45-70 barrels? If you are an experienced shooter and just want both, far be it for me to question you, but I get the impression that you are just getting started in this game.

The two are both for about the same uses. Short range thumpers. I have both and am always debating with myself as to which to take hunting. I almost wish I didn't have both so I wouldn't have this debate. May I suggest that you get just one or the other, and if you want to get two barrels think about a medium caliber with a bit more reach like a 7mm 08, or maybe a pistol caliber for wabbits and tin cans.

[7 MM]

I'm sure this will get the reply to buy them all but was wondering, The weapon as ordered is .223
Was considering 30/30, 45/70, and 30/06 barrels.
Have never owned a handi before and am not sure about the pistol calibers but am open to suggestions from all of you experts.
I think I would want either the 45/70 or 30/30 as they are good thumper calibers.
The 30/06 as it is probably the best all around caliber for medium and large game.
I ordered it in 223 as I wanted it for small game and varmits and I hate the "evil black rifles" all of the dealers seem to want to push off on you instead of a decent rifle.
As for scopes the price isn't the object as much as I want a good servicable scope either one for each barrel or one with quick disconnects to use on all of them.

I like the idea of one for each barrel but wanted everyones opinion before going that way.
Scope rings?
High , medium , or low base?


Thanks everyone for the input so far. Great info for a handi newbe.

7 MM

[quickdtoo]

Rings are well covered in the FAQs and Help. 

Tim

[cwlongshot]

I like the idea of one for each barrel but wanted everyone's opinion before going that way.
Scope rings?
High , medium , or low base?


Thanks everyone for the input so far. Great info for a handi newbie.

7 MM

  Like Tim said, the FAQ's out line many options and even show pics. The long and short of it is it completely depends on the scope you choose.

  Fact is I DONT have the money to WASTE on lesser brands. I buy what has worked for me. That's why I prefer it. If you like something different and it works for you, great, go with that. Mine is but one opinion, freely offered. Take it or leave it. As for the comment of the high cost of Leupold's, and the "gobs of coin I spend on them, I leave you with this. "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten".

CW

[dpe.ahoy]

CW I respect your opinion but If I bought a high dollar scope for all my guns, I wouldn't have as many guns.  I have Luepold, Ziess, Nikon for high end scopes and go down to Bushnell, Weaver, Simmons, Redfield, ect.  I just don't see $300.00-$400.00 difference in some of the scopes.  I put a scope on a gun according to it's use, plinkers and short range guns get the lower priced scopes and the longer range shooters get the better quality glass.  If I win the lottery, maybe I will get all new scopes. , JMHO.  DP

[JPShelton]

CW I respect your opinion but If I bought a high dollar scope for all my guns, I wouldn't have as many guns. 

I guess I was brainwashed by those Beeman Airgun catalogs I drooled over in my formative years, but if so, I have no regret.  I learned a lot from Dr. Beeman's writings contained therein -particularly about the concept of quality as something worth sacraficing for.  With quality, there is no "coulda woulda shoulda."

Beeman's influence on my buying habits extends to this day.  I would rather have one really nice shooting implement than a cabinet full of mediocrity.  Mediocre scopes are an exercise in frustration and I'd personally rather shoot good metallic sights than lesser optical ones.

I agree that there are some darn fine scopes on today's market that can be had for darn little money.  The problem is that scopes that actually "fit" an unmodified Handi-Rifle are few and far between, regardless of price.  By "fit,"  I mean getting the optical centerline as close to the centerline of the bore as possible.  Here, the high hammer spur of the Handi-Rifle interferes with large diameter magnification adjustment rings and large occular bells, thus limiting suitable options.

This is why I like the Leupold Vx-1 and use them on my .223 and .30-'06 Handi-Rifle barrels.  I can mount them close to the bore centerline and their compact (by modern standards) magnification adjustment rings and occular bells provide adequate hammer spur clearance when mounted with Leupold Rifleman medium-height rings.  The Vx-1 is, in essence, a "new and improved" version of the discontinued Vari-X II, and is really a bargin at the $250.00 or less that they go for new, when you consider what you're getting. 

Sure, there are some $100.00 scopes out there that seem just as good as the Vx-1, with bright, flare-free optics, and stout erector mechanisms that hold zero even when subjected to stout recoil.  Using them on a Handi-Rifle, however, often requires mounting with high or extra high rings, placing the optical centerline too far above the bore centerline for my taste and comfort.

If it takes you a couple of weeks to save for a $100.00 scope, that same saving program, extended over five weeks instead of two will get you a Vx-1, and the performance, ruggedness, and durability that the Leupold name stands for, all wrapped up in a product made right here in the U.S.A. by an outfit that has a long history of standing behind its products. 

In other words, if you can afford a $100.00 scope today, you can probably afford a Leupold Vx-1 in the near term, too.

"Gratification" or "instant".......

I'd rather have "gratification," and in buying Leupold, I've never had "coulda woulda shoulda" spoil my ownership experience.

-JP