Good scope for Slug Gun

[batakgt]

Well I am looking for a good scope for my Mossberg 500 Slug Gun.

I have been leaning towards a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40. Any recommendations here? Looking to keep spending to $200 max

[BuMan]

Well I am looking for a good scope for my Mossberg 500 Slug Gun.

I have been leaning towards a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40. Any recommendations here? Looking to keep spending to $200 max

You probably don't need the high end of the adjustable magnification. With a shotgun, the max range you'll probably want to shoot at is going to be about 100 yards. There are Leupold shotgun scopes that are 1-4 and 2-7x33. At 7x, your field of view at 100 yards is going to be 17 ft, which is probably as tight as you want it to get. Typically, a shotgun specific scope is also going to give you a longer eye relief than a rifle scope, which can be useful if you're banging 3" magnums out of the gun. There are several sites that have the Leupold for at or below $200.

Nikon is a good brand, too (I have several thousand dollars in Nikon cameras and lenses), so I wouldn't feel bad about getting a Nikon, but I'd look for the shotgun scope - lower profile and better shock resistance. The bottom line is get good glass...if that's your primary aiming system, you can't afford for it to be off.

I was out hunting a couple of years back and had a Winchester Model 70 in .270. I had sighted it in with the Simmons scope that came as part of the package, but over the time between sighting it in and actually going into the field (about 2 months), it had drifted badly, resulting in a bad day hunting. About eight deer popped out of the woods next to a pond about 150 yards out from me and I took aim at a good one. First shot on a nice deer, no hit. Figured it was probably opening day jitters. The deer moved about 10-15 yards and settled down again. Aimed again, fired, still nothing. This time, the deer came around the pond TOWARDS me as if to taunt me. Stopped about 50 yards away and started munching grass again. When I looked through the scope, practically all I saw was brown, so I aimed and fired again. Yep, nothing but the deer bouncing away showing me their tail. My buddy, hearing the shots, got on the radio and asked how many I had dropped and I had to tell him, "Uh, none." Went and looked for any sign that I had hit one without luck, so I called it an evening and put the gun away. The next day, I drove to the range and tried to hit paper at 25 yards. No luck. Replaced the scope with a Springfield Armory that I had, sighted it in, and was punching one hole groups at 100 yards. Went out that evening to the same area, and got a deer with a solid neck shot at 125 yards.

Bottom line, don't skimp on glass.

[batakgt]

Thanks for the reply BuMan. I've been out of the game for 3 years due to deployments and such. I have leaned toward Leupold but were wary of the price.

I did see the VX-I 2-7x33mm for $219 and read some good reviews about it.

All in all, I will drop more then 200 if needed to ensure good quality scope that holds a zero.

[noknock]

Story . . . The father-in-law buys a Burris scope at the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation charity dinner. He has always been a Leopold man as am I. He buys a 300 Weatherby Lasermark V rifle to go elk hunting this year (the .338 win mag was getting to be to much). He puts the Burris scope on the rifle, the scope costs around $329.00 (4X12X50mm) out of your popular outdoor magazines.

We are at the range and after boresighting we are planning on fine tuning. After four (4) shots from the .300 weatherby, the front rubber seal broke inside the scope. He wasn't happy and it game me additional ammo for good natured ribbing about failing to buy a Leopold to begin with.

As far as MID-RANGE rifle scopes go and by that I mean $300-$800, Leopold is the standard for which every other scope maker compares themselves. Leopold has set the mark, for durability and reliabiltiy. Unconditional warranty with the exception of the Rifleman line of scopes.

There are 100 opinions or more about what is the best scope, blah, blah, blah. MIne is just one of many. But cruise some shooting and hunting websites and research complaints about scopes before you buy something other than Leopold. I have multipe Leopolds in Vari X I,II, & III's and they all are well built scopes. For slug gun range, do yourself a favor and buy the VariX I scope and forget about it.

The one exception that I have is the Alaskan Guide Series scopes from Cabelas. The glass in Cabelas scopes and binos are wonderful. I suspect I know who makes their glass, but don't know for sure. I wasn't really impressed with Cabela's Pine Ridge series scopes. Of course the Alaskan Guide series is an overkill for slug gun range.