You don’t own the best scopes for deer hunting! Regret is always at the eleventh hour.
Deep in the woods of Kansas, you’re chugging down your fifth Bud Light of the day with your hunting buddy. An earnest silence persists, only interrupted momentarily by humming from above and the racket from crickets. The sudden crunching of leaves in the corner of your eye alerts you, and you immediately arm your trusty Winchester model 70 with the vintage .270 caliber cartridge, aiming down on sight at the direction of the crunching leaves. However, the scope is covered with a thin layer of fog; in the ensuing few seconds of you wiping the fog clean, your prey; the rare, whitetail deer, has bought itself enough few seconds to run beyond your range.
That’s the tricky thing about hunting; every second truly does count. You’re cursing your useless scope and regret trying to cheap out on it. Well, you should be cursing yourself fool! Why? Because you didn’t get the best scopes for deer hunting, that I am about to list below! Maybe consider picking one of these up and doing some justice to the vintage .270 cartridge you fiend!
Top 5 Best Deer Hunting Scopes for .270 Winchester.
Nikon Buckmasters II 3-9x40mm BDC 1in Waterproof Matte Black Riflescope:
A riflescope made by the legendary camera manufacturer, Nikon, you can expect the picture quality to be top notch! The image is very sharp and very bright, allowing for decent visibility in dark and overcast days, so it’s quite handy if you’re tempted to take your rifle out on a rainy day! Wait, what? Something about your scope getting wet in the rain? Don’t be silly! The riflescope comes with fog proofing and waterproofing, so don’t even worry about visibility in poor weather conditions.
Like most other decent scopes for deer hunting, it can hold its aim to zero with ease, so don’t worry about the aim being off as long as your technique is correct. This should be a given, of course, it’s a scope, it’s not going to shoot for you! Also, a lot of users enjoy the BDC reticle feature of Nikon’s scopes, allowing shooters to shoot at much longer distances due to the optic providing some estimate of how much dropoff compensation to add to the height of the aim to perfectly hit targets that are beyond 300 yards. If you’d rather have the raw aim without compensation, don’t worry! It’s something that can be easily altered on the scope so it won’t get in the way of medium distance shots. The riflescope also handles recoil well so you won’t be getting a blind eye unless you shoot yourself. And if that is the case, pretty sure you have more things to worry about! Additionally, Nikon’s official replacement policies and lifetime warranty, features that camera users are familiar with, will also mean you always get service in case anything happens to your scope.
The only downside to this otherwise, an excellent scope is that it has compatibility issues with certain rifles so make sure you check with your rifle manufacturer to make sure it’s compatible. If it fits, don’t think twice about getting this bad boy!
- Offer high visibility in darker areas.
- Very sharp image quality on the viewing lens.
- Dropoff compensation for long range shooting
- Not compatible with all types of guns. Check with the manufacturer to see if it will fit.
- Better suited for semi-automatic rifles. Automatic rifles and faster shooting guns need beefier scopes.
Leupold VX-1 3-9x40mm Compact Waterproof Fogproof Riflescope, Matte Black:
Scopes from the manufacturer, Leupold, are regarded as high quality, particularly in the case of build quality and this particular model is no exception with a metal coated finish on top of what feels like a sturdy, durable object. What sets this scope apart from its competitors is its ability to zoom, up to a 3:1 ratio. This feature lets you zoom up to three times the range of a standard scope and, if your rifle allows, can get you coverage over hundreds of yards. Never worry about your target running away too fast because they’ll almost always be in range with this monster of a scope! The zoom range, used in tandem with wind and elevation assistance, will let you get off shots over long distances with little effort from your part.
In addition to these features, it also comes with fog proofing, and waterproofing so doesn’t let a foggy, overcast day make you change your mind about going on a hunting trip! Despite not being manufactured by a camera maker, the scope also commands some very top level optics, and many a user lauds the corner to corner sharpness on the image displayed by the scope. The image is bright as well and suited for some late in the day hunting. A lot of the more experienced users were quite satisfied with the fact that the model allows for the reticle to be replaced, letting older hunters use their preferred reticles with this particular model. Take note, scope manufacturers!
There were, however, some issues with the scope. It has somewhat of short eye relief, meaning that the user needed to place their eye closer to the glass than they would with most similar riflescopes. Also, the lack of a Mil-dot variant the scope is something a few people might be annoyed with. Quite an excellent choice for versatile shooting regardless of these.
- Outstanding build quality and premium feeling finish on the scope.
- Variable zoom range that allows coverage over a wide range.
- Proper elevation compensation for long-range shots.
- Slightly uncomfortable to use the scope because of how close it needs to be held to the eye.
- No variation of crosshair types. Mil-dots sights are quite familiar now and better for newer shooters who want accuracy to their shots.
Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×50 PA Second Focal Plane Riflescopes:
This particular scope is another scope renowned for its build quality and perfect color accuracy. There is no hazing at the edges, even when completely zoomed in with the scope. The optics of the scope are tuned for distortion correction, and the zoom range of the scope is quite long, making it a standout choice for shooting long range targets. The reticle built into the scope is the Dead-Hold BDC reticle, a scope that is an accurate estimator of height compensation for both long and medium distance shots. With a rifle that is capable, users have claimed to get shots off accurately at ranges of 1000 yards! The reticle is also very versatile, consistently delivering the aforementioned qualities over a multitude of different firearms, rifles and shotguns included. In addition, the scope also comes with the option of having a mil-dot scope, and as I already mentioned, that’s a must-have feature for a lot of hunters and gun enthusiasts. And why wouldn’t it; it just feels so much easier to get your shot on when you have a dot on the target!
There are some downsides with this, however. In unusually harsh daylight, some users will find the glare quite bothersome. It wouldn’t have taken much to add a simple sunshade, would it? Nothing that you can’t handle! However, the reticle is perhaps a more significant issue because some rifles would not be aligned at the zero hash and the option of not being able to replace the reticle makes it challenging to use with certain weapons. Some users also had trouble mounting the scope on their gun and given that there were several of these instances, it might be a production issue on the part of the manufacturer. So fix up Vortex!
- Very good optics with a clear image on the scope and distortion correction for more accuracy.
- The scope zooms up to 50mm and has a range up to 1000 yards, very long indeed!
- The reticle includes a feature that keeps the scope dead-set on your target and allows for height compensation based on the distance of the target.
BARSKA 6.5-20×50 AO Varmint Target Dot Riflescope
The Barska Varmint Target is another scope that is very deadly in terms of accuracy and provides the user range up to 50mm in range. As the name suggests, there is a dot in the middle of the crosshair of the scope. You know how much I love my dots! In addition, the existence of the crosshair expanding from the dot like a cross-section lets users get the best of both worlds. The optics of the scope are solid so the image. However, while not being among the best-in-class it is still very good and more than usable. The scope is very easy to adjust, so it’s going to be a standard pick for people who like to carry their fair share of firepower when they go on an expedition! The eye relief system on this contraption needs a bit of adjusting but can be very easy and soothing on the eye after setup.
Downsides
This scope has several downsides to this, mostly due to being much cheaper than its competitors on the list. The dot is excellent to have, but it’s not a mil-dot so while it is still a very accurate shot, it’s not as precise as many of the other scopes for deerhunting.
Also, several users cited that after a specific duration of use, several things would not work as well, such as the crosshair is slightly off centered. This is not that surprising given that it is much cheaper than the alternatives. It’s also not very suitable to shoot in overcast and darker conditions so you’ll want to take a different scope out on a cloudy day for sure unless your eyes have built-in night vision or something!
- The sight is a combination of a dot in the center and crosshair diverging from the center. Best of both worlds etc. etc.
- Easy to make quick adjustments to get your shots off as soon as possible.
Leupold 110797 VX-2 3-9x40mm Compact Waterproof Fogproof Riflescope, Duplex Reticle, Matte Black
Another scope by Leupold on this list, it should be a hint that they’re quite good at manufacturing scopes for deer hunting by now! The VX-2 is well suited for medium range shots, and while it is not as versatile as it’s brethren on the list, it excels in rapid shooting with a very fast focus system on the scope. Also, it is one of the few scopes for deer hunting on the list with anything like memory! Once you have dialed in the adequate power settings according to the shot, by using the indicator ring on the scope. You can save the settings to save time for subsequent shots. And if that isn’t great enough, the edges of the lens of the scope are blackened, so in addition to outstanding levels of brightness, the black edges prevent any glaring or background light from interfering with your perfect shot. It has eye relief up to 4 inches and judging by user feedback; it tends to be more comfortable on the eye than most other scopes for deer hunting.
Best of all, holding to the zero hash is no biggie for this excellent piece of American engineering as users report that zero is retained even after repeated shots, meaning subsequent shots needed no adjusting for the scope going awry after a shot! Like all the other entries on this list, it also comes with fog proofing and waterproofing.
Product Summary
The finish, however on the scope is somewhat glossy and is a magnet for scratches, something you’re aesthetically conscious user will no doubt notice. A few users complained about receiving faulty products but given that isn’t a consistent problem, it’s hard to find any other issues with this! So this should be one of your top picks if you’re in for a scope for the rifle to supplement your .270 Winchester.
- Very fast focus system allows rapid shooting with fast movement.
- Power settings can be dialed in and kept to shoot different targets over the same range.
- Blackened edges prevent light from interfering with the view.
Things to Consider When Buying a Scope for Hunting Deer:
If you’re in the market to get a scope for your trusty rifle, here are a few considerations you probably have to account for before you drop a bucket of cash on a scope.
- Know your range. If you’re shooting closer distances, you’d rather a scope that allows for quick adjustment and shorter zoom range. You’ll have to move your gun quite fast and adjust quickly to get your shot off, so weight is also an essential consideration for the scope.
- Type of crosshair. It’s great having lots of features, but you need to feel good using the scope as well. Some people prefer traditional crosshairs, some dot crosshairs (like yours truly). If you’re new to this shooting business, you’ll want to try mil dots because they’re far more precise than regular dots and it’ll help you build up your aim and nail down the basics before you move onto something more advanced.
- Build quality is important. Just because a scope might be feature rich, doesn’t mean it’s a good choice if it doesn’t even hold up. So invest in good top quality scopes for deer hunting and use them for a prolonged period instead of throwing out your all action plasticky scope after a few weeks of use.
With that, you are well prepared to buy a good scope to make your vintage .270 Winchester shots even more lethal and accurate and do some justice to this legendary cartridge! May the Winchester Gods aid you in your venture!
Also look at the following product review: http://zoomtargets.com.www139.your-server.de/best-ar-15-scopes-optics/