Rem 700 ADL questions

[1911austin]

I just picked up a new Remington 700 ADL synthetic chambered for 30.06 for $334 +tax. What do you guys recommend for a good scope in the $300 price range? Also, I know recoil is load dependent, but how much recoil should I expect compared to say a 12 gauge 870?

 

[Sulaco]

That is a good deal. I hope it groups well. Don't worry about the recoil, it won't be bad at all. Any scope in that price range should be fine. A lot of people like Leupold Vari-X II and III's in that range. I prefer Nikon but it really is a personal preference. Let us know how it runs!

 

[444]

I have that same rifle.
I put a Leupold Vari-X III, 4-14x on it.
I have taken a number of big game animals with it including mule deer and elk.

 

[WhiteKnight]

Me too!

I have that same rifle.
I have a Leupold 3.5-10x50mm on it.
I've only taken whitetail deer with it so far.

 

[dakotasin]

scopes are wide open... a leupold vx-2 is a safe bet, but there are plenty of others.

recoil of the 870 will be far, far greater than the 30-06. the 30-06 will seem far, far louder though...

 

[Stinger]

I respectfully disagree with dakotasin's observation of 12 gauge vs. '06 recoil.

I do not believe the 12ga is far, far greater. With the exception of full power slugs and buckshot, I find the '06 has more recoil.

Of course, this is all from a bench, mind you. In the field, I don't recall ever feeling any recoil, be it shotgun, rifle, or handgun.

But it is VERY subjective. Stock fit, weight, etc. all play a significant role in recoil.

Either way, I don't see it as an issue. As far as glass, most around here seem to prefer Leupold. However, I have always had just as much luck with scopes that cost half as much.

To each their own,

Stinger

 

[WhiteKnight]

As far as glass, most around here seem to prefer Leupold. However, I have always had just as much luck with scopes that cost half as much.

Well, chances are that your luck is gonna run out soon. With Leupolds, luck isn't even factored into the equation.

 

[hrb02]

My Rem 700 BDL in 30-06 plays very nicely with its Leupold VX III 3.5-10x50mm. However, as mentioned, a very personal thing.

Enjoy.

 

[Fumbler]

Recoil of the 30-06 in an ADL should be about like a standard 2.75" 1oz slug in your 870.

I've shot my Mossberg 500 off a bench. It's a little lighter than a 870 and it recoiled like the 30-06 I had. 3" slugs are a different story...I got my first taste of scope bite with one of those and I've never had that problem with the 30-06.

As far as scopes, Leupolds are built very well.
I used to hate them just because everyone liked them (same reason I got a Tikka T3 instead of a Rem 700 ).
However, after buying one of the lower end ones, a 2004 model VXI 3-9x40 (has multicoated air/glass surfaces and single coated interior surfaces unlike the old Vari-xI) I decided that the quality was worth the lack of features that other scopes in the price range have.
I did have to send mine back to Leupold though. The adjustment ring was way too tight. They've been very responsive with their customer service.

I wouldn't say you should get a Leupold over any other quality scope, but if you did get one you wouldn't be wasting your money.

Other good brands in that range are Weaver, Bushnell's Elite 4200, some of the Burris's, etc.

What are you using the rifle for?
If it's hunting deer then you should consider getting a small scope from a very good manufacturer over a larger scope of lesser quality or jumping up a level in the same brand and getting the smaller one.
In the field you will probably never even find yourself turning a 3-9x all the way up to 9x anyway (at least around where I hunt).

 

[1911austin]

What are you using the rifle for?
If it's hunting deer then you should consider getting a small scope from a very good manufacturer over a larger scope of lesser quality or jumping up a level in the same brand and getting the smaller one.
In the field you will probably never even find yourself turning a 3-9x all the way up to 9x anyway (at least around where I hunt).

Thanks for all the replies. I got the rifle because besides my Ar-15s, 30-30 lever and an old .243win I have no high power rifles. I chose the 30-06 because of its power and the tremendous number of factory loadings readily available for it. I will probably buy something bigger if I ever go after grizzly, but it is more that sufficient for the Texas size deer and wild hogs I will be hunting in the near future. As for the scope, I do not need something with a lot of “features†or extremely high magnification. I am looking high quality optics with large area for low light situations. I will probably exceed $300 budget to get what I am looking for. Right now I am between Leupold and Nikon.

 

[dakotasin]

consider: leupold is lighter, has more eye relief, and a superior customer service (nikon can be, uhhh, difficult at times) . everything else is a wash.

you won't go wrong either way, but...

look to leupold's 2-7, 2.5-8, and especially check out the 6x42 (leave the 6x36 alone though - its not bad, it just isn't the 6x42), depending on your budget.

 

[rbernie]

A growing number of folks have had very good experiences with the Sightron scopes (VXIII features/quality in a VXII price) and the Weaver Grand Slam.

 

[357Texas]

Howdy

A short note 1911Austin Look in the Rallying point and under Austin shoot. It just may be a good time to try the new rifle out. To see how it shoot.
John

 

[duckslayer]

Another plug here for Leupolds. I have been nothing but pleased with the light transmission through them. I have some Bushnells, Simmons, Baush, and I think a Tasco scope on something, and none of them are remotely close to the same amount of low light vision as the Leupolds (but granted the Baush & Lomb scope is about 30 years old, so it is not a fair comparison). I have never had a Nikon, but Ihave heard good things about them.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I did have to send mine back to Leupold though. The adjustment ring was way too tight. They've been very responsive with their customer service.

Have you gotten it back yet?

 

[Fumbler]

No, they recieved it yesterday.
They emailed me to let me know they recieved it and said the turn around will be 7 days. I appreciate their email, it's always nice to know exactly where your property is and many companies wouldn't bother to do something as small as this.

 

[kaferhaus]

The only scopes I've ever had to send in for repair were Leupolds....

service is great, nice folks

scopes are too expensive (it's really gotten out of hand for what you get)

The best warranty in the world is the one you never have to use.... Leupold's warranty repair folks stay very very busy...

I've moved to the higher end Weaver and Bushnell 4200 series of scopes

Before Redfield went to crap, they and Leupold got all my business, but once redfield went south, Leupolds prices started shooting up. Even their VX1-VX2s are too expensive when you consider the lack of features compared to scopes that are just as good and cost a good bit less.

I still have a dozen or so Leupolds, I'm not running out to sell them, don't get me wrong they are a great scope... they have some QC issues that in my opinion have gotten worse over the years.

Still great scopes but priced way above what they should sell for...

there's nothing unique about their lenses, their construction or certainly their performance.

Much of their parts are imported.

 

[Lonestar.45]

"Well, chances are that your luck is gonna run out soon. With Leupolds, luck isn't even factored into the equation"

Whitenight, then I must have pretty good luck, the $79 Tasco Mag IV I bought in '87 I put on my .270 BDL is still going strong 18 years later, after 25+deer, and more hogs, turkey, varmints, targets, than I care to count. Yeah, maybe my luck will run out soon too, but hey, if/when that happens, I think I will have gotten my $79 worth out of it.

 

[Fumbler]

You shoot turkeys with a 270?

I've moved to the higher end Weaver and Bushnell 4200 series of scopes

Good choices.

Leupolds are good, but I believe their reputation among many people is blown out of proportion (thus allowing them to raise prices).

If I had some money to get a nice scope around $400 I'd get a Bushnell Elite 4200 and spend the money I saved over a Leupold on premium scope rings.

I had an Elite 3200 and at that price range the Leupold VX-I had much better glass. In the VX-I the center to edge distortion was a lot less, the glass was slightly clearer, the eye relief was at least an inch longer, and colors looked more life-like. The advantages of the Elite 3200 were the ease of ocular lens adjustment (this feature is debatable), it had click adjustments, in full sunlight brighter objects didn't look as washed out, and a matte finish didn't cost an extra $20.
It was going on a deer rifle, so once everything was dialed in no adjustments were going to be made in the field. This, for me, negated enough of the 3200's advantages that the VX-I was a better choice.

 

[ojibweindian]

If I had some money to get a nice scope around $400 I'd get a Bushnell Elite 4200 and spend the money I saved over a Leupold on premium scope rings.

That's exactly what I did and am very pleased with my Elite 4200. The one thing the Leupold VX-III has over it is the eye relief.

 

[Lonestar.45]

"You shoot turkeys with a 270?"

Yes. Here in Texas, fall turkey season coincides with deer season, and it is legal to use a rifle. I've taken several turkeys in the past few years with my .270. Head shots on a couple, but if you aim at the base of the neck, or just up a little, it drops them immediately with very little meat damage. Dad taught me to do it, he would take them with his 30-06, and I never once remember him tearing up the meat (unless you really really like wild turkey neck meat). If the shot is not good, however, I simply do not take it under any circumstances.

 

[BusMaster007]

I concur with the 6x42 Leupold choice for your .30-06 ADL.

You've got a caliber that is ubiquitous; a good rifle with no magazine floorplate to play with...all you need is a good scope with a LOT of eye relief, which the Leupold scopes have, and it has only one magnification and few parts to get hammered by rifle recoil.
Pretty bulletproof combination.
If you have open sights on the rifle, then I'd say to get the QR base(s) and rings so you can quickly take the scope off IF you need to.

Most guys would kill to have a simple and reliable combination of parts like that!
Good choice and good luck.

 

[Fumbler]

I agree with what BusMaster has said, you'll have a simple and reliable rifle that is nice to tote around in the woods...but for me 6x is approaching too high of a magnification for general hunting.
I don't know what the terrain you hunt is like, but here in the piedmont of NC you rarely get a shot more than 150 yards and the great majority of deer are killed within 50 yards.
Go down to the longleaf pine savannahs of the sandhills and coastal plain or the vast ag fields in the coastal plain of NC and a 6x42mm would be great.
My choice in power for a fixed scope for a wide range of hunting would be a 4x. An angry boar running around would be easier to track with the 4x.

Another good choice would be any of the high quality variables around 2-7x.
They typically have slightly smaller objectives, but they will not neccessarily be darker than larger objective scopes. Lower powered scopes cost less, so you can buy better quality for the same cost of a bigger one. Better glass with better coatings can transmit as much light as larger but poorer quality glass. Light is also lost from magnification, so lower powered scopes simply don't need big objectives to be effective.
I just made a lot of generalizations, don't give them too much weight, it's just something for you to think about.

 

[SteelyDan]

Got a Nikon Monarch on my ADL and it's very good. Got a Leupold Vari-XII on my other .30-06 and I can't tell the difference between the two scopes. Haven't had a problem with either.

As for recoil, I think the .30-06 has a noticeably sharper but shorter recoil than a 12-gauge Rem 870 with birdshot.

 

[WhiteKnight]

If I had some money to get a nice scope around $400 I'd get a Bushnell Elite 4200 and spend the money I saved over a Leupold on premium scope rings.

While I don't particularly believe in the sky-high recent VXIII prices, if you can find a Varix-III (like I did) you can probably get it at a price that blows a [new] 4200 out of the water.