Rock bass and bluegill share many similarities. For this reason many people ask if they’re the same fish or different. Therefore, let’s answer, is a rock bass the same as a bluegill?

Rock bass and bluegill are different species of fish although they are from the same family. Rock bass is the A. Rupestris and bluegill is the L. macrochirus species. The most identifiable difference is the rock bass bright red or orange eye color compared to the bluegill’s dark eyes.

This article will compare both fish tastes, textures, cooking methods, costs, mercury levels and whether one can substitute for the other in recipes. In addition, I’ll do a side-by-side comparison of their habitats, appearance and compare their nutritional value.

Rock Bass vs Bluegill: Habitats, Size, Weight and Appearance

How can you tell the difference between the two fish?

To tell the difference between a rock bass and bluegill is to check their cheeks, belly colors and dorsal fins. Bluegill have blue color on the sides of their mouth and chin. Rock bass has no blue, just a dark tear drop below their eyes. Bluegill has an orange belly compared to rock bass white/silvery belly. Bluegill has a dark spot on the base of the dorsal fin rock bass doesn’t have.

Other ways to tell the difference:

• Bluegill has a rounder body with the mouth more streamlined with the body. Rock bass has an elongated body with the mouth more pointier.
• Rock bass has 5-7 anal fin spines, bluegill has 3 anal fin spines.
• Rock bass has teeth in the mouth, bluegill has no teeth.
• Rock bass has red or orange eyes, bluegill has dark eyes.
• Bluegill has a small mouth, rock bass has a large mouth.
• Rock bass has dark spots forming laterals lines, bluegill has no lateral lines but vertical bars.

Rock Bass and Bluegill Scientific Classifications, Families, Species

Bluegill are from:

• Family: Centrarchidae
• Genus: Lepomis
• Species: L. macrochirus
• Common nicknames: Bream, panfish, brim, sunny, sunnies, perch.

Rock bass are from:

• Family: Centrarchidae
• Genus: Ambloplites
• Species: A. rupestris
• Common nicknames: Red eye, rock perch, goggle eye.

Both species are part of the sunfish family. Other fish include smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, warmouth and crappies.

Habitats

Bluegill

• Native to North America and can be found from Canada, Delaware to northern Mexico.
• When fishing they can be found in streams, ponds, lakes and rivers.
• They like to hide under fallen logs, piers or in weeds.

Rock Bass

• Native to North America and can be found from Canada down to Florida and west to Texas. They are mostly found in the eastern and central United States.
• When fishing they can be found in streams, ponds, lakes and rivers.
• The species prefer rocky shorelines and vegetation areas. They can be found under docks and near swimming areas.

Appearance

Colors

• Bluegills have an olive green upper body and light yellowish to orange belly. The sides of the head and chin are iridescence blue or purple. The fish have dark vertical bands on the sides. A breeding male will have more orange than yellow on the belly.
• Rock bass have an olive green to golden brown upper back and sides fading down to a silvery, white belly. The species have black spots which form broken lateral stripes down the body. The have red eyes and the fish has the ability to change colors to match their surroundings for protection.

Dorsal Fins

• Bluegill has one dorsal fin with 6-13 spines and 11-12 rays.
• Rock bass has one dorsal fin with about 10-13 spines followed by 11-13 rays.

Anal Fins

• Bluegill has three anal spines followed by 10-12 rays.
• Rock bass has 5-7 anal spines followed by 10-12 rays.

Mouth

• The bluegill mouth is small, and the jaw doesn’t extend to the eye line. They don’t have teeth.
• The rock bass mouth is large located below the snout. They also have teeth.

The rock bass has a pointier snout compared to the bluegill which has a more streamlined mouth and head which blends into the body. A big difference between the two fish is their mouth size.

Body Shape

• Bluegill are flat and have a rounder shape. The mouth hardly protrudes and is more streamlined.
• Rock bass are flat and not round. They are more elongated.

Size and Weight

• Bluegill average 6-7″ long and weighs less than 2 pounds.
• Rock bass average 6-10″ long and weighs about one pound.

Lifespan

• Bluegill average 5-6 years.
• Rock bass lives up to 8-10 years.

Diet

Bluegill consume the following:

• Worms
• Small crustaceans
• Insects
• Insect larvae

Rock bass consume the following:

• Smaller fish
• Insects
• Worms
• Small crustaceans
• Minnows

Both fish have a similar diet.

Bass Fishing

When looking at the sunfish family, rock bass fishing won’t win many popularity contests amongst anglers. Despite their gamefish appeal, when fishing they are strangely appealing.

They can get caught with almost any angling method. Live bait works extremely well. Bass fishing within a few feet of the bank is best.

Prior to fishing, always check with your local advisory, safety and management boards.

I recently wrote a comparison article with the species pumpkinseed. Their differences may interest you. Check out my comparison article here.

Panfish: Tastes and Textures

One of the most important things people takes into consideration when fishing or choosing a fish is its taste. When comparing the two fish, rock bass vs bluegill, does one taste like the other?

Rock bass taste similar to bluegill and has a mild to sweet taste. Rock bass and bluegill have a firm, flakey texture.

Rock bass is good eating and tastes pleasing to most people having a mild to sweet taste. The white flesh is slightly firm and flakey.

Depending on the time of year or type of water when fishing, both may taste slight muddy or fishy to some people. The fish can be soaked in milk to help eliminate any unpleasant taste or odor.

To conduct some original research, I polled clients, readers and people in food groups. I asked which one tastes better?

• 39% said they preferred the taste of bass rock.
• 34% said they preferred the taste of bluegill.
• 27% said they had no preference one over the other.

To conduct more research, I set up a taste test at home. Both fish were cooked the same way with the same seasonings. Three out of four people chose the rock bass.

Substitutions

When preparing recipes for dinner it’s not always possible to locate the type of fish in the store or when fishing. If you only caught one type of fish when fishing, you may ask, can I substitute one for the other?

Rock bass and bluegill can substitute for each other due to their similar tastes and textures. Both fish can be used in many of the same recipes and cooking methods. They both can be cooked by baking, broiling, steaming, grilling, deep frying and pan frying.

Bluegill substitutes:

• White crappie
• Black crappie
• Pumpkinseed
• Redbreast sunfish
• Redear sunfish
• Pollock
• Lake herring

Rock bass substitutes:

• White crappie
• Black crappie
• Pumpkinseed
• Green sunfish
• Lake herring
• Tilapia
• Pollock

Find out how green sunfish compared in my article, Green Sunfish – What’s The Difference?

Costs

The costs for some fish will vary depending on the type of fishing and where they’re sold. When purchasing any fish, be sure to check the label. Therefore, which fish is more expensive?

Rock bass and bluegill have a similar price. The average cost for either ones fillets are $19.43 per pound.

Rock bass fillets are extremely difficult to find for sale. Sunfish are easier to find online.

To conduct more original research for fish prices, I checked online at Walleye Direct and found the following:

• Wild, bluegill fillets
  • $25.36 per pound

Seafood Markets:

• Wild, sunfish fillets (does not specify which kind of sunfish)
  • $18.00 per pound

Dixon Fisheries:

• Bluegill fillets
  • $14.95 per pound

For stocking ponds, Pond King has the following price per live fish:

• Hybrid (green sunfish x bluegill) $0.75 per 3-4″ fish
• Bluegill – $0.75 per 3-4″ fish

Crappie is a little easier to find online than some of the other sunfish. See how crappie compared in my article, Crappie – What’s The Difference? Let’s Compare.

Mercury Levels

The EPA and The FDA have issued suggestions and warnings about mercury levels in fish and how often they should be consumed 1. This is especially important for young infants, pregnant women and developing children.

They established three lists:

1. Best fish
2. Good choices
3. Ones to avoid based

Therefore, which of the two fish has more mercury?

Rock bass and bluegill have similar levels of mercury. Both fish are listed on the FDA’s best choice of fish regarding mercury levels.

If you’re pregnant, breast feeding or has a young child, Always check with a physician prior to eating new foods or changing your dietary habits.

These mercury warnings can change over time or affect only a particular area or state. Please check with your local EPA and FDA for the current fish recommendations especially when fishing 2.

Nutrition

Both of them are an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, minerals and B vitamins. Both sunfish contain the following:

• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Folate
• Niacin
• B6
• B12
• B5
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Iron
• Selenium
• Calcium
• Zinc

Bluegill provides the following number of nutrients per four raw ounces:

Nutrient Resources 3 4

Both fish provide a similar percentage of the same nutrients. Keep reading the next section below to find out how the nutrients benefit health, especially omega-3s.

Since the sunfish are difficult to locate in stores, I’ll consume either fish available to me for their nutrient content, taste and health benefits.

Find out how redbreast sunfish compared in my article, Redbreast Sunfish – What’s The Difference?

Rock Bass and Bluegill Health Benefits

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The omega-3 fatty acids are heart healthy and help keep arteries healthy. The omega-3s may help with the following:

• Reduce inflammation.
• Reduce plaque buildup.
• Keeping bad cholesterol low.
• Keeping good cholesterol high.
• Lowering triglycerides
• Help keep the heart rhythms more normal.

DHA and EPA, two of the fatty acids, are associated with lowering blood pressure and improving the health of blood vessels 5.

Studies suggest omega-3s from fish can help reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with rheumatoid arthritis. They may also boost the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Potassium

Potassium provided from either fish is approximately 400 mg. Potassium helps the body get rid of excess sodium which helps reduce fluid build-up. These help keep systolic and diastolic blood pressure lower 6.

The more potassium you consume, the more sodium your body will lose. Consuming too much sodium or not enough potassium throws off the delicate balance the kidneys need to remove the excess water 7.

According to Harvard Health, a number of studies have shown a connection between low potassium levels and increased blood pressure 8.

B Vitamins

The B vitamins provided by both fish include B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folate) B6, B12 and B5. B vitamins help support the following:

• Digestion.
• Brain function.
• Energy levels.
• Red blood cells.
• Cardiovascular disease.
• Nerve function.

Selenium

There are 14.2 mcg of selenium per four ounces. Numerous studies 9 show selenium may help to protect the following:

• The immune system
• Thyroid
• Cognitive issues
• Heart disease

Phosphorus

Both fish provide approximately 203 mg of phosphorus per four ounces. It has been shown in scientific research to help with the following:

• Promote healthy nerve conduction.
• Aides the kidneys in waste removal.
• Promote teeth and bone strength.
• Muscle recovery after exercise.
• Muscle contraction.
• Help the body store and manage energy.

Magnesium

Both sunfish provide about 34 mg of magnesium per four ounces. It calms and relaxes the whole body including blood vessels. Magnesium has been shown to help improve sleep related problems like insomnia 10.

Magnesium helps keep blood pressure levels balanced and stable. A recent study researched 22 studies and concluded magnesium supplementation decreased diastolic and systolic blood pressure 11.

The magnesium in rock bass and bluegill helps control muscle and nerve function, blood sugar and blood pressure.

In the muscles and heart, magnesium competes with calcium to help the muscles relax after contracting. When the body is low in magnesium, calcium can over stimulate the heart muscle’s cells causing a rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Calcium

Calcium is important for blood pressure and the heart. Harvard Health reports calcium helps maintain blood pressure because it helps to control the relaxing and tightening of blood vessels 12.

Calcium also helps the following:

• Build and maintain strong bones.
• Muscles need calcium to function properly.
• Improve nerve function.

Find out if the nutrients in redear sunfish differed in my comparison article, Redear Sunfish – Are They The Same? We Compare.

As a Certified Health Coach many of my clients ask me about seafood. In addition to educating my Health Coaching clients about bluegill and rock bass, I have researched, purchased and consumed both fish for 20 years prior to, during and after writing this article.

If you have any questions about this article don’t hesitate to email us. You can find an email on our contact page.

Read Next – More Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass and Green Sunfish Articles!

Black Crappie vs White Crappie – What’s The Difference?

Crappie vs Bass – What’s The Difference? Let’s Compare

White Crappie vs White Perch: Are They The Same? We Compare

Article Resources: Foods For Anti-Aging follows strict guidelines to ensure our content is the highest journalistic standard. It’s our mission to provide the reader with accurate, honest and unbiased guidance. Our content relies on medical associations, research institutions, government agencies and study resources. Learn more by reading our editorial policy.

1. FDA: Advice about Eating Fish[↩]
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Mercury accumulation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in a Florida lake[↩]
3. The Topeka Capital-Journal: Keto, Paleo or Atkins diet? Hunting, fishing can help trim your waistline in 2020[↩]
4. Nutritiondata: Fish, sunfish, raw[↩]
5. National Center for Biotechnology: Marine Omega-3 Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease[↩]
6. American Heart Association: How Potassium Can Help Control High Blood Pressure[↩]
7. National Center for Biotechnology Information: The Effect of the Sodium to Potassium Ratio on Hypertension Prevalence: A Propensity Score Matching Approach[↩]
8. Harvard Health: Potassium lowers blood pressure[↩]
9. National Institutes of Health: Selenium[↩]
10. National Institutes of Health: Magnesium[↩]
11. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis[↩]
12. Harvard Health: Key minerals to help control blood pressure[↩]

We try to cover cool new fishing gear as it hits the streets, and as FishTalk reader know, nothing related to fishing is out of bounds. For the upcoming summer of 2022 we have four totally awesome goodies and we’re hoping that at least one of these will be of interest to you no matter what sort of an angler you are. Here goes:

Columbia PFG Shirts and Shorts

The Columbia PFG line makes no false promises — if anything, it overdelivers. Last summer, I tested out some of their gear both on and off the water to see how it holds up. Trying out their Women’s PFG Tidal II Shorts, Women’s PFG Tidal Tee II Long Sleeve Shirt, and Women’s PFG Tidal Tee Hoodie, I stepped onto boats fully outfitted in clothing to fish.

IMO, the most impressive feature of Columbia’s gear is how fast it dries. When tuna fishing in the Women’s PFG Tidal II Shorts and Women’s PFG Tidal Tee Hoodie they got totally soaked in fish blood, then blasted by a saltwater washdown to remove it. The spray removed all the blood, leaving the shorts looking new and dry within 15 minutes. Within 20, the Tidal Tee Hoodie was also totally dry. All of the clothing provided excellent movement and avoided chaffing; scooping crabs off the trotline truly put this to the test. During the scooping the clothes were comfortable, and the shirt cuffs even withstood the blue-crab-claw test. The PFG Tidal II Shorts also have two spacious front zippered pockets, which comfortably held my phone, wallet, and a variety of snacks throughout the day.

All in all, Columbia’s PFG line is lightweight, durable, highly functional clothing that’ll seriously up your comfort and flexibility on the water. Many of their options, including the ones I tested, offer Omni-Shade UPF 50 sun protection, an absolute essential for time on the water. While made for fishing, I also wore the shorts and both shirts while white water rafting, hiking, running, and generally out and about. I ended summer with a tan line proving how much I enjoyed these shorts — if you pick some up, I reckon you will too. Price: $40 to $60.

-By Mollie Rudow

Frabill Pow’R Source

New for 2022, the 12-V lithium battery Pow’R Source from Frabill is sure to power all your camping and fishing needs. The lightweight 10-amp-hour battery is housed in a hardy waterproof case that features two USB ports, a 12-V outlet, and binding ports. Whether you’re powering your fish finder, recharging your phone, or using the flashlight feature to tie on a bait, the Pow’R Source is a surefire way to power up your day out on the water. I tested it while kayak fishing and it powered my Garmin Striker fishfinder for four fishing days in a row, without making so much as a dent in the juice supply. Price: $219.99.

Snakehead Jawbreaker

Prying open the mouth of an angry snakehead is no easy chore, at least it isn’t if you don’t want your fingers perforated, but you’ll have to master the task to retrieve your topwater frog post-catch. Enter the Snakehead Jawbreaker. We spotted this inventive tool while wandering the Pasadena Sportfishing Group’s fishing tackle show, and it struck us as the perfect solution to the average snakehead’s angry attitude. Slide the bill into the fish’s mouth, squeeze the handles, and these reverse-hemostats ratchet open to spread the fish’s jaws wide and keep ‘em that way. The tool also has a large float attached so dropping it overboard isn’t a disaster. Price: $39.99.

Quattro Braid Fishing Line

Ever wonder what braid line looks like underwater? Well, the fish won’t tell us. We can, however, try casting with camo. We did just that after spooling up with Hi Seas four-color camo Quattro Braid in 20-pound test. The concept behind Quattro is incorporating blue, black, green, and red colors patterned in short random lengths, to break up visual patterns in the water. Yet you can still spot this line above the waterline like bright-colored hi-vis lines — without tipping off the fish to your line’s presence. This line feels like other braids with zero stretch and sensitivity that mono can’t even dream of coming close to. However, made with tightly woven ultra-high-molecular polyethylene fibers, it also offers a bit less diameter than some competitors and measures up at .008 inches versus the common .009 inches. If you like the idea of casting with 20-pound line that has the diameter of six-pound mono and offers a unique way to visually deceive those dwellers of the depths, check this stuff out. Price: $25.99/300-yard spool.

-By Staff

Smallest spiders: Spiders are not the most desirable guests in the house. Everywhere they try to get rid of them, using improvised methods: slippers, for example, or chemicals. But once you take a closer look at these creatures, the desire to get rid of them is replaced by another – to release them.

Indeed, think, at the next meeting with a spider, why do not you, instead of killing them, release the representative of the arachnids carefully through the window or staircase? This requires only 2 items: a glass and a lid. You put the spider in a glass, put a lid on it, and then release it.

Did you know that you cannot kill spiders? Many legends are associated with 8-legged creatures. Among the ancient peoples, the spider in the center of the web was a symbol of the sun, from which the rays emanate.

And there is also a sign according to which a small spider (by the way, our article is about them) – for money, albeit small, and a large one – for solid amounts. As ordinary people say – the omen works, so first think about how to run for a sneaker.

In this article, we want to tell you about the smallest spiders in the world, look at their photos

1. Patu digua

Patu digua is the smallest spider among all. Scientists have found that the size of the male is only 0.43 mm. – without a magnifying glass we can’t see them. The spider belongs to the family of symphytognathidae. Distributed in West Africa on the Ivory Coast.

It is unimaginable, but with this size, the spider has a well-developed nervous system, which occupies 80% of the body. In addition to the nervous system, patu digua also has a developed brain, which occupies 25% of the body.

2. Maevia Inclemens

The Himalayan spider is tiny in size – the male does not exceed 5 mm, and the female grows up to 6 mm. For the first time, this unusual tiny spider was found on Everest, so that the representative of the arachnids can be attributed to the highest of all spiders on our planet.

If you pay attention to the name, it becomes clear that it was created for a reason, but means “living above everyone else.” The Himalayan spider was first discovered in 1922, but this species was qualified in the scientific world only 2 years later – in 1924.

3. Marpissa muscosa

This type of spider can be called the most charismatic. Distributed in the Palaearctic. Marpissa muscosa in length reaches 8 mm, the color varies from gray to brownish. The spider got such an interesting name due to its appearance because its entire body is covered with hair, which is very similar to moss.

Spiders of this species prefer to settle in nests that they create in dead trees. The Marpissa muscosa inhabits North Africa, Europe, and the Asian part of Russia.

4. Ant spider-horse

The Ant Spider Horse is called a miracle of nature, outwardly it looks like an ant. Its dimensions do not exceed 12 mm. Among other representatives of the arthropod species, he stands out for his jumping ability and is the owner of excellent vision. Many researchers even believe that the ant spider is endowed with intelligence.

Spiders of this species are representatives of fauna and flora, they are found absolutely everywhere. Once, in 1975, one of the subspecies was discovered at the top of Everest – at an altitude of more than 6500 m above sea level. There is a version that ancient ant spiders first appeared in Gondwana, and subsequently spread throughout the Earth.

5. Tegenaria Domestica (House Spider)

The Tegenaria domestica or house spider belongs to the funnel spider family. Of all the species, it is the most common – it lives everywhere in the wild, and also prefers to settle in human dwellings, especially they like attics. By the way, they manage to get into the apartment very easily – in warm weather, they do it through open windows.

For a person, a house spider up to 12 mm in size does not pose a danger but attacks only if it feels that something is threatening it.

An interesting fact: the house spider perfectly senses changes in atmospheric pressure. If it rains, they crawls deeper into the hole, and sits there, not sticking out.

6. Pholcus Phalangioides

Meet Pholcus phalangioides, this is a house spider that lives throughout the entire territory of our planet. It is found where there is low light in the basement, for example. If the Pholcus phalangioides is in the house, then, as a rule, it prefers the ceilings and corners of the house.

A characteristic feature of this baby (the length of adults is only 7-10 mm.) is the ability to tremble with the whole body and the net, in case it was disturbed. The trembling occurs with such frequency that the outlines of the spider blur in space, and it is almost impossible to see it.

Despite its strange feature, the phalanx spider is completely harmless to humans, and when it penetrates the skin (by 0.1 mm), a person feels only a slight burning sensation.

7. European Garden Spider (cross-legged spider)

There is a statement that the spider is dangerous to humans, but in fact, this is a myth – one of the most common spiders is poisonous only for small animals: rats, mice, etc.

The European garden spider is considered peaceful, but when outdoors it can cause some inconvenience. This species prefers places with high humidity, most often it can be found in gardens or shrubs that grow near water bodies.

The spider got its name due to its appearance – on the back of the arachnid there is a cross formed of white spots. Females are larger than males – their size reaches 25 mm, and the male does not exceed 11 mm.

8. Latrodectus Tredecimguttatus (Mediterranean black widow)

In another way, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus is called the “Mediterranean black widow“. The reason for this is two facts: the color (there are red spots on its black abdomen, but in adult females they are absent – black spiders resemble a widow) and the treatment of the female with the male – after mating, she eats him.

It is not surprising that one of the most dangerous species of spiders has been nicknamed the “Mediterranean black widow“. The spider has an interesting body structure – its abdomen is shaped like a ball. The bite of a Latrodectus tredecimguttatus is very dangerous, but all the people should not worry (if only residents of Azerbaijan, they can also be found there), because spiders live in North Africa and Central Asia.

9. Ballus (muscular horse)

This spider species has excellent vision, providing an all-round view of almost 360º. A pair of peepholes in front, like binoculars, gives a magnifying image.

The muscular horse was named after the mythological character of the son of Hercules. The jumping horse can be attributed to the smallest spiders in the world, but to one of the largest representatives of the jumping spiders – its length reaches 2 cm.

This interesting arachnid can be found in Southeast Asia, in forests, near swamps, and in foliage. The spider has one peculiarity – it does not weave webs, but during the hunt uses a safety thread, attaching it to a solid surface.

10. Brown Hermit Spider

The hermit spider is quite tiny, with legs its dimensions do not exceed 20 mm, but this does not prevent it from carrying a serious danger to humans. Its poison is so strong that without timely medical intervention, a person can simply die. In this case, the pain is not felt immediately, and the person can become a victim during sleep.

The brown spider likes to live in abandoned buildings, but it can also get into an apartment building. It is distinguished from others by the number of eyes – usually, a spider has 8 of them, and this species has 6. Despite the fact that the spider is called brown, in reality, they are also gray or dark yellow.

By Tom Kelly

The resurgence in lighter, sleeker shotguns has prompted some of the major shotgun manufacturers to introduce some newer versions of the 16 gauge in the last few years.

The 16 gauge was another victim of the magnum craze. It seemed like for a while if it didn’t have a 3” or 3 ½” chamber, it didn’t sell. Well, like many of the other magnums, when people started shooting them, they lost some of their luster. In the last 10 to 15 years, there has been a resurgence of the smaller gauge shotguns. There are even people hunting turkeys with .410 bores. Here in the north country, we still appreciate a good upland game gun. Many 16 gauge shotguns fill this job admirably.

Slug Options

The 16 gauge can fulfill the role of an all around game gun in a very sleek classic style. In places like Massachusetts, where deer can only be hunted with shotguns, a 16 gauge loaded with slugs can be an effective tool. It can also be accomplished in a lighter sleeker shotgun. I have also had bear clients successfully harvest black bears with 16 gauge slugs. The niche where this midsized gauge really shines, however, is for upland game. There are few places a Browning sweet 16 or an Ithica Mod 37 Featherweight swings as smoothly as when following partridge weave through the trees. Countless snowshoe hare have also fallen to a 1 oz load of #6’s from these classic guns.

In the 40s and 50s, approximately 25% of the sporting shotguns sold were 16 gauge models. Sadly, that is no longer the case. There are still many fans of the 16 bore. Unfortunately, most of these fans are now senior citizens. As an example, my lifelong hunting partner and friend Bob, whom you have all heard about, has 3 Browning Sweet 16 shotguns. One is set up with a low power scope for slug shooting, one has a modified choke for pheasants over dogs and the third has an improved cylinder for partridge and hare.

Specs The specs of the 16 gauge are pretty respectable for these aforementioned purposes. The bore measures .662 of an inch. Shotshells can be had in 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz payloads. A 1 1/8 oz load of #6 shot leaves the muzzle at 1423 fps. That will catch a fleeing hare and put his tail over his ears quickly.

The resurgence in lighter, sleeker shotguns has prompted some of the major shotgun manufacturers to introduce some newer versions of the 16 gauge in the last few years. Browning has reintroduced the classic sweet 16 with some modern touches. Browning is also offering the Citori 725 over and under in this gauge. Savage Arms and Franchi, are also making 16 gauge over and under shotguns. CZ is offering a Sharptail side by side in 16 gauge. These all feature a reduced size receiver to add to the lines.

Hopefully, a new generation of 16 gauge fans will respond to these new offerings. Some of the old classics can still be found on used gun racks. The good news is used 16 gauge shotguns usually sell for less than comparable 12 or 20’s. Remember a lightweight Browning Sweet 16 would make a perfect 1st shotgun for that new shooter you are bringing along.

Tom is a Registered Maine Guide. He is the owner/operator of Shamrock Outfitters in Orient Maine with his wife Ellie. He is a retired police officer as well as a retired manager from two major firearms manufacturers. He is an NRA Certified Instructor as well as a Hunter Safety Instructor in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. You can reach Tom at Shamrock Outfitters (207) 694-2473. Please visit our Facebook Page: Shamrock Outfitters and Properties and come visit us on East Grand Lake.

For more articles about hunting, fishing and the great outdoors, be sure to subscribe to our monthly magazine the Northwoods Sporting Journal.

For free access to our monthly digital version of the Northwoods Sporting Journal, click here.

Meat Block

10 lb of Venison 2.5 lb of pork straight pork fat or 10 lb of untrimmed pork butts 1 Bag of Taco Snack Sticks 10.75 oz for 12.5 lb 1 oz of Sure Cure (Included with purchase) 14.1 grams for 12.5 lb Water (2 lb per 25 lb batch of meat) 16 oz of water for a 12.5 lb batch

OPTIONAL Additives 1 Bag of Sure Gel 3 oz for 12.5 lb Encapsulated Citric Acid 2 oz for 12.5 lb

Equipment

Walton’s 50 lb Meat Mixer Walton’s 11 lb Sausage Stuffer Walton’s #12 Meat Grinder

Casing Preparation

We are using 19mm Smoke Collagen Casings, which will fit easily over our 12mm stuffing tube. These casings require no preparation; simply take them out of the package and put them on the stuffing tube.

Process

This meat was already ground once through a 3/8 plate and frozen. We defrosted it and ground it again through a 1/8 plate. The fact that it was still partially frozen sped up the 2nd ground significantly. What would normally be a process of 10 minutes was finished in under 3.

Pork Fat –

If you are adding just pork fat to your meat block, you should add somewhere between 20-25% of the weight of your venison meat in fat. In this case, that meant we added 2.5 lb, and we added that while we were grinding, this allows it to start mixing in with the venison as it grinds. We also made sure the pork was almost frozen to help it grind faster and better.

Pork Butts –

If you are adding pork butts, make sure that they are untrimmed, meaning that they have a good fat cap on them and that the skin is removed from the pork butt. You will be able to tell if the skin is still on by looking for small hair follicles; if you see that, then the skin is still on, and you will need to trim that off while leaving as much fat as possible on the meat.

Meat Mixing

Next, you need to mix the seasoning and cure into your meat. To do this, you can either use a meat mixer or do it by hand. Because this is a product that we are going to cure and smoke, we need to achieve a high level of protein extraction, so doing this with your hands is difficult but can be done. When using a mixer, add the meat to the mixer, then the seasoning and cure, and finally, the water. You will want to mix in both directions until all seasoning and cure have been mixed in and you have good protein extraction. You will know that a good level of protein extraction has been achieved when the meat is sticky and tacky; if you can pull a handful of it apart and it stretches, that is a good sign.

Sausage Stuffing

Next, choose the largest stuffing tube that your casings will fit over and begin stuffing. Stuff until the casings are full and smooth but leave yourself enough room on the end to close with a hog ring.

If you can just faintly see a swirl pattern running down the casing, that means you have stuffed them correctly. If that pattern is obvious, then they are understuffed, which will lead to excessively wrinkled casings and an odd texture.

If you cannot see that pattern at all, then you have overstuffed the casings, and you run a risk of the casings popping when you hang them in the smokehouse.

Note

If you added Encapsulated Citric Acid or other cure accelerators, you need to go directly from stuffing to smoking. If you did not use a cure accelerator of some sort, then after you’ve stuffed everything, the product has to be held in the refrigerator overnight to allow the cure time to work.

Thermal Processing & Smoking

Set up your smoker and hang your sausage on smoke sticks or lay on racks and smoke at: 125F for 1 hour 140F for 1 hour 155F for 2 hours 175F until internal meat temp of 160F

When they have reached 160 internal temperature, remove them from the smoker and put them in an ice bath to bring the heat down and help set the casing.

A water bath is not sufficient for this; the water needs to be ice water or shower them with a fan pointed at the hanging sticks.

Cooling

Lastly, leave them out at room temperature for about an hour before vacuum packing them; this will ensure you don’t get additional moisture in the vacuum bag, which would affect the shelf life of your meats.

Wrap up

Adding pork fat instead of pork butts will give them a more distinct taste and color. The intensity of the difference will depend on the protein you are using; deer works well with pork fat, so the 50/50 mix of venison and untrimmed pork butts will work well, but with something like goose, you really want to find straight pork fat.

Other Notes

Depending on your pH and your Water Activity, your sticks might be shelf-stable, but without a way to test this, you should vacuum pack and refrigerate these, and since these are wild game, they wouldn’t be considered “shelf-stable” technically.

What Is A Snack Stick?

Snack Sticks are meat snacks and semi-dried sausages that are stuffed into smoked collagen casings and then hung in a smokehouse for cooking. Many Snack Sticks will have a pH between 4.5 and 5.2 to give them some shelf stability and the classic tangy flavor.

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Fooling waterfowl consistently means adapting to the variables that present themselves both in the field and on the water. Ultimately, how convincing your decoy spread is will either make or break a hunt. Here, we outline four decoy spreads, each proven to dupe even the wariest flocks under most conditions.

THE CROP CIRCLE

This spread is effective for hunting ducks in a harvested agricultural field. Unlike many field decoys setups, the Crop Circle draws ducks in extremely well even with light and variable winds.

Ducks and geese tend to decoy into the wind, but harvested grain fields are so attractive that ducks might drop from the sky from any direction. This spread keeps ducks out in front where shooting them is easiest.

Puddle ducks that drop into an agricultural field that already has ducks on it will land behind those ducks rather than in front of them. They also like to land near individuals and small groups that have moved away from the main flock. Anyone who has had a floating decoy drift off during a water hunt has likely noticed this behavior, and it also occurs in fields.

The decoys are set in a circle with a small flock or an individual decoy in the center. No matter which way the wind is blowing, ducks will either head for the upwind, inside edge of the circle of decoys to land at the tails or they’ll target the small flock (or single) in the center. A narrow gap in the downwind side of the circle entices ducks to enter the circle at that location.

Mallards are usually the mainstay species for a field hunt. However, setting small flocks of other ducks, such as gadwalls and pintails, upwind on the hunter’s shooting shoulder side, can entice these other ducks to decoy while saving the best shooting angle on the shooter’s strong side for decoying mallards.

If Canada geese are in the area, setting a small group of goose decoys away from the main circle of duck decoys and on the side opposite the secondary duck decoys can provide a bonus opportunity.

THE FISHHOOK

One of the most reliable decoy setups on land or water is the Fishhook, also known as a “J Spread.” The Fishhook works best when the wind is angling over the shooter’s shoulder or parallel to the bank. The shank of the fishhook extends downwind.

Canada geese are the primary targets with this setup. If secondary species (i.e., white-fronted or snow geese) are in the area, setting small groups of decoys for them upwind, outside and away from the point of the hook, might entice them to drop in.

It’s important to set this spread well away from any tall cover, including trees, cane, cattails and fencerows. Canada geese might circle a spread several times before taking a long-approach flight path as they decoy from downwind. They’ll shy away from any tall object they have to pass over while circling and might balk if any tall cover is near the shank of the hook during their final approach. Even a single bush can cause them to change their minds and flare away.

The blind should be at the apex of the hook bend. Geese will land anywhere along the inside of the bend, so being situated for shooting at its center provides the best opportunity no matter the approach angle.

THE GAPPED FISHHOOK

This spread is best for hunting diving ducks that have been hunted hard and are blind wary. The Gapped Fishhook is set up so the long shank of the hook runs away from the boat or bank blind positioned at the hook’s point.

Diving ducks are seemingly hypnotized by the long line of decoys leading to the hook bend. However, the line must be perfectly straight, with decoys spaced evenly 4 or 5 feet apart. Using gang rigs, also called longline or trotline rigs, helps to maintain the straight line and keeps decoys spaced evenly.

The line can be 100 yards or longer, extending far downwind. Passing ducks locate the end of the line and fly along it until they reach the bend in the hook, where they decoy to the head of the decoys. However, if there is any gap or division in an otherwise straight line of decoys, decoying divers might land in the gap(s) and out of gun range.

Diving ducks tend to decoy to the head of a rig because of the way they feed. After swimming submerged and feeding on the bottom, birds at the rear of the flock will surface and leapfrog over ducks feeding in front of them because the easiest-to-find food has been eaten.

A gap should be left at the end of the straight shank just before the hook bend. Diving ducks can decoy very close to the water, and the gap keeps the hunter from shooting his decoys. Another flock of diving ducks should be set to attract secondary birds.

For early-season spreads, ring-necked duck decoys can serve for the main body and scaup for the secondary species, but species composition should match the ducks seen in the area. The secondary species decoys are set with the hook point facing outward from the blind, leaving a gap between the two bodies of decoys.

This leaves another open area where you don’t have to worry about shot striking the decoys. Ducks will attempt to land at either gap or at the head of either body of decoys, depending upon the species.

THE DOUBLE V

The Double V spread is a great water setup for puddle ducks, and it can attract primary and secondary species as well as oddball ducks. The first V is set slightly upwind, with the wind blowing parallel to the bank. The second V of decoys is set 10 to 20 yards behind or downwind of the first V. In November, most Southern waterfowl hunters are served well by using mallards and green-winged teal decoys to fill out these two Vs.

Setting a single teal and a single mallard decoy in the gap between the two Vs gives singles and small flocks a landing target. Puddle ducks usually land behind the decoys, rather than in front of them like divers do. This setup works well when puddle ducks are drawn to the inside angular bends of the Vs or to the single decoys in the gap(s) between them.

Other secondary decoys can be set near the blind in the gap between the two Vs of primary decoys. These can include black ducks, pintails, gadwalls or confidence decoys like coots, depending upon the various species that are in the area. Even diving ducks may be attracted to decoys set in this location. The idea is to give them a landing target within the large Vs that constitute the main attraction.

FRESHEN UP YOUR SPREAD

Time for a decoy upgrade? Check out these four fakes.

Flambeau Gunning Series Canvasback decoys pair the round-bottom design of old-time, hand-carved decoys with a modern, skeg-style keel for a lifelike ride under any water conditions, even in the shallow waters of flooded farm fields. The plastic outer shell is quiet, and the interior is foam-filled for durability. The patented UVision finish reflects the real ultraviolet plumage signature that ducks see. ($139.99/six; flambeauoutdoors.com)

Mojo’s Elite Series Floater decoys solve the problems associated with setting spinning-wing decoys on stakes by replacing the stakes with easy-to-install floating plastic bases. Each decoy includes a remote control. The float has a removable 11-inch bar with a 14-ounce weight that stabilizes it in rough conditions. Available in mallard, bluebill and redhead drakes. ($139.99; mojooutdoors.com)

Tanglefree’s 60 Pack of Lesser Canada Skinny silhouette decoys contains 40 upright, 10 walker and 10 feeder geese for customizable, ultra-realistic spreads in a number of scenarios. All 5-dozen decoys feature flocked heads for improved realism. A Flight Series decoy bag in Optifade Marsh camouflage is included for easily transporting the lightweight dekes to and from the X. ($434.99; tanglefree.com)

The afternoon sun was settling westward behind a bank of disconsolate grey clouds, as I worked my way across a huge flat-topped mesa just north of Texas’s famous Big Bend country. A huge javelina boar showed briefly through the short-brush. Readying my handmade Osage self bow and stone-pointed arrow, I moved to intercept him. The hunting gods must have been pleased, for the big boar continued his swaggering path directly toward me. My bow was raised, my fingers tight on the string as he crossed behind some brush. Seven short yards were all that separated us when he emerged, broadside, beady-eye gleaming and razor-sharp cutters lifting his lip in a perpetual good-natured snarl. I dropped the string and watched my stone point bury behind his shoulder. It was the second-largest archery-killed Javelina in Texas that year.

Life and Times of JavelinaJavelina (pronounced Hav-uh-leen-uh), or Collared Peccary, reside stateside only in Texas, southern New Mexico and Arizona. Hunting opportunities vary from state to state. Arizona offers the best access to good public-land hunting, but javelina numbers are not terribly high, and in many areas, tags must be applied for and drawn lottery style. Texas is in many ways the reverse—in certain areas of Texas, javelina numbers are super high, and it’s possible to see half a dozen troops in a winter morning’s hunt, with 30 to 40 javelina per band. Most of Texas is private land, however, so you’ll need permission from the owner to hunt just about anywhere, and good properties may require an access fee. Licenses are easy to obtain though, and every hunter is allowed two javies each year with the purchase of a regular Texas hunting license. I’m not familiar with hunting javelina in New Mexico, so I am not in a position to offer an opinion on hunting quality and opportunity there.

Stink Pigs—so called because of the strong musk emitted by a scent gland located atop their hindquarters—are really fun to hunt, especially with a bow. Their sense of smell is superb but their eyesight is pretty bad, so as long as you keep the wind in your face it’s relatively easy to close within 10 or 15 yards of a band of pigs. Their hearing is pretty good, too, but most of the time they make so much noise shuffling about, grubbing for food, smacking their lips and quarreling with each other they rarely hear you. Only pay real attention to being quiet if you’re stalking a lone pig or a herd bedded down for a siesta. If the herd is quiet, you’d better be, too.

Peccary TeethPeccary possess long cutters (or teeth) that protrude fang-like from both top and bottom jaws. These continuously rub against each other, creating razor-sharp edges. Javelinas are tough, courageous critters, very dangerous to dogs and even humans at times, due to their tendency to attack anything that bothers one of their own. When following a wounded javie be careful, and approach any shadowed thicket with caution. If your pig is still alive, you’ll likely hear it popping its teeth at you—a loud, rather intimidating sound—before you see it. Best to put another round (or arrow) into the pig at your first opportunity in this scenario.

Dogs can experience especial problems in confrontations of the javelina variety. A big courageous dog will likely be killed, because he’ll put up a fight and be cut to pieces by the herd. A little dog with more bluster than bite can get its owner in real trouble by picking a fight with a pig, then running to hide behind his owner’s legs when the pig’s buddies all show up with blood in their eyes.

In Texas, Javelinas are scored exactly like a bear or lion, by measuring the length and width of the cleaned skull, then adding the two measurements together for a final score. The biggest, oldest boars usually have worn or broken their cutters down short, so often the best skull mounts come from middle-aged boars that still possess long, impressive fangs. Live weight usually ranges from 35 to 55 pounds. The two biggest Texas boars I’ve weighed pushed the scales to 65 pounds. Females are usually more petite than boars, but still sport long cutters and make admirable shoulder, full-body or skull mounts. Indeed, unless you’re very experienced, it can be quite hard to tell male and female apart while hunting.

Hunting JavelinasFinding javelinas is sometimes the toughest element to hunting them. If you’re new to an area, I suggest spending a day scouting for sign left by the little pigs before getting serious about hunting them. Look in dry washes and arroyos for little blunt tracks—somewhat reminiscent of deer tracks, just much shorter. Keep an eye out for chewed-up prickly pear cactus; javelina love to eat the pads, leaving bite-shaped chunks missing. The bite edges will be ragged and stringy, since stink pigs don’t have cleanly meshing front teeth. Look for water sources with sign around them, for though javelina don’t need to drink much when feeding on prickly pear, they prefer to stay hydrated, and will frequent seeps, water troughs and such. In hot or buggy weather you might find evidence of wallowing activity in muddy areas. Also, if there are corn feeders around (as are common in Texas), keep an eye on them. Stink pigs love corn, and will drive deer away and take possession of the area around a feeder.

Once you’ve located an area with plentiful Javelina sign, ready your bow or shoulder your rifle. It’s not super important to be hunting at the crack of dawn; javelinas are not very early risers, and are more likely to be moving once sunshine warms the area a little. Hunt your area from downwind so the pigs don’t scent you, and keep your own sniffer busy—many times I’ve smelled a herd of stink pigs before I’ve seen them. Keep your ears open, too; occasionally javelinas bark or huff at each other, the sound giving you another way to locate them.

If there is a mesa, ridge, point or other vantage overlooking the area where you found javie sign, it’s a good tactic to sit atop the point and let your binocular do the walking. Be patient and spend plenty of time glassing; an entire herd of javelinas can be hidden in a tiny draw for a couple hours, and you’ll think there’s not a pig for miles. Then suddenly, they stroll out into the sunshine and it seems as though there are pigs everywhere. While sitting and glassing, you can listen, too—you might locate javelina by their sounds.

Once you’ve located a sounder of peccary, it’s time to make your move. Make sure you keep the wind in your favor and approach cautiously, but not too cautiously. Javies stay on the move most of the time, and if you take too long, they may have vacated the area before you arrive. Once you’re within 40 yards, you can slow down and stalk with care. If a pig spots you, just freeze and wait till it relaxes. Then resume your stalk.

Bullets and Broadheads for PeccaryYour regular deer-hunting rifle or handgun will work fine on javelina, just make sure you use a tough bullet. Stink pigs are dense and hard-boned, as you’ll see from the story below.

I almost simply wrote the same advice regarding archery gear—that the same gear you use on deer will work on pigs—but in good conscience, I can’t. From personal experience guiding peccary hunters in Texas, I believe they are tougher to kill than deer. In my opinion you need a really tough, cut-on-contact, one piece broadhead like a Woodsman, Montec G5 or similar. Here’s a true story to illustrate my point:

A friend who guided for me had never killed a peccary before, so we went out one evening to try to get him a pig. He was carrying an archery setup with which he had recently killed a huge bull elk, shooting expandable points. I told my buddy I had previously seen expandable heads fail on javelina, and suggested he use something else, but he was confident in his setup so we went hunting. His bow pulled 70 pounds of draw weight at 28 inches.

We soon located a troop of stink pigs, with one big boar sniffing around the females. The boar crossed in front of us, stopping broadside at 32 yards. My friend is a crack shot, but javies are pretty small and his arrow impacted about an inch and a half forward of the crease, with a sound like a baseball bat hitting a light pole. We tracked the boar over 450 yards up the side of a mesa before leaving him to live another day. The arrow had penetrated only an inch and a half beyond the broadhead ferrule, stopped cold by the peccaries scapula. It is my belief that a solid, cut-on-contact broadhead would have penetrated that scapula and double-lunged the pig. The moral of the story, of course, is that javelinas are small and very tough. Choose your gear and shots accordingly.

Shot PlacementWith a firearm and a tough bullet, you can down a peccary from any angle, but with archery gear the ideal shot angle is broadside, or slightly quartering away. The vitals are small, so take your time and make a careful shot. One helpful tip to remember is that javelinas can’t flex their neck very far to the side, so anytime they hear or see anything they must turn toward the source to investigate. This usually leaves you with a quartered-to angle. That’s fine with a firearm, but don’t risk it with a bow; wait for a better opportunity. Due to the same characteristic, it’s not helpful to make a sound to try to stop a moving pig for a shot—the animal will invariably stop quartered-on.

Following UpWell-hit javies usually (though not always) tip over quickly. The same rules you’d use when hunting deer apply to any blood trail, except for one: if you believe that the pig is wounded and potentially alive, consider him dangerous. Exercise caution, and if possible, carry a hard-hitting firearm to use if he comes at you. A mad peccary is not likely to kill you, but he sure might leave some cool scars on your legs. Just be careful.

Processing MeatThere are two very important elements to keeping peccary meat tasty: keep it clean and cool it quick. When you approach your first stink pig, you’ll wonder how anyone could possibly eat something that smells like that. Get the skin off and away, exercising real care to keep the scent gland with its oily musk off the meat, and the carcass will look and smell fresh and tasty. Get the meat on ice in a cooler and you’re all set. Grind into breakfast sausage or chorizo, or slow-cook for a pulled-pork barbeque. Bon Appétit!

What’s the best rifle scope for hunting you should be using this fall?

I think we can probably agree that choosing the best rifle scope for hunting can be a pretty difficult task, especially for those who are new to hunting or just don’t know a lot about hunting rifle scopes in general.

To start off with, there are so many different rifle scopes available on the market these days that selecting the right one can be overwhelming. Additionally, it can be difficult to cut through some of the marketing speak and hype out there in order to determine what stuff is worth your hard earned money and what rifle scopes you’re better off avoiding.

I’ve experienced a lot of that same frustration myself.

I’ve tried out literally dozens of different rifle scopes with varying results over the years. Though I’ve never owned a truly bad scope, I have purchased a few models that I felt were a waste of money and would would not recommend to others. Luckily, there are several high quality rifle scopes for hunters on the market today that provide exceptional performance both at the range and afield.

In this post, I share my picks for the best rifle scopes for hunting. Just buying one of these rifle scopes won’t guarantee that you’ll fill your tag this fall. However, the right scope can still provide an important advantage when you need it most and increase the odds that you’ll cleanly and ethically take the game you’re after.

Before we get started, here’s a disclaimer: some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase.

This commission comes at no extra cost to you. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Thanks for your support.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get started.

Feel free to scroll straight through the article, or click one of the links below to jump straight to the best rifle scopes for hunting in the specific category you’re looking for.

Most Versatile Rifle Scope For Hunting

Best Value Rifle Scope For Hunting

Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting Under $200

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $300

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $500

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $600

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $1,000

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $1,500

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $2,000

Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $3,000

Best Scopes For Hunting With An AR

Best First Focal Plane Scope For Hunting

Best “Smart” Rifle Scopes For Hunting

Most Versatile Rifle Scope For Hunting

Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44mm

I’ll cut straight to the chase: I think the Leupold VX-5HD is the most versatile hunting scope currently available on the market. Not only that, but this is my favorite hunting scope. Full stop.

Why? First, it has fantastic glass and provides outstanding light transmission. Plus, the specific VX-5HD model I’m recommending here also uses an illuminated FireDot Duplex reticle. Basically, it’s a standard duplex crosshair with an illuminated red dot in the center that you can turn on and off.

It works just like a typical scope during the day, but you can turn on that illuminated reticle to aid in aiming during low light conditions. I’ve been in several situations where I had game come out during legal shooting light, but it was dark enough that I had trouble seeing the animals with my naked eye.

Fortunately, the light gathering capabilities of the VX-5HD are so fantastic that I could see much better while looking through the scope.

For example, I successfully and cleanly took a big blue wildebeest with my VX-5 on a recent hunt in Africa at dusk when it was so dark that I could not see the black crosshairs on his dark body. However, I just turned on the illuminated reticle, put the dot where I wanted to hit, squeezed the trigger, and he dropped in his tracks.

There’s no way I could have ethically or practically taken that shot with a scope that lacked the fantastic light transmission of the VX-5HD or without the illuminated reticle.

The Leupold VX-5HD also comes with Leupold’s CDS-ZL system. This is basically a custom elevation turret matched to your favorite hunting load. Once you install the new CDS-ZL2 dial, it’s a simple matter of turning it to the right range and doing your part as a shooter.

No more taping a bullet dope chart to the stock of your rifle or trying to determine the proper amount of hold over before you take a long range shot. If your target is 400 yards away, just set the custom elevation dial to 400 yards, hold the crosshairs exactly where you want to hit, and squeeze the trigger.

The VX-5HD also has a side focus parallax adjustment dial and a wide zoom range from 3x all the way up to 15x on the high end. This wide zoom range makes the scope well suited for basically any hunting situation you can think of from whitetail in thick timber, to open country antelope or mule deer hunts, or even elk up in the Rocky Mountains.

This scope is also really well built, tracks beautifully, has forgiving eye relief, and holds a zero exceptionally well.

To be fair, the Leupold VX-6HD line has a few additional features that some hunters really like. However, I own and have hunted with both and, in my opinion, the VX-5HD provides the best balance of size, weight, price, and the features that are most important to me.

I have a couple of 3-15×44 VX-5HD scopes on my traditional hunting rifles as well as a 1-5x20mm version on my .458 Win Mag that’s perfect for use on dangerous game at close range.

All in all, this is a fantastic rifle scope for hunting that provides high end performance at a surprisingly reasonable price. If that big buck or bull of your dreams steps out of the woods right at last light, you want a scope like the VX-5HD on your deer rifle so you can make that shot when it counts.

Key Features

• Weight: 19.7 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-15x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 44mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 38.3-7.7 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Side adjusting parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Custom Dial System-ZL Elevation (CDS-ZL)
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Wide magnification range
• Excellent quality glass
• Illuminated reticle is perfect for low light situations
• Great balance of useful features without too many unnecessary “extras”

Cons

• On the heavy side
• Lacks throw level on magnification ring
• Higher price point

BUY A LEUPOLD VX-5HD SCOPE ON AMAZON HERE

BUY A LEUPOLD VX-5HD SCOPE AT OPTICS PLANET HERE

Best Value Rifle Scope For Hunting

Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14x40mm

The Leupold VX-3HD scope is next up as my selection for the best value rifle scope for hunting. Leupold makes fantastic quality hunting scopes and their VX-3HD model (which replaced the old VX-3i) provides a good mix of useful features and high end glass in a relatively compact package that’s also available at a moderate price tier.

This scope uses a 1″ main body tube, which helps keep it light and compact. Scopes like this one with a 1-inch tube are easier to mount low to the bore, which facilitates a good cheek weld and gives the rifle a more streamlined profile that’s less prone to snagging on obstructions.

A 4.5x magnification at the low end is good for closer range hunting situations while a 14x magnification at the high end works great for checking targets at the range or for shots at longer range afield.

Speaking of which, the Leupold VX-3HD also comes with a coupon you can redeem with Leupold to receive a custom elevation turret matched to your favorite hunting load. They call this their Custom Dial System Zero Lock (CDS-ZL). After installing the new custom dial, just range the target, turn the dial to that number, and aim dead on. Furthermore, the ZeroLock system on that turret eliminates accidental dial movement.

Add it all up, and you’ve got a great hunting rifle scope with lots of useful features at a reasonable price point that should serve you well for many years of use afield.

Key Features

• Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Magnification Range: 4.5-14x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 40mm
• Tube Diameter: 1-inch
• Field of View: 19.9-7.4 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 150 yards
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Custom Dial System-ZL Elevation (CDS-ZL)
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Light and compact
• Good quality glass
• Removable throw lever on magnification ring facilitates rapid adjustments
• Lots of features with a reasonable price

Cons

• No parallax adjustment dial
• No illuminated reticle

BUY A LEUPOLD VX-3HD SCOPE ON AMAZON HERE

BUY A LEUPOLD VX-3HD SCOPE AT OPTICS PLANET HERE

Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting Under $200

Vortex Crossfire II

The Vortex Crossfire II is a great entry level rifle scope and is exactly what you need if you want a no frills rifle scope for hunting under $200 and don’t want to do a lot of shopping.

This scope is nitrogen filled so it’s is fog proof and waterproof. It also has multi-coated lenses that facilitate light transmission and clarity under a variety of circumstances.

This scope is available with the Vortex Dead Hold BDC reticle. At the maximum magnification, the hashmarks on the reticle provide 1.5 MOA, 4.5 MOA, and 7.5 MOA holdover points as well as 2 MOA, 4 MOA, 6 MOA, and 8 MOA windage hold marks.

While the Vortex Optics Crossfire II does not provide light transmission or image quality on par with some of the more expensive optics on this list, it’s still a capable hunting scope for those who don’t need a high performance optic. It’s also comes with Vortex’s lifetime warranty.

Make no mistake: the Crossfire II is perfectly adequate for typical hunting situations, especially for hunters on a tight budget.

Key Features

• Weight: 14.3 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-9x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 40mm
• Tube Diameter: 1-inch main tube
• Field of View: 34.1-12.6 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 100 yards
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Light and compact
• Very reasonable price
• Perfect for a budget conscious hunter

Cons

• Lower image quality than the higher end scopes
• Restrictive eye box
• No parallax adjustment dial
• No illuminated reticle

BUY A VORTEX CROSSFIRE II SCOPE ON AMAZON HERE

BUY A VORTEX CROSSFIRE II SCOPE AT OPTICS PLANET HERE

Burris Fullfield E1

While the Vortex Crossfire scope is often slightly less expensive, the Burris FullField E1 scope has a couple of advantages for hunters at a slightly higher price point. It still usually comes in under $200 though.

First, this scope uses slightly better quality glass than the Vortex Crossfire. It also uses the Burris Ballistic Plex Reticle that includes holdover points for various yardages. This is also a durable and well built scope, but comes with the Burris Forever Warranty in case something breaks.

With those things in mind, the Burris provides a good step up in performance for just a little bit more money than the Vortex Crossfire II.

Key Features

• Weight: 13 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-9x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 40mm
• Tube Diameter: 1-inch
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 100 yards
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Light and compact
• Very reasonable price
• Perfect for a budget conscious hunter

Cons

• Lower image quality than higher end scopes
• No parallax adjustment

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Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $300

Leupold VX Freedom 3-9x40mm

The Leupold VX-Freedom is another good rifle scope that’s an excellent choice for hunters on a budget. Leupold made a bunch of changes to their line of optics a few years ago and the VX-Freedom replaced the old VX-2 line of scopes. However, this update is a good thing and the VX-Freedom still incorporates the features people loved about the Leupold VX-2 with a handful of added improvements.

Like all Leupold rifle scopes, the VX-Freedom uses quality glass that’s coated to maximize light transmission and minimize glare and reflection. The glass on this scope is not quite as good as what you’ll find on the VX-3HD, VX-5HD, or VX-6HD, but it’s still really good (better than the Vortex Crossfire II).

Plus, the scope is even lighter and little smaller in profile than the VX-3HD.

The Leupold VX-Freedom also comes with a coupon you can redeem with Leupold to receive a CDS-ZL turret matched to your favorite hunting load. This facilitates shots at slightly longer range and a good rifleman should have no issues reaching out a bit on game if necessary.

Even so, this scope is better suited to short to medium range hunting scenarios. Hunters who plan on doing a lot of hunting in open country where encounters with game at longer distances are more likely should look to one of the higher end scopes on this list instead.

Even so, the VX-Freedom is a very capable rifle scope for hunting, especially since it’s available for less than $300.

Key Features

• Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-9x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 40mm
• Tube Diameter: 1-inch
• Field of View: 33.1-13.6 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 150 yards
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Custom Dial System-ZL Elevation (CDS-ZL)
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Light and compact
• Very reasonable price
• Good quality glass
• Lots of features with a reasonable price
• Perfect for a budget conscious deer hunter

Cons

• Lower image quality than the higher end scopes
• No parallax adjustment dial
• No illuminated reticle

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Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $500

Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40mm

Next up is the Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40mm scope, which I think is the best rifle scope for hunting under $500. Vortex makes great quality hunting scopes and their Diamondback line provides a good mix of good quality glass in a rifle scope suitable for most hunting situations that’s also available at a moderate price tier.

The Vortex Diamondback uses a solid one-piece aircraft-grade aluminum alloy construction that makes this scope very durable and also offers good resistance to heavy recoil, even from magnum cartridges like the 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag. The Diamondback is also purged with argon to ensure it’s waterproof and fogproof.

Plus, it uses advanced fully multi-coated optics to deliver crystal clear images. This scope also uses Vortex’s Dead-Hold BDC reticle. At the maximum magnification, the hashmarks on this reticle provide 1.5 MOA, 4.5 MOA, and 7.5 MOA holdover points as well as 2 MOA, 4 MOA, 6 MOA, and 8 MOA windage hold marks.

This scope also uses a 1″ main body tube, which helps keep it light and compact. Scopes like this one with a 1-inch tube are easier to mount low to the bore, which facilitates a good cheek weld and gives the rifle a more streamlined profile that’s less prone to snagging on obstructions.

A 4x magnification at the low end is good for closer range hunting situations while a 12x magnification at the high end works great for checking targets at the range or for slightly shots at longer range afield.

Add it all up, and you’ve got a great hunting scope that’s right in that “sweet spot” where it doesn’t cost too much, but should also serve you well for many years of hunting use. This is the sort of scope the vast majority of hunters could buy today and happily use for the next 20-30 years without ever feeling like they needed something nicer.

Key Features

• Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Magnification Range: 4-12x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 40mm
• Tube Diameter: 1-inch
• Field of View: 32.4-11.3 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 100 yards
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Elevation
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Light and compact
• Good quality glass
• Good light transmission
• Reasonable price
• Durable construction

Cons

• No parallax adjustment dial
• No illuminated reticle

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Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting Under $600

Vortex Viper HS-T 4-16x44mm

The Viper line is the next tier of rifle scopes above the Diamondback line and below the Razor line from Vortex. As such, the Vortex Viper has better quality glass, better anti-reflective coatings, better overall construction, and a few more features than the Vortex Diamondback.

In that vein, the Vortex Viper HST (Hunting Shooting Tactical) is a very tough, well built hunting scope with fantastic extra-low dispersion glass, a forgiving eye box, exposed tactical turrets, and a side focus parallax adjustment dial that’s just a great all-around optical system. It’s not quite as nice as the Vortex Razor LHT (more on that scope shortly), but the Vortex Viper is still a darn good scope, especially considering you can pick one up for quite a bit less than $1,000.

All in all, the Vortex Viper HST is a fantastic hunting rifle scope that provides high end performance out to surprisingly long distances at a shockingly reasonable price.

Key Features

• Weight: 20.8 ounces
• Magnification Range: 4-16x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 44mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 27.4-7.4 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Side adjusting parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Exposed Windage & Elevation Dials
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Wide magnification range
• Excellent quality glass
• Reasonable price for scope with great glass and lots of features

Cons

• On the heavy side
• Lacks throw level on magnification ring
• No illuminated reticle

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Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $1,000

Zeiss Conquest V4 3-12x44mm

European companies like Zeiss and Swarovski are known for producing outstanding quality optics in general. You tend to get what you pay for with that stuff though and European optics are also generally very expensive.

Fortunately, the Zeiss Conquest V4 is a great way to get a high quality European rifle scope for less than $1,000. This scope does not have a lot of “bells and whistles”, but it’s still an excellent German scope with great low light performance. Zeiss advertises that it uses six-layer multi-coated lenses to offer exceptional 90% light transmission and a clear sight picture.

This is not billed as an extremely lightweight hunting scope or one that’s ideally suited for long range hunting situations. However, the Conquest V4 is an outstanding choice for a hunter who wants a good rifle scope without paying for a bunch of extra features.

Key Features

• Weight: 22.5 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-12x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 44mm
• Exit Pupil (low magnification): 14.66mm
• Exit Pupil (high magnification): 3.66mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 19-4.8 feet at 100 meters
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 50 yards
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Excellent light transmission at a reasonable price
• Very good quality glass
• Perfect for a hunter who wants a good scope without a bunch of “extras”
• Very durable

Cons

• Physically on the large and heavy side
• Smaller field of view
• No parallax adjustment dial
• No illuminated reticle

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Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $1,500

Vortex Razor HD LHT 3-15×42

Look no further than the Vortex Razor HD LHT if you want the best rifle scope for hunting under $1,500. This scope uses high quality glass, has a reticle with a center illuminated dot, a side parallax knob, and an exposed elevation turret with Vortex’s RevStop Zero System (their version of a a zero stop).

There’s a reason why Vortex Optics markets the Razor HD LHT as “one scope to rule them all” and this rifle scope is well suited for use in dark-timber on whitetails as well as for open country mule deer and pronghorn hunts where precision long range shots may be necessary.

The Razor HD LHT also comes with a coupon you can redeem with Kentron Industries to receive a custom elevation turret matched to your favorite hunting load to assist with making long shots on game and at the range.

Finally, the illuminated reticle is especially nice for use in low-light conditions where there’s still legal shooting light, but it may be too dark to see the reticle. Just turn on the illuminated center dot, place that red dot where you want to hit, and squeeze the trigger. The reticle also works just fine during the daytime when illumination is turned off.

If you want the a great scope for hunting, then strongly consider getting a Vortex Razor HD LHT.

Key Features

• Weight: 19.1 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-15x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 42mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 35.3-7.0 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Side adjusting parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Exposed elevation turret (MOA)
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Can order a custom elevation dial
• Excellent glass quality
• Illuminated center dot
• Well suited for a variety of hunting situations

Cons

• Busy reticle
• On heavy side

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Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $2,000

Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44mm

The Leupold VX-6HD product line is Leupold’s top end hunting scope lineup and, at least in my opinion, the 3-18x50mm version of the VX-6HD is definitely Leupold’s best rifle scope for hunting overall.

This is because it uses outstanding glass with superior coatings that facilitates excellent light transmission. Plus, this particular scope also has an illuminated FireDot Duplex reticle. Just like the VX-5HD I mentioned earlier, the FireDot Duplex reticle is a standard duplex crosshair with an illuminated red dot in the center that you can turn on and off.

The VX-6HD is basically an upgraded VX-5HD with a wider zoom range (6x instead of 5 x magnification), a little bit better quality glass, and a couple of other extra features many hunters like having like a reversible throw lever, an electronic reticle level, and flip up alumina lens covers.

While I think the VX-5HD an absolutely outstanding rifle scope, those extra features and capability of the VX-6HD make it a better choice for other hunters who want a little bit better scope with slightly better low light performance, a couple of extra features, and who don’t mind spending a little bit more.

All things considered, the Leupold VX-6HD is an amazing rifle scope. This optic provides a substantial improvement in low light performance over the VX-Freedom and VX-3HD scope lines as well as a modest improvement over the VX-5HD overall.

You can definitely rely on the VX-6HD when the chips are down on a big hunt!

Key Features

• Weight: 21.6 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-18x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 44mm
• Exit Pupil (low magnification): 14.67mm
• Exit Pupil (high magnification): 2.44mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 38.3-6.4 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Side adjusting parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Custom Dial System-ZL Elevation (CDS-ZL)
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Wide magnification range
• Excellent quality glass
• Illuminated reticle is perfect for low light situations
• Just about every feature you could want on a hunting scope

Cons

• On the large and heavy side
• Higher price point

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Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting With An AR Platform

Riton 3 TACTIX 1-8×24

The rise in popularity of the AR platform over the past few years has fortunately resulted in a dramatic increase in scope options specifically designed for hunting with those rifles. Don’t just slap any rifle scope on your AR-15 or AR-10 though.

Instead, you should use a scope like the Riton 3 TACTIX 1-8×24 LPVO (low powered variable optic) that will help you take advantage of the strengths of the AR platform while afield. Specifically, the Riton 3 TACTIX 1-8×24 is a reasonably priced, but feature rich rifle scope that’s great for those hunting situations.

With a 1-8x magnification range, the scope has a wide field of view that facilitates rapid target acquisition at lower power for close quarters work, but also provides ample magnification for longer ranged shots. It also comes with flip up lens covers and an illuminated reticle, which are uncommon features on scopes in this price range.

I especially like the illuminated reticle, which is great for low light performance and can be turned up bright enough to be useful during the day as well. This rifle scope also has a streamlined profile that allows it to be mounted close to the bore to facilitate a good cheek weld while shooting and minimize the chances of the scope getting hung up on vegetation or clothing.

This is the scope I hunt with on my AR-15 and it’s perfect for the job.

Key Features

• Weight: 19.3 ounces
• Magnification Range: 1-8x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 105.8-13.1 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .5 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 100 yards
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Wide magnification range
• Wide field of view
• Removable throw lever on magnification ring facilitates rapid adjustments
• Overall design is perfect for quick target acquisition
• Lots of features for a reasonable price

Cons

• On the heavy side
• Non-traditional reticle

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Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24mm

Vortex also produces a great scope for hunting with an AR-platform in the Strike Eagle 1-8x24mm. This rifle scope is also a LPVO that’s well suited for use on the AR platform while hunting (put it on your battle rifle too).

Specifically, the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8×24 is a reasonably priced, but still low profile, capable, and feature rich scope that’s perfect for those hunting situations.

With a 1-8x magnification range, the scope has a wide field of view that facilitates rapid target acquisition at lower power, but also provides plenty of magnification for longer ranged shots. It also comes from the factory with a removable throw lever for rapid magnification adjustments and an illuminated reticle. This scope also has a streamlined profile.

Key Features

• Weight: 17.6 ounces
• Magnification Range: 1-8x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 109.0-14.4 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .5 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 100 yards
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Wide magnification range
• Massive field of view
• Removable throw lever on magnification ring facilitates rapid adjustments
• Design is perfect for quick target acquisition
• Lots of features for a reasonable price
• Durable

Cons

• On the heavy side
• Non-traditional reticle

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Best Rifle Scope For Hunting Under $3,000

Swaroviski Z6i 2-12x50mm

We can’t talk about the best rifle scopes for hunting without mentioning Swarovski. Specifically, I think the Swarovski Z 6i 2-12x50mm scope is the best rifle scope under $3,000.

Swarovski optics are known for having some of the absolute best quality glass in the business. Just look through a Swaro rifle scope or binoculars and you’ll immediately see what I mean.

Well, the Z6i is one of their higher end scopes and uses incredible glass that provides outstanding transmission while at the same time minimizing glare and reflection.

The Swarovski Z6i also has an illuminated reticle that also facilitates aiming under dim lighting conditions. Users also have the option of adding a custom elevation turret for use at longer range. The wide zoom range combined with the with the large 50 mm objective lens also makes this a very flexible scope with a large exit pupil across a wide magnification range.

All things considered, it’s tough to argue with a combination of crystal-clear images, incredible light transmission, moderate weight, and those additional features that make the Swaro Z6i such an excellent hunting scope both for use during the middle of the day as well as at dawn and dusk when things are so challenging.

To be perfectly clear, the Z6i is about as far as you can get from a “cheap” or a “budget friendly” scope. However, you really get what you pay for with optics and this rifle scope is certainly no exception to that rule.

Not everybody needs a scope this nice, but the Swarovski Z6i is definitely a great option for someone who wants the best rifle scope for hunting possible.

Key Features

• Weight: 18.3 ounces
• Magnification Range: 2-12x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 50mm
• Exit Pupil (low magnification): 25mm
• Exit Pupil (high magnification): 4.16mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 63-10.5 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Optional Custom Elevation Turret
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Reasonable size and weight
• Outstanding quality glass
• Illuminated reticle
• Excellent image quality

Cons

• Higher price point
• No parallax adjustment dial

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Best First Focal Plane Rifle Scope For Hunting

Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56

With a gigantic 56mm objective lens and fully multi-coated ED glass, the Nightforce ATACR is another excellent addition to this list of rifle scopes for hunting. This scope also has a large 34mm main tube, exceptionally clear glass, and a zoom range from 5x all the way up to 25x on the high end that make it a good choice for long-range shooting.

The Nightforce ATACR also provides over 35 mils of elevation adjustment. This rifle scope is also available in first focal plane and second focal plane configurations. Plus, this scope is the very definition of durability too! For all those reasons, I think the ATACR is the best long range hunting scope.

So, this is the best rifle scope for you if you’re looking for something with excellent low light performance that you can also use to reach out to extreme ranges with.

Key Features

• Weight: 39.1 ounces
• Magnification Range: 5-25x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 56mm
• Exit Pupil (low magnification): 10.5mm
• Exit Pupil (high magnification): 2.2mm
• Tube Diameter: 34mm
• Field of View: 18-4.9 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA or .1 MRAD
• Parallax/Focus: Side adjusting parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Wide magnification range
• Optimized for long distance performance
• Illuminated reticle
• Exposed elevation turrets facilitate rapid adjustments
• Side focus parallax
• Unsurpassed low light performance
• Excellent image quality

Cons

• Large and heavy
• Expensive

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Best Rimfire Rifle Scope For Hunting

Leupold VX Freedom 3-9x40mm Rimfire

Though they’re not very popular for big game hunting, rimfire cartridges are extremely common in the hands of small game hunters and are also just a lot of fun to shoot at the range. With that in mind, Leupold optimized a version of their highly regarded VX-Freedom rifle scope for use with rimfire cartridges like the 22 Long Rifle (22LR), 22 Magnum (22 WMR), and 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (17 HMR).

This scope is basically just a regular VX-Freedom rifle scope with a fixed parallax at 60 yards to put it more in line with the most commonly encountered shooting ranges rimfire cartridges are used at. Plus, it has a special rimfire reticle to help the shooter with the appropriate holdover at various ranges.

Don’t worry: this scope is not caliber specific either and will work with basically any rimfire cartridge. Heck, you can even put it on a centerfire rifle and take longer shots with it if you want to.

Additionally, this rifle scope still has all the other features of the VX-Freedom with great glass, a durable and waterproof construction, and a lightweight and compact overall profile.

Add it all up and the Leupold VX Freedom Rimfire is without a doubt the best rimfire hunting scope and it won’t let you down. Put one of these scopes on your Ruger 10/22, Bergara B-14R, rimfire AR, or other rimfire rifle and hunt with confidence!

Key Features

• Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-9x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 40mm
• Tube Diameter: 1-inch
• Field of View: 33.1-13.6 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second
• Parallax/Focus: Fixed at 60 yards
• Knob Style: Capped Windage & Elevation Turrets
• Illuminated Reticle: No

Pros

• Light and compact
• Very reasonable price
• Good quality glass
• Lots of features with a reasonable price
• Perfect for a budget conscious deer hunter

Cons

• Lower image quality than the higher end scopes
• No parallax adjustment dial
• No illuminated reticle

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Best “Smart” Rifle Scopes For Hunting

Sig Sauer Sierra6BDX 3-18×44

The Sig Sauer Sierra series of rifle scopes utilize an innovative design that incorporates the SIG SAUER BDX (Ballistic Data Xchange) technology to provide a rapid, and load specific holdover that’s calibrated to the prevailing environmental conditions.

On one hand, this is a traditional rifle scope you can mount on a rifle and use just like any other. However, it really becomes a powerful hunting scope when integrated with the (free) Sig BDX app and/or with a BDX equipped rangefinder (sold separately).

When used together, the Sig Sauer Sirra 6 BDX can calculate an elevation holdover and wind hold for your favorite hunting cartridge out to 1,000 yards.

How does it all work?

First, build a ballistic profile for your chosen hunting cartridge in the app, link your scope to your rangefinder and smartphone via Bluetooth, and sight the scope in properly with that load.

Next, use a BDX equipped rangefinder to measure the range to the target. The rangefinder will also measure the current temperature and altitude, will automatically calculate the appropriate ballistic solution and holdover for that exact distance and environmental conditions, and will transfer that data to the scope instantly via a Bluetooth connection. The rangefinder does not measure wind speed or direction, but the user can enter that information manually in the app to calculate a wind hold as well.

Then, the scope will display an illuminated dot in the reticle that indicates the appropriate elevation holdover (and an additional dot indicating a wind hold if the user entered that information in the app).

Finally, the hunter just needs to place the reticle (which is an illuminated dot) on the spot they want to hit on the target and squeeze the trigger.

This whole system can calculate a ballistic solution out to around 1,000 yards (depending on the exact rifle/cartridge/bullet combination). Fortunately, this rifle scope will likely calculate a ballistic holdover at basically any reasonable range for most centerfire rifle cartridges.

Additionally, it’s important to note that this scope will NOT automatically turn the user into someone capable of shooting targets or game at 1,000 yards. Yes, it can make it a whole lot easier to calculate a ballistic holdover, but there’s more to being a good marksman than that.

It’s also important to note that this is not the best hunting scope for everyone. First, it requires a little bit of tech “know how” and practice to get everything working together.

This scope also requires the use of some specific rangefinders and a ballistic app for maximum utility (it can be used alone, just not to its full potential). It’s also not legal to hunt with in every single place. For instance, it’s definitely illegal in Idaho along with potentially a couple of other places, so check the rules in your area before purchasing.

Furthermore, some hunters just don’t like scopes like the Sierra 6 (or the Burris Eliminator that’s up next) because they think it’s unethical or will encourage hunters to take shots at ranges they should pass on.

Furthermore, this is a battery powered scope (uses 2 CR2032 batteries) and will not work if the batteries die. And to further emphasize the point, it also relies on a Bluetooth connection with a phone and/or rangefinder to make full use of all the scope’s capabilities.

While not gigantic, the Sig Sauer Sierra 6 is also on the heavy side.

Additionally, since it has those electronic systems inside, the Sierra 6 has lower quality glass than is the case with traditional rifle scopes at a similar price point.

With all that said, I’ll be the first to admit that the Sig Sauer Sierra 6 is not the best hunting scope for everyone. However, I still think it’s worth further investigation for those who appreciate its capabilities (especially at longer ranges) and who hunt in places where it’s legal.

Key Features

• Weight: 23.8 ounces
• Magnification Range: 3-18x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 44mm
• Tube Diameter: 30mm
• Field of View: 34.9-5.8 feet at 100 yards
• Turret Click Values: .25 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: Second (digital)
• Parallax/Focus: Side adjusting parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Rapidly calculates ballistic holdover
• Increases ethical range of hunter
• Comes with removable throw ring to facilitate rapid magnification adjustments

Cons

• On heavy side
• Lacks exposed elevation turrets
• Requires batteries
• Can be used as a “stand alone product” but requires use of app and special rangefinder for full utility
• Not legal in every state
• Lower optical quality than similarly priced hunting scopes

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Burris Eliminator IV

The Burris Eliminator is perhaps the most advanced hunting scope currently available to the average hunter. Why is this the case?

Well, the Eliminator is a rifle scope with a built in rangefinder, ballistic calculator, and inclinometer. Prior to the hunt, just plug in the ballistic data for your chosen hunting cartridge and sight the scope in properly with that load.

Once that’s complete, the hunter only needs to aim at the target (or animal) they want to shoot and push a button to activate the built in rangefinder. After measuring the range to the target, the scope will automatically calculate the appropriate ballistic solution and holdover for that exact distance and adjust the reticle within the scope accordingly.

At that point, the hunter just needs to place the reticle (which is a bright red dot) where they want to hit and squeeze the trigger.

This scope can measure ranges out to 2,000 yards. This is a hunting scope though and it will not calculate a ballistic solution out that far. The details really vary and depend on the cartridge in question, but this rifle scope will likely calculate a ballistic holdover at basically any reasonable range for most centerfire rifle cartridges.

Additionally, though this scope can indeed greatly assist in quickly making a shot at extended range, it’s important to note that it will NOT turn a poor marksman into an expert.

The capabilities this scope has are impressive, but this is also a somewhat controversial rifle scope. For one thing, the Burris Eliminator IV is not legal to use everywhere (Idaho being a notable example of where it’s illegal). Other sportsmen are uncomfortable with just how easy this scope can make it for someone to shoot at extended range out of fear that it’s unethical or will encourage hunters to take shots they have no business attempting.

Furthermore, this is a battery powered scope (uses 2 AA batteries) and will not work if they die (which is a possibility in very cold weather). The Eliminator IV is also physically pretty large and heavy. Heck, it’s easily the heaviest rifle scope on this list of the best hunting scopes.

Finally, this scope is also pretty expensive. However, due to the fact that it also has a laser rangefinder and all those electronic systems inside, the Eliminator IV has lower quality glass than is the case with traditional rifle scopes at a similar price point. The glass isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s just not quite as good as a similarly priced traditional scope.

With all those things in mind, the Burris Eliminator IV is definitely not the best hunting scope for everyone. However, I think it’s the best scope currently available for someone who hunts in areas where it’s legal to use and who appreciate the advantages it delivers.

Key Features

• Weight: 28.8 ounces
• Magnification Range: 4-16x
• Objective Lens Diameter: 50mm
• Tube Diameter: Direct mount (no rings necessary and mounts directly to Weaver or Picatinny style rail)
• Turret Click Values: .125 MOA
• Reticle Focal Plane: First
• Parallax/Focus: Bell mounted parallax/focus knob
• Knob Style: Capped
• Illuminated Reticle: Yes

Pros

• Rapidly calculates ballistic holdover
• Eliminates need to carry separate rangefinder, dope card, or ballistic calculator
• Increases ethical range of hunter

Cons

• Physically large and heavy
• Requires batteries
• Not legal in every state
• Expensive
• Lower optical quality than similarly priced hunting scopes

BUY A BURRIS ELIMINATOR IV SCOPE ON AMAZON HERE

BUY A BURRIS ELIMINATOR IV SCOPE AT OPTICS PLANET HERE

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NEXT: BEST HUNTING EAR PROTECTION FOR SPORTSMEN

Self-defense is a crucial skill that everyone should possess. In today’s world, it’s important to be prepared for any situation, especially when it comes to protecting oneself. One way to do this is by carrying a self-defense tool, such as a flashlight. But how many lumens are needed to temporarily blind an attacker?

While there is no exact answer to this question, it’s important to understand the basics of how a flashlight can be used for self-defense.

The bright light emitted from a flashlight can baffle an attacker, giving the victim time to escape or defend themselves. However, not all flashlights are created equal, and the number of lumens needed to blind an attacker can vary based on several factors.

What are Lumens?

Lumens are a measure of the total amount of light that a bulb or flashlight emits. It is a unit of measurement for the brightness of a light source. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light will be.

Remember that,

Lumens are not the same as watts, which measure the energy a light source uses. A higher wattage bulb does not necessarily mean a brighter light. Lumens are a more accurate measure of brightness.

For self-defense purposes, the number of lumens in a flashlight is important. A flashlight with a high number of lumens can temporarily blind an intruder, giving you time to escape or defend yourself.

However, it is important to note that a high number of lumens does not necessarily mean a better flashlight for self-defense. There are other factors to consider, such as the size and weight of the flashlight, the battery life, and the beam distance.

Using a flashlight with the appropriate number of lumens for your intended purpose is also important. A flashlight with too few lumens may not provide enough light to see in a dark environment, while a flashlight with too many lumens may be too bright and cause temporary blindness to yourself or others.

When choosing a flashlight for self-defense, it is recommended to select one with at least 1000 lumens. This is enough to temporarily blind an attacker and give you time to escape or defend yourself. However, it is also important to consider the other factors mentioned above.

Factors That Affect the Blinding Effect of Lumens

The blinding effect of a flashlight depends on several factors, including the brightness of the light, the distance between the light and the attacker, and the angle at which the light hits the attacker’s eyes.

Generally, the closer the attacker is to the light source, the fewer lumens you need to achieve the blinding effect. However, if the attacker is too close, the light may also be too bright for you, making it difficult to see and aim.

The angle at which the light hits the attacker’s eyes is also important. If the light is shining directly into the attacker’s eyes, it will be more effective than if it is shining at an angle.

How Many Lumens Can Temporarily Blind an Attacker?

The answer depends on the situation, but most experts recommend using a flashlight with at least 300 lumens.

This brightness level is typically enough to cause temporary blindness, especially if the attacker is within a few feet of the light source. However, it’s important to remember that the blinding effect may not work on all attackers, especially those under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

It’s also worth noting that a flashlight with too many lumens can be just as ineffective as one with too few. If the light is too bright, it can cause glare and reflection, making it difficult to see and aim.

Overall, a flashlight with around 300 lumens is a good starting point for self-defense. However, it’s also important to consider other factors, such as the size and weight of the flashlight, its battery life, and durability.

Remember, a bright flashlight can be a valuable tool in self-defense, but it’s important to use it responsibly and effectively.

Proper Use of Flashlights for Self-Defense

When using a flashlight for self-defense, it’s important to understand how to use it to maximize its effectiveness properly. Here are a few tips:

• Hold the flashlight in your non-dominant hand so your dominant hand is free to defend yourself if needed.
• Use a flashlight with a strobe setting to disorient an attacker.
• Shine the light directly into the attacker’s eyes to temporarily blind them.
• Be aware of your surroundings and use the flashlight to scan the area for potential threats.

Remember, a flashlight is not a weapon and should only be used for self-defense as a last resort. Always try to de-escalate a situation and avoid confrontation if possible.

Relevant: Strobe flashlight vs. regular flashlight.

Alternative Self-Defense Tools

While flashlights can be an effective self-defense tool, there are other options to consider as well. Here are a few alternative self-defense tools:

ToolsDescriptions

It’s important to research and understand the proper use of any self-defense tool before relying on it in a dangerous situation. Remember, the goal of self-defense is to protect yourself and escape unharmed, not to cause harm to others.

By staying aware of your surroundings and being prepared for potential threats, you can increase your chances of staying safe in dangerous situations.

Is 1000 Lumens Too Bright for Home Defense?

When it comes to self-defense, having a bright flashlight can be an effective tool to disorient an attacker and give you time to escape or defend yourself. But how bright is too bright?

First, let’s define what a lumen is. A lumen is a unit of measurement for the amount of light emitted by a source. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light. A typical flashlight may have around 100-300 lumens, while some tactical flashlights can have up to 1000 lumens or more.

1000 Lumens for Home Defense: Too Bright or Not?

It depends on the situation. In a small, enclosed space like a bedroom or hallway, a flashlight with 1000 lumens may be too bright and could potentially blind you as well as the attacker.

However, in a larger space like a backyard or parking lot, a brighter flashlight could be more effective in disorienting an attacker and giving you time to react. It’s also important to consider the beam pattern of the flashlight.

A flashlight with a narrow beam may be more effective in blinding an attacker, while a wider beam may be better for illuminating a larger area.

In conclusion, while 1000 lumens may be too bright for some situations, it can be effective in self-defense when used appropriately. It’s important to choose a flashlight that fits your needs and preferences and practice using it in different scenarios to ensure you are prepared in an emergency.

How many lumens can permanently blind you?

The human eye can only handle a certain amount of light before it becomes damaged. According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) for a flashlight is 2,500 lumens for a duration of 0.25 seconds. Anything above this level can cause permanent eye damage.

Note that:

MPE is based on a single exposure and does not consider repeated exposure over time. This means that even a flashlight with a lower lumen output can cause permanent eye damage if it is repeatedly shone directly into someone’s eyes.

In addition to the lumen output, the beam pattern of the flashlight can also play a role in causing permanent eye damage. A flashlight with a narrow beam pattern can focus the light into a smaller area, increasing the intensity of the light and potentially causing more damage.

In conclusion, use it responsibly and be aware of the potential for permanent eye damage. Always aim the flashlight away from someone’s face and use it only when necessary.

Over the past few weeks, I surveyed over 100 shooters who competed in this year’s Nightforce Extended Long Range Steel Challenge in Wyoming. I know a lot of you had questions about calibers, scopes and other gear guys were using, so I put together a survey, and the match director, Scott Satterlee, sent it to all the competitors. Over 100 shooters completed the survey, including 85% of the guys who finished in the top 25 overall. Thanks to all the guys who took the time to share.

One of the fun things about the NF ELR match is it has less established paths to success than most rifle matches. In most PRS/NRL style matches, it’s very likely the guy who wins was using a 6 Dasher (or other 6BR based case), 6mm Creedmoor, or maybe a 6×47 Lapua or 6XC, which are all very, very similar in the grand scheme of things (see the data). In many Extreme Long Range matches the winner is likely using some variety of a 375 CheyTac or 416 Barrett (see the data). This Wyoming match that Scott has designed is one of a kind, featuring features targets from 700-2100 yards in a wide range of scenarios and conditions. (Learn more about the Nightforce ELR match)

While there aren’t formal definitions that anyone agrees on, those distances are further than what most people think of as “traditional” long-range (average target distance at this year’s match was 1,180 yards), but also shorter distance than what many consider “extreme” long-range (90% of the targets at this year’s match were 1500 yards or less). Scott calls this “Extended Long Range,” which is somewhere between the two. As competitors, we’re still trying to figure out what works best, which makes cartridge and equipment choices much more interesting.

“This information will be super helpful to a lot of folks that want to get into the extended range type of engagements,” explained Scott Satterlee. “The Nightforce match is unique to our sport because we had calibers from 6mm through 416’s and everything in between.”

I agree, so let’s dive into the data!

Most Popular Caliber at the Nightforce ELR Match

Let’s start by looking at the calibers guys chose to run, and then we’ll dive into the specific cartridges they pick. While many shooters use the term caliber and cartridge interchangeably, when I say “caliber” I’m referring to the bore diameter of the barrel (e.g. 30 caliber) and when I say “cartridge” I’m referring to the specific type of case the barrel is chambered for (e.g. 300 Norma Mag, 300 PRC).

The chart below shows a breakdown of the total number of shooters who completed the survey grouped by the caliber they were using. I wanted to also provide context for where those shooters finished in the overall standings, so the colors in each bar is used to segment how high up they finished on the leader board. Black indicates those who finished in the top 10, blue indicates 11th and 25th, green indicates 26th to 50th, yellow indicates 51st to 99th, and light gray indicates 100th to 191st.

Like Scott mentioned, there were literally shooters running 6mm to 416 caliber rifles. However, you can clearly see in the chart above that the majority of shooters were running one of these calibers: 6.5mm, 7mm, or 30 caliber. In fact, those three calibers combine to represent 80% of the surveyed shooters!

You can also see above that some guys finished in the top 25 with 6mm and a 25 caliber rifles, and there was also one shooter who finished in the top 10 with a 338 caliber rifle. Having six calibers represented among the top 25 shooters just shows how many opinions there are in terms of what is optimal for these distances!

Now let’s filter down to just show what caliber guys the guys who finished in the top 50 chose to compete with this year. I know a few very well respected shooters that have competed at the highest levels that finished outside of the top 50 at this match, so its safe to say the guys who finished in the top 50 are all exceptional shooters. Let’s see what those guys chose to run:

The chart above shows that more shooters were running a 6.5mm cartridge in the top 50 than any other caliber. However, more shooters were running a 30 caliber cartridge in the top 10 and the top 25 than any other caliber. But, once again the 6.5mm, 7mm, and 30 calibers were the top picks, with those three combining to represent 81% of the surveyed shooters who finished in the top 50.

Most Popular ELR Cartridges

Now let’s look at the specific cartridges these shooters were using to engage targets from 700-2100 yards … in sustained winds up to 35 mph and wind gusts measured on-site up to 60 mph!

You can see a huge range of cartridges, including the 338 Lapua Mag, and precision cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6 Creedmoor, and 6.5×47 Lapua, and larger cartridges like a 7mm Rem Mag, 6.5-284, and even the 28 Nosler. But, 5 cartridges seemed to be most popular, with several people using each of these:

1. 6.5 PRC
2. 300 Norma Mag
3. 300 PRC
4. 7 SAUM
5. 6.5 SAUM

Those 5 cartridges represented 44% of the 100+ shooters surveyed.

6.5 PRC

The most popular choice among the 100+ shooters surveyed was the 6.5 PRC, which is a new cartridge Hornady released in 2017. The 6.5 PRC had been SAAMI approved for less than two years before this match, which is a short amount of time to already see such widespread adoption among the precision rifle community.

The 6.5 PRC is the big brother to the very popular 6.5 Creedmoor and offers up to 10% more velocity while still maintaining relatively low recoil. PRC stands for Precision Rifle Cartridge, and it was designed from the ground up with this kind of precision shooting in mind. The 6.5 PRC is a compact, magnum cartridge that can drive bullets like the 147 gr. ELD-M 200+ fps faster than the Creedmoor, which allows it to stretch well beyond 1,000 yards. Like the 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor, Hornady offers high quality, match-grade ammunition for the 6.5 PRC at affordable prices. I noticed at least a couple of shooters at this match using Hornady 6.5 PRC factory match ammo.

Among those surveyed, it seems like most shooters were using their 6.5 PRC to push 144-147 gr. bullets around 2950 to 2980 fps, which should give context for the class of ballistics the 6.5 PRC provides.

300 Norma Mag

The 300 Norma Mag has been popular at this match for the past few years. It’s worth noting that the shooters who finished in the top 4 spots overall in 2020 were all using a 300 Norma Mag. The winners of this Wyoming ELR Match in 2017 and 2018 were both using a 300 Norma Mag, too. I’ve talked about this cartridge extensively in my previous posts, so I won’t cover all that again. Note: This is different than the older 308 Norma Mag, which was designed in 1959. The 300 Norma Mag is a larger and more modern cartridge designed in 2012.

The 300 Norma Mag is a large magnum cartridge that has been adopted by USSOCOM, so it’s popularity continues to rise. With heavy-for-caliber bullets from 215 to 230 gr., it’s ballistics rival that of the 338 Lapua Mag, but with less recoil (although faster barrel wear). USSOCOM’s Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) solicitation specified the 300 Norma Mag as one of the cartridges that rifle should be chambered in, and now there are lots of rifles being chambered for that cartridge.

Another big attraction for the 300 Norma Mag is that Lapua is now selling brass for it, which means you can get the best of class brass for it if you need extreme consistency and low variation in muzzle velocity. That is an important thing in this game! (Read more on the 300 Norma Mag)

Among those surveyed, many shooters were running 215-220 gr. bullets around 2980-3000 fps, and 230 gr. bullets around 2940-2970 fps. Jorge took 1st place overall and he said using a 30-inch barrel to push Berger 220 gr. Long Range Hybrid bullet at 2980 fps – with an SD of 2 fps!

300 PRC

The 300 PRC was also very popular among this group. It was released around the same time as the 6.5 PRC, so it’s a bit surprising to see how many precision rifle competitors have adopted it – but there is a lot to like! The 300 PRC was tested and selected by the US Dept. of Defense to use in its extended long-range sniping program.

Long-range expert and former special ops sniper, Ryan Cleckner, explains, “The 300 Norma handily beats the 300 PRC on ballistic performance. This is because it can shoot the same or similar bullet faster. However, this comes at a cost. The 300 Norma requires the same XL-sized action as the 338 Lapua Mag because of its large cartridge case and it recoils more than the 300 PRC.” The XL-sized action is due to the Norma being a “fatter” cartridge, requiring a larger bolt face.

The 300 Norma Mag has slightly more case volume, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it can provide slightly higher muzzle velocities and a small edge in ballistics. In my survey, some shooters using a 300 Norma Mag were pushing 230 gr. bullets around 2960 fps, while shooters using a 300 PRC said they were pushing 230 gr. bullets around 2860 fps. So the 300 Norma Mag can provide roughly 100 fps faster velocities than the 300 PRC, which is more but not a drastic difference.

With the overall length of 3.7 inches, the 300 PRC requires a magnum length action. You can use it with a Remington 700 Long Action, but it requires a few modifications. Some also believe the 300 PRC addresses other drawbacks of the 300 Norma Mag, but I’ll side-step that debate. After reading a ton about both and personally talking to experts closely involved with their designs, I don’t think one is inherently better than the other. Clearly, there are good shooters using each one effectively, so it likely comes down to your particular application and personal preferences.

7 SAUM

There were also several shooters using the 7mm SAUM, also known as the 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Mag, including one in the top 10 and another in the top 25. The 7 SAUM is a short-action, magnum cartridges similar to the 7 WSM. One of the draws to the 7 SAUM is the availability of high-quality brass through companies like Norma and ADG. The 7 SAUM offers better performance than the 300 Win Mag in a package that is almost as small as the 6.5 Creedmoor. I read a great article written by nationally-ranked precision rifle competitor, Caylen Wojcik, that walks through how he landed on the 7mm SAUM cartridge for a dual-purpose rifle build to use in extended long-range competitions and long-range hunting. Caylen said he runs 180 gr. bullets around 2900 fps with his 7 SAUM. Lou Smith finished in the top 10 with a 7 SAUM in the Wyoming ELR match, and he was running Berger 184 gr. Hybrid bullets at 2930 fps from his 30-inch barrel.

Honestly, with so many guys using either a 6.5mm or a 30 caliber, it seems like the 7mm could prove to be the happy medium. I talked with Scott Satterlee about this a couple of years ago and we both believe some flavor of 7mm magnum could arguably be the ideal choice for this match. Now with the release of 7mm bullets like Hornady’s 190 gr. A-Tip, and Berger’s new 190 gr. Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullet – I would be surprised if we don’t see more 7mm magnums in the future. Cartridge choice follows bullet design, so when new bullets are released you can always expect it to disrupt cartridge popularity as new bullet designs open new opportunities.

6.5 SAUM

Finally, several shooters chose to run a 6.5 SAUM at the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge, which is obviously very similar to the 7 SAUM, but necked down to a 6.5mm bullet. If you just look at what the shooters who finished in the top 25 were using, there were as many running a 6.5 SAUM as any other cartridge! The 6.5 SAUM and the 300 Norma both had 4 shooters represented among the top 25. The 6.5 SAUM had two shooters represented among the top 10 and two other shooters in the top 25.

The shooter highest on the leaderboard that was using a 6.5 SAUM was Carson Rutherford, who placed 5th overall. Carson said he was using Hornady 153 gr. A-Tip bullets, and was pushing those at 3,090 fps with an SD of 6 fps. The shooters surveyed that were using a 6.5 SAUM reported a variety of velocities, but many of those who finished in the top half were pushing 140-147 gr. bullets 3090 to 3115 fps.

Here is a closer look at the cartridges used by those who finished in the top 25 at the 2020 Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge:

First, it is interesting that while the 6.5 PRC was the most popular cartridge among these 100+ shooters surveyed, nobody finished in the top 25 with a 6.5 PRC. The highest finishes were 26th, 39th, and 47th, so it wasn’t far off. I can’t help but wonder if the combination of the extended target distances and the 20-35 mph winds were a little too much for that smaller magnum cartridge. Of course, “correlation does not imply causation,” meaning the fact that those shooters were using a 6.5 PRC and didn’t land in the top 25 doesn’t mean their cartridge choice caused them to finish where they did. In fact, one of the guys who finished in the top 10 was using a 6.5×47 Lapua, which has less ballistic performance than the 6.5 PRC (and is extremely impressive!), so there is probably more going on here than raw ballistic performance. Knowing the 6.5 PRC is a relatively new cartridge, another plausible theory might be that some of the guys who just got into this style of shooting had their new rifles chambered in that cartridge, and maybe that represents a large segment of those using a 6.5 PRC. Either way, it is interesting there were no 6.5 PRC’s among the top 25.

When you narrow it down to just the top 25, you can see the 300 Norma Mag moved to the top spot, with its four shooters finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th overall.

Again, the 300 PRC and 7 SAUM are still popular cartridge choices among those in the top 25. Behind those, you’ll see a mix of cartridges among this year’s top 10:

7-300 WSM

The 6th place shooter was using a 7-300 WSM, which is a 300 WSM case necked down to a 7mm bullet. You might ask, “Why didn’t they just use a 7 WSM?” Great question! In that article about the 7mm SAUM I mentioned earlier, nationally-ranked precision rifle competitor, Caylen Wojcik, said he was originally thinking he’d build a 7 WSM. Caylen explained that with a “7 WSM and a 180-grain VLD (very low drag) bullet pushed at 3,000 feet per second (fps), the numbers were convincing. When I shot a WSM, I was impressed with the mild recoil but received a rude awakening when sourcing brass. It was officially unobtanium. One would have more luck sourcing unicorn tears.” Ha! Well said, Caylen. It’s sad to see that a very capable cartridge is handicapped by poor brass selection, but that’s the case with the 7 WSM.

I know there are brass manufacturers reading this. Can you see the business opportunity here? Someone should offer some high-quality 7 WSM brass!

When faced with the 7 WSM brass issue, some guys jump to the 7 SAUM and others buy the more readily available 300 WSM brass and neck it down to 7mm – and viola, you have the 7-300 WSM. The 7-300 WSM has slightly different chamber dimensions than a 7 WSM. Robert Whitley explains, “The difference is that the 7mm/300WSM has a .038″ shorter head space and a .038″ longer neck than a factory 7mm WSM, and you need to make brass for the 7mm/300 WSM from 300 WSM or 270 WSM cases.” (Read more here)

The one shooter who said they used a 7-300 WSM reported that they were pushing Hornady 190 gr. A-Tip bullets from their 30-inch barrel at 2,905 fps with an SD of 3 fps!

6.5×47 Lapua

Okay, this one surprised me! The 6.5×47 Lapua is much smaller than anything guys were using in at least the top 15 spots, but Jason Brinkman used it to finish 8th overall. The reason that is so impressive is a bullet’s time of flight to the target would be measurably longer with the 6.5×47 than something like a 300 Norma Mag or 6.5 SAUM, which means it would be significantly more affected by the wind, giving you less room for error on your wind calls. There were a ton of targets from 1,000-1,500 yards at this match, and there were sustained winds up to 35 mph! That is definitely stretching what the 6.5×47 Lapua was designed for, which means Jason must be a heck of a shooter. Jason reported that he was pushing Berger 144 gr. Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullets at 2820 fps from his 28-inch barrel. Give that man a magnum and no telling where he would’ve finished!

Of course, I’ll also mention that sometimes a big magnum might not be as “shootable” as a mid-sized case like the 6.5×47 Lapua. So I don’t want to assume Jason didn’t pick that cartridge on purpose, because of the reduced recoil and the 6.5×47 Lapua’s legendary consistency. I’ve heard many veteran shooters claim it’s one of the easiest cartridges to load for. I asked Jason if he built a full custom rifle just for this specific match, what cartridge would he pick and he said a 6.5 PRC. So clearly he is not one of the guys who would jump up to a 300 PRC or 300 Norma Mag, even if he had one. Either way, that is immensely impressive shooting, Jason!

338 EnABELR

The last cartridge in the top 10 that we haven’t talked about is a 338 EnABLR, which Chase Stroud used to claim 9th. This is a case that was designed by the Applied Ballistics team. EnABELR stands for Engineered by Applied Ballistics for Extreme Long Range. 99% of the cartridge designs out there are based on some existing case that was necked down and some slight dimension changes. However, AB’s 338 and 375 caliber EnABELR cartridges are completely original designs with no parent case.

“There are larger cartridges that make more velocity, but they’re also higher maintenance and less predictable. The EnABELR was developed to provide practical, long term, reliable performance for ELR applications for many shots, making your brass investment take you further across more rounds. What we’ve learned competing in ELR matches in recent years is that the value in consistent and reliable performance is more important than the extra +100 fps of a higher maintenance cartridge. These lessons are incorporated in the EnABELR design.” – Applied Ballistics Team

The 338 & 375 EnABELR cartridges were also designed to feed from a magazine, which can sometimes be an issue with larger ELR cartridges like the popular 375 CheyTac. Applied Ballistics provides all kinds of components related to EnABELR cartridges including chamber reamers, brass, reloading dies, complete rifle builds, and even match-grade loaded ammo with Berger Solid Bullets. Consistent ammo is important in the ELR game, and I’d bet AB produces some high-quality ammo.

Chase Stroud used his 338 EnABLR to push Berger 300 gr. bullets near 3300 fps! Here is a pic Chase posted on Instagram a few days before the match:

I don’t even need to run the ballistics to confidently say a Berger 300 gr. bullet traveling at 3295 fps clearly has the best ballistics of any cartridge in the top 10. I compared it to my ballistics, which was a 300 Norma Mag pushing 230 gr. A-Tip’s at 2,968 fps, and Chase’s 338 EnABELR had almost 20% less wind drift at 1600 yards. That is crazy! For a sample scenario at 1600 yards my elevation adjustment was 12.2 mils, while the 338 EnABELR was just 9.6 mils! I bet the trace on that thing looked like a laser beam! My 25 mph wind drift at 1600 yards was 4.6 mils, but the EnABELR was only 3.8 mils!!! That may sound similar, but anyone who has competed in this game knows that is a massive difference. But, of course, there is no free lunch. Ballistic improvements that large always come at the cost of higher recoil and shorter barrel life, which is why we’re all still trying to figure out what the “right” balance is for these distances and scenarios.

Cartridge They’d Choose If Building A New Custom Rifle Optimized For This Match

Finally, I asked people on the survey a similar question with a twist. Here is exactly how I worded the question: “If you built a new custom rifle that was 100% optimized for this one match and cost was not a factor, what cartridge would you pick?” That question seems to cut to the heart of what each shooter feels is optimal for this match, and takes into account the experience they gained from shooting the match this year. Here are the results:

Our top 5 cartridges are still the same, although they’re shuffled in a little different order. These 5 cartridges combine to represent 63% of all those surveyed:

1. 300 Norma Mag
2. 7 SAUM
3. 6.5 PRC
4. 300 PRC
5. 6.5 SAUM

While there were just 9 shooters surveyed who used a 300 Norma Mag during this year’s match, there were almost double that number that said they’d go with a 300 Norma Mag if building a rifle optimized for this match. There were even a few other shooters who would go with wildcats of that cartridge, like the 300 Norma Mag Improved, or 7-300 Norma Mag (which is simply necked down to a 7mm bullet), or even one 7-300 Norma Mag Improved!

The 7-300 Norma Mag Improved means you are taking a big magnum, necking it down to a 7mm bullet, and then changing the angle of the shoulder to get slightly more case capacity and higher velocities. So it’s a wildcat of a wildcat! A 7-300 Norma Mag Improved could push a 190 gr. Hornady A-Tip over 3,200 fps and would provide some crazy ballistics! I ran the same scenario as I referenced for the 338 EnABELR and it was very similar, with 10.0 mils of elevation adjustment to 1600 yards and 3.9 mils of drift for a 25 mph wind. But, the bullet you’re launching is 190 gr. instead of 300 gr., so I’d bet the recoil would be significantly less. I’d bet the barrel life would still be abysmal (likely 500-1000 rounds) because that cartridge would be extremely overbore. Could it be precise and predictable? Who knows! But, I bet it’d shoot like a laser! Kind of makes me want to try one just to see. 😉

There was also a big jump up in how many said 7 SAUM, with 8 of those surveyed using it in the 2020 match, but 15 saying that is what they’d do if they built a custom rifle for this match. As I mentioned earlier, a 7mm magnum seems to be a great choice for this match. Norma and ADG offer brass for the 7 SAUM, which many consider high-quality. If Lapua started offering brass for a 7 WSM or even a larger 7mm case, I’d suspect we might even see a more pronounced move to the 7mm for the target distances in this match. I guess you could always start with a 300 Norma Mag case from Lapua, and neck it down to a 7-300 Norma Mag. Dang, it’s got me thinking about it!

There was roughly the same amount of shooters using a 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, or 6.5 SAUM as the number that said they’d pick those if building a rifle optimized for this match.

Another interesting note here is that none of those surveyed said they used a 375 caliber this year, although I did hear a rumor that a couple of guys were using a 375 at the match. Either way, they weren’t represented in large numbers at all. However, 5 shooters said they thought a 375 caliber would be optimal if they built a rifle for this match. Three of those guys said they’d pick a 375 CheyTac, one said they’d pick a 37 XC, and one said they’d pick a 375 EnABELR. Perhaps after the 30+ mph winds this year, a few people are thinking a larger caliber might help.

Another interesting cartridge that caught my attention is the 7mm Sherman Max, which is said to be able to push Berger’s 195 gr. bullet near 3000 fps. They offer head-stamped brass for the 7 Sherman Max that is made by ADG, who uses very modern equipment and is considered by some as top-shelf brass.

Lots of interesting cartridges and wildcats in this group of wish list cartridges for this match! It’s certainly a fun list to look through.

Up Next

Next, I plan to share what optics these guys were using to reach out to 700-2100 yard targets. If you’d like to be the first to know when that next post comes out, subscribe for email notifications!