Advise on a scope

[Harrys]

I have used scopes when I was active duty but not on my guns. I prefer peep sights on my rifles. I can make 6" groups at 100 and 150 yards with peep sights.

That said I have a Magnum Research BFR .500 S&W with 7.5" barrel for hunting. I typically can make 6" groups at 50 yards beyond that things get worse and not very accurate. I want to hit out to 100 yards, and it appears a scope is the best way.

I have been looking at many scopes however most of them appear not to hold up to big bore revolvers. Also, my projected eye relief will be about 16". The BFR came with a scope mount that is 5.5" from the back of the cylinder frame to the front part of the frame.

Any advice would be welcomed.

 

[kstone803]

I would go this route. I don't personally have this scope but you can't beat the Leupold warranty and made in the USA. I have plenty of other Leupolds that I love.

Edit: Also advertises 18 inches of eye relief which is right about what you seek.

FX-II Handgun 4x28 Duplex

With Leupold® Handgun scopes, you not only eliminate the need to focus on the front sight, you also eliminate the inaccuracy of a handgun's short sight radius. All that's left is you, the crosshairs, and the game. These scopes can take a beating, too. They're tested to the same rugged standards...

www.leupold.com

 

[E.Shell]

I used to hunt almost exclusively with handguns and have several Leupold EER handgun scopes (2x, 4x, 2.5-8x). All of them have performed as expected and helped me harvest quite a few deer. I preferred the 2x for deer and used the 4x and 2.5-8x for squirrels and groundhogs. I have 2x scopes on my .357 Max and .445 SuperMag, 4x scopes on a .22LR and .22 Hornet, and a 2.5-8x on a .221 Fireball.

The biggest factor with iron sights is that it's relatively easy to shoot decent groups at a high contrast target, but when a brown deer stands in brown brush with brown leaves behind him, it can be extremely difficult to maintain a correct sight picture and still focus well enough to define the target. A low-powered scope allows one to focus on both reticle and target at the same time.

An un-magnified dot sight can also be very useful and can be easier to align quickly. Even a 4-6 MOA dot is quick to acquire and not too large for deer at average handgun distances.

 

[pre64hunter]

I only use Leupold scopes and they hold up to big bore handguns. The few friends that I know used other scopes on big bore handguns like Burris or Nikon handgun scopes end up shooting the internals loose and sending them back a couple times before switching to Leupold.
You'll want good rings as well. I prefer Leupold PRW for picatinny style rails.
Put a pencil line on the scope at the ring to see if the scope slips. Use blue loctite on the mount screws and other screws but be careful not to goop it on because it'll get down into the internals. Degrease everything with alcohol before putting it together.

 

[outrider58]

Same here with the Leupolds on magnums, but nowadays, I would strongly consider and agree with @E.Shell, a red dot with at least three MOA dot would be another option worth looking into.

I dropped this 250# buck in his tracks at 56 yards with my S&W 629 with a cheapo red dot(don't buy a cheapo).

 

[Harrys]

Thanks, yaw all looks like a Leupold scope it is.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Straight 2x is about perfect on a deer hunting handgun. Puts reticle and target on the same focal plane. Helps with lower light and older eyes during optimal early morning and late evening hunting hours. Might (arguably) be a bit more durable than variables as well on hard recoiling handguns. And lower magnification has the advantages of wider field of view and enhanced light transmission coupled with appearing easier to steady, than will a higher magnification choice.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Same here with the Leupolds on magnums, but nowadays, I would strongly consider and agree with @E.Shell, a red dot with at least three MOA dot would be another option worth looking into.

I dropped this 250# buck in his tracks at 56 yards with my S&W 629 with a cheapo red dot(don't buy a cheapo).

View attachment 445201

NICE!!!

 

[outrider58]

NICE!!!

Thanks!

 

[outrider58]

Straight 2x is about perfect on a deer hunting handgun. Puts reticle and target on the same focal plane. Helps with lower light and older eyes during optimal early morning and late evening hunting hours. Might (arguably) be a bit more durable than variables as well on hard recoiling handguns. And lower magnification has the advantages of wider field of view and enhanced light transmission coupled with appearing easier to steady, than will a higher magnification choice.

I totally agree. My Leupold was a 2x.

 

[Harrys]

Well yesterday I was able to try out a Leupold 4X handgun scope on my buds 44. Eye relief was OK I found it very difficult to quickly acquire your target after shooting. I really did not need magnification as at 69 still have 20/20 vision. My .500 has a lot more recoil than his 44 so acquiring your target quickly will be more difficult. He also had a red dot on his 357 which was a heck of a lot easier to use and very fast on target acquisition. He suggested in getting a Ultradot 4 and said it would handle the .500. Has anyone had any experience with one?