What’s your favorite daytime scope for coyote?

Jason50cal

New member
I’m looking at getting a scope for my new 6.5 Grendel upper and will be used for daytime coyote hunting. Shots out to 500 or so yards at most. I’m thinking of the Sightron S-TAC 4x20x50 as I have a few of them and love them but wanted to ask here first. What would you go with?
 
I'll second the Night Force NXS 2.5-10 X 32. I have one on my Dtech AR. Grizz
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For 400 bucks exactly what you said. Has some CA problems, but i like the nice thin reticles and zoom ranges for coyotes and glass is the best I have seen in that price ra ge.
 
CA color aberration? I really like my 3 4-20 stac, 2 duplex, 1 moa2. The moa is very fine on the top end, pretty tough to see at low light. All three turrets adjust perfectly and have shown no shift. I have moved these on off rifles for load testing and optically zero them before mounting. I will use one of these if I suspect a scope issue on a friend's rifle.
 
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Leupold 2.5-8x36 on my 223 Rem
Swarovski 2.5-15x44 Z6 on my 17 Tac.

I like to have the wider field of view on the bottom end. Its easy to lose sight of a dog at higher magnification.
 
I prefer a 1.5-6x40mm scope on my bolt gun for calling coyotes and big game hunting, I have them by Burris(2), Bausch&Lomb, Sightron(my favorite) and Alpen Optics. On my combo guns it is straight tube scopes so they can be mounted low favorite is the Leupold 1-4x20mm(4), Weaver V-3(2) and Nikon Monarch.

I find scopes with at least a 40 foot FOV on the bottom end best for called critters 6x on the top end will kill critters as far as I care to shoot. I have a couple of 2.5-10x40mm's(Elite 4200's) but rarely hunt with them. I did use a Athlon optics 2-10x40mm and it was a nice scope , I just didn't care for the tall turrets and gave the rifle and scope to my granddaughter she's more of a paper puncher.

I just came back from a week of coyote hunting with my nephew and his favorite deer and coyote rig is a Kimber hunter in 243 with a Leupold VX-3 in 1.5-5x20mm, he's just plain deadly with it.
 
What sort of terrain do you hunt? I see you're in Ohio, so I assume you'll be hunting a mix of fields and woodlands.

I try to use something with a low end with a max of 3x. Field of view is your friend when hunting these critters. My favorite calling scopes are my Leupold VX5HD 3-15 and my VX6 2-10. Even with the 3x, I don't have problems picking up animals up close. I shoot with both eyes open, so that makes a huge difference in being able to pick up targets, especially moving ones.
 
Last year I started using a Leupold Mark Ar MOD 1 1.5-4x20 on my 17wsm for the close quarters stands. The scope is clear and holds zero well.The lower power allowed for getting on target quicker. The 17WSM did great on cats, coyotes and fox at close range. For the price it's a good choice.

For longer ranges I used Vortex Viper HST 4-16x44 on a .223 and .243. I like the scope but the high turrets have heavy lugs that will catch on your pack when your gun is slung. Unfortunately Vortex only offers the Zero stops and not locking turrets. This cost me 2 coyotes on one stand. After kicking myself and wounding how I miss both within 75 yards. I looked over my rifle and notice my turrets both were both rotated at least 2 full revolutions. Now I check my turrets before I start each stand.
 
All of my Coyote rifles have Leupold VX2 2-7X33 on them. The scopes are set at 3.5 power and almost never change. A Bobcat out to 300yds. is no problem at 3.5 power...........for me anyway.
Now that I think about it my Deer rifles have the same scope on them.
I have never felt under scoped with 2-7, but then again maybe my age is showing.
 
Originally Posted By: Jason50calI’m looking at getting a scope for my new 6.5 Grendel upper and will be used for daytime coyote hunting. Shots out to 500 or so yards at most.

No matter what anyone tells you magnification at 400yds plus, is your friend, trust me.

I usually run optics that are nothing more than 5X on the low end. Last year we used the PMR 428 and it's 4.5-28X, Over scoped? I'd rather have the option of more mag for those 400+ shot's than not have it.
 
I seriously think scope selection is a very personal thing. If I had to take a 400 yard shots I'd consider it a failed stand, something went wrong. Most of my shots are under 100 yards and I have more under 20 yards than over 200. But that is also the type of terrain I like to hunt also.

I call predators, the calling them in close is the RUSH for me. I don't worry about seeing a coyote on my way to a stand, I carry my rifle in a back scabbard/pack. If I had the desire to just kill coyotes I have about a hundred foothold and even more snares stored in the garage if I want to start trapping again.

So I gear my equipment for the terrain I expect to hunt.

Thicker cover, I use a number of combo guns rifle/shotgun with 1-4x20mm scopes mounted on them for the huge FOV, fast target acquisition and the ability to track moving animals and see openings before the critter gets into them, they stay on 1x unless I need more.

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More open country a bolt gun in 222 Rem or 22-204 with a 1.5-6x40mm gets the nod.

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Big open grass lands and wheat fields I have a 22-250 with a 2.5-10x40mm. I don't hunt that country very often and the few times I've done it everything has come in quite close and I haven't killed one over 50 yards. I rarely take it on a trip anymore.

I like to see at least a 40' FOV on the bottom end. even open country it is amazing how many coyotes can sneak in undetected and magically appear at 50 or less yards and just stick their heads up out of long grass or depression. Some of the newer scopes with 6x magnification or more might be just the ticket. I just can't justify the cost. A $200 Leupold Freedom will kill all the coyotes I care to shoot and leaves me with $800+ dollars to fund hunting trips and gas. The last coyote I killed at the convention and my egg shoot scope cost me $30. I bought 2 for $60 and they are just as clear and sharp as they were 50 yrs ago Bausch & Lomb Balvar 8's. I don't even need turrets as I can hold on fur as far as I care to shoot.

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Originally Posted By: AWSI seriously think scope selection is a very personal thing. If I had to take a 400 yard shots I'd consider it a failed stand, something went wrong.


Exactly, which is why magnification is your friend, when your cleaning up others mess's.
 
If I had to spend my hunting time cleaning others messes I'd be looking for other hunting partners before dragging around a Hubble telescope on my rifle.
 
Originally Posted By: AWSIf I had to spend my hunting time cleaning others messes I'd be looking for other hunting partners before dragging around a Hubble telescope on my rifle.

It has nothing to do with hunting partners, and everything to do with people who love to educate. By the time we get done with Elk season, Corn, and Weaning, Yes we deal with a lot of well taught animals.
Let me "refrain" Magnification is your Friend.
 
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