Scope Recommendations wanted

[cwilson]

I currently shoot and 870 with a Simmons Pro Diamond scope.  I do not like that scope because of the limited field of view.  I am thinking about a Leupold 1-4 with the turkey plex or heavy duplex reticle($200 +/-). 
 
Just wanted advice on what others who use scopes have had success with.
 
Thanks,
 
Chuck 

[allaboutshooting]

Hey Chuck,

Welcome to the T&TH site. There are a lot of great folks who post here who are very helpful and have a lot of experience.

I use a variety of telescopic sights and find that all of them are much better than they were just a few years ago. Even the less expensive ones, by and large, are very good.

I have used those Simmons Pro Diamond scopes for several years and found them to be a very tough scope and a value for the money.

It is very hard to go wrong with anything from Leupold. I shoot VX series I, II, and III. All are excellent, clear and tough. They also have great eye relief.

I like to mount scopes as low as possible, so I normally use scopes with an objective lens of 40mm or less.  Many of my scopes are 3x9 or 4x12 but in reality, I use 4 power more than any other.

I don't hunt turkeys with scopes but use them for still target shooting, testing shells and on slug guns for deer hunting.

I hope that helps some.

Thanks,
Clark

[cwilson]

Clark:
 
Thanks for the reply.   I was thinking about going back to sights only, but a scope tends to force me to keep my face down on the stock.  I have missed a few birds over the years by shooting high over them because I did not have my head down on the stock.  (Orat least thats the reason I am giving  [:D])
 
Chuck

[allaboutshooting]

http://www.burrisoptics.com/speedbead.html

I like this sight a lot. It has a number of features that make it an excellent turkey hunting sight.

I've tried a lot red dot sights but most were too heavy, too high, or put the gun off balance. I was also always concerned about battery "death" at just the wrong time.

This one takes care of all those problems. It's worth a look.

Thanks,
Clark

P.S. That sight will be available for several more models than noted later this year and you'll be able to purchase the mount only, so that you could transfer the sight from one gun to another.

[Magnumdood]

I use a scope because I have a softball size pattern out to 25 ~ 30 yards.  Anything in closer and a slight error in lining up the beads means a clean miss.

Below is a target I shot with my SP-10 at 35 yards.  I was sighting my daughter's 20 gauge in at 35 yards and had an extra Nitro Hevi-Shot straight #4 in my box.

[boone52]

I'll put in a plug for Leupold products. I've big game rifle hunted several states including Alaska and my Leupold products have never let me down.
My advice to the original question is buy a 1x-4x Leupold rifle scope and try it on your turkey shotgun. I think you will love it. The field of view is something like 68 feet at 100 yards which is very generous. I put this scope on my 10 year old son's 20 gauge 870 and he took two nice birds with it. Now it's mounted on a Rem. model 7 in .308.
If you get tired of it on your turkey gun, you can always use it on one of your rifles. I think alot of deer escape the meat pole because hunters choose scopes with small field of views (too much power) and on close running shots, they can't find the deer in their small field of view scopes.
My vacation time is valuable and I don't want my equipment to let me down with wasted "down time" in the woods.
Boone52

[Magnumdood]

I'm going with a 1.5-6x32 on my turkey gun.

[wisturkeyhunter]

You guys with variable power scopes really use the different powers. I can't see messing around with a scope with a turkey in front of me.

[shootingsports]

As all hunters know a scope is wonderful in shooting long distance, but with the technology today I find the best soluction is a speedbead sight or a red dot sight that works better in the turkey woods for two reasons.  When you have worked so hard to get that old gobbler coming and usely your set up is not correct for the tom you find yourself shooting quickly due to debri or shooting off the opposite shoulder where a scope is hard to do and be successful in these circumstance.  Now if your hunting out west and have rolling hills where you can see the old tom way off and can set up prior to the kill, then a scope would be the ticket.