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Browning A bolt 12 gau - Scope Recommendation

MJH

MJH

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2017
Messages
770
Location
Ontario Canada
Ok guys, I have a Browning A bolt 12g slug gun that has been gathering dust. Between archery and rifle hunting I really don't spend a lot of time bothering with the shotgun seasons - but I am thinking I am going to this year. The A bolt that I have does not have a scope mounted.

Any recommendations out there for a solid scope that will be robust enough for this? I want to get something that is going to function well, and last - price is not a significant constraint (don't make some ridiculous Nightforce suggestion).

Cheers
 
MJH said:
Ok guys, I have a Browning A bolt 12g slug gun that has been gathering dust. Between archery and rifle hunting I really don't spend a lot of time bothering with the shotgun seasons - but I am thinking I am going to this year. The A bolt that I have does not have a scope mounted.

Any recommendations out there for a solid scope that will be robust enough for this? I want to get something that is going to function well, and last - price is not a significant constraint (don't make some ridiculous Nightforce suggestion).

Cheers
Click to expand...

Those are really nice guns.

What is your shooting scenario? That will guide some parameters here.
 
IMO the older Nikon slughunter scopes were the absolute best on any slug gun. Hard to find now, but the BDC reticle worked assuming you stayed in the right parameters (i.e. Lightfield slugs flew to slow to be accurate, Remington Accu-Tips were lasers). I found my last one at a gun shop on a trade they had received.
 
Plebe said:
What is your shooting scenario? That will guide some parameters here.
Click to expand...

The shotgun would be for standard back 40 woodlot type stuff. Field edges, and some timber patches. I figure we are talking about sightlines/visibility no longer than 150yrds max

Up north in the big woods I will be rifle hunting.
 
Sgt. Beardface said:
IMO the older Nikon slughunter scopes were the absolute best on any slug gun. Hard to find now, but the BDC reticle worked assuming you stayed in the right parameters (i.e. Lightfield slugs flew to slow to be accurate, Remington Accu-Tips were lasers). I found my last one at a gun shop on a trade they had received.
Click to expand...

I have seen this scope. I didn't like the circles in the reticle - am I wrong on this? With that said I have looked around, and I can't find one for sale in the common Canadian vendors.
 
The circles never bothered me. They are a pain to find though. Never understood why they took them off the market. Sorry for not being more help. Good luck with the search.
 
Another vote here on the Nikon Shotgun Hunter, although I guess it does the OP no good right now (check eBay). I torched a doe last season at closing time, 50 yds, in dark timber. Not much more I could ask of the thing.

I think shotgun slug hunting is an under appreciated craft by those of us who mostly prefer bowhunting. But I don't live in a "shotgun season" state, so maybe the attitude is different in other places. There's a finickiness with slug/barrel combinations, reminiscent of muzzleloading, that is interesting to figure out...but without all the fouling.

You may have, however, chosen a tricky year to figure all that out. I just paid $45 for 3 boxes of Brenneke slugs (crap year to run out!).
 
I would lean towards an etched reticle scope for durability on any hard kicking weapon if in the budget, excepting something like a Trijicon with the heavy wire design. (I think the Trijicon Accupoint 1-6 would be a fine option). That said, I don't know of any Leupold VX3's ever walking or throwing a wire amongst my group.

I prefer an illuminated reticle for speed in the brush and for deer on the move. You may not need that in your situation.

I prefer LPVO magnifications for shotgunning, but 2-7 power is less expensive and ample for the job.

FFP/SFP isn't a big issue for me at these ranges, but you may have a preference.

I got a Zeiss conquest on the cheap, and run that. Can't speak to decades of use, but it's glass is impressive for what I paid. I liked certain selections from Meopta and Minox, but couldn't stomach the expense for shotgunning as I rifle hunt more now. (Though, slugs used to be my norm). In the past, deals could be had on the secondary market...but it seems we're in a very different marketplace now.
 
I have a Burris eliminator 2 on my a-bolt. Works great. Really takes the guessing out of the shots 150 and beyond when slugs start dropping alot.
 
After Nikon's betrayal of hunters I would not recommend them anymore. Get a Leupold. VX-3i 2.5-8x36 is fantastic. Rock solid and not bulky on your weapon.
 
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