Reader question: I’m a bird hunter and am trying to find the best slug gun scope. I don’t need long-range magnification and am looking for a sight that is one of the best on the market under 250 dollars.
Before we look at what is the best scope for a slug gun, let’s learn what makes a good sight for this weapon.
Read customer reviews of shotgun scopes on Amazon.
A slug gun is a shotgun that uses slugs most appropriate for short-range game hunts or bird hunting. Slug guns are popular among hunters, especially in many states where rifle and buckshot ammunitions are banned for deer hunting.
It is the best alternative for hunting that requires powerful short-range shooting. Slugs made of pieces of plastic, nylon or metal moulded into one large heavy piece of lead; they can be rifled to make them spin in the air thereby increasing flight distance and accuracy.
Slug gun recoil can be pretty severe. Scopes attached to these high-power guns, therefore, must be tough enough to endure rugged use and powerful kick.
Eye relief for guns that are noted to kick hardmust be significant to protect the eye. In a slug gun, this must not be less than 4 inches.
The effective range of slug guns is 100 yards or less. In other words, you don’t need high-magnification scopes. Instead, choose a scope with lower magnification and bigger field of view which is useful in making follow-up shots to the prey. Field of view is often given in linear feet and it decreases as magnification increases.
Below are three of carefully chosen scopes, all with great optics but vary in some important aspects.
Nikon SlugHunter shotgun scope review, 3-9×40 Matte (BDC 200)
Nikon is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of top-quality sports optics, no question.
Nikon SlugHunter Shotgun scope, which measures 3.2x 4.7 x 15.8 inches and weighs 14.7 ounces, brings the slug gun to a farther range.
It comes with a patented BDC 200 reticle uniquely designed to make long-range shots more accurate and easier.
Its multi-coated lenses 40mm objective is designed for maximum clarity and well-lit transmission.
You’d most appreciate its 5-inch quick-focus eye relief to protect your forehead even against the hardest recoil.
It is also equipped with Spring-Loaded Instant Zero-Reset turrets that make adjustments a piece of cake.
Field of view varies from 8.4 feet to 25.2 feet. The 40mm objective sends in too much light than is necessary, as makes the scope weighty and cumbersome.
Eye relief is generous at 5 inches, definitely built for a slug gun! The Nikon SlugHunter’s price range is around $200.
Leupold VX-1 2-7x33mm shotgun scope review
If you want first-rate performance on your Remington 870 Slugger, it has got to be with a Leupold VX-1 2-7x33mm Shotgun scope.
It works terrific at close range (from 10 to 75 yards) in dense brush or thicket and it can have devastating effects on wild animals.
It has a product dimension of 14 x 3.2 x 2.9 inches and weighs 10.6 oz. Fixed at 2x, this scope makes for great clarity and a field of view of 42.5 feet.
Eye relief is 4.9 inches at this magnification, and 3.8 inches at 7x.
You can say that this Leupold is exactly what a slug shotgun-toting hunter needs to make the kill on most close-range game! The Leupold scope can be had at less than $250.
Nikon ProStaff 3-9×40 Black Matte Riflescope (BDC)
The Nikon ProStaff 3-9×40 Black Matte Riflescope (BDC) is another top-quality creation from Nikon that boasts of excellent features.
The compact and fully multi-coated optical system, with 3-9x magnification and 40mm objective lens offers maximum light transmission and visual clarity from dawn to dusk.
It features a zero-reset turret with spring-loaded adjustment knob for quick and easy fine-tuning.
It’s a nitrogen-filled and O-ring sealed housing results to shock-proof, fog-proof, and water-proof reinforcement.
The BDC reticle’s unique see-through ballistic circles provide extraordinary short and long-range shooting versatility.
Other equally distinctive features of Nikon ProStaff are: parallax setting at 100 yards; consistent 3.6 inches of eye relief; and provision for an optional sunshade accessory for rainy, sunny, or dusty conditions.
Its field of view is 33.8 feet at 3x and 11.3 feet at 9x.
The Nikon ProStaff is marginally priced at below $200 to match the budget of any hunter.
What is the best slug gun scope on the market?
We have provided the price range to suggest that you buy the cheapest scope available. It’s given there to help you buy within the perspective of buying scopes and features that are most useful to your slug gun.
In other words, don’t buy a scope merely because it has a popular feature that you have no use for but which drives the cost up.
From what we’ve shown, all three have great features; they all come from trusted optics and scope makers. We see, however, that the Leupold has the most features that you and your slug gun may need in the great outdoors.
The 2x magnification is generally the power that you need, but you can work that up to 7x. Field of view at more than 40 feet wide is extremely satisfactory, which stays fairly good even at 7x at FOV of 17.8 feet).
The Leupold costs a little more than either of the two Nikons, but your slug gun’s going to get the kick out of the scope’s features.
Find discounts on the best slug gun scope in 2023 on Amazon.
Originally posted 2023-01-06 14:31:54.
