New scope, anything I should know

Hey guys, looking to outfit my new Knight Mountaineer with a really nice scope so I can finally get shooting. Is there anything with this gun I should know about in regards to the rings/bases or even scope for that matter before I start spending money? I'm no gunsmith when it comes to mounting scopes in case that matters. Also, any recommendations?

Thanks everyone


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These are the bases you need.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/15921 ... 541-t-541s

For rings I like Leupold QRW rings on muzzleloaders. They are quick detach style so you can remove the scope for cleaning. Not sure what size to recommend until a scope is selected.

As for the scope. What distances will you be shooting? For hunting or just paper punching? What's your budget?

03mossy said:

These are the bases you need.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/15921 ... 541-t-541s

For rings I like Leupold QRW rings on muzzleloaders. They are quick detach style so you can remove the scope for cleaning. Not sure what size to recommend until a scope is selected.

As for the scope. What distances will you be shooting? For hunting or just paper punching? What's your budget?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link!

As far as distance..
my plan was to get setup to do those long range shoots that are held in Friendship, IN and I believe they go up to 600 yards. So I wanted to set this gun up for that while also still being able to have a good hunting setup (within 200 yards). I'm realizing though with my 2 year old son and hopefully another on the way, and work, that I'm not sure I'll have the time this year to do any of those shoots. So maybe I should just stick to a good hunting scope? Or can I knock out both with one scope?

My budget as of now anyway is probably $500 max.


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I think reaching out to 600 yards your going to need a bit more than a standard 3-9x40 hunting scope. If it was my $500 and with your needs I go this route.

https://www.amazon.com/Leupold-VX-3i-4- ... B018YKOX0A

Thanks 03mossy. That's a good price too


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What if I decide to go the route of a good less than 200 yard scope for hunting. Would a VX2 be good? I have that on my .270 and like it.


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You can go wrong with a VX2. Especially the latest version. The new VX2 are a big step up from the version just 2 years ago. So if your happy with the one on your .270 you will be even more so with the new one. The current VX2 is pretty much what the VX3 was last year. When Leupold came out with the VX3i they basically turned the old vx3 into the new vx2. People had been saying that Leupold has gone down hill the last 10 years and orher companies have caight up but i really think these new versions or the vx2 and vx3i puts them back up in top in this price range. And I am not a die hard Leupold fan boy either, I have scopes from many different companies.

If you ever intend to shoot long range, I'm more inclined to 03mossy's first recommendation. A steel pig is pretty small at 300 meters. Rams aren't really that large at 500yds either. You can't hit what you can't see.
My dad, (R.I.P.) always said, "If you don't have the money or time to do it right the first time, where will you get the money or time to do it over?"

If you ever attend some of the shoots at Friendship, you'll be hooked! Lots of fun and many will help you learn. Good luck with your choice.

I definitely would love to do it right the first time, for sure. I'm not a scope expert, but I've never had a scope with parallax adjustment. Doesnt the VX-3i have that? And if so, how would this affect hunting situations?

I know when the time comes for the shoots at Friendship I would feel a whole lot more comfortable with 14x than 12.


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Kraig said:

I definitely would love to do it right the first time, for sure. I'm not a scope expert, but I've never had a scope with parallax adjustment. Doesnt the VX-3i have that? And if so, how would this affect hunting situations?

I know when the time comes for the shoots at Friendship I would feel a whole lot more comfortable with 14x than 12.


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Click to expand...

I'm not a scope expert either, especially since I keep blowing out scopes.

Here's parallax defined.... http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/underst ... -parallax/

Just my 2¢ for hunting....... If your scope has a parallax adjustment, set it as explained for 100yds. Its when you want to take longer range hunting shots, that you'll likely make adjustment/s. It doesn't take long to make a quick adjustment, but remember we need ideal conditions to take long range shots at game, which means taking extra time. Where the adjustment really works, is long range.

There is a lot of very good info at this site about scopes. You may find this useful.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=496141

Not to be rude but a $500 budget and the need for over 500m quality is a tall order really. You might also need a base with some additional MOA built in.

IIRC you can get a 20MOA base. I think Knight might offer them for the Knight 500.

If this is a dedicated range rifle you might want to look at the deals on some of the upper end Weavers at Natchez. Look at Super Slams and Grand Slams but pay close attention to eye relief. Make sure it has enough for your needs.

Something like this might work for you. It has almost 4" of relief and 4-20 power with side focus.
https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-super- ... matte.html

Thanks for the help guys.

GM54- I'm not gonna lie. I have no idea what a 20MOA base is. Like I said, I know the basics. To me, there's a scope base and scope rings. More detail than that I have no idea and that's why I joined this forum. Thanks for that link I will check it out for sure.


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A 20 MOA base adds 20 minutes of angle to the elevation. That way you wont run out of elevation adjustment in your scope as quickly.

http://warnescopemounts.com/20moa-explained/

How does a 20MOA base work? A 0MOA base is considered flat, or level with the bore of the gun. A 20MOA base is canted down in the front toward the barrel. By canting the base down in the front, this is what allows for more usable elevation adjustment in the scope. To many shooters who are not familiar with the concept, canting a scope down in front sounds incorrect. They feel it makes more sense to them if the scope is pointed up

Click to expand...

Thanks GM54. Makes sense now


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take a look at the SWFA Sniper scopes, just do a google search. I have the 10x Sniper scope adj. parallex, very good clear scope, they also, have a 6x and some variable power models.. the straight 6/10x scopes are 299.00.

dbowling said:

take a look at the SWFA Sniper scopes, just do a google search. I have the 10x Sniper scope adj. parallex, very good clear scope, they also, have a 6x and some variable power models.. the straight 6/10x scopes are 299.00.

Click to expand...

I have a few and the lower the power the more MOA. They are 30mm tubes and my 10x (I believe) has a total of 150MOA adjustment (yes 150) - which may allow you to get the 500yds at Friendship without additional moa bases/rail.

dbowling said:

take a look at the SWFA Sniper scopes, just do a google search. I have the 10x Sniper scope adj. parallex, very good clear scope, they also, have a 6x and some variable power models.. the straight 6/10x scopes are 299.00.

Click to expand...

I will check those out, thank u!


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ENCORE50A said:

Kraig said:

I definitely would love to do it right the first time, for sure. I'm not a scope expert, but I've never had a scope with parallax adjustment. Doesnt the VX-3i have that? And if so, how would this affect hunting situations?

I know when the time comes for the shoots at Friendship I would feel a whole lot more comfortable with 14x than 12.


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Click to expand...

Just my 2¢ for hunting....... If your scope has a parallax adjustment, set it as explained for 100yds. Its when you want to take longer range hunting shots, that you'll likely make adjustment/s. It doesn't take long to make a quick adjustment, but remember we need ideal conditions to take long range shots at game, which means taking extra time. Where the adjustment really works, is long range.

Click to expand...

This right here makes me feel a whole lot more comfortable about having a scope with the parallax adjustment and using it for hunting within 200 yards. Then I will have that option to take the longer range shots when the time comes.

Now another question, if I go with the VX-3i, is 14x not enough magnification for when I can make it out to the shoots and do the 600 yard shots?



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Just an FYI
Friendship is 500 (600 hopefully in a few years) and you can hit the ram all day long with just a 4x if your load/gun will shoot.
Target or Tactical turret (elevation) is worth the $.
Higher magnification would be for X's.
We'll be looking for you at Friendship.