Cabelas Powderhorn 3X10X40?
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johnpb said:
No I don't have any experience with Cabela's Powderhorn muzzleloader scopes. However I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night
Having owned almost every scope brand imaginable I have never found a scope in that price range that would hold up under the recoil of .22 much less a BP ML. Maybe your luck will be different than mine but I am betting not.
There are some quality scopes out there right now at crazy low prices but you are going to have to come up a bit in price to get something decent. The one that strikes me as the best bargain out there is the Weaver Nitrex One scope. 3x10x40 is $149 to your door. Excellent scope for the money. Step up to the $199 class and that opens even more doors for you.
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chaded said:
Thats good because with a $49 dollar optic your gonna need that warranty.
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Edwardamason said:johnpb said:
No I don't have any experience with Cabela's Powderhorn muzzleloader scopes. However I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night
Having owned almost every scope brand imaginable I have never found a scope in that price range that would hold up under the recoil of .22 much less a BP ML. Maybe your luck will be different than mine but I am betting not.
There are some quality scopes out there right now at crazy low prices but you are going to have to come up a bit in price to get something decent. The one that strikes me as the best bargain out there is the Weaver Nitrex One scope. 3x10x40 is $149 to your door. Excellent scope for the money. Step up to the $199 class and that opens even more doors for you.
how was the bed?
I kind of disagree with Edward here. And I am not trying to start a scope war. But I have shot muzzleloaders with full powerful loads with some of the cheapest scopes on them you've ever seen. For instance I shoot a Wolverine with a $19.95 2.5x20 simmons on it. Not a big dollar value there. But that scope had held up for over 200 shots now, never lost zero, has pretty good glass and clarity.. I mean face it, its no Leupold... but I have not broke it. And for my little tree stand shots where 50 yards is tops, it's a great little scope.
One of my favorite muzzleloader scopes is the Simmons Pro Diamond 4x32mm they normally used to sell for around $39.00 and I have them on a number of muzzleloaders. And again, they have never failed. They have very good glass, eye relief, and just seem to hang in there shot after shot. But again, if I were going hunting out west on a guided elk hunt, I would have my Nikon Omega on the rifle... why? Its a great scope.
But this powderhorn scope interested me. So much so in fact that I ordered one. I have a good muzzleloader that shoots magnum loads I will mount it on. I want to see if I can break it. Also for that price, I am curious about the quality of the glass. If the scope is good, I might just purchase a few more to have in stock... Never know when you need a scope for something.
thanks for the heads up.
I wonder if the Powderhorn is a re-branding of their Pine Ridge scope line. If so, I had one of those 10 or 12 years ago on a CVA Hunterbolt and like Cayuga's experience with "budget" scopes it did pretty good for a $39 scope. Also like Cayuga, I love my Nikon scope the best.
I know for a fact that some of the lower priced or as some implied "cheap" scopes work great. That was the reason I was asking if anyone had any experience with the Cabelas Powderhorn. I would really rather have a more expensive scope, not that they work better, just so I could say I have an expensive scope.
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Do not get me wrong. If a scoped rifle was a matter of life and death and put all the food on my table, then I would like a great scope. At least one I could afford. But I have been using inexpensive scopes on muzzle loaders for years. The only scope to fail so far was a Thompson Center Hawkins 1x32 mm, that was on a White rifle. And actually that was an expensive $139. 99 scope.
A rifle with a 4x32 mm Simmons scope on a Renegade even took a spill and landed on the scope. One of the slide off leaning against a table kind of thing. The scope never even went off center.
This Powderhorn really has my interest. I am going to mount it on a TC Black Mountain Magnum 50 caliber. Time will tell.
A rifle with a 4x32 mm Simmons scope on a Renegade even took a spill and landed on the scope. One of the slide off leaning against a table kind of thing. The scope never even went off center.
This Powderhorn really has my interest. I am going to mount it on a TC Black Mountain Magnum 50 caliber. Time will tell.
I put one on my mag hunter a couple of weeks ago,so far very happy.I have 2 omegas on other inlines and the optics seem as good for 1/3 the money.It doesn't track perfectly,but once zeroed it has held for about 100 moderate bh209 loads.If not for cabelas return reputation I probably would not have tried it,but so far very happy!
cayuga I ordered one this morning so hopefuly sometime by next weekend I'll have it mounted on my Accura. I ordered the 3X10X40 and at about 1/2 the normal price I couldn't resist. They have a lifetime warranty which really doesn't mean much especially if it goes bad when its needed the most.cayuga said:
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Normally I find that if I test them hard, and I mean a lot of rounds and magnum loads... and they hold up. They are going to stay that way.
On my T/C Black Diamond XR I mounted a Bushnell Banner Dusk to Dawn 1.5-4.5x32mm. It was a $69.00 scope. But I had read some good things about it. And I pounded that scope. Its never gave me any problems. The funny part was, I was at a hunting camp and the rifle was leaning in the corner of the cabin. One of the guys wanted to look at the rifle. Since it was not primed, I agreed. He was looking over the rifle and then threw it up to his shoulder and was sighting in on different things. He then began to study the scope. And he asked me about the Banner. When I told him the cost of it, he could hardly believe that a scope that cheap was that clear. The glass in that Banner is really good. And its held true now for countless shots.
And that's why I said.. if I were going out west for instance on a big game hunt.. where you might get one shot in a hunt of a life time.. I would have my Nikon Omega on the rifle or my Bushnell 3200 . They are excellent scopes.
On my T/C Black Diamond XR I mounted a Bushnell Banner Dusk to Dawn 1.5-4.5x32mm. It was a $69.00 scope. But I had read some good things about it. And I pounded that scope. Its never gave me any problems. The funny part was, I was at a hunting camp and the rifle was leaning in the corner of the cabin. One of the guys wanted to look at the rifle. Since it was not primed, I agreed. He was looking over the rifle and then threw it up to his shoulder and was sighting in on different things. He then began to study the scope. And he asked me about the Banner. When I told him the cost of it, he could hardly believe that a scope that cheap was that clear. The glass in that Banner is really good. And its held true now for countless shots.
And that's why I said.. if I were going out west for instance on a big game hunt.. where you might get one shot in a hunt of a life time.. I would have my Nikon Omega on the rifle or my Bushnell 3200 . They are excellent scopes.
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Yesterday afternoon I mounted the Cabela's Powder Horn 3-10x40mm scope on a stainless steel Green Mountain Barrel 50 caliber that sits in a T/C Renegade stock. I did not bore sight it, since normally they are very close.
I put the target out at 25 yards in the snow and shot from a bench rest. My intent was to ruff sight in the scope. But also to punish the scope and see what happens. If it is going to break, do it now!
My load was not a normal load to me, but to some of you probably an every day load. 110 grains of 3f Triple Seven I believe is a max load in this rifle. It might even be a little more then normal. I later was shooting black powder with 100 grains of 2f and that was a much more comfortable load. The 110 grains of Triple Seven 3f had a lot of recoil. Especially with a 300 grain XTP on top of it. But I wanted the scope to break. I wanted to stress it.
Observations of the scope.
The scope is very long. And I am not a fan of long scopes. But on this rifle it made no difference as the rear sight is removed. I like to leave the rear sights ON. (or I end up loosing parts). The length is listed at 12.2 I like them around 11 inches at max. But again, this was not going to be a problem.
The FOV at 100 yards is good. 31.5-9.4 and the scope is listed at 3.75 eye relief. I can not swear to it, but I believe I have more then that. Excellent eye relief in this scope. Never once did it come near me with the max loads being fired.
Again I am impressed with the excellent clarity of the glass. Face it, for a $49.00 scope what should you expect. But this one I could easily focus it, and the movement from one power setting to the next was flawless. It also held track when moving through the different power settings. Some scopes will move off the POA a little. This one held true.
The scope seemed to eat up the recoil with ease. I originally was shooting low. And so I removed the lens covers/caps and looked at the dials. Very sophisticated looking dials with lots of numbers and calibrations on them. Now if I just knew how to use all that. But I studied the top dial to raise the POI and really it did not tell me if I should go clockwise or counter clock wise with the dial.
So I made my first adjustment and went the wrong way of course. I then readjusted and discovered it was going to take a lot of adjustment to move that POI up the target.
And so I made smaller adjustments and slowly moved up the target. When I got too high, I made my to the right adjustment and it worked great. Although being at 25 yards it takes a lot of adjustment to move one in. Normally 4 but maybe it was me, I sure seemed to turn that adjustment a lot to move an inch.
Anyway I got it hitting the top of the bull.. which is where I wanted it. Also the Powder Horn held nice and true with that monster 110 grains of Triple Seven.
So the over all observations are, long scope, great glass, adjustments seem slow, seems to be solidly built so far, love the cross hairs in it. And I think it will be working real good.
I then took the target down and loaded up 100 grains of Black Powder and held dead on paint cans at 86 yards. I really can not say where the rifle is hitting back there. I need to actually shoot at a target back there. But I do want to sight this one in at 100 yards and then see if the BDC is close this spring in the hay fields.
________________
I put the target out at 25 yards in the snow and shot from a bench rest. My intent was to ruff sight in the scope. But also to punish the scope and see what happens. If it is going to break, do it now!
My load was not a normal load to me, but to some of you probably an every day load. 110 grains of 3f Triple Seven I believe is a max load in this rifle. It might even be a little more then normal. I later was shooting black powder with 100 grains of 2f and that was a much more comfortable load. The 110 grains of Triple Seven 3f had a lot of recoil. Especially with a 300 grain XTP on top of it. But I wanted the scope to break. I wanted to stress it.
Observations of the scope.
The scope is very long. And I am not a fan of long scopes. But on this rifle it made no difference as the rear sight is removed. I like to leave the rear sights ON. (or I end up loosing parts). The length is listed at 12.2 I like them around 11 inches at max. But again, this was not going to be a problem.
The FOV at 100 yards is good. 31.5-9.4 and the scope is listed at 3.75 eye relief. I can not swear to it, but I believe I have more then that. Excellent eye relief in this scope. Never once did it come near me with the max loads being fired.
Again I am impressed with the excellent clarity of the glass. Face it, for a $49.00 scope what should you expect. But this one I could easily focus it, and the movement from one power setting to the next was flawless. It also held track when moving through the different power settings. Some scopes will move off the POA a little. This one held true.
The scope seemed to eat up the recoil with ease. I originally was shooting low. And so I removed the lens covers/caps and looked at the dials. Very sophisticated looking dials with lots of numbers and calibrations on them. Now if I just knew how to use all that. But I studied the top dial to raise the POI and really it did not tell me if I should go clockwise or counter clock wise with the dial.
So I made my first adjustment and went the wrong way of course. I then readjusted and discovered it was going to take a lot of adjustment to move that POI up the target.
And so I made smaller adjustments and slowly moved up the target. When I got too high, I made my to the right adjustment and it worked great. Although being at 25 yards it takes a lot of adjustment to move one in. Normally 4 but maybe it was me, I sure seemed to turn that adjustment a lot to move an inch.
Anyway I got it hitting the top of the bull.. which is where I wanted it. Also the Powder Horn held nice and true with that monster 110 grains of Triple Seven.
So the over all observations are, long scope, great glass, adjustments seem slow, seems to be solidly built so far, love the cross hairs in it. And I think it will be working real good.
I then took the target down and loaded up 100 grains of Black Powder and held dead on paint cans at 86 yards. I really can not say where the rifle is hitting back there. I need to actually shoot at a target back there. But I do want to sight this one in at 100 yards and then see if the BDC is close this spring in the hay fields.
________________
cabelas 3-9x40
Cayuga,
Look on the sides of the turret.Mine is marked up with a arrow in 3 places around the turret and right with 3 arrows.Not real clear but if you look at all you can see arrowhead.I also noticed it seemed to not move the marked amount,seemed to have to turn a lot,but once zeroed seems to hold fine.
Cayuga,
Look on the sides of the turret.Mine is marked up with a arrow in 3 places around the turret and right with 3 arrows.Not real clear but if you look at all you can see arrowhead.I also noticed it seemed to not move the marked amount,seemed to have to turn a lot,but once zeroed seems to hold fine.
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I shot the rifle again today. I wanted to see how the rifle, being sighted in at 25 yards currently, would do at 50 yards. The rifle held a beautiful group. Then to test the scope I gave it 5 clicks down adjustment, and the scope moved the group the desired amount.
So far I am very happy with the Powderhorn.
So far I am very happy with the Powderhorn.
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cayuga said:
As you and i have already discussed, i have had a 3x10x40 Powder Horn for three years now and at this moment I am totally pleased with it.
Abd I have to tell you I have not been kind to it... and it just keeps shooting great groups...
I trust the scope so much it is even installed a new Mountaineer that i hubted with this fall. The same scope scope scored me a nice little buck 2 years ago mounted on a DISC Elite 50 cal...
Can not really see it.. here it is
and here it was after it had done its work...
muzzleloader4evr
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glad to hear this good talk about the powderhorn. i ordered 2 and just got them today. now i need to mount them on my omegas and shoot.
Powderhorn scope
Well, these reports on the Powderhorn scope makes me feel a whole lot better, as this is what I had ordered for my T/C Impact! Should be here sometime next week. Getting excited to put this together and try this new type of hunting out!
Well, these reports on the Powderhorn scope makes me feel a whole lot better, as this is what I had ordered for my T/C Impact! Should be here sometime next week. Getting excited to put this together and try this new type of hunting out!
