Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics shotgun scope

I have a remington 870 12ga with a cantilever rifled slug barrel and a remington 2-7x32mm scope that came with it. I was thinking it might be nice to have a scope that offered more in the dept of eye relief. It feels like Im always having to get my head up close to the scope. Not too comfy. Anybody have any good suggestions on some decent shotgun scopes without breaking the bank? Hows about some decent scopes for under $300.00?

"Breaking the bank" is vague. Decide on a price, then ask the question. Wide variety of hunters, shooters and good people here. You'll get so many recommendations you're head will spin.

VXII 2-7x33 Shotgun model w/ heavy duplex does wonders on a slug gun.

Leupold 4X. I've got one on mine and have never needed anything else. These are under your price limit and can be found used for much less.

The 2.5 Leupold compact has good ER and within budget. Nikon and Bushnell each offer scopes pushing or passing 5" ER, but I don't know how well they stand up to the recoil. Jack

The Leupold 2-7x33 scopes are very nice. They are my favorite low magnification scopes.


These are not bad for the dough. 6" eye relief.

http://www.bushnell.com/hunting/rifle-scopes/banner/1-4x-32mm,-circle-x-reticle

Another vote for the 2-7x33 Leupold shotgun scope with heavy duplex. I have one atop a H&R Ultra Slugger and only shoot 3" Fullbore Buckhammer slugs. These generate an enormous amount of recoil......this scope has proven to be bullet proof!

Thanks guys, I think Im going to check out the Leupold 2-7x33.

Ditto on the vx11 2-7. My slug gun wears one. I've had two different ones on there ,a bushnell trophy I had worked very good if your looking for budget. But i believe I will keep this luey on it for good.

The model with the 6" of eye relief is the 1.75-4x32mm My info has the 1-4x32 as having 4" of eye relief

I have a Leupold VX2 1-4 shotgun scope on my Browning 20ga. Gold Deer Hunter. It has a cantlever barrel and it has never let me down. I bought it on ebay used for $160 in excellent condition. I have purchased most all my Leupolds on ebay including VX3 6.5x20x50, 4.5x14x40, 2.5x8x36, VX2 4x12x40 and the list goes on and on. I usually pay about 60-70% of the new price. Hope this helps. Kevin

Those Leupold Vari-x II 20mm 1-4x's are very nice. I've had one on a Marlin .30-30 since 2002. But my 12 ga. 870 slug gun has had a 2.5x 20mm Leupold Compact on it since 1989. The 870 was a smoothbore slug gun back then; until the late 1990's when it got a rifled barrel. Thought about some optics with a little bit higher magnification, (like 1-4x) but then realized that the little 2.5x Leupold was keeping me happy even beyond 100 yds. Lots of field of view at closer distance yet 2.5x is plenty good for any 12 ga. Sabot range. I zero it at 100 yds and feel as confident with it as when I'm carrying the .30-30. Plus, that fixed 2.5x is tough as nails. Even fell 10 feet out of a tree once and never even lost zero. I just don't feel the need for more "X"'s on a slug gun anymore but maybe it's just because I've had such good experience with the thing that after 24 years with a 2.5x I don't even want any more than that on a shotgun. Even though I sure like that 1-4x on my Marlin.

A Leupold 4x

I like the current production Leupold VX-1 2-7x33 shotgun scopes with the heavy duplex reticle. The last time I looked, Natchez and Optics Planet had them for around $210.

Jeff

The 1.75-4X32 and the 1-4X32 banner with the CIRCLE X recticle both have 6 inch eye relief.

It's the Banner 1.5X4.5 with the Multi X recticle that has the 4 inch eye relief.

Kids and I have the latter scope with the 4 inch eye relief on a multitude of slug guns(12's & 20's), at least 6 that I can count off the top of my head, and we have hammered them, and never a problem, probably the most bang for the buck you could ever find in a scope.

The 4 inch eye relief is more than adequate on a slug gun and they are crystal clear. At 1.5 setting it's not a problem to get on a deer even 10 yards away, which is critical in the thick cover that we hunt.

Number one son took a doe at 128 lasered yards with that scope mounted on a 1963 vintage Ithaca 37 12 gauge with a smooth bore slug barrel and a Winchester foster slug, one shot and bang flop. Scope has worked for us flawlessly in any situation we have encountered.

Wink man, You are right in the fact that Bushnell lists both the 1-4x32 and the 1.75-4x32 Banners as having 6" of eye relief. I have a fairly new 1-4x32 plus several of the 1.75-4x32 Banners and the 1-4 is definitely 4" of eye relief.

My son called Bushnell and they indicated to him that this was correct at 4" and the website had a misprint.

Maybe Bushnell changed that scope to having 6" of eye relief at this time or the website is still a misprint. All I know if one buys the 1-4 hoping it has 6" of eye relief they could be disappointed, but you are correct also in the fact that it may not matter. Cheers.......

Chainsaw,your son could very well be correct that it was(and still is) a misprint on their website, as I have no physical experience handling or using the 1-4 Banner with the Circle X recticle, only the 1.5-4.5 with the Multi X recticle, and I know that one has 4 inch eye relief.

I Like the greater "field of view" in the 2.5x & 3x Leupold scopes , compared to the Variable powers
When attempting a shot at a running Deer, the bigger picture is an asset .
The lower power is not a disadvantage on longer shots , I once killed a standing Moose at approx' 400 yds with a 300 Magnum wearing a 3x with a 3" dot reticle .
At the other end of the spectrum , a Whitetail Buck , bounding uphill away from me, took 3 shots in the lungs in as many bounds,at close range, using a 3x w/a 4" Dot, on a Model 12 Win pump action 12 ga.
Jack O'Conner once stated "the fastest sight in the woods is the Reciever Sight with the aperature removed"
I have found that an equally fast sight , if not a bit faster, is a ONE power scope with a large Dot,which has NO Magnification !
If you need Magnification , 2.5x & 3x are ideal scopes for the woods & fields ,IMHO

I put a Leupold VX 1 1-4 power shotgun scope on my Ruger 77/44 and find no problems with eye relief or impact changes. I've used it on 2 deer; impact ranges < than 30 yards, and granted a 44 mag carbine does not recoil anywhere near a 12 ga with slugs does, but I believe the scope was designed for 12 ga slugs. I do like the Heavy duplex for my application.