I have a Ruger M77 in .270 that I absolutely love. I got it as a Christmas present when I was 13 or 14 years old, and for years, it was the only gun I’d ever think of taking with me on big game hunts.
There’s a lot of sentimental value in that rifle, even though it kicks more like a .300 Mag than a .270. I started developing a flinch with it years ago, and that kick made me think twice about taking it to the field, let alone to the shooting range for practice. I didn’t want to let it just fade into the back corner of the gun safe, so I had a custom muzzle break put on it to tame it down a bit.
The break works great, and I started taking it to the range a lot more. I also started taking it hunting much more often. In fact, for the last few years, it’s the only gun I’ve taken hunting. But last year, the scope started losing pieces, and the reticle doesn’t stay where I want it anymore.
So I started looking for a new scope. I wanted one with variable power, so I could stretch out to the longer ranges with more confidence, as well as shoot closer when I need to. It had to be fully multi-coated to prevent fogging up in cold or wet weather, and I wanted a 44 or 50 mm objective lens to allow it to be useful in lower light conditions. I also wanted one with parallax adjustment, so it would be more accurate at any range. Those are the characteristics I generally look for in a scope, and they’re good rules of thumb to follow.
I wound up getting a Konus Pro 550 scope to test. I mounted it on that .270 and got it sighted in, and it’s a darn nice scope. It fills all the requirements, and at about 160 bucks, it’s a darn good deal. I’m usually pretty skeptical about inexpensive scopes, but this one’s really good.
If you’re looking to replace a scope or outfit a new rifle with a set of optics, know what you want before you go shopping, and buy one that meets your needs.
