r/canadaguns • u/Shtangss • Apr 20 '26
Gun and gear reviews Question regarding optics as a new firearm owner
Hey everyone. I recently got my PAL and purchased a Browning X Bolt 2 as my first gun. It’s got a picatinny rail. I’m looking to get into hunting at some point but want to first get comfortable with the gun at a range, as well as general etiquette.
What scope/sight would you recommend putting on it if I’m limited to indoor ranges for now? I know scopes are capable of hundreds of yards but for indoor it would be like driving a Ferrari in a parking lot.
Also maybe there’s a chance that people don’t really shoot bolt actions indoors? I’m not sure. I figured an x bolt can prepare me for hunting when the time comes
Any advice would be appreciated!
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u/tmwildwood-3617 Apr 20 '26
All things being equal...get the scope that you want to end up with from the start. Here's my reasoning...
You'll want to sight in to get on paper...then fine tune and sight in at various longer ranges when that time comes.
Rifle ammo...especially hunting ammo...is stupid expensive. For your wallets sake you'll want to shoot as little of it as possible...but still enough to be proficient and confident with the round that you'll want to rely on.
Adding to that expense, it's usually wanted to try various different brands/makes/loads of ammo to see what shoots best/better in your particular rifle. Once you find that particular round...but a bunch of it and then no probs shooting something else for practice.
If you sight in with one "cheap" scope for the indoor range and have it zeroed...when you go to shoot longer distances/etc later...or need to be ready for a hunt...you'll be swapping scopes and rezeroing with your "nicer" scope....burning up ammo/etc.
If you go with your "final" scope right from the get go and use it both at the range and field...then you'll get comfortable with how it's setup and find out if there's any problems with it or the mount/rings before you really need to count on it. Then once you're setup and all dialed in you can put it away for that next hunt and know that you're good to go.
Not an insurmountable issue...but I've seen a couple of guys who are "never" sighted in and ready for a hunt...and they're scrambling/hurried/etc when they really didn't need to be.
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u/Birdybadass Apr 20 '26
Honestly whatever you put on will be fine. The only thing you’re going to learn on a 50yd ish indoor bench is proper trigger control and how to manage recoil/your flinch. I would buy with the intent of that being your long term scope which would be dependent on where you and hunt and style of hunt, but a general starting point is a 3-9 or 4-12 magnification of the best glass you can afford, and a rule of thumb is spend between .5-1x whatever your rifle cost you. Don’t cheap out on glass. I’d rather have a mid tier rifle and high end scope than the other way around.
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u/Whispersfine Apr 20 '26
Get a cheap one from victor optics if you are shooting a x bolt 2 at only 50 yards.
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u/DecentComposer545 Apr 20 '26
My personal opinion for brand is Vortex because of their warranty.
As for magnication I have used 3-9 and 4-12. I actually prefer my 3-9 more because it opens up my FOV better. Parallax adjustment is very nice but on 3-9 I feel it may not be as needed. Depending on your game and distance will ultimately decide what magnification you are after.
I visualize animals as a pie plate size target at X distance. if you feel comfortable with 9x at meters to see and score on a pie plate, then thats your magnification you are looking for.
The other thing you can do is go to your range and ask others to look through their scopes( don't touch anything) I know thay can ve awkward though. My 6.5 is a whore though I will let anyone touch and play with her lol.
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 Apr 20 '26
What scope/sight would you recommend putting on it if I’m limited to indoor ranges for now?
Indoor, 3-9x is more than adequate, but I would nevertheless spend extra and get one with parallax control.
Bushnell R3 and R5 series is priced pretty good and suitable for a starter rifle.
1
u/Asleep_Log1377 Apr 20 '26
Vortex venom 3-15x44mm is nice. The parallax adjusts down to 10 yards. Has forgiving eye relief and front focal plane.
1
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u/LumberjackCDN Gold'n Loan Outfitters & Pawn Apr 21 '26
I run and retail for multiple brands, its hard to best Vortex's warranty (i know everyones copying it these days but theyre still the smoothest process of the bunch in my expierence). Id say get something in a 2-10. So from vortex we'd be looking at a viper hd. I think thatd pair well with an XB2, from
From Leupold, if the budget isnt blown on the Xb2, id highly recommend a vx5hd in the same 2-10 though they are by far the most expensive, they are also the nicest of the 3 that im going to recommend.
And finally the last scope that i personally run is a hawke in a 1.7-10 and is also the cheapest option of the bunch. Ive also just started carrying steiner and burris but havent had much inventory land yet so im not certain how their quality stacks up.
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u/Shtangss Apr 21 '26
Thank you everyone for the advice! I’m going to look through and see what I need to buy 🫡
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u/__WayDown Apr 20 '26
Have you confirmed that your indoor range allows centerfire bolt actions? Lots of them won't.
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u/coffeeofwar Apr 20 '26
So this pretty subjective opinion
What's your budget