Paul BourgeoisWhich Huskemaw Optic Is Right For You?
Updated: May 2
Choosing the best optic to compliment your system and specific needs
Measure Twice, Cut Once
At Best of the West Arizona, everything we do is geared toward helping hunters harvest big game with one shot as clean and ethically as possible and nothing is as rewarding as seeing our customers' hunts end with a big ole buck, bull, or ram. We genuinely care about your success in the field and we’ll make sure you’re set up properly, right from the start.
That being said, choosing the right Huskemaw Optic for your custom build or Accurizer Service can be somewhat of a challenge. Over the years, we’ve had numerous customers switch scope models after the fact because they didn’t consult with us before selecting their optic the first time around. There’s a lot to consider when choosing your optic as the features and capabilities of Huskemaw models can vary. In this article, I’ll walk you through the features of each model scope as well as the thought processes I use when pairing customers with the Huskemaw Optic that's best for them.
Things always work out better for our customers when they consult with us first. We’re experts in this field, we do this every day, we know the Huskemaw brand as well as anybody and we won’t steer you wrong. Give us a call ahead of time and let us help you do it right the first time.
Some of the things I need to know from customers is how they plan to use their long-range system, what caliber they’re shooting, what species they plan to hunt, the conditions and terrain features of the areas they hunt, as well as their budget. All these factors combined help me zero in on the best optic to suit their unique and individual needs. So lets break it down by product.
Huskemaw 5-30x56 Tactical Hunter
The 5-30x56 Tactical Hunter is by far our personal favorite and it also happens to be our #1 seller. The 5-30 has been our “go-to” for many years because it is the perfect combination of features and capabilities for the conditions we hunt and the game we pursue. Arizona and the other western states we hunt offer big open terrain so we prefer the larger 56mm objective for its wider field of view and the 30x magnification for getting in tight on the target before we break a shot. In big country like we have out west, the wide field of view of the 56mm objective helps the hunter see the terrain features around their target as reference points when acquiring and relocating their target. Then, when it's time to zoom in and make the shot, you’ve got 30x magnification to get you in close.
I routinely have customers at the shop just amazed at the difference between 20x and 30x magnification when I set them up looking at a nearby hillside about 450 yards away. The 30x magnification offers a huge advantage over 20x scopes because the extra magnification allows you to “aim small”. You’ve likely heard the saying, “Aim small, miss small”. I learned this term as a kid learning to shoot archery but it applies equally to rifle hunting too. The 30x magnification offered by the 5-30 allows you to zoom in tight and place the shot exactly where you want it. This helps immensely with overall accuracy especially when hunting small-bodied game like antelope and Coues deer.
One of my absolute favorite features of the Tactical Hunter line is the internal bubble level. Everyone naturally cant’s their rifle when shooting - everyone - even on flat ground. In the field where terrain is uneven and angular “level” becomes even more difficult to perceive so shooters are often way off without even knowing it. At long-range, canting just a little bit can displace your shot to the point you can wound an animal or miss them completely. We sometimes demonstrate this with our long-range students and even veteran hunters are shocked by how much they can miss with just a little bit of cant.
Huskemaw’s internal “anti-cant” bubble level sits on the floor of the reticle so it doesn't impede your field of view but it's there to help you compensate just before you squeeze a shot off. Because the level is in the reticle and not mounted on the scope tube the shooter can maintain cheek weld, stay in the scope, and have a visual on their prey while simultaneously ensuring level. This internal bubble level is an amazing innovation as it eliminates a major variable when shooting long-range - and we’re always trying to eliminate variables.
Last but not least, one of my favorite features of the Tactical Hunter line is the larger turret. By larger I mean larger in circumference than a Blue Diamond turret. The larger circumference of the Tactical turret means there's more room to print yardage on. This is something I demonstrate to customers all the time. I show them a side-by-side comparison of a Tactical turret next to a Blue Diamond turret for the exact same caliber. Put simply, you’ll get more yardage on a single revolution of a Tactical turret than a Blue Diamond turret simply by virtue of their circumference.
Maximum yardage on a single revolution is an important factor for the hunter to consider when choosing their model Huskemaw because that is the max yardage you're able to dial without having to take extra steps. Most Tactical turrets we make will max out around 1100-1300 yards on a single revolution versus 900-1000 yards on a Blue Diamond Turret (depending on caliber and bullet speed). This is important to consider because many magnum calibers are carrying enough kinetic energy to produce an ethical harvest of big game beyond the yardage limitations of a Blue Diamond turret; that's why it's nice to have the extra yardage afforded by Tactical turrets to make a shot at those longer ranges when conditions warrant.
It’s just nice to have that extra yardage in the event you need it. Even if you never plan on harvesting an animal at those ranges I encourage students and customers to practice at those ranges because doing so teaches you a lot about external ballistics and can expose weaknesses in your setup.
Huskemaw 5-20x50 Tactical Hunter
The 5-20x50 Tactical Hunter is the newest optic in the Huskemaw line and as such, it also features the internal bubble level like the 5-30x56 but it has another cool feature a lot of hunters like - the illuminating reticle. The illuminating reticle of the 5-20TH features a red light and a knob outside the parallax that allows the shooter to adjust across 10 different intensities. Varying ambient light conditions require different intensities of the reticle so in low light conditions the shooter may choose a lower intensity because the illuminating reticle is so easily visible in low light while brighter ambient conditions may require a higher intensity. Either way, the shooter can choose. When the reticle is not illuminated it looks just like all our other Huskemaw scopes.