My father is picking up one of the Browning BAR rifles in .308, 18” barrel, and it has two pic rail sections for scope rings.

This will be used as a hog gun, inside 200 yards most of the time, and in low light conditions.

So my question is, with cost NOT being a consideration, what is a good optic for this rifle/application?

I would like to keep the weight down, have a good balance between eye relief and field of view, and excellent light collection is a must. An etched, lit reticle would be nice, but it doesn't need to be “daylight bright”. High magnification is not nessecary, just enough to ID targets at 200 and in. Complicated reticle is not desirable or necessary, he is used to Shepard scopes with simple BDC reticles. This will be used with standard factory loads.

Open to everything from red dots to magnified scopes. Help me out!

Here is the rifle
https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/bar/current-production/bar-mk3-DBM-wood.html

Your criteria are very close to my deer hunting criteria.  I went with a Leupold VX6 2-12x with illuminated reticle.  Ive hunted inside 200 yards for decades with a 1.76-6x and done well.  12 really isnt needed.

I’ll give it a look!

@BO0770

Midway has the Vortex Viper PS-T 2.5-10x44 on sale right now: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009764294?pid=178916

It's a special offer and you may need to act quickly on it, but that's a lot of scope for $360.  I just ordered one for my 458 Lott.

Good rep for accuracy. Capable of some long shots. I would scope it with at least something that goes to 10x to reach out if needed.

You know that warranty they have? You’re definitely going to use it. LOL 458 Lott is a bit more than the ole Vortex can handle.

Check out the Leupold VXR 2-7x32. It’s what I use on my hog gun, with great success. Very lightweight, And illuminated. 7x is more than generally needed for hogs in the swamp, but I like being able to zoom in those moments of “what was moving around in those bushes up there?”

Here’s my suggestion Vx5 LPVO

ETA I don’t have this specific model but I have a VX5 3-15x44 on my 300 win mag and I love it!

If cost is not an issue why not get German glass?

I'd likely be looking at Leupold as they are generally the lightest in the field and with their firedot 1 moa dot which is daylight bright.  Then the question is what magnification a 1x-.. something or a 2-7 or 2-10 would be about perfect.  Would prefer cap turrets as well, to avoid the accidental bump/shift in the field.

The Browning BAR is no lightweight rifle to begin with so plopping a 2lb scope and mount on it isn't where it shines.  Europeans seem to really like red dots on their rifles when shooting moving game, something that should be considered if hogs are really the main menu item and really cuts down on the weight.

My favorite deer hunting scope for out to 300 is the Trijicon 1-8.  I'd also look at the Nightforce NX8 scopes.

Haha I figure so.  I read some stuff from someone who regularly goes on safaris and he said 416 Rem Mag and up are basically scope killers.