AR10 scope suggestion

[z7]

my next purchase will be a scope for my AR10. i keep coming back to nikon, i have a prostaff 3-9 BDC that i found on sale several years ago and love it. i am looking for a scope with variable power in the ballpark of 3-16 ish. i want the low end around 3 or 4 and the high no less than 12 but prefer something higher.

reticle i would like a mil dot or BDC

3 that I am looking at that I am not sure of the merits of either
nikon monarch 3 is 4-16 power, 42mm objective with BDC or mil dot

nikon m308 4-16 bdc

nikon monarch 3 4-16 50mm objective comes only in bdc

my price range is $400 -$550
i also require a side focus.

what other brand or model should i look at? does the 50mm objective help in that model?

I firmly believe that you can't hit what you can't see, i want a bright clear and reliable optic, but i might have to sleep with my scope on the couch if i spend too much dough any suggestions would be great

 

[Outlaw Man]

What are you going to use the rifle/scope for? Plinking? Hunting? Getting really tiny groups at long distances?

Those are all decent scopes, but we can probably help steer you better if we know the intended use.

 

[z7]

I have a multipurpose use for the rifle. I want to be able to hunt with it, hence the 3 or 4 power on the low end. i also am hand loading and want to be able to have a good time shooting at distance, realistically out to 600 or maybe 800 yds but my local range offers 300 as its max. I am not trying to have a 1000yd rifle, if I can hit a barn door at that range i'll be tickled pink, but i'd like to keep it reasonably accurate, paper plate at 500 if me and the rifle are up to it.

I will not be competition shooting with this rifle, its just not built for it, 18" RRA predator HP rifle, but i know the rifle is capable of 1" at 100 yds,

i also have been reading up on the Vortex HS-T line, i want the best buy for my $. there are lots of good companies and I am not set on Nikon, I just have had good experiences with them in the past and their M-308 scopes are "nice" but i am just getting started with my own stuff. I grew up using a $90 scope on my lever 30-30

what I must have is clarity and reliability. if I can't see it I can't hit it and if it doesn't hold zero or return to zero after elevation adjustments then i don't want it.

 

[Outlaw Man]

It looks like you've thought this through very well.

Of those Nikon's, I'd probably steer toward the Monarch with the mil-dot. If you're hand loading, you're going to want to make specific charts for each load, most of which won't match up to the marks on the BDC reticle. It can still be done with the BDC, but it will be easier and, I think, make more sense to you with a mil-dot reticle. For that matter, if you can find one that also has mil clicks, it would make things that much easier.

Vortex makes some pretty good scopes and some OK scopes. Unfortunately, I don't know their lines well enough to tell you what to look for.

You might also, if you're patient, keep an eye out for a good deal on a Leupold VX-3 with side focus. If you can catch a good sale or a coupon, that would be a great scope as well.

 

[z7]

thanks for the replies, does anyone know how the Monarch 3 compares with the M308 in terms of image clarity? i know the M308 comes with its own mount and the quick adjustments, how is glass compare? same?

 

[HJ857]

I don't have any experience with the Monarch line, but I do have a M308 and an M223. My understanding is that the M series scopes are Monarch level. In the same way the P series scopes are the same as the ProStaff line.

Anyway, the M308 is a very good scope and the included mount is also really nice. I have the version with the target turrets and not the BDC. I've used BDC reticles in the past and like Outlaw Man said, they never seem to match up all that reliably, so I prefer to know my turret values and dial it in, that includes windage too. A laser rangefinder really helps with that.

The Nikon M series' turrets do come back to zero reliably. The turrets can be reset to zero and that's important. The turrets also have distance values marked right on them. My M223 markings do not match up at all, but the M308 values are right on the money. Those marks are useful though, they provide a good click value reference. Without looking it up I think the 500 yard hash mark on the turrets is 50 clicks.

I think the glass could be clearer, but not by much. The trick to both my Nikon scopes is to find the magic spot where the eyepiece is focussed correctly and the parallax is set properly - both at the same time. It's trickier than it may seem. It's real easy to have parallax set right but have the scope slightly out of focus, or vice versa, not so easy to get both.

This is only an issue 100 yards and in. Past 100 I don't see a parallax error, so the side focus knob, at distances past 100, becomes just a focus knob and it works great.

The M308 seems kind of pricey but when you factor in the 20 MOA mount it becomes a bit easier.

Also check out SWFA.com and their sample list for really good deals. Natchez often has refurb units available as well, which is worth considering.

 

[hq]

I have a multipurpose use for the rifle. I want to be able to hunt with it, hence the 3 or 4 power on the low end. i also am hand loading and want to be able to have a good time shooting at distance, realistically out to 600 or maybe 800 yds but my local range offers 300 as its max.

I've had Meopta Meopro 4-12x50 with plex reticle on mine (R-25) and it has proved to be a good compromise for hunting and range work. A full step up from both Nikon Monarch and Zeiss Conquest scopes I've used on it earlier. My only regret is that I didn't get BDC reticle, it would've made it almost perfect in its price range.

It's near the upper limit of your budget but IMO well worth it. Great bftb.

 

[W.E.G.]

I suggest that you google "Nikon scope defective" before buying a Nikon.

 

[rbernie]

I want to be able to hunt with it, hence the 3 or 4 power on the low end.

I consider 2x to be the maximum bottom end magnification for a hunting rifle scope. Many of my hunting rifles, including 308-ARs, wear 2x-7x scope of various manufacture. The Ziess Terra 2x-7x appears to be a decent knockabout scope so far - I only have one and it's not been hunted extensively but so far it's doing OK.

I suggest that you google "Nikon scope defective" before buying a Nikon.

I've got a handful of Monarch 2x-8x and they've not given me issue so far. Again, I have spent limited time in the field with them (they don't have a terribly rough life at the range and in the safe and walking around the lease, but they do get moved around a fair bit), so take that experience with a grain of salt. But still, I think that it bears pointing out that they have decent glass, reliable adjustments, and don't seem to be overly sensitive to being knocked around.

 

[z7]

Thanks for all the advice, I recently looked at a vortex viper hs 4x16. Good looking glass and great eye relief- not as nice as the $1400 swarovski, but I am leaning heavily towards a vortex viper, now the question is Hs-t Pst or hs

 

[bigarm]

Camera land has a good deal on the HS demo models. ($150 off)
supposedly only mounted in rubber grips for viewing at shows. I ordered one and am hoping it is good. Talked to Neal at Camera land before I ordered. He said that if you pick up a broken Vortex at a yard sale, send it to them and they will fix it. So I figured it was worth a chance.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

my take on it is that all my ars are first battle rifles. Secondly long range sniping guns. So im more intersted in the bottom end then the top end. My ar10 wears a trijicon 1x4x30 grean diamond. It at 1x is almost as fast as a dot sight and 4x gives plenty of magnification for anything out to 300 yards and if a target is any farther i have plenty of time to grab a bolt gun or wait for another day if hunting. My second choise would be an 4x acog. If the gun was a pure battle gun id actually prefer the acog but the 1x4 is a bit better hunting optic

 

[z7]

I am almost decided on a vortex viper HS-T 4-16 ($559 optics planet) talk me out of it. i would rather not go up in price unless i can get something that is down clearer and more durable for not much more, its already difficult to justify this much for an optic already

i recently got the leupold military price sheet for 2014 and i have to ask about Mark 4 LR/T 4.5-14x40mm (30mm) Target model. it is very near my price range in a mil dot.

also, what is the difference between the leupold mk4 M1 M3 and M5 series?