BSA Broke, and is 10x enough?

[Kamicosmos]

I have a Bushmaster Varminter. I have mounted a BSA 6-24x50mm scope on it. Yeah, it was cheap ($85), but you can't really get a good varmint scope with (nonPC term here) 'Sniper Turrets' on it for less than several hundred bucks. The BSA was going to serve as a place holder till I got a better scope.

Now, the Varminter is capable of .5 inch 100 yard groups. I have done that several times already, and I'm hoping that I can tighten that group up more, and eventually I want to get into longer range shooting. (If I can find longer-than-100 yds ranges around KC)

So, at the range today, the reticle in the BSA rotated around about 45 degrees. The scope stayed straight. Obviously, the scope will need to be returned for repairs. (the gun/scope only have about 175 rounds through them.)

This brings me (finally) to my point.

I was planning on getting something like a 6-24x50mm Leupold Vari X-III.
But they're pretty pricey. I realized that I NEVER mess with the varible power of my scopes. I usually crank them to max and leave them there.

So...guess I'm looking for recommendations as to whether or not I should get a fixed power scope, and if so, what power? 10x is probably enough for 100 yard shooting, and if I ever get to go Varmint Hunting against praire dogs, it should be good. But, on the off chance I get to shoot at say... 500+ yards, will that 10x be enough?

I see that Leupold has a 12x fixed, and I think the Springfield Armory military job with the calibrated for 5.56 reticle is pretty cool, and would give bonus SheepleFrightener points to my already scary looking eeeevil black assault sniper rifle satelite killer.

So...any advise from some of the longer-range rifle guys here? Varminters chime in too!

 

[Onslaught]

I'm the same way with my variable power scopes, crank 'em and leave 'em. As such, my last purchase (Tasco Super Sniper 10x42 for a Savage 10FLP) was a fixed power, and I like it so much I think I'll buy a 5x scope for my AR.

Prior to this one, I've used a 4-16x scope at 500 yards, and it was plenty. Even an 8x scope I had was decent at that distance.

I know it's not exactly what you asked about, but there's a Tasco Super Sniper 16x42 for sale on AR15.com for $250... Also, a Bushnell 3200 "Sniper" runs $189 at www.swfa.com... that is, IF you were interested in a better than BSA quality scope without spending $500.

 

[Art Eatman]

For no particular reason in 1997 I bought a Simmons 44 Mag 3x10 and stuck it on top of a pet '06. I haven't done all that much shooting at my 500-yard range, but I've had no great difficulty in holding about one MOA. 10X seemed adequate.

I bought a Bushie off a buddy; he'd put a Tasco 6x24 on it and had fired some 500 rounds. I found it shot within 1/2 MOA for one shot at 6X and one shot at 24X, which is a pretty good test of a variable. Never had any problems during the 50 or so rounds I shot before selling the lil critter.

Art