Help me choose a scope

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skypirate7

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Hello friends,

Continuing the saga... I have purchased a Savage 10FP-SR with a 22 inch barrel in .308 winchester. I'm now trying to figure out what scope to buy and this is an even tougher question than picking the rifle (you may recall I was considering Remington at one point).

The purpose is to be an all-around "tactical" scope for long range shooting anywhere from 100 - 1000 yards. It doesn't have to be the absolute best but I do want it to be reliable (hold zero) and durable (won't break). With that in mind, help me find a good "tactical scope" that won't break my bank account.

A lot of folks have posted "buy once, cry once" to justify paying $1,000+ on high-end optics. Well, do I really need a Leupold Mark IV to get quality close to the Leupold Mark IV? Is another scope that is close in performance/dependability but a good bit less expensive? Should I get a 50mm, 40mm, or 30mm tube?

I guess it's a question of diminishing returns and I'd like your feedback on the scope that you consider the threshold where paying more won't provide greater dependability.

Mtncreek suggested I take a look at the Vortex Viper.
 
You may want to consider repeatability and how much adjustment a scope has given your criteria of 100 to 1,000. Your going to be spinning that elevation knob a lot going from your min to your max range; if it's even possible without a shimmed mount. I use a Leupold FX3 (about $500-$600) and am quite happy with it, but it's a target gun not tactical. but i only shoot between 200 and 600 with it.
 
If you want to really seriously shoot your rifle out to 1000 yards and hit what you shoot at on a regular basis you are going to be dropping over $1K on a good optic that will track consistently and be repeatable. Probably closer to $1500-$1600 or more by the time you get the glass and a good mount. You can waste time with the mental masturbation of trying to make lesser optics work, but you'll just end up frustrated in the end.
 
Here is what I ordered:

Vortex Viper HS Tactical Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 5-15x 44mm Side Focus 1/10 MIL Adjustments Mil-Dot Reticle Matte
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/18...us-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte

TPS XP Tactical 1 Piece Base (aluminum alloy, 20MOA, for Savage short-actions with round receiver)
http://swfa.com/TPS-XP-Tactical-1-Piece-Base-P42063.aspx

TPS Tactical Scope 30mm Rings (aluminum allow, super low .82", picatinny)
http://swfa.com/TPS-Tactical-Scope-30mm-Rings-P41992.aspx

What do you think of that setup? And will I have enough clearance with the scope and the super low rings?
 
p223 nikon 3x9x40
you can get one for less than 200 will handle the recoil and it has target turrets and bdc

you can use the 3x for indoors has great eye relief

i shoot 650 on the bottom bdc at 3x and 850 at 9x 3rd bdc mark

never had to move anything except the 3x to 9x and a little kentucky windage sometimes when the wind is strong
 
Bushnell 3200 10x40 mil/mil works very well with a 20moa one piece base out to 1000yds. It is very durable and less than $200.
 
If you want to really seriously shoot your rifle out to 1000 yards and hit what you shoot at on a regular basis you are going to be dropping over $1K on a good optic that will track consistently and be repeatable. Probably closer to $1500-$1600 or more by the time you get the glass and a good mount. You can waste time with the mental masturbation of trying to make lesser optics work, but you'll just end up frustrated in the end.
Click to expand...

^^^^ This. If you are serious about long-range work, you'll end up spending more for your scope and spotting scope combo than you will for your rifle.
 
Skypirate: I don't do much long-distance shooting myself, but from those I've talked to that do, having repeatable, reliable, clear optics is paramount for any kind of success at long-range target shooting. Sure you can get a cheaper mil-dot scope and hold over and hit things. The question for the OP is: what kind of shooting are you doing at 1000 yards? Plinking? Competition? Shooting for group size?

Obviously at 1000 yards, things like wind flags become quite important, as well as the caliber, BC, and charge behind your load.

Like all things, there is a point of diminishing returns and ever-increasing price jumps for the next fraction of quality.

I shoot rimfire benchrest a lot. I use a Weaver T36. Is the Leupold 36X scope better? Yes, slightly, but will it help me shoot better scores? Probably not. Would the Leupold 45X help me shoot better? Probably, but I have a hard time justifying a scope that is twice as expensive as my T36 for what are probably 1 or 2 points. Some other people (with more money than I) will not have a problem making that justification.

Like with all things, there are ever diminishing returns at ever-increasing price-points. For example, is a Porsche 911 twice as fast of a car as a C6 Corvette? No, but the price is...
 
That scope should do fine. Make sure you properly torque the rings. Search ‘box test’. Several ways to do it. What you’re trying to accomplish is verifying the turrets track and return. While you’re at it, also confirm the reticle is correct (that is a SFP scope, so you’ll need to have it on max power). Search ‘Correcting Parallax’. It’ll take a little getting used to, but it’s simple once you know what you’re looking for.

If something does not check out with the scope call Vortex.

Good luck!
 
mtlucas0311 said:
You may want to consider repeatability and how much adjustment a scope has given your criteria of 100 to 1,000. Your going to be spinning that elevation knob a lot going from your min to your max range; if it's even possible without a shimmed mount. I use a Leupold FX3 (about $500-$600) and am quite happy with it, but it's a target gun not tactical. but i only shoot between 200 and 600 with it.
Click to expand...
I also appreciate fixed power scopes. I guess there are two of us.
 
Have you considered buying a used scope? Scopes don't wear out and the better quality scopes cost more. My favorite scope is a Leupold M3 3.5-10X with a 40 MM objective. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used one. Many are listed on the snipershide forum.
 
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Spend some time and do some reading on Sightron scopes. Sightron is here in the US and are 100's cheaper than a comparable Leupold.

The BEST detail is that they use the same glass as Leupold does. Ground in the same factory in Japan (at least the S3's I have contain the same Japanese ground glass, but the factory could be moved, but still, same glass....)

I spent 800 on a scope 100 percent comparable to a 1200 Leupold.

Sightron has some rebates going on currently

http://info.sightron.com/

do a google search on sightron scopes +review
 
Give us a range report please on the Vortex Viper that you bought. I bought an AR-10 recently and was eyeing that scope for my gun.
 
Same scope and rings I put on my FN SPR. I was lucky and caught the scope on sale early in 2012. I like it.
 
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