Help me chose a varmint/target/tacticool scope

[R.W.Dale]

Hello, does anyone have any suggestions about a scope for tacticool pseudo sniper target rifle in the 500.00 to 850.00 dollar range. I'm buying a FN PBR or a Remington 700p and would like to start shopping around for scopes. Illuminated reticle is not a necessity but target knobs and an adjustable objective is. I mainly shoot 300 yards max at the local range so a 14 power or thereabouts would be an ideal max magnification. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sunray]

Leupold makes a 4x-12x or 6x-18x MK II 'tactical' scope with a mil-dot reticle. $599.99 and $619.99 respectively at Cabela's. The same scope with a 'duplex' reticle is $579.99. They list Zeiss 4.5x-14x with different reticles, running between $699.99 and $799.99, all with a matte finish, too. The field of view at 100 yards is bigger with the Zeiss.
Of course, there's no such thing as a 'tactical' anything. The term is a marketing thing only.

 

[GunTech]

An SWFA SuperSniper is a great piece of glass for the money. If you wantn true tacticool, you have to spend about $1k or more for a Leupold MkIV, Nikon Monarch-X, etc. You might look around for a Nikon tactical. I've seen a few for reasonable prices, now that it has been replaced by the Monarch-X.

Here's an example: http://www.totaloutdoorsman.com/Tactical_c_309-1.html

If you can live with fixed power, take a look at the US optics ST-10, which starts at $895 and is a superior scope with real Schott glass lenses. They will basically build you a scope to your specifications, but that does cost.

I recently bought an ST-10S, with the Erek elevation knob, and 1/2 MOA windage and elevation. I also got their MOA reticle. Will all the goodies I choose, I ended up paying a little under $1200. Glass is simply outstanding, and beats my $1300 Leupold MkIV M3 10x by a wide marging. The tube is built like a tank, and clicks are precise and repeatable. I shot a 4 MOA box with perfect tracking.

All of my future glass will be USO.

 

[.41Dave]

10x fixed magnification has been the standard for snipers for quite some time. At the ranges you mention, say 300 to 500 yards, 14x is overkill. Look at it this way, with a good 10x scope, the sight picture at the 300 yard range you mentioned is basically the same as your sight picture at 30 yards with iron sights. If I were to suggest you could not hit your target at 30 yards with your rifle using iron sights, and needed to move closer to a range of 21 yards (i.e. 14x) so that you would have a chance of hitting the target, you would very likely be deeply offended, and rightly so!

For a 10x fixed power scope, I'd recommend the IOR
http://www.swfa.com/pc-10113-292-ior-10x42-tactical-30mm-rifle-scope.aspx

If you really want a 14x variable, I'd recommend Zeiss.
http://www.swfa.com/pc-5755-259-new-zeiss-45-14x44-conquest-rifle-scope.aspx

 

[Wildfire]

Swfa ?????

For what it is worth. I just sent an SWFA back to be repaired or replaced. They ended up replacing it. But they were not all that happy about it.
If repairs are needed. For that SS 10x Bushnell is where it goes.
They used to be made by Tasco. Been there done that. Did not like that thing from the start. The Parralax had to be at 200 to see at the 100.
The knobs would not put the bullets where they were told to go. It's gone !!!!

 

[lookshigh123]

What's wrong with your SWFA?

 

[taliv]

krochus, on the varmint side, i picked up a Leupold VX-L (the ones with the concave portion of the objective lens) back in the spring. very nice glass imho. better than the nightforce i got at the same time. the version with target knobs is more expensive than your target there, but it's somethign to think about.

it doesn't look very tacticool, but will scare the hell out of groundhogs/crows/coyotes

 

[TehK1w1]

We had someone with a Leupold VX-L in 3.5-10x50mm in our last group of hunters(I work on a hunting lease) and I got the chance to look through it. I was very impressed with how low the scope mounted on the rifle-no higher than the Leupold VX-III (3.5-10x40mm) scopes on our camp rifles. The crescent cut is not visible through the scope.

If you really want tacticool, though, I would go with a Leupold Mark 4. I recently bought one (for a LOT less than retail ). In all honesty though, a good 3-9x40mm scope in a good brand should do ya fine.

 

[dphillips]

Bushnell elite 4200, take a look at these. Also
check the form at SWFA, lots of good info.

 

[trinydex]

has anyone used the varminter reticle on the leupold vx?

i don't exactly get how it works or how useful it'd be.

 

[S4Lee]

Have you read the instructions?
https://www2.leupold.com/resources/downloads/2008_03_BAS_Engl.pdf

 

[trinydex]

oh much thanks. that clears it up nicely.

anyone know if the dots or bars can be used to distance a varmint?

 

[S4Lee]

Have you read the instructions? And looked at the picture on p. 6?
https://www2.leupold.com/resources/downloads/2008_03_BAS_Engl.pdf

 

[trinydex]

so you use the 2.33 MOA and do some math?

how tall is a typical ground squirrel? 8"? or do you not use its height? maybe its head? or whatever is suitable for how it fits in the reticle picture?

do you have a good site on how to determine windage? or do you use a device for that?

 

[Jim Watson]

There is seldom a problem with too much magnification if your position is steady. 20X off a bipod is fine, and you can always dial a high powered variable down. Hard to dial a low power variable or fixed power scope up when you want more magnification.

The Vari-X III 8.5-25x50 Target that I use is now up to $808 at Brunos.
http://www.brunoshooters.com/Mercha...SS&Product_Code=L55186&Category_Code=35LU-VX3
Looks like they cut and pasted the description from the 6.5-20X, though. And that is not a bad scope itself, and less money.

 

[MIL-DOT]

A good option for you might be the Bushnell Elite 3200 5-15x40, Mil-Dot, AO, target knobs,for $329 @ SWFA ( way below retail). It's got exactly everything you're looking for. The Elites are the "good" bushnells, Bausch & Lomb built, life-time warranty, and some kinda total replacement-or-money-back-the-first-year kinda guarantee. I may be getting one of these this week,myself.
It may not be a Swarovski or Schmidt & Bender, but i've never read or heard anyone say the Elite line aren't quality scopes, and i've been in the scope-research mode lately.

edit: Possibly for the first time in forum history,someone may be recommending a product BELOW the clearly stated price range. For that, i humbly apologize.

 

[Billy_H]

I'll toss another vote in the ring for the Super Sniper line of scopes from SWFA.

I have the 10X w/ side paralax adjustment on my Remington 700 LTR and have no complaints. Everyone who has fired it has been very impressed with the scope, especially when I tell them what I paid for it.

Super Sniper Scopes

 

[IronLance]

I'll vote Super Sniper, as well. Used my non-side focus 10x for shooting F-Class 600yd and 1000yd. Haven't had a problem with moving the impact where I need it to go.

Here's what it looks like on a Savage BVSS: