Need help with finding my first scope

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Zapawaf

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Hi, I recently posted a thread looking for my first rifle, I decided on the Tikka T3 Lite, I loved the feel, free float barrel, seems to be incredibly accurate from my research, and I loved the way the bolt slides.

I posted this in my other thread but thought I might get more feedback if I dedicated a post to finding a scope.

"I went to a place called Shoot Straight, which is about an hour and 10 from my house. Got there, didn't realize the Tikka didn't come with a scope, so we talked about scopes for a while. The cheapest with the adjustment marks for bullet drop (Does this have an actualy name?) was $250, and they were little circles which didn't impress me.

I don't know if anyone is familiar with the AN/PAS 13. They're thermals used by the Military. I couldn't find a picture of the retical but this one here is kind of similiar
NCSTAR-STR432G-16.jpg


Something like this would be even better I'd imagine
mypic38.jpg


But I really don't want to spend hundreds on a scope. I'm willing to drop 1-200 if I have to but I can't see buying a $500 scope for a $560 rifle.

Also if it would be possible I'd like it to have a close range of 1x?. Around here there is hog hunting, and we've never gone before, but we're told they're aggressive and I'd like to be able to use it up close if I had to. better safe then sorry right?
 
Look at the BSA with MIL dots. I do a lot of target shooting and like the one with the target dot. They will hold set. You can get them from diffrent places for around 90.00 at Natchez shooting supply Good Luck PH# 1 800 251 7839
 
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Natchez Shooters Supply has a Burris 3-9x40 with the Ballistic Plex recticle on closeout for $169, AND they throw in a Garmin eTrex GPS for free!!! I bought one recently and I'm very pleased with it.
 
Don't forget the cost of rings and mounting. There are some good scopes in the $140 to $200 range. If you want close up actions look for 1x-4x or 2x-7x. 3x-9x is very popular also.
 
How do I know what different reticals mean what?
Click to expand...

Do you mean what they look like, what the abbreviations are, what they are used for? If you are a bit more specific it may help your question get answered.
 
Saddens me to see somebody get a nice rifle but not nice glass. I've wasted entirely too much money on scopes that just didn't cut it. I'd just as soon buy one good scope and be done with it now....that said, Im still using cheapies, got married and had kids before I realized I should have spent my bachelor money much more wisely lol
 
Tim,
Yes, how they look like/what the abbreviations mean.

And Justin, I don't know what you define as cheap but $200-250 doesn't seem cheap to me haha. I defintely want 1 that will work for me for a while, that's why I'm trying to get a feel for what's a quality scope.

That being said, are there certian brands people would learn towards and some you'd stay away from?
 
Most of my scopes are in the $300 range. I can't see much difference looking thru $1,000 glass, but I can see lots of difference looking thru $100 or even $200 glass. I do have 2 expensive scopes used for targets or varmints.

You need to be honest about what you want to do with the gun. You don't need expensive glass for short to mid-range deer or other hunting needs.
 
what caliber is your rifle

when it comes to scopes, you don't need to spend piles of cash to get a good one, but it is better to buy once, cry once...

with a real light weight rifle, if you gun kicks enough, cheap scopes can have their inner workings jarred loose, leaving you with half of a binocular with neat looking lines inside

i would suggest that you wait a little while and save up the cash to get a scope around $200, like the ever popular Bushnell Elite 3200 line, the old standby Leupold VX-I/II, our the up and coming Redfield scopes

I have a 3200 that i got for 170 on sale and I've had it on my Ruger 270 for 3 years now with excellent performance
 
The manufacturer of the scope usually has a table/chart that will match whatever particular caliber/load you're using with the graduations and markings on a ranging/BDC reticle. It should come on literature with the scope and I imagine you can look them up online as well.

I've heard Nikon has a rather impressive website for their BDC reticles. I just bought a Redfield that has the ranging reticle, but have not tried it out yet.
 
Tne Leupold VX-II is on sale now for around $239 as a closeout at Cabela's. The line is being revamped and a new VX-2 will come out in 2012. The Redfields are great for the money and I suggest the 2X7. Burris was my goto maker until the Redfield line came out and Burris has a balistic plex available.
 
To answer a couple of your questions.
I will be picking up a Tikka T3 Lite in a .308
It comes with rings, I don't know if they're any good (don't know if there is a huge difference in rings..)

And I would like to be hunting deer, and also the hogs around here would be a new adventure. So no I won't typically be shooting over 300m except for target practicing, but we have been talking about taking a trip with a family friend out somewhere (I forget where) but he called it Sky Country.

Either way I want to have the ability to reach out and touch something should it be needed.
 
Ok so maybe someone can explain to me what this means
"Leupold 56760 Leu Vx-2 3-9x40 GL Dpx"

What does GL and Dpx mean?

I feel so illiterate haha
 
I would much rather hunt with a $200 rifle and a $600 scope than the other way around.

For good quality on a budget the Bushnell Elite,Burris,Redfield, or Weaver would be my choice.Stick with something small and light in the 2-7 or 3-9 power range.
 
I'm on the redfield website, and they have this virtual demo type thing where it shows you an animal at so many yards, and you can look at the different reticals and magnifications. Any idea how accurate that is? Because according to that, it almost looks like a 3x-9 the 3 looks like it's not to close at 150 yards, I was thinking it would be rediculously close
 
With most rifle scopes you won't notice a difference until the right conditions present themselves or you know what you're looking for (or what you've been missing).

First, distance would be nice to know, average, maximum. Over doing it on a hunting rifle can cause problems as movement is of course magnified and not all conditions supply a handy rest.

Second, imagine if your TV were a rifle scope. Turn the color setting all the way up and you'll have an over saturated mess. Turn the contrast all the way down and you'll have a bland picture. The best get everything in proper balance and do it with very little distortion.

Low light conditions. When viewing different scopes in a store they all seem bright enough but when light fades so too will most inexpensive optics. You may well miss the shot of a lifetime when you opt for cheap glass. Example:

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Taken with less than 5 min. of legal light left at 155 yds. muzzleloading. Glad I upgraded from the $40 Tasco I had.

As with anything else, you get what you pay for, rarely much more. Many people spend more on the scope than the rifle. Consider also that one scope can be mounted on numerous rifles so a good one accompanied with an adjustment chart can serve many needs.

Forget the special reticles, read up on sighting in and consider expanding the budget.
 
In your example, 3-9 is 3 power to 9 power, 40 is the diameter of the objective (far end) in mm, GL is gloss for the finish and Dpx is duplex: a set of crosshairs that are thin in the middle and wider to the side.

A few terms:

Duplex, dual thickness horizontal and verticle crosshair.
Mildot, horiz. and vert. dots used as a crosshair.
A/O, adjustable objective that allows for focus at multiple distances.
Side Focus, same as A/O but using a third knob, usually on the left side.
1/4", each "click" = 1/4" at 100 yds. same for 1/8", 1/2" but hunting models tend to be 1/4" unless you have a mil/mil scope (mildot).
Exposed turrets, turrets that do not require caps to be removed for adjustment.
Zero Stop, a mechanical stop that allows the scope turret to be returned to the original "zero" adjustment (typically found on high-end scopes).
Gloss/Matte/Silver, color of course.
Ill. illuminated.
 
Go to the 'Optics Thoughts' website - Rifle Scopes - read 'Rifle Scope Fundamentals.'
Go to Optics Planet - How To - Rifle Scopes.

Check out the Burris Fullfield II 2-7X35 with Ballistic Plex reticle. Burris has information on the reticle on their site.
 
No 200-500 isnt "cheap" but I am a true believer in high quality optics. Ive had several 100-$250 scopes...and Ive looked through $500-$1000 glass and WOW what a difference....then you look through $1000+ glass and DOUBLE WOWS!
 
i once asked the guy at bass pro if i could look through a pair of $2500 swarovski binos, and he laughed and said no, I asked why and he said cause then you'll never be happy with anything else haha...he was right, I ended up tracking down a pair on craigslist for 300 bucks...the view looks better than real life...when your eyes see black, the binos can see whats happening at the corn feeder PRE-dawn
 
Tikka rings are OK, the fasteners are suspect. Drop by the hardware store and get replacements in stainless steel. As I recall, they are 4 & 5 mm?

The Nikon scopes with Bullet Drop Reticle (BDC) are the ones with the little circles. The Nikon web sight offer a compensation calculator to go with the scope. You plug in ammo info and it spits out a chart telling you to use the top or bottom of each circle as you range out to 600 yds or so. It's a fine system and very good scope.

There are plenty of good scopes out there. As others have said, it's about how they handle dawn and dusk. Bushnell Elite series are very nice and sort of in your price range. They have a proprietary lens coating system that helps with moisture and fogging (RainGuard). Other MFGs are starting to offer similar systems.

I would suggest the Nikon, but others like Vortex, Mueller, Sightron, Redfield, Burris - the list is very long - will do fine.
 
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