Please help choose a scope for a .308 Rem. 700

[DML2007]

Fisrt question: What does "FOV Field of View" actually mean?

Example: FOV @ 100 yds (ft): 16.1@6x /5.92@18x
(Nikon Buckmasters) 6-18x40

Im sure this is a basic question, but need imput on a $300.00 scope for a Rem. 700 .308 22 inch barrel. Looking for plinking and long range 4-600 meter shots.

I like: Nikon Buckmasters 6-18x40 SF Riflescope @ Aprx $350.00
Bushnell Trophy 6-18x40 Riflescope @ Aprx $ 189.00

My budget is limited bc I picked up an amazing buy (almost perfect cond. Rem 700, but my wife doesnt see it that way) So Im stuck around the 300 range (less $ would be best, but not looking to sacrifice quality. Any ideas would help and I trust High Road for the direction. Thank you.

DML

 

[USSR]

DML2007,

What it means is, if you were looking at a fence at a distance of 100 yards with the scope set at 6 power, you would be able to see 16.1' of the fence thru your scope; at 18 power, you would only see 5.92' of the fence. That's the best analogy I can come up with, hope it helps.

Don

 

[PotatoJudge]

Any particular reason you're set on 6x18?
This should help you stretch your budget:
http://www.samplelist.com/

 

[sqlbullet]

Since you don't mention hunting in your equation, I would also suggest you consider fixed power. That significantly improves the quality of the optics on a $200-$300 scope.

The Bushnell Elite 3200 10X40 I have on my 700 was $200 at a local warehouse store. You can get a SuperSniper 10X42 for $300. Both are great scopes. http://www.swfa.com/c-2183-riflescopes.aspx is where I would buy either of these today.

If hunting does matter, then a 10X scope is problematic at normal hunting distances. The aforementioned field of view is to small at 100-200 yards, you tend to have a hard time finding a deer sized object. However, for precision shooting (like a 600m shot) 10X is the ticket.

Also, check out http://www.snipercentral.com/

 

[mule157]

i have a couple of nikons and dont have problems with either

 

[skinewmexico]

The Buckmaster will be a lot better scope. You might check out the Brownings on closeout at Natchez. They're just rebadged 3200s.

 

[pbrktrt]

check out the Burris fullfield II. great features & optics for the money.

 

[ALS]

The biggest mistake most people make is they buy more optical power then they need. Example you buy a 6.5 by 20 when a 3 by 9 would be a better choice. If the gun is a target gun then go with the higher power but if this is a hunting rifle lower the magnification.

 

[dagger dog]

upon reading an article on optics i came across the term exit pupil. it seems to be another way to judge clarity in optics , rifle scopes binoculars etc.

the human eyball at maturity is only capable of dialating the pupil about
2.5 mm. the article said to take the highest range of magnification if it's a variable or fixed and divide that into the diameter of the objective lense in mm. example a 4X fixed power scope with a 32mm objective = 4mm or an
8X32 power variable with an 60 mm objective = 60 divide by 32= 1.875mm

if the human eye is only capable of letting in 2.5mm of light an exit pupil of
1.875 mm will cause the image transmitted through that scope to be darker than a scope with an exit pupil of 4mm. and really any scope with an exit pupil over 2.5 mm is over kill becase of the limitation of the average adult eye.
there are other things , optical coating, 30mm instead of 1" tubes that can brighten the images. but it all come back to the matter of how much light the adult human eye is capable of receiving.

i have used this theory in the purchase of the last few new scopes of mine it it seems to hold water . the scope you mention would give 2.2mm exit pupil which should be very bright and crisp

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Depending on what source you use, the maximum diameter of a human's pupil varies from 1.5mm to 8mm depending on lighting conditions. Of course if your eyes are dark-adjusted, your pupils will be much larger than if you just took a peek at the Sun.

There aren't a lot of optics that offer exit pupils above 4-5mm. That would require very large objective lenses or lower magnifications. 50-56mm is generally the largest. You can step up to 80mm but that's a specialty item. In general, the biggest difference this makes is during dusk or dawn lighting conditions. Under normal conditions, most scopes will gather enough light.

 

[Bitswap]

Being an astronomy nut and dealing with optics a while, I'll give you the dope on optics.

First you have to understand what an arc angle is. There are 360 degrees in a circle, each degree has 60 minutes, each minute has 60 seconds of arc. One Moa is one minute of arc. At 100 yards, that's about one inch.

Field of view is really the arc angle for a given magnification. Why manufactures don't use arc angle is beyond me, but if your field of view at 100 yards is one foot, it will will double each time distance is doubeled: ie two feet at 200 yards, four feet at 400 yards.

Most scopes have the same field of view at given magnifications so don't sweat it.

What you should be looking for in scopes is how much elevation MOA adustment it has. Very expensive scopes have 90 minutes, good ones are around 60 and 'cheap' ones about 30.

This gives you the ability to adjust the scope for long range shots. It usually only matters if your shooting beyond 400 yards.

The larger the exit pupil the better. It makes it much easier to see the 'big picture'.

Eye relief tells you how far your eye can be to see the focus.

The objective MM size will gather more light in dark situations. I recommend you settle on a size, say 40mm, and get binoculars with the same objective size, that way if you can see them with your binocs, you can see them with your scope.

Parallax is something to consider. The apparent target will 'move' in the scope if it is closer than what the parallax is set to. Unless your target shooting or using a 22 lr, I wouldn't worry about it.

When I buy a scope, I first determine what I'll be using it for. For example I'll say 200 yard shots (or closer) with a 308 lever action. For 'minute of deer' a 2x7 is fine without parallax adjustments. I'll look next for eye relief and exit pupil stats. Ahhh, a nice Nikon for $150 or so.

Now I want to shoot 1000 yards with a BMG. I need major elevation adjustments and strong magnification... Hello Nightforce and bye bye $1500.

You can't go wrong with Nikon, Leopold and Nighforce. Tasco has had problems lately from what I've heard.

BTW, I bought a Bushmaster a few weeks ago for a target rifle I have. It is an EXCELLENT scope. I got the 4.5-14 40 mm BCD for one of my 308's. So far absolutly no problems. Very nice scope.

 

[Bitswap]

I'm going to make a comment here on what makes optics expensive, and why you should avoid cheaper models.

What is not mentioned in most scope specifications are how fast they are. This is known in photography as the F-Value. You can buy a 200 mm lens for a camera with at f-11 for $100, but buy the same lens with an f-2.1 will cost you $5,000.

This F-Stop value directly relates to how much light the lens will gather. Neither Bushnell or Nikon publish this statistic.

If your shooting in braud daylight, then this won't help you. Go for the Bushnell.

The exit pupil is a good indication of quality. When I buy lenses for my telescopes, that is the prime factor and it's good that scope manufactures publish this.

You also don't see what coatings are on the glass. These make a BIG difference in brightness.

You should be able to fine a 18x nikon scope for 200. You won't have the parallax adjustment, but at 4-600 yards, you wont need it. It only helps under 100 yards anyway.