Scope Advice

[hueyville]

Bought a new .22 Hornet single shot turn bolt rifle yesterday. It is a Savage model 40 with heavy barrel and 2 stage trigger. Nice looking rifle and first Savage I have ever purchased. Before putting glass on it I waited till I could talk to my wife about budget last night. Rifle was 400 bucks out the door now gotta put glass on it.

Every scope I currently own is either a Leupold, Burris, Steiner or Zeiss. After discussing economics with the better half she said would like me to keep the new squirrel rifle package under a 1,000 bucks. So with bases and rings I have about 500 bucks to put the glass on and can't do what I normally would. To get magnification and features I want best option at my gun shop is a Nikon Monarch series 5x-20x with target turrets. Never owned a Nikon scope. Have over 20 of their professional camera lenses but when they first entered the scope market heavy heard people say stuff about durability.

Anyone with experience with this scope and the ones afore mentioned? Will I be disappointed or satisfied considering precious preferences. I could wait till got more ready cash and put a Leupold on it for 800 bucks but itching to zap some squirrels. Buy the Nikon or wait for more money?

 

[greyling22]

sure is a lot a money for a squirrel scope. before you dump a bunch of money into scoping it, are you sure it shoots that accurate? I'd be tempted to drop a mueller apv on it for 150 buy some thing nice for you wife and call it a day. Shoot squirrels tomorrow.

 

[hueyville]

I have a Leupold 4x-12x a/o on my Ruger 10-22 target version. My turn bold .22lr actually has better glass. Like in cameras. The glass is as important or more so than the camera body. If the rifle does not shoot to satisfaction it will go to the rifle smith and be tweaked till it does. Most of my rifles end up with some form of custom work before I am satisfied. Thus wanting to do good glass at the outsetn. Talked to my smith and a successful local bench rest shooter today who both say stay away from the Nikon so now negotiating with wife on budget. We will see how she flips.

 

[hueyville]

Thread killer. Broke down and purchased a Leupold 6x-18x a/o with Leupold bases and rings. Mounted all up and made it to closet range in time to play just before dark. Range was only 75 yards so sighted in 1" high and settled in for a few groups on a rolled up carhart jacket laying on truck tool box. Out of 5 three round groups two were all holes touching. Other three were two holes touching with a close flyer. Was shooting factory ammo. Looks like a trip to the smith for his basic tune-up then some load development my little Hornet is going to shoot clover leafs at 100 yards. Stinking squirrels better find a new home soon. Got a deal on scope & rings so have just five bucks under the grand mark into my new squirrel rifle. Not really bad considering how well it is shooting out of the box.