Scopes You Use For Your Long Range Rifles

[Jim Watson]

Leupold VX III Target 8.5-25X on my F-T/R rifles; .223 midrange, .308 long.

It's not hard to find a serviceable scope for 300 yards or so but the requirements get harder as the range gets longer.

 

[Boncrayon]

Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40 with 92% light gathering.

 

[kraigwy]

+1 Kraigwy. I have started switching over to fixed power also. I have a Weaver 4X on my Rem 700VLS in .308. No reduction in accuracy...

The 4X is about perfect in my opinion for big game hunting. It allows for field of view so you don't loose the target yet within reasonable ranges it has the power needed for big game hunting. If you muff a shot and have to make a quick follow up shot at a running wounded critter, that field of view comes in handy. Its gonna be ruff finding a moving critter in a high magnification scope.

For long range target work, I like the 10X, it allows you a clear view of the target, yet not so much power that it allows mirage to Wash Out the Target. I still use a spotting scope to judge conditions. One has to be careful not to let the heat coming off the barrel to interfere with the down range mirage. 10X is a happy medium. (I use a barrel ban on my 1000 yard rifle to break up the heat coming off the barrel.)

The USAMU in their Civilian LE Sniper Schools recommended a Fixed 6-8 X for LE Counter Sniping pretty much for the above reasons. I found that worked great for me, (I used a 6X Redfield when I was in LE).

Regardless, there are some good scopes out there at reasonable prices. Weaver, Redfield, and Leopold are good example. And they hold up. Like I said, my T-10 is over 30 years old and still works, The Redfield I carried in LE listed above is above is about 35 years old and still holds a zero.

There are some pretty fancy scopes out there now, great scopes. they are fine if you learn to use them. But you have to keep at it. Shooting is not like riding a bicycle, you have to keep at it or loose you skills.

They just don't fit my shooting styles, I'm not going to snipe anyone, I'm not going into combat, I target shoot (though most of my rifle shooting is with iron sights), I hunt, I shoot varmints. My opinions are based on my shooting practices, and what works for me. I don't expect my ideals to work for everyone.

 

[geetarman]

Kraig,

Keep up the good posts. You offer a wealth of information.

Geetarman

 

[madcratebuilder]

I find I'm becoming very comfortable with lower, fixed power scopes. I shoot a Brit and Swiss mil-surp sniper and they are low power, 3.5 maximum. I recently picked up a Untertl "Condor", a 6X fixed with very nice glass. Excellent eye relief and fine cross hair, it well be moving on to a K-31 soon, replacing a Weaver K2.5. The Weaver K4 is also a great little scope. Often these can be found on the auction sights for less than the mount the sit on.

 

[Old Grump]

Weatherby Supreme 3-9x44 on my 300 Wby MkV mag but I don't believe they make it anymore.

 

[mrawesome22]

Sightron SII 6.5-20X42MM. Great scope.

 

[5RWill]

On my Rem. 700 5R I run a U.S. Optics SN-3, 3.2-17x44mm.
On my .243 small varmint/deer gun i run a nikon buckmasters 6-18x40mm.

 

[TXGunNut]

Hard to beat the Leupold VX-3. Full line for almost any application, legendary quality and lifetime guarantee. Rifles may come and go but my Leupolds are here to stay.

 

[TheNatureBoy]

Osprey International 10-40x50 on 7mm Rem Mag (Sendero). Was getting ready to purchase a Nightforce but decided to give this one a try at the recommendation of my hunting partner. What the heck I figured. Still have the $$$$ for the n/force.

 

[shanzlik]

Bushnell Elite 4200 Tactical 6-24x50 w/ mildot on Remington 700 SPS in .308 and another in .223

Nikon Monarch Gold 4-14x44 w/ mildot currently on .22LR but good for long range too

Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40 w/ BDC on Remington 700 BDL 7mm Rem Mag

Weaver Tactical Grand Slam 3-10x40 w/ mildot on Armalite AR-10

Leupold Mark AR 3-9x w/ mildot on LaRue OBR .223

Redfield 4-12x40 w/ Accurange on Marlin XL7 .270 win.

I think that's about it for long range stuff (500 yards and up, target shooting only for me at those distances).

 

[Hoskins]

This is outstanding gentlemen!!! I just got a Savage 10FP & am researching all the scopes that you all have said that you use. Thank you so much for the info & thanks in advance for anyone else that posts to this thread.

 

[hooligan1]

kraigwy is absolutely right, buy what you can afford, and that will last you forever. I managed, over a period of two months, to purchase from the internet, in my area, two Leupold scopes in fantastic condition, for 150.00 each! A 4x12x40 VXII for my Weatherby and a 3x9x40 VXII for my Savage 110, I'm hoping they last for 30 years,(they get treated like kings at my place) because of the financial factor. Of course they will come up with a higher standard in a few years. and geetarman is right on about kraigwy, he seems to be a wealth of knowledge! That means a lot to me and the rest of us here!! we seek proper knowledge.....

 

[tachunter]

Kraig,

Keep up the good posts. You offer a wealth of information.

This is pretty much what I had in mind.

 

[Hoskins]

+1 about Kraig!!! Also, I have been a Marine for 14 years & wondered why the Scout Snipers only used a fixed power 10x on thier M40s...you answered my question.

See, I figured you would need a Hubble Telescope on top of your long range gun/weapon, but you are exactly right, IMO, if you crank the power up to 24x the your FOV is greatly narrowed. So you are saying, please correct me if I am wrong, a 10x max power magnification is plenty enough for 800 to 1,000 yd shots?

Additionally, my eyesight has been tested to be 20/10, so my sight is extremely good, that should also mean that I don't need magnification that someone that has normal or less than normal eyesight has...correct?

I think my eyesight is so good beause my hearing is soooo dang bad! LOL, allot of machinegun fire & explosions tend to do that to a person though. Ah, you can't "hear" a target out to 800-1000yds, so that aint gonna affect anything! Though hearing aids should be in order for me to be a more effective stalk hunter!

 

[Txhillbilly]

Nikon Monarch 4-12x40 and a Swarovski PH 4-16x50 on a couple of 300WM rifles,and a set of Sightron SIII 6-24x50's on my LR Tactical rifles.
The Sightrons are right there with the Swarovski,IMO,for 1/3 of the price.They are quality optics.

 

[Zak Smith]

article | Practical Long-Range Rifle Shooting, Part II - Optics

article | The State of Optics for Practical Long-Range Rifle Shooting [2009]

 

[bamaranger]

Burris, Weaver and a Nikon (I hope)

Burris 6-24x XTR on my F/TR .308 Savage, the "green monster".

Vintage Weaver K-12 on my Ruger 77V -22-250.

I hope to put together a .223 bolt HB w/ a more conventional stock, and like the looks and reports on the Nikon Monarch "X" 4-16X, the same scope in 2.5-10x is a bit more affordable and a hoped for option, for bamaboy to shoot F/TR w/ me.

 

[Bagmup]

I find it amazing the high power of scopes guys stick on their rifles now, seems that varmint scopes on big game rifles are the norm. Maybe everyone thinks they're a sniper?

As for me, i have a Bushnell Elite 3-9x 40 on my 7mm rem mag, guess i'm boring like that

 

[Fat White Boy]

I realized that when hunting, I always shoot using the 3X setting on my scopes. Like you said, wider field of view plus large exit pupil. The one I won't change at this point is my Model 70 in .270 Win. Using a Buckmaster 3-9X40 scope and stock Remington Corelokt 130gr, it shoots cloverleafs. As long as it is that good, I won't mess with it. I have a Model 1885 highwall in .22-250 with a Leupold VXII 3-9X40 that I will probably change over to a 6X fixed power...