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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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Posted: July/17/2008 at 15:29 |
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I have a Ruger No. 1 chamberred in 7mm Remington Magnum. Right now it is wearing a 3-9 Leupold of 1970s vintage. I have used it for deer hunting for a number of years. The rifle is very accurate and the scope is plenty adequate for hunting purposes, but . . . Well, you see I got married and now I have a house payment and a car payment and all sorts of expenses that I never had before. Thus rather than buy a new target rifle and scope, as I formerly would have, upon discovering that my new neighbor has a 600 and 1000 yard range set up on his property, I am constrained to do what I can with my trusty #1. The 1000 yard target is incredibly small even at 9X. Furthermore, I would like to have target turrets because if I keep removing and replacing the aluminum dust caps, one of these days I will cross-thread one and that is going to make me mad. I am thinking that either a 4.5-14 or a 6-24 variable scope (or similar mag ranges) would be just the ticket. Given my financial priorities at this point in my life, I think that good scopes from Kahles, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Leupold are a touch out of my price range. However, I plan to shoot the Berger 180 grain bullet, so I need a well-buit scope that can withstand recoil without moving, and I want a scope that clicks with reasonable precision if I am to have any hope of competing with my neighbor. On the other side of the equation, I would prefer to maintain the hunting utility of the rilfe without changing scopes every hunting season. I would like forum members' recommendation for magnification and scope models that would be the best compromise among these criteria. Ideally I would like recommendations in the around $200 category, and recommendations in the around $500 category. Thanks in advance for any advice. |
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Dogger
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/02/2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Status: Offline Points: 8921 |
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Aside from target shooting what are your typical hunting ranges? Depending on your answer may be difficult to try to combine these two very different priorities.
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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I hunt in open rolling prarie. There is no brush or trees for cover, just grass and terrain. Rarely does one get a shot at less than 100 yards, and I carry a 44 mag in case of any fluke shots like that. Greater than 200 is typical. I am not very comfortable taking shots at greater than 300 unless I can get a very good rifle rest, but in cases where I could get a good rest, I would say that the outer limit of shots that I would attempt is 600 yards.
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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The best compromise for you would probably be a scope of 4-16x40 or similar.
For $200 or so, it is difficult to get a high magnification scope that is worth the price tag. In that price range you can buy a couple of good quality 3-9x42 scopes that will give an image much better that your old scope: Sightron S2 3-9x42 and Nikon Team Primos 3-9x40. In the under $500 range there are several good scopes. I suggest you take a close look at Bushnell Elite 4200 4-16x40 and Vortex Viper 4-12x40 (I am currently reviewing it and am quite impressed) and 6.5-20x44. With Vortex Viper, take a look at their Dead-Hold BDC reticle. It is well designed. ILya |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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http://www.kentonindustries.com/ under yardage formats scroll down to TTC for Leupold coin slot. The stoney point converts leupold coin slot scopes to target knobs.
Anyway what would you think about hunting with a fixed 10x 42 the Super Sniper 10x 42 is a very nice scope for the money and has lots of internal adjustment you would need 30mm rings and I will forewarn you that not all rifles are thousand yard rifles but you will have lots of fun trying to get there.
The 6x42 would be a fine choice for a hunting scope but a little low on power at 1000 still I think you could stand a better chance with this than most scopes because it has awesome glass - far better than the Leupold glass. It does have a steel tube so you have to wipe it down to prevent rust. Edited by Urimaginaryfrnd - July/17/2008 at 23:07 |
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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cyborg
Optics God Gaseous Clay Joined: August/24/2007 Location: North Georgia Status: Offline Points: 12288 |
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I second the above, I would like to add that there is a scope choice in the variable range Tactical Target type.
You may find something in the Swift line as well.
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An armed public are citizens. A disarmed public are subjects. OATH KEEPER #8233 Support us, and join our cause. Cyborg |
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Dogger
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/02/2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Status: Offline Points: 8921 |
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Good advice hogwrestler. If it's possible to save up a little bit more your options expand greatly as noted by Koshkin, Urimaginaryfrnd & cyborg. Might be better than buying a cheap high power rig now with poor resolution. I now it's tough when you want to shoot NOW.
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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The Millett and the Swift are both decent for the money. Good customer service, and, I believe, better than expectations optically for the price. If you get up to the $750 range you will get a much better scope, though.
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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All right, all right! Hit me with what I could get in the $750 range--and why it is worth the money! Thanks.
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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I suggest the SWFA samplelist.
I got a chance to play with the Kahles Helia CL with multi-zero the other day and it is really a fine optic. Glass is excellent and provides all you asked for. The zero at five different ranges is quite useful.
The Nikon tactical is a superb deal. Very hard to beat.
Why are they worth the money... 1) meets or exceeds your requirements, 2) has superior optics. Very good low light optics. Both have side parallax adjustment and fast focus eyepiece. I am currently in the market for a "high end" scope, but am considering one of these as a bridge. I was impressed enough with the Kahles that I may just get it and forget the "high end".
I don't believe you would be unhappy with either.
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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After much deliberation, I am strongly disposed to go with the Bushnell Elite 4200 in 4-16. I am not so sure whether to go with the 40mm or 50mm objective lens. Any advice on that? I assume that the 50 will be brighter and have a wider field of view, but will also require taller mounts (which may not be a big deal on a rifle intended for long range). The other thing is I think that I would prefer a mil-dot reticle, but it seems that the 4200 only comes with the M-plex reticle. Any thoughts on that?
Another thing--I think that the 4200 has 50 MoA of adjustment. Will that be enough?
Lastly, what is better, if anything, about the 6500 series from Bushnell?
Thank you all for your help. It is much appreciated.
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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First of all, I admit this is partially a bump of this thread. My apologies if it is uninteresting; I am assuming that it simply got too far down the list to be noticed. I do have more questions, though. Can someone confirm or quash my logic that if I need 20-30 MoA to compensate for bullet drop at 1000 yards--presuming a 100-yard original zero--then 50 MoA of total vertical adjustment should be adequate?
I couldn't help noticing that a new Bushnell Elite 4200 in 4-16x50 is within $100 of several used Zeiss Conquests on the sample list. So I guess my question is which is a better bet--a high-end, new Bushnell or a lower-end, used Zeiss. I use Zeiss and Leica microscopes everyday and quite frankly when it comes to image quality and durability, American and Japanese microscopes really don't even compare. Is it the same with rifle scopes?
Thanks for reading.
-- HW
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mercenary1947
Optics Master ** Joined: April/02/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1392 |
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It's almost like asking .... do I want a lower end Rolls Royce or a high end Chevy ?? |
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One Shot One Kill .... *S.O.F * Head Shots Only
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Bushnell 4200 scopes are not a good choice for a 1000 yard scopes. The limited travel in them even with a 20 or 30 MOA base may not get you where you want to be. If you are able to attain 1000 yards with a 30 MOA base you may not be able to get a 100 or even 200 yard zero. There is no way to know for sure because each scope on every gun will zero different and you will not know for sure.
Also that scope you are looking at just not have large target type adjustment turrets on it. If you want to shoot at varying distances you need to have target turrets that you can change and still reset back to your zero. Zeiss is not a good choice for a long range tactical scope either for the same reasons as the Bushnell 4200. Some of the Zeiss may have slightly more travel, but you are still going to be right of the virge of work or not working. If you are after a Bushnell, I would jump up to the 6500 if you can fit it in your budget. IT has the same glass as the 4200, but it has more interenal travel and with a 20 MOA base it should be able to attain a 100 yard zero and get you to 1000 or beyond. It also has adjustable resetable turret adjustments. If not and you are willing to use a fixed power scope I would get a Super Sniper 10x. |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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I would with no reservations take my Dad's 2008 Corvette Z06 over any Rolls ever made. Does that help?
-- HW
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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I'm not sure if I made it clear, but with the ballistic coefficients (>0.6) and velocity ranges (2800-3100 fps) that I am working with, I will only need 20-30 MoA of adjustment to get from a 100 yard zero to 1000 yard zero. Perhaps I am naive, but it seems to me that 50 MoA of adjustment would give plenty of lattitude. If I am naive, please alleviate my ignorance.
Good point, though it does seem a somewhat surmountable problem.
Good to know--that saved me a lot of time and money. My biggest worry about Zeiss is whether I would have good customer service. It's not that I think that Zeiss has bad customer service; I just know how customer service suffers when the customer is separated from the company by a continent and a large body of water, not to mention language barriers.
Alas! If only I weren't trying to have a dual purpose rifle, I would just buy a Super Sniper and shut up. I would be perfectly happy with a fixed-power scope for the long range stuff. It's just that hunting with a 10X, fixed-power scope doesn't seem feasible to me. Of course, at the present price tag it wouldn't be a lot more expensive to buy a new rifle and a Super Sniper scope.
I am not set on Bushnell particularly--it's just that the Bushnell seems to be highly respected in this forum. I am open to Burris and Leupold particularly since they are domestic, and I have a Nikon 4.5-14 that has been quite satisfactory on my varmint disassembler. I must admit an addiction to a sharp image.
I note that scopes in the Bushnell Elite 6500 series have extremely wide magnification ranges. I am a litte leary of this because my experience with camera lenses is that the wider the zoom range, the crappier the image. Does this paradigm apply to these scopes?
Elsewhere in this forum someone recommended the Elite 4200 for everything but a heavy-recoiling rifle. Well, my 7 MM shooting 180 grain bullets at around 3000 FPS recoils a bit (I calculate 25-30 ft-lbs of recoil energy), but is no .375 H&H. Would you all generally consider the strength of the 4200 and 6500 series scopes to be adequate for that amount of recoil energy?
Thanks for all of the information.
-- HW
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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Zeiss is always a good bet but the Kahles scopes will be better than the Conquest line and close to the Diavairi line also Kahles multizero is a nice idea for a hunting rig. I'm still thinking you need a scope with target knobs so you better jump on this before it gets away:
Edited by Urimaginaryfrnd - August/11/2008 at 13:16 |
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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hogwrestler
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/17/2008 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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One more thing--could someone please explain the adjustable, resettable turret adjustments, or as Bushnell terms them, "push/pull turrets with resettable zero." I couldn't find any elucidation of them on Bushnell's site. Has anyone seen any technical information that I could read about what these do and how they work? Thanks.
-- HW
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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The old style of 4200 4-16x40 turrets had a single screw on top you took off and lifted the turret dial off turned it to 0 then put it on and added the screw. My guess is now you lift it turn it push it down but that may mean that you cant get Kenton knobs for it. See that Conquest from samplelist above.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Ahh, I guess I should have looked for the caliber first, I just read your most recent post and went from there. Sorry, my mind always thinks .308.
In that case you should be okay MOA wise, but I would still look at something with target turrets. Alot of people seem to like this scope for a mid priced scope. http://www.swfa.com/pc-12807-1395-millett-6-25x56-lrs-1-tactical-35mm-riflescope.aspx But think the 6500 would be great as well. I think why people don't recommend them for high recoiling rifles is because of the shorter eye relief than some other brands. Recoil wise they are extremely durable, they are tested to 10,000 rounds of .375 H&H. I have a Meopta on my 7mm and it only has 3" of eye relief and it works for me. Of course mine is a semi-auto so that makes a diff on recoil. As far as the 2.5-16x having a crappy image, I highly doubt that will be the case, there are tons of optics that have a wide magnification range that are still very crisp and good. Where you will get into the bad images is when the power gets so high that the exit pupil of the scope starts getting smaller than the pupil in your eye. I personally I not a high power scope fan. I have an IOR 3-18x but very seldom run it over 10x. All of my hunting scopes are 3-9x and I have never felt under powered for any shot I have ever taken. |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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