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scope for whitetail hunting with AR15

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lsugymrat24 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lsugymrat24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: scope for whitetail hunting with AR15
    Posted: September/29/2011 at 22:15
i recently purchased a Daniel Defense M4 V1 for home defense but would also like to hunt white tail from a box stand in the woods.
most shots in the woods will be 50 to 100 yards, but I would like the ability to reach out to maybe 200/300 yards on pipelines or when target shooting in our dirt pit.
 
looking for a quick detach one-piece style scope mount with a BUIS in case the scope ever fails or to detach the scope for home defense use. The M4 V1 has a fixed front sight which I hope will not interfere with vision through the scope. wish i had purchased the flat top model and pop up sights on both front and back of the rifle (20/20 hindsight).
 
for the scope, i'm thinking something around 2 to 3 power on the low end and 10 to 12 power on the high range. Objective size between 40 and 44mm. Wish I could spend more cash to match the rifle (nightforce would be sweet), but the upper end of my budget is only around $500 for the scope. I keep going back to the following models... Nikon M223 3-12x42, Weaver Super Slam 2-10x42, Vortex Viper HS 2.5-10x44, and Bushnell Elite 3-10x40. Recommendations? Experience with any of these? Better options for the cash and why?
 
Suggestions on the mount?
BUIS?
etc?
Thanks in advance, guys!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 07:24
 
 
Its a bit over your $500 range but you get everything you need to put this on your gun with good quality.  ITs not the over 10X you need but you will be better off with better glass than more magnification.    The others you list don't compare to this scope.
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lsugymrat24 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lsugymrat24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 09:33
SVT_Tactical,
this is actually a little less expensive than my total budget which makes me a happy camper. I was thinking $500 for scope and $200 for a good one piece mount, so you just saved me $100.
 
like you said, I was looking for a little more upper end magnification, but I can make the 9 power work out just fine. I'm used to hunting with a 4.5-14X on a 7mag Remington Sendero, so having a 3-9X will probably keep me from trying shots at too long of a distance with the AR15.
 
I have heard good things about the SS riflescope and I like the other goodies in the package.
 
anyone out there have this package on an AR15 currently? Any feedback on the scope, mount, etc is very welcome.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 09:40
I've had the SS 3-9 on numerous guns and it is currently on a 300 win mag.  It rode a varminter 223 AR, a 6.5 grendel AR, a couple different 308 bolt guns, a 17hmr, a 243, and now a 300 win mag, no issues at all with it on any of them.   It is an awesome scope and you'd be served well with it.
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lsugymrat24 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lsugymrat24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 12:03
the review by Mike Miller on the SS 3-9 is impressive. looks like a really good scope.
 
there are plenty of 3-9 offerings from other manufacturers such as leupold, burris, bushnell, etc etc all around the $300 mark. With the SS around the $600 range, the package savings for Kit6 is what will make me seriously consider the SS. It basically puts the $600 scope at a $300 price. I like it.
 
Thanks for pointing me in this direction. Excellent
 
Now to see if my wife will let me buy this now instead of February (i.e. bonus time).
 
by the way, how does one get to view the kits for riflescopes on the SWFA site? if I click on the Kit6 link above, it shows Home>Riflescopes>Kits at the top of the page. but if I click on Kits, nothing shows up. I'm just curious as to what other scope and mount kits are available.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 12:10
The kits are exculsives they offer on the forums, being they run this one its here.  They also advertise it on Snipershide and I beleive AR15.com but not 100% on that. 
On the Optics talk home page look down just below the rules and you will see the SWFA deals and promotions section  Click there to see all they offer.
 
The SS kit deal has been going for 6 months now so it could end at anytime, just FYI.
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By Brady View Last Post
September/06/2011 at 12:36


Edited by SVT_Tactical - September/30/2011 at 12:10
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 13:12
The thing that puts Bobro above everything else is how it seats on the rail.
Inside the QD there are springs that self adjust and align to the pic rail.
Also there is a lock that you have to depress in order to take it off of the pic rail.
But the neat thing is the ring tops.
The tops have the threading engineered into the bottom of the top cap. and the nuts to tighten the top cap down, are recessed into the mount for seemless construction.
It's a very solid mount.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2011 at 13:37

The SS 3-9x42 kit is top drawer. The reticle is in the first focal plane and is a Mil dot, so you can range at any power setting. The glass is great, the adjustments are solid and repeatable. I love the Bobro mount too. It's easier to use than the LaRue system IMHO. 

Life's concerns should be about the 120lb pack your trying to get to the top of the mountain, and not the rock in your boot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lsugymrat24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/01/2011 at 07:31
thanks for the info guys. i know you get asked all these same questions every time someone buys a new gun or finds a new application for the same rifle type.
I purchased the SS 3-9 kit this morning.
 
its like getting the scope half off Yippee and then purchasing all of the extras I was going to buy anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/01/2011 at 07:53
ExcellentCongratsExcellent
You won't be disappointed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jjrgr21 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/01/2011 at 10:46
that kit is a steal
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/01/2011 at 21:33
+2 0n the kit Excellent
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lsugymrat24 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lsugymrat24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2011 at 09:34
i received the scope kit yesterday and overall I am impressed with everything.
 
SS 3-9x42: i have to agree with everyone on the glass. the view through the scope is sweet. i played around with it on my back porch from an hour before sunset to 10 minutes past sunset. my field of view is probably 200+ yards and could see everything with extreme clarity. i was very impressed. Excellent 
for my eyes, the mildot seems very small between 3 and 5 power and for me is unusable at those magnification setting. I could still hit a target at that magnification, but the mildots are not usable. from 5-9x the mildots seem large enough to be used to range a target but it doesn't reach what I would call optimum size until 9x. to be more user friendly, i wish the mildot was larger throughout the entire range of magnification.
i find the optic ring a little difficult to turn. it is grooved which does help, but a small knob of some type as found on hunting scopes would be welcome. I understand this isnt a true "hunting" scope, and a square knob of some sort may be unwelcome to some. its just a little difficult to zoom in after you have acquired your target on a lower magnification setting.
the windage and elevation knobs have solid adjustments. i will mainly use this scope to hunt deer and only up to a couple hundred yards, so once the scope is zero'ed in, i probably won't use these knobs again. I'm no sniper or gun expert, but they seem top notch.

Sun Filter: while the filter accessory is not 100% visible through the scope, it does add a little bit of what i would call a haze to the view when approaching sunset. the "haze" is not as visible when its brighter outside. because of this, the sunscreen is my first choice and then the filter. if the top rail gets crowded when adding a BUIS, I may opt to remove the sunscreen and use the filter. if hunting or target shooting on a super bright day, I may opt to add the filter to the sunscreen. otherwise, the filter will probably sit in my bugout/hunting bag.

Bobro Mount: i love the function of the mount. the safety and latch are easy to use, and the mount rolls on and off the picatinny rail with ease. not sure if this is standard with all one-piece mounts, but I like the spacer that aligns the mount between the rail sections for ease of install. the allen nuts fit in flush on the bottom side of the rings so there are no snag points. when latched into the picatinny rail, nothing moves. very solid, very sleek, very nice mounting system. Big Smile that being said, my only negative comment with the design is that two of the nuts on the rear ring are impossible to get to when using a standard allen wrench because the latch is in the way. i had to hand-tighten these two as much as possible and then over tighten the other side of the ring with an allen wrench to compensate. as a result, the spacing isnt exactly equal on both sides of the rear ring, but the scope isn't moving and its not obvious.

 
overall first opinion: i have yet to sight in the scope and actually use it (i plan to bore sight it and zero it in this weekend), but with what i've seen so far... I would spend the money again for this set up. I love the kit and the price is unbeatable ($600 3-9x42 scope, $210 one-piece detachable mount, $15 caps, $40 kill flash, $20 sunshade... ALL for $600 and $15 UPS shipping). so far I'm grinning cause it feels like a steal. Big Smile
 
I'll give more feedback after a day of use at the dirt pit.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2011 at 09:40
Excellent
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2011 at 10:19
Excellent
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lsugymrat24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/12/2011 at 10:49
brought the AR to the dirt pit Saturday afternoon after the LSU game. it was 5:30 by the time I got out there and sunset is 6:40, so I didn't have much time to play around. sorry no pictures Sad
 
In order to use the charging handle on the AR, the SS had to be placed a little farther forward than I figured. The AR has a fixed front tower sight, so the sunscreen had to be removed. Bummer. Guess I will be in the market for a folding front tower sight in the future.
 
unfortunately, I didnt have a gun vise or sandbags handy, so I borrowed a friend's bipod and shot from prone position. the gun still had a little movement while I was shooting so the grouping of my new setup was affected. I also didn't have a true set of targets to aim at, so I used a cardboard box. For having a nice gun and scope setup, this post sounds very bush league already Ouch
 
for what its worth, this is my current feedback. at 100 yards, I was wanting for more magnification. With the 9x and low light, I just couldnt see the bullet holes in my cardboard target. So, I had to zero in at 55 yards (i.e. 50 meters). when all was said and done, I was shooting 1/4 inch groups -- i know, i know Ouch This is somewhat poor given the close range and all.
 
anyway, we lined up about 10 skeet on a mound of dirt and took shots at around 200 yards. we used the back of a pickup truck to prop the gun on, so this was not the most precise shooting (imagine that after reading the rest of this post), but with great excitement, the rifle was spot on. at 200 yards with Lake City 5.56NATO 62 Grain FMJ, using center of crosshairs, the skeet were picked off with ease. I was not expecting this given my lackluster and hurried attempt at sighting in.
 
i still wish there was a knob on the magnification ring, and I do wish for 12 power on the SS. but for my budget, this scope is as good as it gets. even if I can't see .223 sized holes in cardboard at 100 yards, if I can still hit a small cirle target at 200 yards, there's really no reason to complain.
 
and again, at close to dark, the glass on the SS is sweet Excellent
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/12/2011 at 10:59
I think in better light you'll be able to see the bullet holes on target at 100yds, I know i can.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote topbrass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/12/2011 at 11:04
1/4" groups at 50yds are good for a stock AR.
 
It is not necessary that you see your bullet holes through your scope.  If you want to see bullet holes get a spotting scope.  If you are hunting deer, it is only necessary that you see your target. 
 
Sounds like you are off to a good start.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jjrgr21 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/12/2011 at 12:52
it is a steal, they put that kit out not too long after i bought mine.
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