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Cheap scope for Load development??

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Noknees View Drop Down
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    Posted: November/09/2006 at 11:06

Hello All,

   I have a bunch of rifles, Mostly Ruger 77s and 77MkIIs. I mostly hunt in the woods so most of the rifles wear 1.5x6 or 1.75x5 or 2x7 etc. All of scopes are Burris Signatures or old fullfields with one VXIII and one Ziess thrown in.  When I am working up loads at the bench I feel that more magnification would be benificial. Frankly when I get group sizes down below an inch I don't think the 5X-6X is quite enough.

 

For some time I have considered buying a cheap (bushnell/simmons etc) scope that like 18X for this type of bench work. I am wondering if the optical quality in a cheap scope would make it unsuitable to this type of shooting.  As my interest is in hunting loads I won't be shooting .25" groups but it would be nice to know a 0.5" group from a 0.75 or a 1"

 

So In your opinion would something like a Simmons prohunter 6x18 just be $70 thrown away?

 

Jim

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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2006 at 13:18
I am afraid the biggest problem with that idea is not optical quality, but mechanical consistency.  That is something that is a little difficult to get with cheap scopes.

If I were you I would bite the bullet and buy a midrange scope of some sort for load development.

Perhaps it may be beneficial for you to invest in a fixed magnificaiton target scope of some sort such as Weaver T-series 24x40 or Sightron S2 Competition 24x44.

Alternatively, you could also get a Super Sniper 16x42.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2006 at 13:48
What Koshkin said, only I would limit my power choice to a fixed 10x or 12x if I was just doing 100 yrd load testing. The lower cost optics are going to really show themselves with higher power scopes.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2006 at 15:02
In his case mechanical stability is more important than glass per se.

I just did not see a whole lot of reasonably priced 10x or 12x fixed magnification target scopes (aside from Super Sniper I suppose).

ILya

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Optics GrassHopper
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Noknees Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2006 at 15:25

Koshkin,

   When we are talking mechanical stability are we talking about the ability to hold zero from one shot to the next or the ability to make sight changes and return to the original zero with consistancy?

 

Frankly If the scope holds zero so I can shoot good groups I wouldn't ever be changing the zero as long as it stayed on paper one rifle to the next.

 

My current cartridge line up is 260, 308, 280 imp,30-06,358 win and 338WM  The 338 is in a decent sized rifle so I would say the one of the 358's was the kicker of the bunch..So in reality none of them are real snot knockers. ( once had a TC contender in 45-70, that thing sent two Lupies to the grave)

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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2006 at 17:33
All of the above, really.

Almost all scopes shift zero very slightly under recoil.  WIth better scopes, that shift is so small, it is not perceptible.  With cheaper scopes it can easily ruin a group. 

When you've got a zero that wanders around by five inches.  You know it is a crappy scope and change it.

When it wanders around by half an inch you never know whether it is the scope or the ammo.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dolphin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2006 at 21:36
Now, this is where I am going to difference with the others. If you are going to use this scope to purely for bench loads, I do not see a problem.  You may want to step up a grade to the Aetec scopes of go for a Bushnel Elite 3200 10x 40mm, but in my experience with many Simmons scope, I have had nothing but good results, even at high magnification.  Lets face it, if you spend 70 dollars to work up loads and if it works out well or not, you are not out that much money.  Alot of guys here will want you to spent mega bucks, but in reality, you do not have to.  Check out the Bushnell first, before, putting your money down.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote thinkingman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/10/2006 at 10:54
Koshkin has it right
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