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Torn between a few choices |
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watts4dinner
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/25/2012 Location: Idaho Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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Posted: February/25/2012 at 20:38 |
Got a few choices for my new coyote slayer. It's a custom built win 70 w/ a 20" Douglas air gauged barrel, 20 moa base and 30mm quick release rings. Custom trigger, CDI Precision bottom metal, and H-S Precision m24 stock. Here is my issue. I am looking for a "nice" scope to put on it for a budget. I have narrowed the choices down to three. WOTAC 4-14X50 EPB, Falcon Menace 5.5-25X50 ML16, or a Vortex Viper 6.5-20X50 mil. I am on a $500 budget and am open to other options if available. Let me know what you think of these and what scope I should pick. Keep in mind the warranties and reputations of them. Any input is apreciated.
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Sapper524
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/25/2010 Status: Offline Points: 218 |
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I would take a SS 3-9x42 FFP over all the scopes you listed for a little more. Even less if you snag a samplelist one. Of those listed the Vortex would be top just simple because they have a great warranty. If going over budget is not an option, I would wait until SWFA releases the new line of updated fixed powers and get a fixed 6x SS with mildot and mil turrents for $300.
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watts4dinner
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/25/2012 Location: Idaho Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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You must not have hunted coyotes in the high desert before. A variable magnification scope needs to be a 12 power at a minimum. A fixed power scope is definately not an option, particularly due to the fact that target engagement can be anywhere from 50 feet to 850 meters. Sight acquisition would be nearly impossible with a fixed 10 power optic at close range and not enough magnification at the long ranges for surgical shot placement, not to mention if the target is a mover. The ideal scope for my application needs to be very versatile, a close quarters and long range sight with adjustable parallax capable of making precision shots at all ranges with rangefinding capabilities as well as holdover hashmarks for when adjustments cannot be completed fast enough. A Horus Reticle in the first focal plane would be ideal in a 5-20 power optic, but price is a definate factor. Remember also, coyotes are nothing like 18" plates, they don't wait for you to break a shot and don't hold still for a correction. Runners also have to be considered as part of the equation. So, the scopes that I have chosen are pretty much the only ones available with most of the requirements I seek in the price range I am budgeted for.
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Sapper524
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/25/2010 Status: Offline Points: 218 |
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I used to live in southern Idaho (nightmare 3 years of recruting duty) ... Im guessing thats what your talking about. I personally like less power for yotes and runners. Everyone has there own approach. If you want a big power variable ... get one.
I said in my response that the Vortex was the best option of the ones you listed ... 10x fixed? I believe I suggested a 6x fixed ... because of the wider FOV and faster on target. "needing" at least 12x ... I have shot yotes at 600 with a 4x acog ... not saying Im a better shot or anything like that ... just saying mag level is preference by the user. I have 24x scopes but they usually never get cranked up above 15 ... even when shoot at 1000 and beyond. You seem to have your mind made up ... good luck
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watts4dinner
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/25/2012 Location: Idaho Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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Thanks for the input, didn't mean to come across so harsh. Most of the yotes I shoot are in the 400- 650 range and usually come in as pairs. About 30% of the time I get a sneaky one come in to about 50 yrds and I use the 12 ga for those. I shoot with a can so second shots are usually not an issue at the longer ranges. Due to overhunting by inexperienced callers and being shot "at" so much the yotes where I hunt generally don't come in any closer unless you really piss them off. I pride myself as a fur hunter and precision counts when it comes to the paycheck! I just want a scope that will work well and not break the bank. If I had my choice and unlimited funds I would go with a Schmitd & Bender 5-20 with the Horus 25 reticle, but $500 is the limit this time. And a FFP under my budget that has good reviews is hard to pass up.
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Alan Robertson
Optics Master Joined: October/31/2009 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 1763 |
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The Vortex is by far the best of the lot you've mentioned, as others have said... and by a wide margin, imho.
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"Garg'n uair dhuisgear"
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watts4dinner
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/25/2012 Location: Idaho Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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I understand the Vortex has a pretty stellar warranty. I also have heard that the glass on the Falcon is compairable in quality and clarity as the Viper scopes, as is the WOTAC. The only one of these I have put my hands on is the Viper 6.5-20X50 BDC. The turretts felt pretty crappy and I couldn't get the reticle as crisp as I like. Overall it still felt like one of my other $500 scopes that I feel are overpriced for the quality, but the warranty makes the price worthwhile. From alot of reviews I've read the WOTAC scopes have had alot of issues with reticle glass shift and soft turrett feel. I have also only heard of one person having issues with contacting Matt for warranty and that instance resulted in the customer receiving a Falcon as replcement.The reason I am leaning toward the Falcon is The ML16 reticle and also the FFP. I would really prefer a FFP over the second due to faster rangefinding capabilities. Someone should create a system that uses a detent on the mag ring so you wouldn't have to take your eyes off target to be sure the mag is correct for the reticle. I like the Viper's mag ring with the indicator extension that makes this easier, but it still doesn't allow the shooter to remain on target and be sure the mag is correct for rangefinding. I know I'm splitting hairs, but I just desire alot of features that are standard on a $1500 scope but only want to pay $500, and I am willing to sacrifice some quality to get them.
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SVT_Tactical
MODERATOR Chief Sackscratch Joined: December/17/2009 Location: NorthCackalacky Status: Offline Points: 31233 |
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this may be helpful
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"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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Sapper524
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/25/2010 Status: Offline Points: 218 |
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Have heard that story from several people about WOTAC. As for the Falcons ... I tried 2 of them ... adjustments weren't repeatable and the turrents were very mushy. The tracking dropped off the more you dialed. Dial 5 mils and you get 4.7 .... dial 10 mils and you get 8.5 ... At above 15x the eyebox was very unforgiving ... The Vortex is the only decent option of your selections ...
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watts4dinner
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/25/2012 Location: Idaho Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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( From alot of reviews I've read the WOTAC scopes have had alot of issues with reticle glass shift and soft turrett feel. I have also only heard of one person having issues with contacting Matt for warranty and that instance resulted in the customer receiving a Falcon as replcement.)
I thought it might have been your thread I was refering to. The WOTAC was my first choice until I read your post, but was still on the fence. I actually made my choice this morning after reading alot of other posts about multiple Falcon and Vortex scopes. I ordered the Falcon 5.5-25X56 after long consideration of all features good and bad. The main factor in my decission was attributed to the fact that I really desired a FFP optic. The reason I chose the 56mm obj was due to the lack of any reviews or informative posts on this scope since the only one I found was on a preproduction model. I geuss my curiousity may have gotten the best of me. But, what the hell, it's not like I am out a whole lot of benjis. The way I look at it is now someone can write an unobscured and unbiased review of this optic, since many in the optics community have nothing resonable to say about anything that doesn't say NF, SS, Zeiss, etc. even though some have never even looked through or even held one of these scopes. I will post an initial review from unboxing to mounting and zeroing, including optics clarity and general opperation. I will not be doing any durability tests as they have already been done and have concluded to be pretty damn tough in almost all weather and debris conditions, even wet freezing and dry ash submursion. Don't be haters or critics, I bought this scope for the sheer purpose of hunting coyotes and deer at long range, not a tactical insertion where my life may depend on scope quality. I will review it with this purpose in mind.
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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This is a little over your budget, but seems to have most of what you want:
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-Matt
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watts4dinner
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/25/2012 Location: Idaho Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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The only problems other than budget on that scope are the fact it is not available in a rangefinding/ mil reticle and the FFP version is $900. I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for," however it seems that most scopes that I have actually held that are in the 300-500 range are so far below the ones that are 500-800 in quality that personal preference becomes a huge factor. At the end of the day, a lesser known brand scope at 400 is worth more to me than the most popular at 600. We will see just how inferior the Falcons really are when stacked against my Sightrons, Bushnells, and Weavers. All of my scopes are in the 300-500 bracket so it should be fairly cut and dry with comparisons.
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