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Rifle Scopes 600+ yards and 5.56 - Need optic advice

N

Notdylan

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Minuteman
Jun 14, 2017
242
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Beechgrove, Tennessee
#1
I recently took out my new 18" spr with a vortex razor 1-6 mounted on it. At 500 yards, I was shooting 77gr SMK at full and half size silhouettes as well as a know your limits rack. Hits were not an issue however spotting them was very difficult.

This is a range toy first and a homestead coyote defender second. My goals are to shoot steel at 600 and beyond. Mostly 600-750 with the occasioal trip to 1000 when the weather permits (my local range does have cameras at 1k). What power optic do I need to spot hits at 750?

I can get a great deal on the new NF 2.5-10x42 (the optic I want to put on it) and the new USO B-17 3-17 (probably closer to what I need). I just don't want to mount a baseball bat on it. The ATACR F1 4-16 is definitely the best combo of size and magnification but my discount does not apply to that optic.

Those of you who have been there done that, what do you recommend?
 
#2
I find an ar tricky to spot that far even with higher magnifications....which is why I like the steel (audible indicator). I personally would stick to a lighter setup with mag range on top around 6-10 for a 5.56 ar. Then if you want to spot get a decent spotting scope as the size won't permanently weigh down the gun. I fairly regularly shoot pushing 800+ with a 3-9.
 
#3
I had a NF NXS 2.5-10X32 on an 18 LaRue upper. Loved the compactness of the scope on the rifle but needed more magnification. Went up to a Bushnell LRTSi 4.5-18X44 and it looked fine and gave me the power I needed. I think any scope under 15 inches will look fine. If you're shooting distance, get the most magnification you can....better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I'm going with an Athlon Cronus BTR 4.5-29X56 on a new 20" 5.56 precision build. It's not ready yet so no pics.

NF NXS
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Bushnell LRTSi
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#4
I shoot my ar out to 600 yards pretty regular with a 4-16x on top of it. I am only shooting 69gr smk's out of it but even so its hard for me to spot the hits at 600.. 500 yards can even get difficult if mirage is bad. The bullet doesn't leave a big enough splash for me to spot it really well.
 
#5
If you had a 16" or shorter barrel, yes a normal 15" scope would look big. With an 18" or 20" build, the looks won't throw you off too much. In the end, function > form.

I am a bit new to the 600+ game, but my vote is the NF 2.5-10x42. It has to be the 42. I like my ARs a little more light and compact. With a 5.56, I am not trying to shoot the wings off a fly as the gun is a 1 moa tool (at least with me behind it and cheap ammo). If you are really going to run 800+ often, more mag might help but don't let it take away too much of what makes the AR fun and easy at closer ranges.

Ironically I was in the same position as you for awhile and had my SWFA 3-15 mounted on my AR. I was a mag whore. In the end, my SWFA is going on a .308 and I want a 1-8 or another low power variable. Most of my shooting was at 400 or less with the AR so why have more weight and size when I can shed a lot without losing anything?
 
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#8
I have a 2.5-10x42 NXS on my 20" AR. Works fine to 600yds, but if you're gonna push to ~800yd you will want more magnification. In my experience it's quite difficult to spot misses at that range with a .22 caliber and that scope. More magnification with poor glass won't be better though.
 
#9
I'm running the march 3-24x42 on my DMR. Have spotted hits to 1000 even on a bad day. Very compact at about the same size and weight as the NF 2.5-10x42.
 
#10
Several of us has made hits out to 1100 yards with our MK12s with 9 and 10x scopes. Given that it was in exceptional conditions we were shooting in. The 500-1100 yard lines were flooded from the rains the night before so it made it super easy to see the splash to make the corrections. More of the norm would be 5-800 on a consistent basis with most MK12s.
 
#12
Bacarrat said:
Several of us has made hits out to 1100 yards with our MK12s with 9 and 10x scopes. Given that it was in exceptional conditions we were shooting in. The 500-1100 yard lines were flooded from the rains the night before so it made it super easy to see the splash to make the corrections. More of the norm would be 5-800 on a consistent basis with most MK12s.
Click to expand...

i imagine you didn't have a choice in the 10x, would you choose 10x again?


5-800 is all I really need to be able to see as we have target cameras at 1k and beyond. But even at 500 I could only identify hits as the spatter kicked up some dust (with a 6x).
 
#13
Really don't have a choice when you are running clone MK12s. Does it work? Yes, we have done it multiple times. Is it ideal, nope. You need very good conditions to make it out to those distances. I have my fair share of 20x+ mag range scope, but I am not to uncomfortable shootong distance with 9-12x scopes either. Don't let that limit you on how far you can shoot. If anything, it more gratifying hitting something at distance with the smaller caliber with less magnification then with my usual 25X S&B shooting a 140gr bullet 3100+FPS. That's way too easy.
 
#14
I used to shoot a 5-22x56 NXS dialed at around 11-16x and I was able to nail a steel silhouette at 700 without issue. I sold that scope and I will be putting on a sig tango 6 3-18x44. That should be more than adequate
 
#15
For applications like this Nightforce 2.5-10x42 would be somewhere near the top of my list. I've been trying to get someone to make a scope intended for an accurate 16" or 18" AR, but what I would consider to be an ideal configuration does not yet exist. The Nightforce is close. If you can live with MOA turrets and reticle, Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44 should be on your list. I am testing one and it is an excellent design.
 
#16
Notdylan said:
What do you prefer about the Bushnell? It's longer and heavier than the NF. Does the extra 2x really make a difference?
Click to expand...

It's FFP, it has better glass and is a brighter scope, side focus parallax adjustment, 10 mil knobs with capped windage, revolution lines so you can see which rev you're on,(main gripe against mentioned NF) and I like the reticle better. For me 12x seems like a big improvement over 10x on smaller targets but on the bottom end 2.5x isn't much difference than 3x. The trade off in weight "outweighed" any cons. 15" barrel on my AR but it's very accurate and it does well inside of 800Y using 70 vld's at 2600 fps in normal winds.

I did like the illume on the NF!
 
#18
Notdylan said:
What do you prefer about the Bushnell? It's longer and heavier than the NF. Does the extra 2x really make a difference?
Click to expand...

Please note he had the 24mm NF, so I wouldn't quite call that an even comparison. If you compare them straight up, I would take the Bushnell too. lol but compare that to the 2.5-10x42 and that choice gets a lot more difficult.
 
#21
I'm going through the same decision right now. I think I have it down to the new viper pst gen ii 3-15. I was going to go with the leupold vx3i lrp but something keeps pushing me towards the vortex.
 
#25
Spotting hits on paper at distance becomes difficult after 300ish yards on paper, by 500 it's about a lost cause. Spotting impacts on steel is much easier out to distance. Trying to get a balance between your requirements of spotting hits and solid target acquisition at long range get challenging if you also want to use hour AR closer in.

I went through this and settled on a Vortex PST 2.t-10 × 44mm. It has a good for close in at 2.5x. 10x gets me out to 1k and still see impacts on steel pretty well out to 700. Seeing small holes on paper at distance is another questex best answered by another tool.
 
#26
On one of my Noveske 18" builds :

I'm running a Night Force 2.5-10×32 as my primary out to 500 .

And for just hitting steel beyond that I run a 3-15×50. Imo, too many compromises by running a "Do it all scope"....
 
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