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Rifle Scopes Best all-around 2-10x scope?

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tango11

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Aug 10, 2020
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I am looking for an all-around 2-10x scope to put on a Tikka CTR 308. I'd like to have a general purpose rifle that I can use to hit a man-size target from close range all the way to 1000 yards. It's going to be used for hunting, target practise, and some local club PRS matches (They usually shoot out to 650 yards). I shopped around and I found these three options:

1. The Vortex Viper PST Gen II 2-10x seems to have all the features that I can ask for, the only down side is the weight. 26.3 oz seems to be on the heavy side if I want to carry it for a long hunt. (https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-viper-pst-gen-2-2-10x32-ffp-riflescope.html?vortex_reticle=855)

2. The Sig Sauer Whiskey5 2-10x is lighter, but it's missing a side parallax adjustment... (https://www.sigsauer.com/store/whiskey5-2-10x42-mm.html)

3. The Burris Veracity 2-10x looks like another good option, but it only has a BDC reticle. (https://www.burrisoptics.com/scopes/veracity-riflescopes-series/veracity-riflescope-2-10x42mm)

What features will you prioritize? Any other suggestions in similar price range (~$1000) are welcome.
 
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Check out the Vortex Razor GenIII 1-10, may be the complete package based on your needs as described...If you like it old school, the NF 2.5-10x24 or 32 are great optics, only knock against them is they are second focal plane. March also makes a 1-10 but know nothing about it beyond that.
 
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nn8734 said:
Check out the Vortex Razor GenIII 1-10, may be the complete package based on your needs as described...If you like it old school, the NF 2.5-10x24 or 32 are great optics, only knock against them is they are second focal plane. March also makes a 1-10 but know nothing about it beyond that.
Click to expand...

The Razor Gen III seems to be perfect, the only down side is the price tag...

A lot of people have mentioned NF 2.5-10. I should give it a harder look.
 
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i own a Leica 2.5-10 ERi 4A and really like it. You can find the new model Visus in the $1500 price tag.
 
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Wading said:
i own a Leica 2.5-10 ERi 4A and really like it. You can find the new model Visus in the $1500 price tag.
Click to expand...

Leica seems to have a lot of nice models in the 2.5k price range!
 
tango11 said:
The Razor Gen III seems to be perfect, the only down side is the price tag...

A lot of people have mentioned NF 2.5-10. I should give it a harder look.
Click to expand...

I had the 24mm version, 2015 release with mil/mil turrets and the MLR Reticle. it was a fantastic little scope. Sold it to buy a cqbss but I honestly wish I would have kept it. Glass was clear/bright at every mag level including 10x, fairly light weight and of course bulletproof in terms of durability. Lastly, I never wanted for a parallax adjustment and don’t even think they are needed at 10x and under. Since this is for a hunting rifle, FFP may not be as critical.

If you keep an eye on the PX you may be able to snag one for 1100-1400 depending on condition, etc.
 
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nn8734 said:
I had the 24mm version, 2015 release with mil/mil turrets and the MLR Reticle. it was a fantastic little scope. Sold it to buy a cqbss but I honestly wish I would have kept it. Glass was clear/bright at every mag level including 10x, fairly light weight and of course bulletproof in terms of durability. Lastly, I never wanted for a parallax adjustment and don’t even think they are needed at 10x and under. Since this is for a hunting rifle, FFP may not be as critical.

If you keep an eye on the PX you may be able to snag one for 1100-1400 depending on condition, etc.
Click to expand...

I never had a scope with parallax adjustment. Do you think it's needed if you shoot beyond 600 yards?
 
tango11 said:
I never had a scope with parallax adjustment. Do you think it's needed if you shoot beyond 600 yards?
Click to expand...

I’ve shot my 2.5-10 x 24 at 800 several times and didn’t really feel like I needed parallax, at least with that scope. When shooting with a scope that has the parallax, I do find myself using it, esp at greater distances.

About how often do you plan to take the rifle beyond 650?
 
Xrslug said:
No personal experience but was eyeing this for an SPR-ish build. Seems to meet your criteria:

Trijicon Credo® 2-10x36 Tactical Rifle Scope | Trijicon®

The Trijicon Credo® 2-10x36 tactical riflescope gives you the versatility you need for rapid target acquisition at multiple ranges in any light condition.
www.trijicon.com www.trijicon.com
Click to expand...

It does! Thanks, it seems like a nice scope. The warranty seems to be a bit more restrictive than something like Vortex?
 
nn8734 said:
I’ve shot my 2.5-10 x 24 at 800 several times and didn’t really feel like I needed parallax, at least with that scope. When shooting with a scope that has the parallax, I do find myself using it, esp at greater distances.

About how often do you plan to take the rifle beyond 650?
Click to expand...

That's a good question. I never shot that far, most of the matches in my area are 650 yards and less. But I'd like a scope that I can build my skill on.
 
tango11 said:
It does! Thanks, it seems like a nice scope. The warranty seems to be a bit more restrictive than something like Vortex?
Click to expand...
Not sure on the warranty but Trijicon has a solid reputation generally as far as I know. I’ve heard that these scopes are made by LOW in Japan, which makes very nice quality scopes for a bunch of companies. I’d try one out but have too many other projects in the queue.
 
I have shot my 2.5-10x32 NXS and my 2.5-10x24 to 1k. The 32mm has no parallax past 300 yards. It’s rock solid. The 24mm has significant parallax at 500-1000y. If you have excellent head position it’s workable. I need to play with my diopter focus some to make sure I can’t dial it out and still keep the reticle in focus.

I’ll have these scopes forever but the 32mm is the bargain buy.
 
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Been agonizing over the same thing here lately. The Sig Whiskey 5 sure looks nice for this. Found myself wondering if I would be so bold as to get that instead of an NXS 2:5-10
 
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Alpine 338 said:
NF 2.5-10x42 with old fashioned Mildot Reticle is what I have. Has two color illumination and Zerostop. It's well worth the $1500 I paid for it.
Click to expand...

Does the 42mm version has the parallax adjustment?
 
You didn’t ask for this so I’m sorry, but if you open up to 3-12 then the Bushnell LRHS line is a great setup for a lot of what you want. And the price is very affordable- used for for $700-750.

I’m a self proclaimed fanboy at this point- I’ve got 2 of the 4.5-18 models with illumination.
 
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nn8734 said:
I had the 24mm version, 2015 release with mil/mil turrets and the MLR Reticle. it was a fantastic little scope. Sold it to buy a cqbss but I honestly wish I would have kept it. Glass was clear/bright at every mag level including 10x, fairly light weight and of course bulletproof in terms of durability. Lastly, I never wanted for a parallax adjustment and don’t even think they are needed at 10x and under. Since this is for a hunting rifle, FFP may not be as critical.

If you keep an eye on the PX you may be able to snag one for 1100-1400 depending on condition, etc.
Click to expand...

I have one of these and it's so nice. Probably have to sell mine also to fund other projects but its going to hurt.
 
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To offer any real advice of merit, we need you to weight the uses. You mention hunting, and several have suggested options with 24mm objectives; if hunting is a priority, I'd skip everything with a small objective.

I have the 2.5-10x42 NF on a 16" 308 hunter and it is a good scope, has been rock solid for me. I might sell it for a 2.5-20, but not due to any fault in the 2.5-10.

of the listed scopes, all have slightly different ideal applications, so get the scope that meets the primary need first, then figure out the secondary needs. For me, using a rig that needs to work well for hunting but also is fun for popping gongs, I'd strike a few of these off the list forthwith. If the priority is gongs, it'd be a different converation.
 
I'll be the dissenting voice here.....

IMO the scope on a general purpose rifle should have a 1X bottom end. And I'm guessing that local PRS matches will make up at most 5 - 10% of the use for this rifle.

If so, I would shift your search to quality 1-8X scopes. The Vortex Razor 1-10 would be tits if it were in your price range.
 
308pirate said:
I'll be the dissenting voice here.....

IMO the scope on a general purpose rifle should have a 1X bottom end. And I'm guessing that local PRS matches will make up at most 5 - 10% of the use for this rifle.

If so, I would shift your search to quality 1-8X scopes. The Vortex Razor 1-10 would be tits if it were in your price range.
Click to expand...

If he didn’t mention shooting to a grand, etc then totally agree. If I was going to be shooting matches where I knew 650 was the max engagement distance, I’d run a 1-6 Mk6 or 1-8 CQBSS with the CMR-W 7.62 and just use the reticle. My Mk6 is fast and damn near automatic to 650 on my ACC from a 200 yard zero.
 
nn8734 said:
If he didn’t mention shooting to a grand, etc then totally agree. If I was going to be shooting matches where I knew 650 was the max engagement distance, I’d run a 1-6 Mk6 or 1-8 CQBSS with the CMR-W 7.62 and just use the reticle. My Mk6 is fast and damn near automatic to 650 on my ACC from a 200 yard zero.
Click to expand...

If the PRIMARY use for the rifle was to shoot at 1000 - 1100, I'd be looking for 10X - 12X mandatory at the top.

Just reading between the lines in the OP, I don't think that's the case. I think this sounds like a rifle that will live in the 100 - 500 yd space for likely 80 - 90% of the time. Personally, for rifles that will operate in that range most of the time, I consider a 1X bottom end required. Why? because when you need to make a fast shot at a reasonable target inside 100 yards nothing is faster than a 1X optic. A 1-8X achieves both.
 
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308pirate said:
If the PRIMARY use for the rifle was to shoot at 1000 - 1100, I'd be looking for 10X - 12X mandatory at the top.

Just reading between the lines in the OP, I don't think that's the case. I think this sounds like a rifle that will live in the 100 - 500 yd space for likely 80 - 90% of the time. Personally, for rifles that will operate in that range most of the time, I consider a 1X bottom end required. Why? because when you need to make a fast shot at a reasonable target inside 100 yards nothing is faster than a 1X optic. A 1-8X achieves both.
Click to expand...

We’re aligned, agree that 1x for a low end is ideal for his use cases (hunting, short-medium range matches) with 8-10x up top.

I also suspected the same and asked about his anticipated frequency on the 1000 yard line and he stated he wasn’t sure (see post 13)...On a short-medium range bolt gun, I’m not strictly opposed to having something like a 2.5-10 either, esp he gets in the trigger time on it but 1-8 is a better fit, esp if it has a reticle that’s lends itself to hold overs so you doesn’t have to physically touch the scope during the stage. More efficient, less cognitive load on the shooter IMO.
 
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Thanks everyone for your input. Trijicon and NF both looks like very good choice.

nn8734 said:
We’re aligned, agree that 1x for a low end is ideal for his use cases (hunting, short-medium range matches) with 8-10x up top.

I also suspected the same and asked about his anticipated frequency on the 1000 yard line and he stated he wasn’t sure (see post 13)...On a short-medium range bolt gun, I’m not strictly opposed to having something like a 2.5-10 either, esp he gets in the trigger time on it but 1-8 is a better fit, esp if it has a reticle that’s lends itself to hold overs so you doesn’t have to physically touch the scope during the stage. More efficient, less cognitive load on the shooter IMO.
Click to expand...

I have considered, and am still thinking about 1-8. My only hesitation is the objective diameter. I never shot a scope with 24mm before, but my 21mm laser range finder is terrible at dusk and dawn. Besides, the "good quality" ones within my budget (~1k) has been 1-6x.
 
The NF NXS 2.5-10x42 would be my choice for that usage. I’m not a NXS fan, but they’re hard to argue with their reliability. 20 oz in a optic with solid turrets and decentish (at best) reticle is better than most any other lightweight options out there.
 
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Rancid Coolaid said:
To offer any real advice of merit, we need you to weight the uses. You mention hunting, and several have suggested options with 24mm objectives; if hunting is a priority, I'd skip everything with a small objective.

I have the 2.5-10x42 NF on a 16" 308 hunter and it is a good scope, has been rock solid for me. I might sell it for a 2.5-20, but not due to any fault in the 2.5-10.

of the listed scopes, all have slightly different ideal applications, so get the scope that meets the primary need first, then figure out the secondary needs. For me, using a rig that needs to work well for hunting but also is fun for popping gongs, I'd strike a few of these off the list forthwith. If the priority is gongs, it'd be a different converation.
Click to expand...

It's a hard question for me because I like hunting as much as target shooting. I think this will eventually be a hunting and target practising scope. My line of thought is that I also want to shoot PRS matches with it, until I get good to a point that warrants a dedicate scope & rifle for the sport. Before that I just want something that doesn't handicap me too much in local matches.
 
tango11 said:
Thanks everyone for your input. Trijicon and NF both looks like very good choice.



I have considered, and am still thinking about 1-8. My only hesitation is the objective diameter. I never shot a scope with 24mm before, but my 21mm laser range finder is terrible at dusk and dawn. Besides, the "good quality" ones within my budget (~1k) has been 1-6x.
Click to expand...

The challenge is finding a scope that works well across all three of your use cases within your budget. Gotta prioritize one or two of those cases and make your choice accordingly.

> Daytime-dusk Long range (600+) target shooting and hunting: 2-10 or 3-12/3-15 with a 42mm or larger objective; tradeoffs; speed and weight

> Mostly Daytime short/medium range comps and hunting (esp if dangerous game) - 1-8 or 2.5-10 with a 24-42mm objective; tradeoffs: magnification and light gathering
 
So I've been using 2.5x10 scopes for sometime now on a few hunting rifles. I'm currently using a Vortex PST Gen1. The Gen2 has better glass and a locking turrent which I like. I have one on my Tikka T3 Lite in 243 with DNZ rings. Great combo. Kind of my truck gun. The other is a Ruger Predetor in 6.5CM, in a Magpul stock suppressed. Works great for what I use it for but if your shooting target at LR you'll struggle seeing the holes in the target. But I really love the 2.5x while stalking in the trees and brush in the river bottom for white tail deer.
 
Xrslug said:
No personal experience but was eyeing this for an SPR-ish build. Seems to meet your criteria:

Trijicon Credo® 2-10x36 Tactical Rifle Scope | Trijicon®

The Trijicon Credo® 2-10x36 tactical riflescope gives you the versatility you need for rapid target acquisition at multiple ranges in any light condition.
www.trijicon.com www.trijicon.com
Click to expand...

I’ve got one coming in the mail tomorrow. Plan to post a review after shooting with it this weekend. SUPER anxious to get this thing!
 
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tango11 said:
I am looking for an all-around 2-10x scope to put on a Tikka CTR 308. I'd like to have a general purpose rifle that I can use to hit a man-size target from close range all the way to 1000 yards. It's going to be used for hunting, target practise, and some local club PRS matches (They usually shoot out to 650 yards). I shopped around and I found these three options:

1. The Vortex Viper PST Gen II 2-10x seems to have all the features that I can ask for, the only down side is the weight. 26.3 oz seems to be on the heavy side if I want to carry it for a long hunt. (https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-viper-pst-gen-2-2-10x32-ffp-riflescope.html?vortex_reticle=855)

2. The Sig Sauer Whiskey5 2-10x is lighter, but it's missing a side parallax adjustment... (https://www.sigsauer.com/store/whiskey5-2-10x42-mm.html)

3. The Burris Veracity 2-10x looks like another good option, but it only has a BDC reticle. (https://www.burrisoptics.com/scopes/veracity-riflescopes-series/veracity-riflescope-2-10x42mm)

What features will you prioritize? Any other suggestions in similar price range (~$1000) are welcome.
Click to expand...
SWFA SS 2.5-10x32 Ultralight Rifle Scope these are nice and really light weight 9oz.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMg_tKSSX9Q
 
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I have the Burris Veracity 2-10
Really nice scope and It works well on a hunting carbine length 7-08
The biggest issue with the Veracity line is that it only offers 1 Rev of adjustment on the windage.
It can be an issue with fixed mounts if you are not aligned really well with the bore.
..Luckily I used the Leupold mounts that have rear windage adjustment screws and was able to compensate.
 
I have the PST Gen.2 2-10x and it's been one of my favorite scopes since 2 years. The glass is good and the field of view is awesome. Perfect for a DMR style rifle.
 
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Earlier this year I divided my true "rifle scopes" into two buckets ...

The ones that go on my stoner rifles (not including stoner carbines which have various flavors of RDS) which might be called "DMR-ish" scopes

And the ones that go on my bolt guns


==
For the DMR-ish scopes, I really think of them a "derivations of the classical 3-9x" ... such as the olde Redfield mil dot from the 70s ... though it was originally on bolt guns in those days.

But for me the various 3-9x, 2-10x, 2.5-10x, 3.5-10x ... etc. are included in the "DMR-ish" group. And going forward most of my scopes will be in this group since I have 5 stoner rifles (barrel length 18+) ...

Right now I have the NF 2.5-10x42 MIL-R ... it has zero stop and parallax and illum ... and weighs 20.5 oz ... its a very nice scope and I love it and have had no issues ... but as some have said, it is SFP. That has not caused me to miss a hunting/critter control shot yet ...

Also have the VO 2-10x MIL pst g2 which is FPP but is heavier and longer ... other than weight and length, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it and it fits in to what I do.

I have both of those on my mk12s ...

If I was buying today, I'm 99% sure I would go with the Trijicon Credo 2-10x MIL .. it also has illum and zero stop. Its even longer, which might be an issue since I put SIMRADs on my DMR-ishes ... but I think I can barely make it work but mounting the scope farther back in the Spuhr.

I need zero stop, because if I will dial at night ... I don't want to be wondering where I am. Zero stop is critical at night, so is a rule out criteria for me.

==
I've looking at the xtr2 2-10x for years ... and if it had the scr-mil reticle I'm sure I would've gotten one long ago. But these days, even though I think I'm more lenient with reticles now ... I'm less lenient on glass and length. So today, I would rule on the xtr2 2-10x for both length and glass since the VO and Trijicons both win on glass and are shorter.

==
BTW, on my bolt guns these days ... I am using derivations of the basic 3-15x mil scope ...
So one has a L&S mk6 3-18x T3
And the other has ATACR 4-16x T3
Unfortunately the 4x on the bottom end of the ATACR is too much x for me, so I'm probably going to sell that. The candidates to replace it are the
Trijicon Credo 2.5-15x MIL
VO 3-15x MILpst g2
The credo is an FFP ... and so I'm leaning to the VO ... as I would like one bolt gun scope with a "straight" mil/mil FFP setup so if I am teaching someone long distance I don't have to do too many "oh buts" ... no matter what I use ... I still recognize that mil/mil FFP is the defactor standard these days ... and so I'd rather teach folks on that as they would be more likely to encounter that elsewhere.
 
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NIghtforce NXS 2.5-10x42 is easily one of the best general purpose scopes of this type on the market now. I am not sure if I would be going for something with 1x on the low end given this is a bolt gun. If you want 1x, you can always add a piggybacked red dot sight.

Now, if you are looking to save weight, SWFA SS Ultralight is indeed an excellent choice and I have one with a piggybacked red dot sight, but it is not ideal for 1k due to covered turrets.

If you have some money to spend, I would probably guide you toward March 3-24x52 FFP with an offset red dot. It will do everything you need well.

If you are comfortable with SFP scopes and want something more compact, wait for a couple of months. March is about to release a new 1.5-15x42 SFP scope. I'll be testing on toward the end of September.

If that is way out of your budget, the best budget option is probably SWFA SS 3-9x42 with an offset red dot.

Element 5-20x50 at $1500 is somewhere in between and should also work well, but a little heavier.

ILya
 
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koshkin said:
NIghtforce NXS 2.5-10x42 is easily one of the best general purpose scopes of this type on the market now. I am not sure if I would be going for something with 1x on the low end given this is a bolt gun. If you want 1x, you can always add a piggybacked red dot sight.

Now, if you are looking to save weight, SWFA SS Ultralight is indeed an excellent choice and I have one with a piggybacked red dot sight, but it is not ideal for 1k due to covered turrets.

If you have some money to spend, I would probably guide you toward March 3-24x52 FFP with an offset red dot. It will do everything you need well.

If you are comfortable with SFP scopes and want something more compact, wait for a couple of months. March is about to release a new 1.5-15x42 SFP scope. I'll be testing on toward the end of September.

If that is way out of your budget, the best budget option is probably SWFA SS 3-9x42 with an offset red dot.

Element 5-20x50 at $1500 is somewhere in between and should also work well, but a little heavier.

ILya
Click to expand...

Any idea how much will the March 1.5-15 sell for?
 
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