Has anyone done this? Consolidate their optics to one brand, one reticle for the basis of learning one system across the board. I'm kinda looking do do this for 3 or 4 rifles, different barrel lengths, gas and bolt. What optics in the 3-15, 3-18, 4-20 reasonable prices ,but have and old mk 4 and mk 6 to offset some of the costs. I have been looking at Vortex, Burris, Steiner,
Rifle Scopes Consolidation of optics across weapons in similar categories.
- Thread starter KM375
- Start date
Everything I have is mil based. It's close enough.
That sounds like an expensive luxury to avoid having to just read what the reticle tells you
Have you considered just taking one scope, recording the zeros, and moving it across guns?
I did it. Moved a Minox MR4 and an AMG to buy two MIL-C ATACR 5-25s and a 4-16. It was a toss up between them and the Minox though.
I havent done it due to funds, but am considering consolidating to a specific reticle that matches personal guns to work guns. For shooter/spotter verbiage there is a difference between talk ons using an h59 vs a tremor3. Is it enough to matter? It may, and that could be enough to miss interpret a call or be misunderstood giving one. I have a 2011 and a P30 that I hardly ever shoot because the controls and trigger pull are different than glock. Despite both being better guns imo, I still shoot the glocks more bc of commonality.
Its not irresponsible to do something different, because you're still training. But if commonality between work and play applies to you, it is a consideration IMO.
Its not irresponsible to do something different, because you're still training. But if commonality between work and play applies to you, it is a consideration IMO.
Over time, I have sold some of my older scopes like Premiers and Leupolds, and pretty much standardized on the S&B 5-25 with MSR reticle. I still have a few scopes like Leupolds with TMR reticle on 22LR trainers, or S&B 4-16x42 with Gen 2 Mildot on Precision AR's that may stay that way as I have more rifles than I have scopes for.
Funding is definitely an issue, I know I try to buy once cry once as I try to get good scopes and rifles. Another reason is standardizing for teaching my kids on the same reticle pattern easier to talk them on using the same reticle granted I would have to have them on the line at the same time. The LE/Mil perspective shooter spotter comes to mind for two people to be on the same sheet of music when calling wind, shots, and holds. My Mil days are long gone so it does not necessarliy transfer over to what I was using, fixed 10x and fixed 16x back in the day.
I would like the optics to cross over to the hunting/shooting so not so heavy as it would be a burden to carry and large enough to get good light in the evening and morning.
I would like the optics to cross over to the hunting/shooting so not so heavy as it would be a burden to carry and large enough to get good light in the evening and morning.
I've done this 4 times now.
First time was with the old IPHY Horus Predator 8-26x50, had 2 or 3 of them. Sold those to get mil/mil.
Then got a Horus scope with H58, and a USO with H58, then a NF F1 with H58. Sold those too.
To get the H59 when the HDMR's came out. Sold those also.
Then really stepped up and got three S&B's, /H59. This last one was a huge financial sacrifice but they are awesome scopes.
The trick I learned is putting the cheap Athlon scopes with .2 mil reticles on the rifles I don't want an expensive scope on. There are things I prefer about the Athlon reticles than the H59 so I found a good compromise and on most of these rifles I rarely dial or hold over past 10 mil anyway.
I have a ton of XTR II's. The biggest thing I really enjoy about what Burris has done with this scope is they have made it more affordable to put a quality optic on a multitude of rifles. I have a lot of rifles, and I was bouncing some scopes around to shoot them. And I was shooting them less because I didn't want to mess with optics swaps.
I have 3 different 4-20 Horus reticle H591 XTR II's on my 6mm Creedmoor comp gun, my 6.5mm Creedmoor comp gun, and my 223 Ackley trainer. Then a 4-20 with the SCR and a 5-25 with the SCR on my two primary hunting rifles, my 6.5 Grendel and my 300 Norma mag. Then a pair of 1-8's on my 3 gun rifles. I have a couple others, but these rifles get the most range time.
It's definitely been great having consistency across the board. Especially with my competition rifles.
I have 3 different 4-20 Horus reticle H591 XTR II's on my 6mm Creedmoor comp gun, my 6.5mm Creedmoor comp gun, and my 223 Ackley trainer. Then a 4-20 with the SCR and a 5-25 with the SCR on my two primary hunting rifles, my 6.5 Grendel and my 300 Norma mag. Then a pair of 1-8's on my 3 gun rifles. I have a couple others, but these rifles get the most range time.
It's definitely been great having consistency across the board. Especially with my competition rifles.
Considering biting the bullet and doing a reticle swap on my S&B 5-25. It has a Gen II XR in it now. Great reticle in my opinion. I don’t think any misses are because of my reticle. It was also my first foray into really good glass. I could certainly live with the GENII XR, and do fine. However....My 3-20 has the H2CMR in it. I really like that reticle a bunch. Love the wind hold on the horizontal. Super clean, uncluttered, simple, yet very precise. So, I’m trying to decide if I want to spend $500 and have the reticle changed in my 5-25 to match. Having both be the same could have its advantages, but IDK if it’s a $500 advantage.
Only on the MILS format. I like trying different brands. All my sticks have different optics...all have pluses and minuses. I haven't run into the perfect scope....yet
I think from standpoint of uniformity, sticking with the same reticle and same knob direction is what really matters. With different scopes sizes, as long as the reticle is in FFP, everything transfers.
I test scopes all the time, so achieving this "uniformity" of different optics is a pipe dream for me. However, I am making a few steps in this direction, although largely by cutting down on how many rifles I have.
ILya
I test scopes all the time, so achieving this "uniformity" of different optics is a pipe dream for me. However, I am making a few steps in this direction, although largely by cutting down on how many rifles I have.
ILya
All great information, I am still working with 30.06, 243, 308/7.62, 5.56. Sold my 300win mag years ago as I have a c-spine fusion and the mag was beating me up. I would not mind so much as a 5-25 on one rifle and a 3-15, 3-18, or 4-20 on another. I Just don't have the ranges to get out much past 800 - 1000 meters.
Same for me. The biggest thing for me is knob direction. My base for reticles and knobs is the NF Mil-R as I have several. After the experience of turning knobs the wrong way I sold off anything that wasn't the same and have avoided them since. And I keep it all in mils. I have no problem going between Mil-R, Mil-C, EBR-4, and Khales MSR-K. While the switch is easy I couldn't imagine not using the required scope (for a match, hunting, whatever) a few times beforehand.
When hunting big game in conditions that limit shots to about 250 or so yards I usually use a SFP scope as I am likely to be at the bottom of the mag range and prefer a thicker cross-hair. But it's still a knob that turns in the same direction and uses mils.
Yes, I have.
I took an old 2.5x8x36 Veri X III an sent it back for a moa tree ret. an installed it on a 16" .223. Like it so much I sent both Leupold 3.5x10x40 M3 MK 4's back for the same thing. One is on a .308 an the other is on a 300wm. Just bought another Leupold 2.5x8x36(for a 16" 308) but it's a VX3i an as soon (Monday I hope) as it gets here it will be sent for the same ret as well. I used to be like the Thundering Heard an think you had to have X to get Y job done, That is not the case with me. I find I do better on target with less weight an power, an its cheaper on the wallet/back. The only draw back is target ID but there are no comps (using high speed ammo) that require you find a hidden target's anymore, save 2 sub matches. 10X is more than enough to ID anything to 600yds even if hidden, an plenty to locate/ID paper or steel to the "Realistic field Limits" of a 300wm or less. These rets have 32moa on correct power an up to 90+moa on low power, which is great for 3moa targets to 600yds using subs.
The MOA tree rets are so good I have 100yds zeros on everything an hardly dial anything now. I find dialing a waste of time an the ret holds are the same over an over unlike erectors, no matter who made it. I have had to label the inside of the scope cap to ID the chambering as after awhile you will get so used to them you'll forget what you shooting. lol
I was thinking about doing this same route with the SCR reticle. My long range rifle has a T5xi 5-25 and then I was going to get a 3-15 Steiner or 4-40 Burris for the trainer. This lets me span a large price differential with the same reticle. Interested to hear what you come up with.
