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Rifle Scopes FFP scope above 25X

Just be mindful of the turret values and elevation range with those higher power scopes. Many are benchrest scopes masquerading as tactical scopes, with 1/8MOA or 0.05mil turret values and less than 60MOA or 30mil elevation travel.
 
Got room for it, the Hubble! The USO SN-9! Take a look at that baby on Optics Planet, they have a few, and they are oh so fine. 28" long, has the mount built into it. 10-40x or 12-42x or 10-42x, I forget. Something along those lines. I think you can get it in other magnifications too, but I've only found one and they are all in MOA with MOA reticle and huge knobs. I think this is the grandmotherfucker of long range optics, but it has rare applications due to weight and size, and it costs over $5000. I wanted to put one on a .50 HTI but due to the design, the eyepiece would be at the bolt and the sunshade would be a couple inches behind the brake. I have to find out what the true specs would be, the total length, etc. and whether or not this optic would work. For the distance I plan to shoot .50, and later .375CT to, I'd like some magnification.

If it doesn't work, I may get a FFP 5-25x Nightforce Beast, not sure. It has a lot of elevation though.

Most folks, I hear, shoot long range with high magnification scopes that are SFP because they like the fact the reticle appears smaller at longer ranges. For competition, I bet this is ideal. And it could be why in one picture of an important match, every single guy on the line had the exact same scope --a SFP Nightforce, 8-32x is what I think they all were using. That says something.

But if you can afford it and the rifle can fit it and you have the application for it, that SN-9 sure looks fine. Damn fine.
 
As much as I love the SN-9, being the best externally adjustable scope out there, I think USO discontinued them. They've been in and out of production in recently years and the one I bought in 2007 took a year from order to delivery. That said, it's hard to beat its capabilities. By moving the rear "ring" you can set it up for either 230ish MOA or 60ish mils of elevation and being externally adjusted means that every bit of that elevation is centered through the optics. But it's friggin' huge and heavy and the turrets are kind of easy to get lost on, in my opinion.
 
Granted I've never looked through a FFP scope higher in magnification than 25 but wouldn't the reticle become so large as to obscure the target at a higher magnification?
 
Why are so many people selling these already? I plan on getting one myself, but seeing everyone selling them off makes me think twice.

The ones you see being sold used are a small fraction of what's out there.
I think I have optics ADD. I get bored easily.
I have a Steiner 5-25 on the way, can't afford to keep both. Thought about selling off the DMR on my FNAR and putting the XRS on the FNAR but the XRS is a bit overkill for that plus it is worth more... gotta pay for the Steiner somehow. I may end up selling the DMR instead, though. The XRS ain't much bigger or heavier than the DMR and with no tunneling, the FOV at low power is almost the same. Decisions, decisions.

Joe
 
thats USO SN-9.... just wow.... now i know why its called the hubble.... the point of the reticle size getting to big is something i didnt think of... thats a very good point

Bushnell XRS 4.5-30x50.... im very unfimiliar with it... how would it compare to the NXS??
 
Granted I've never looked through a FFP scope higher in magnification than 25 but wouldn't the reticle become so large as to obscure the target at a higher magnification?

I think the concern is when the zoom ratio is large. You can make the reticle thin enough to be used at high magnification in ffp, but it may be really small if the zoom goes way down. Conversely, if you make it thick enough to use at really low magnification, it can be really big at high magnification. March has two 8x zoom models in FFP. I would really like to look at the reticle size at both ends of the zoom. Steiner has 5x zoom and Kahles has 6x zoom. You can get both with the MSR reticle. I notice that Kahles made their MSR reticle thinner than the Steiner. It could be because the Kahles has 6x zoom compared to Steiner's 5x?
 
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Exaclty what Haroldwilson said. I have the Steiner with MSR reticle and really like it. I don't think it gets too big but it is noticeably thicker than my SS 5-20...because the SS is getting 4x thicker and the Steiner is getting 5x thicker. BUT you really want to talk about getting thicker? I just picked up a March 3-24x scope and I absolutely LOVE everything about this little scope other than the reticle having to get 8x thicker. It's super thin at low power and just a hair too thick at max power. Oh well....I'll just deal with it because everything else about it is perfection (to me).
 
I'd seen the SN9, recognized it as a USO, but didn't really know what it was...

Wow.

The engineers at USO sure have a different take on rifle scopes than everybody else.
 
Exaclty what Haroldwilson said. I have the Steiner with MSR reticle and really like it. I don't think it gets too big but it is noticeably thicker than my SS 5-20...because the SS is getting 4x thicker and the Steiner is getting 5x thicker. BUT you really want to talk about getting thicker? I just picked up a March 3-24x scope and I absolutely LOVE everything about this little scope other than the reticle having to get 8x thicker. It's super thin at low power and just a hair too thick at max power. Oh well....I'll just deal with it because everything else about it is perfection (to me).

Man, I would like to look through both of those scopes. I really like the size of the March 3-24. The reticle size on the ends of the large zoom ratio concerns me. Leaning towards Steiner MSR but the impending arrival of the Kahles MSR has me on the fence. I should probably just pull the trigger on the Steiner and be done with it.
 
I must warn you.....even if you don't like what the 8x does to the reticle, just about everything else about the March scope will probably win you over, one feature being how small it is. Now I just got this and recently sighted it in so I don't have much time behind it but the turret clicks are just right without requiring too much effort to turn, setting the zero stop is super simple and even though I like how the push button illumination works, it's kinda sad it's only 4 intensity settings and you have to keep pushing to reach the one you want. I like that the Steiner has an OFF position between each illumination intensity setting. And while I'm on the Steiner, the second turn elevation indicator is just about the coolest thing ever. Now, back to the March scope....did I mention how small it is?....it's HALF THE SIZE!!!! (not really but close, lol)
 
I must warn you.....even if you don't like what the 8x does to the reticle, just about everything else about the March scope will probably win you over, one feature being how small it is. Now I just got this and recently sighted it in so I don't have much time behind it but the turret clicks are just right without requiring too much effort to turn, setting the zero stop is super simple and even though I like how the push button illumination works, it's kinda sad it's only 4 intensity settings and you have to keep pushing to reach the one you want. I like that the Steiner has an OFF position between each illumination intensity setting. And while I'm on the Steiner, the second turn elevation indicator is just about the coolest thing ever. Now, back to the March scope....did I mention how small it is?....it's HALF THE SIZE!!!! (not really but close, lol)

The March is 2/3 the size and almost half the weight of its competition.
It is really an impressive piece of engineering.
I don't know how they packed all that in such a small package (and the glass, oh the glass!) but I'll be hanging onto mine for a while.

Just got a Steiner 5-25, smart illumination dial design. Another keeper.

Joe
 
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Steiner has 5x zoom and Kahles has 6x zoom. You can get both with the MSR reticle. I notice that Kahles made their MSR reticle thinner than the Steiner. It could be because the Kahles has 6x zoom compared to Steiner's 5x?

Hmm. I got this wrong. The Kahles has a 4x zoom. I wonder how the thinner reticle is at low magnification?
 
I just picked up a March 3-24x scope and I absolutely LOVE everything about this little scope other than the reticle having to get 8x thicker. It's super thin at low power and just a hair too thick at max power. Oh well....I'll just deal with it because everything else about it is perfection (to me).

I totally agree with this statement. I love everything until ~18X. Then the reticle is on the big side. It still functions just fine but, I feel the reticle commands to much of the view. It still functions as an EXCELLENT spotter with 24X capability. No other scope can compare short of spending 7K for the new Hensoldt.
 
Had my March F 3-24 42mm and March Fx 5-40 56mm in mil/mil for 6 months and have still found no other scope that even comes close. While the reticle does become thick at the top end, they both have a central floating dot that solves that issue. Size is amazing! Both have been rugged and trouble free. Use the 5-40 as a spotting scope also. Like the S&B 5-25 56mm also, but only the DT turrets. March warranty 5 years or more while S&B only 2years on their tacticle scopes.
 
Had my March F 3-24 42mm and March Fx 5-40 56mm in mil/mil for 6 months and have still found no other scope that even comes close. While the reticle does become thick at the top end, they both have a central floating dot that solves that issue. Size is amazing! Both have been rugged and trouble free. Use the 5-40 as a spotting scope also. Like the S&B 5-25 56mm also, but only the DT turrets. March warranty 5 years or more while S&B only 2years on their tacticle scopes.

The floating 'dot' is .05 mil = covers less than 2" at 1000yards, not sure what your shooting but that's good enough for me? :)

Terry