Rifle Scopes First Scope, Suggestions?

[dgrifith21]

So I have a bunch of parts arriving the gunshop soon for my first attempt at a mid-long range rifle build. As much as I would like to have something for 1000 yd shots, I think more realistically it will end up as some Army buddies and I in a field shooting 500-800.
What type of scope should I be looking at and what are the things I need to know?
The guy at the gun shop offered to trade me a trijicon accupoint 5-20x50 for an EOTech EXPS3 and G33 magnifier I have.
Is this a good scope? I haven't been able to find many threads about it here, but I have had a good experience with their ACOG so maybe I am blinded by bias here.

 

[billyburl2]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

The Trij is a pretty good scope. The major draw-back is that it has limited travel on the erector. Depending on the caliber you shoot, it may be difficult to get out to 1000 yards.
It also depends on which reticle it has in it, but it is only available with MOA adjustments. So if equipped with a mil-dot, the reticle will not match the knobs. It is also Second focal plane only. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not what I prefer, especially in a long-range rifle scope.
The good news is it has decent glass, and the illumination is probably the best in the industry.

 

[dgrifith21]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

so when you say the reticle will not match with the knobs what do you mean?
The one he has there is mil dot

 

[PatrickChewing]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

The mil dot is a MIL reticle and the scope's adjustments are MOA. Try your best to select a scope that has a MIL reticle and MIL adjustments or MOA reticle and MOA adjustments.

 

[Glen1978]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

Yeah with MOA knobs.....thus not matching. If it matched it would be some form of Mil-dot recticle and Mil adjusted turrets.

Here is my advice! Buy the first one you think you need and dont read anymore on here or you will be super confused!! LOL!

Naw really, there is GREAT info on here and if you read enough like I have all week you should have it narrowed down to a few scopes. Good luck

 

[Cmonroe]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

First, welcome to the hide. Either of the optics you mentioned will be a huge disappointment if you are going to spend enough time and try to learn long range shooting. First, tell us your budget and about the gun your having built.

 

[bassani]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

Yes..your budget will be the major limiting factor in regards to zoning in on the scope that will work best in your budget

 

[B3dlam]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

If you dont want to spend a complete arm and a leg I would check out the SWFA line their SS 5-20x50 is a Mil/Mil scope the reticle is quite nice and its also a First Focal Plane scope.

The advatage to a matching reticle and turret adjustment is that you can spot your hits in the scope and adjust without any conversions so for instance if you see your shot was 3 mils low you just dial in 3 mils on your turret and your set you dont have to do any math. Another huge advantage is that you only need one dope chart and dont have to convert so you can use the same dope for holds or to dial in a range again without conversion.

I looked pretty seriously at the Trijcon when I was in the market for my current scope but it has only 5.9 mils of total adjustment range. A 175 SMK traveling at around 2614 FPS will drop 5.4 mils in 650 yards also keep in mind you wont get the entire scopes adjustment range so saying you got 2/3rds of your adjustment range after zeroing that would drop your total availble up adjusment to 3.9 mils which is around 500 yards with the above mentioned round. Past that range you will just have to hold higher in your reticle which can be a real pain if you are also trying to compensate for wind. Most scopes in that price range like the SWFA I suggested offer more like 30 mils of travel so again assuming you got 2/3rds of it that leaves you 20 mils of travel or enough to push that above load past 1300 yards which is past when it goes transonic.

In short staying in the price range of the accupoint you would be far better servced by an SWFA 5-20x50 other scopes to look at although I have no personal experince with them but have heard good things about are the viper pst 6-24 (a bit cheaper but with a bit less internal adjusment range) or the Bushnell Elite HDMR 3-21.

 

[dgrifith21]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

Well, I HAVE heard good things about the SWFA so I suppose now I might heading in that direction. The thing I really liked about the trijicon was the illumination, fiber optic dial+tritium seems like a pretty sweet combo to me. I am up for spending maybe another $800 on top of the cost of the Trij if there is something really good. Glass is an area I really want to get my monies worth but i'm afraid I cannot spend much past $2000

 

[billyburl2]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

http://www.samplelist.com/tradeinform.aspx
SWFA takes trade-ins as well. I bet you find out that give very reasonable price for your optic.
IMHO the 5-20 is the best deal going. The glass is fantastic, and the knobs are outstanding as well. I have an illuminated model but rarely use the illumination. I have shot at a couple of different tac-rifle matches with the scope, and it has always performed as well as I drove it...
Mine is mounted on 300WSM, and with 10 mils per revolution, it is less than 1 turn to 1000 yards.

 

[jonthomps]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

Any mil/mil Nightforce or Bushnell elite would be a great first scope!

 

[dgrifith21]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

Just filled out the trade in form for SWFA, i'll see what that gets me. Thanks for showing me that, I never would have noticed it!

 

[NoFail]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dylan Griffith</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just filled out the trade in form for SWFA, i'll see what that gets me. Thanks for showing me that, I never would have noticed it! </div></div>

I know the SS 5-20 illuminated is on backorder now, and I think the non illuminated too. But maybe by the time you are done with rifle build they will be close at hand? Can't say.....

 

[dgrifith21]

Re: First Scope, Suggestions?

Ended up going with the Triji Accupoint. I was getting too good a deal and am too in love with their products not to. Spent all day at the range getting used to it on a friend of mines rifle, I absolutely love it, ended up walking it all the way out to 500 yds on his rem700 in .270 win after it was dialed in with no problems at all. very intuitive and the illumination is great. I can't wait till all the parts for my rifle arrive so I can slap it all together, if today was any indication it will be a tack-driver with this thing.