Sorry to beat a dead horse and ask the same questions over and over again but I have a budget of about $500 to spend. I currently have a Rem. 700 SPS in 30-06 that I purchased as a hunting rifle with a Leupold VX-1 3x9x40 scope. Since then I have been getting really interested in the long range shooting. I currently like the Nikon Monarch 6 x 24 but with only 20 MOA internal adjustment, that doesn't seem like alot. The longest I am realistically going to be shooting is under 1,000 yards. Thanks in advance for any input.
Rifle Scopes Help buying a scope
- Thread starter Racerngr1
- Start date
Re: Help buying a scope
The Monarch 6x24 has 34 MOA of internal adjustment, but it has 1/8" clicks, the Monarch 4x16 has 40 MOA of adjustment and has 1/4" clicks. They are both nice scopes. If you think you'll need more adjustment you could add a base that will give you more.
The Monarch 6x24 has 34 MOA of internal adjustment, but it has 1/8" clicks, the Monarch 4x16 has 40 MOA of adjustment and has 1/4" clicks. They are both nice scopes. If you think you'll need more adjustment you could add a base that will give you more.
Re: Help buying a scope
on samplelist they have a preowned Monarch X 2.5-10x44 for $650
i think it's worth the extra money to get a 30mm tube and 80 MOA of adjustment
i'd also check out the SWFA 10x40 for $400. spend the money you have left over on a good base and some rings or more ammo.
on samplelist they have a preowned Monarch X 2.5-10x44 for $650
i think it's worth the extra money to get a 30mm tube and 80 MOA of adjustment
i'd also check out the SWFA 10x40 for $400. spend the money you have left over on a good base and some rings or more ammo.
Re: Help buying a scope
Thanks for all of the input. Calculating my drop it looks like the Nikon would meet all of my needs and then some based off of this calculator I found unless I'm wrong?
http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi
Incase my numbers don't work I entered a .314 BC, 2800 muzzle velocity @ 6ft, 150 gr., .308 caliber and all the other default settings.
Thanks for all of the input. Calculating my drop it looks like the Nikon would meet all of my needs and then some based off of this calculator I found unless I'm wrong?
http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi
Incase my numbers don't work I entered a .314 BC, 2800 muzzle velocity @ 6ft, 150 gr., .308 caliber and all the other default settings.
Re: Help buying a scope
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob Opp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Monarch 6x24 has 34 MOA of internal adjustment, but it has 1/8" clicks, the Monarch 4x16 has 40 MOA of adjustment and has 1/4" clicks. They are both nice scopes. <span style="color: #FF0000">If you think you'll need more adjustment you could add a base that will give you more.</span>
</div></div>
Rob,
Adding a canted base does NOT give you more adjustment. If a scope has only 40 MOA of adjustment, adding a 20 MOA base does not give you 60 MOA. It just borrows 20 MOA from the down adjustment, the scope still has only 40 MOA of total adjustment up and down.
Realistically you need a scope with at least 50 MOA to start with in order to use the common 20 MOA base.
Bob
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob Opp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Monarch 6x24 has 34 MOA of internal adjustment, but it has 1/8" clicks, the Monarch 4x16 has 40 MOA of adjustment and has 1/4" clicks. They are both nice scopes. <span style="color: #FF0000">If you think you'll need more adjustment you could add a base that will give you more.</span>
</div></div>
Rob,
Adding a canted base does NOT give you more adjustment. If a scope has only 40 MOA of adjustment, adding a 20 MOA base does not give you 60 MOA. It just borrows 20 MOA from the down adjustment, the scope still has only 40 MOA of total adjustment up and down.
Realistically you need a scope with at least 50 MOA to start with in order to use the common 20 MOA base.
Bob
Re: Help buying a scope
Thanks for everybodys advise. Do my numbers make sense or am I getting totally confused?
Thanks for everybodys advise. Do my numbers make sense or am I getting totally confused?
Re: Help buying a scope
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Racerngr1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sorry to beat a dead horse and ask the same questions over and over again but I have a budget of about $500 to spend. I currently have a Rem. 700 SPS in 30-06 that I purchased as a hunting rifle with a Leupold VX-1 3x9x40 scope. Since then I have been getting really interested in the long range shooting. I currently like the Nikon Monarch 6 x 24 but with only 20 MOA internal adjustment, that doesn't seem like alot. The longest I am realistically going to be shooting is under 1,000 yards. Thanks in advance for any input. </div></div>
IMO You're better off being safe than sorry as far as total elevation travel and picking a scope with other convenient features like matching turrets and reticle,side focus,durability,etc.A mil/mil FFP scope is hard to beat for overall versatility.
One of the other things to consider in the price range you're looking at is the glass clarity/resolution and brightness at higher mag settings degrades at a certain point.Some of the cheaper scopes I've looked through at 24x were downright disappointing.
One can get by quite well shooting long range at medium mag like 10x-15X for instance.Also for hunting 6x on the low end is to much mag for a close quick shot should you find yourself in that situation.I found that out the hard way once.
The best scope I've seen for the price used is a Bushnell 3-12x44 tactical.You can get them for around $500.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Racerngr1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sorry to beat a dead horse and ask the same questions over and over again but I have a budget of about $500 to spend. I currently have a Rem. 700 SPS in 30-06 that I purchased as a hunting rifle with a Leupold VX-1 3x9x40 scope. Since then I have been getting really interested in the long range shooting. I currently like the Nikon Monarch 6 x 24 but with only 20 MOA internal adjustment, that doesn't seem like alot. The longest I am realistically going to be shooting is under 1,000 yards. Thanks in advance for any input. </div></div>
IMO You're better off being safe than sorry as far as total elevation travel and picking a scope with other convenient features like matching turrets and reticle,side focus,durability,etc.A mil/mil FFP scope is hard to beat for overall versatility.
One of the other things to consider in the price range you're looking at is the glass clarity/resolution and brightness at higher mag settings degrades at a certain point.Some of the cheaper scopes I've looked through at 24x were downright disappointing.
One can get by quite well shooting long range at medium mag like 10x-15X for instance.Also for hunting 6x on the low end is to much mag for a close quick shot should you find yourself in that situation.I found that out the hard way once.
The best scope I've seen for the price used is a Bushnell 3-12x44 tactical.You can get them for around $500.
Re: Help buying a scope
The best scope you are going to get new for the price that you are looking to spend is the Super Sniper. It will do everything that you need it to to get you to 1000yds. The Nikon models that you mentioned are just to limiting with regards to the internal adjustment. Shooting matches with my 308 and 175 SMK, it takes 34 MOA to get to 1000 yds. Depending on where you scope center, even with a canted base, that may not be enough adjustment.
The best scope you are going to get new for the price that you are looking to spend is the Super Sniper. It will do everything that you need it to to get you to 1000yds. The Nikon models that you mentioned are just to limiting with regards to the internal adjustment. Shooting matches with my 308 and 175 SMK, it takes 34 MOA to get to 1000 yds. Depending on where you scope center, even with a canted base, that may not be enough adjustment.
Re: Help buying a scope
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BobinNC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob Opp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Monarch 6x24 has 34 MOA of internal adjustment, but it has 1/8" clicks, the Monarch 4x16 has 40 MOA of adjustment and has 1/4" clicks. They are both nice scopes. <span style="color: #FF0000">If you think you'll need more adjustment you could add a base that will give you more.</span>
</div></div>
Rob,
Adding a canted base does NOT give you more adjustment. If a scope has only 40 MOA of adjustment, adding a 20 MOA base does not give you 60 MOA. It just borrows 20 MOA from the down adjustment, the scope still has only 40 MOA of total adjustment up and down.
Realistically you need a scope with at least 50 MOA to start with in order to use the common 20 MOA base.
Bob </div></div>
Very true, what I should have said was that using a canted base may make more of the scopes internal adjustment usable.
For example, I have a Monarch 4x16x42 mounted on a 20MOA rail. At 100 yards the elevation turret is bottomed out and I'm fortunate that the reticle is centered, effectively allowing the full 40 MOA's of "up" adjustment that the scope has. Depending on the windage that is needed of course.
A scope with more internal adjustment would be better, but, this is what I can afford right now so I work with it.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BobinNC</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob Opp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Monarch 6x24 has 34 MOA of internal adjustment, but it has 1/8" clicks, the Monarch 4x16 has 40 MOA of adjustment and has 1/4" clicks. They are both nice scopes. <span style="color: #FF0000">If you think you'll need more adjustment you could add a base that will give you more.</span>
</div></div>
Rob,
Adding a canted base does NOT give you more adjustment. If a scope has only 40 MOA of adjustment, adding a 20 MOA base does not give you 60 MOA. It just borrows 20 MOA from the down adjustment, the scope still has only 40 MOA of total adjustment up and down.
Realistically you need a scope with at least 50 MOA to start with in order to use the common 20 MOA base.
Bob </div></div>
Very true, what I should have said was that using a canted base may make more of the scopes internal adjustment usable.
For example, I have a Monarch 4x16x42 mounted on a 20MOA rail. At 100 yards the elevation turret is bottomed out and I'm fortunate that the reticle is centered, effectively allowing the full 40 MOA's of "up" adjustment that the scope has. Depending on the windage that is needed of course.
A scope with more internal adjustment would be better, but, this is what I can afford right now so I work with it.
Re: Help buying a scope
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Racerngr1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all of the input. Calculating my drop it looks like the Nikon would meet all of my needs and then some based off of this calculator I found unless I'm wrong?
http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi
Incase my numbers don't work I entered a .314 BC, 2800 muzzle velocity @ 6ft, 150 gr., .308 caliber and all the other default settings. </div></div>
If you are going to keep it to 800 yards or less with that load, then yeah it looks like it would work. If you think you may want to go longer, I'd consider a scope with more adjustment, or different loads. The 150's aren't the greatest long range round.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Racerngr1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all of the input. Calculating my drop it looks like the Nikon would meet all of my needs and then some based off of this calculator I found unless I'm wrong?
http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi
Incase my numbers don't work I entered a .314 BC, 2800 muzzle velocity @ 6ft, 150 gr., .308 caliber and all the other default settings. </div></div>
If you are going to keep it to 800 yards or less with that load, then yeah it looks like it would work. If you think you may want to go longer, I'd consider a scope with more adjustment, or different loads. The 150's aren't the greatest long range round.
