Ideal scope for +1500 yds

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Is too much magnification a bad thing for engaging targets past 1500 yds? What do you guys think of the very high magnification scopes like this S&B 12-50x56?

SB50.jpg




 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would first look for at least 100 moa erector travel, then a reticle that can be used for additional holdoff, then power. A top end of 14-20X or so is really plenty in my opinion.</div></div>

+1 I agree with MM. With out the elevation available it gets very tough to do what you are asking. Can get to being like holding over with a 45acp at 600 yards
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

Not necessary to use more than 20X for extreme range shooting all you do is get blurry images from mirage at high magnification ranges plus you have to give up elevation adjustment, like others have said look at elevation adjustment first. If you can't adjust the scope to 1500 yards it doesn't matter if you can see the target. I have shot to 1600 yards at 5x.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

I've shot to a mile at 8X with a Leupold Mk4 3.5-10x40. Dialed power down to pick up the 20 mil index on a GenII FFP reticle, for reticle holdoff. 20 mils + 22 moa dialed. No problem.

My other rifle has a 16X MK4 on a 45 moa base. That setup yields 118 moa "up" via erector, from a 100 yard zero.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

I have shot 1550 at 10x, and 2000 yards at about 12-15x. It depends on the size of the target. One of the problems of high mag, is the mirage especially in the desert.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

Ge the most magnification on a "high quality scope" that you can afford and turn it up and down as you need it and leave those that want to play on 20 power to theirs while you set your sights on the target at 50 -you see your misses more easy also with the higher mag scopes .I have a s&b 5 x25 and also a sightron 10x 50 which I really like.At 1 kilometer 2 weeks ago I had 5 solid hits on steel 12" x 12" -The first shot I clearly saw on 50 power-wound it down and in and got a 2nd shot hit with 4 to follow that one .If you got you can use it if you don't you never can !
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would first look for at least 100 moa erector travel, then a reticle that can be used for additional holdoff, then power. A top end of 14-20X or so is really plenty in my opinion. </div></div>

I agree with MM. We were shooting at rocks together a couple months ago and my Vortex Razor had plenty of magnification at 20x to spot hits and misses and identify targets out to 2300 yds.


It has enough elevation (36 mil/125 moa) to dial to 2000 yds on my rifle with a 30 moa base. The reticle is awesome for holdovers and wind corrections. I had to send my first one back for warranty repair and they agreed to swap it out for a new one with the EBR 2 reticle. I like it better than the EBR 3, because it has the open center. In addition, it has a "christmas tree" for holdover/correction made up of very tiny dots. I can dial down/left 1 mil and use a dot for aiming and see extremely small objects, very far away. This may be the ideal ELR scope.

John
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

If you have a rifle specifically for distance shooting weight wont be a major concern so the big scopes are a great choice -I cannot understand the aversion of some to recomending higest power variable scopes but rather limit their potential options by usinfg a 20 power for example just because it work , as does a 10 power or 16 power -Please explain ??
Now in saying that unless your shooting form ie; aim and trigger control are spot on and of course your reading the wind you may as well have a red dot scope as I found out on saturday at 700 -first round hit plus a few others but more misses than hits even on 50 power.I hit more swapping rifles on 25 with my s&b -consistancy makes shots more than scope power -but if you can have it all , take it !
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ch'e</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I cannot understand the aversion of some to recomending higest power variable scopes but rather limit their potential options by usinfg a 20 power for example just because it work , as does a 10 power or 16 power -Please explain ??
</div></div>

A). the 20x scope also has a 5x bottom, which makes it more flexible for a broad spectrum of activities. I also use my rifle for hunting. 12x on the bottom would severely limit what can be done with the rifle

B). 50x on top would only be useful for target identification, since FOV is so small that recoil would cause you to lose your target. Most of your shooting would have to be dialed back anyway, unless you're shooting BR or something like similar, so I would think that this is a very limited purpose scope.

I actually do wish the Razor was 5-25... but it's not and I'm not going to spend the extra for a S-B or Premier. 20x is just fine for what I do.

John
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jrob300</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ch'e</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I cannot understand the aversion of some to recomending higest power variable scopes but rather limit their potential options by usinfg a 20 power for example just because it work , as does a 10 power or 16 power -Please explain ??
</div></div>

A). the 20x scope also has a 5x bottom, which makes it more flexible for a broad spectrum of activities. I also use my rifle for hunting. 12x on the bottom would severely limit what can be done with the rifle

B). 50x on top would only be useful for target identification, since FOV is so small that recoil would cause you to lose your target. Most of your shooting would have to be dialed back anyway, unless you're shooting BR or something like similar, so I would think that this is a very limited purpose scope.

I actually do wish the Razor was 5-25... but it's not and I'm not going to spend the extra for a S-B or Premier. 20x is just fine for what I do.

John </div></div>

Given you do other activities like hunting of course a 10 x 50 is not viable but we are talking long range shooting here not hunting and as far as feild of veiw at 1500 yards I think that FOV opens up somewhat due to the greater distance .Only when the mirage kicks in does the power need tuning .
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

ch'e, I'm just offering commentary and opinions on the things I use. I haven't recommended anything.

I've never tried a 50X scope, so I refrain from commentary on it.

I'm hesitant to label anything "best", "ideal" etc, because there is no such thing. Every choice is a compromise of sorts. If there were anything truly "ideal", we would probabaly all be using it, and there would be no need for discussion.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">ch'e, I'm just offering commentary and opinions on the things I use. I haven't recommended anything.

I've never tried a 50X scope, so I refrain from commentary on it.

I'm hesitant to label anything "best", "ideal" etc, because there is no such thing. Every choice is a compromise of sorts. If there were anything truly "ideal", we would probabaly all be using it, and there would be no need for discussion. </div></div>

Montana Marine , I understand what you are saying but in truth I think it is easier at distance to have a closer sight picture than one much further away .One can use any power if ones ballistics and form are good plus wind reading skills but a bigger magnification on a variable scope can be tuned to suit shooter ability and weather conditions like mirage where as a 20 power will only ever be a 20 power
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

they only have a total of 15 moa windage from what i was told so only 7.5moa each side so it is not suitable if that is true i would love to try one for long range shooting but the windage sux.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This 16x42 Sightron with a 150 moa internal, Gen II Mildot reticle, 1/4 moa clicks, medium size/weight, would make a lot more sense to me personally, for 1500+ yards.

Put it on a 40-60 moa base, and there's enough travel to easily get past 2000 yards.

http://www.sightron.com/index.php?action=view_document&did=1201816362&cat_id=6&id=152 </div></div>

My Sightron 10 x 50 needs 50 moa of travel to get to 1500 yards -I havent personally shot that far myself yet but would use an moa adjusted base to do it -no problem at all one thinks .
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

I have had great results with S&B 5-25x56 p4 fine out to a mile. I actually could see impacts on early cool mornings on steel. I just bought a 5.5-22 NF MLR for a .375 Cheytac though.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

Premier Reticle 5-25x56 with the Horus Vision H-37 reticle.

H37_Huge-600x600.jpg


The scope internals have 27 mils. At max power, the picture displays how many extra mils that you can use for hold overs. those are some serious mils!
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

Mirage is the 800 pound gorilla in the room; not to mention seeing your own heartbeat in the FOV past about 16X.

Ask other shooters to let you look through thier rig under the conditions you want to shoot. Make up your own mind.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

Higher power scopes doesn't mean better accuracy. I bought a March 10x60 scope. I shot it mostly on 18x. You lose the field of view after the shot. You can hit targets easy on 3x out to 800. This is one of the lessons I gave my son. I made him shoot long distance on 3x to show him it can be done.

My perfect scope power 3x15 in that range. 5x25 power S&B on some of my rifles I shoot. I don't feel any disadvantage between the two.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm hesitant to label anything "best", "ideal" etc, because there is no such thing. Every choice is a compromise of sorts. If there were anything truly "ideal", we would probabaly all be using it, and there would be no need for discussion. </div></div>

I *did* use the word "ideal", didn't I. I should know better than that.

"Very good". Yes. "Meets my needs". Yes. "Ideal". Far too broad.

John
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sniperaviator</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How much MOA of elevation adjustment does that S&B have? </div></div>

My 5-25 has 122.25 MOA of total travel.

Chris
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

just my 2 cents i just got started in the long range shooting my problem is anything over 17 power is like stated the mirage gets really bad. It really amplifies every tiny movment from yourself or pulse. And i have a real issue with eye relief. But im still learning this is a whole new ball game for me.
 
Re: Ideal scope for +1500 yds

The more magnification, the better. You can always turn it down if the conditions get bad. I can see 30 cal holes out to 500 with my NF on 32. That's a good enough side benefit. I'm in IN and sometimes I do have to crank it down but it's great when I can use it all.