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Ideas/Opinions on glass for new SCAR 20s

Octaviancb

Sometimes, you just have to say...WTF...and do it
Minuteman
Feb 16, 2021
32
5
Pennsylvania
Just bought a new 20s. Looking for some opinions on optics. I’ve done a ton of research so there are a few boxes I’d like to tick (see below). That said, I’m no expert and I can’t think of a more informed to community to ask for guidance than the members of SH. Thanks for all your input & help!
Preferences:
- FFP w/Illum reticle (coin toss on MOA/MIL as the only shooting I’ve done is with a red dot, so I have to learn one of them. I’m not afraid of the more technical reticles, I enjoy a steep learning curve, but not a giant vertical wall lol.)
- Somewhat forgiving eye box
- Min mag 2/3x with a max 15-20x
- Solid warranty. I know the 17s eat optics but I’ve read conflicting stories on the 20s, so I’d rather be safe than sorry.
- Price. Please don’t bankrupt me. I know you guys are famous for that lol $2500 or less (preferably).
 
Nightforce ATACR 4-16 x (your choice). I have a x42 on a M1A and it takes pounding from that weapon. No problems so far and an excellent scope. Used or Mil discount should get you under $2500. Rugged.
 
Good recommendations above. If you don't have to spend close to the $2.5k range than you can also ook at leupold mk5 3-18 and brownells mpo 3-18
 
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Thank you for all the input, however, a wrench just got thrown into the works...gonna have to drop the budget to around $1500 or so :mad:
So I was thinking maybe used Vortex Razor HD 3-18x, Steiner T5xi 3-18x, Burris XTR III 3-18x, potentially a Nightforce NX8 2.5-20? I have found is a lot of dispersion of prices on the secondary market with above, but probably not enough for the 4-16x ATACR and def not enough for the German counterparts beyond the T5xi series.

But I'm all ears!
 
If you have access to MIL/LE pricing, the Mk5 from Leupold is really hard to pass up. If not, the ATACR 4-16 is a nice option
 
If you have access to MIL/LE pricing, the Mk5 from Leupold is really hard to pass up. If not, the ATACR 4-16 is a nice option
No it ain't. I have both (options that is) and Leupold's discount pricing only brings it down to what MSRP SHOULD be. I considered the Mk5 and came close to getting one.

Because you NEED 45% off when MRSP is set at what, $6k? I'm not kidding here. Can't talk about NF discounts, they make us promise. But they're not upside down like Leupold. And they don't play fucking games like Trijicon with their third party bullshit. Eurooptic has a vet discount too, better than nothing but it's not that great. No German mfg.'s got back to me so they didn't get any business.

4-16 ATACR is the way to go though, it's just a hard one to beat. I went Tremor3 but I think MilXT is probably the way to go. Hopefully it'll translate to less fucking with knobs in the long run.

So ATACR in the front, the SR25 sports a USO 3.2-17x. I'm vacillating on selling the LR17 though, sure it's longer and a bit hefty but when I compared the two side by side I found the older USO to be on par with the newer NF. They both look very good and the USO never let me down. They only pull about $1500 used, that's probably with the mount, ARD and caps, $1200 without.

I'd sell it if it weren't for the fact it'd take twice that to replace it and I'm just not down for that at the moment. But if you have a mini Aimpoint or RMR to trade I might consider a partial if you're interested. At any rate, they pop up on the PX here all the time for $1200-$1500 depending on what they come with. I was just looking at that the other day in fact, historically that's what they go for now. Another good option, probably the best overall option for the price, if you ask me --damn Mk4's are going for that now and a USO is ten times a Mk4 even on a bad day.

IMG_1448.JPG
 
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No it ain't. I have both (options that is) and Leupold's discount pricing only brings it down to what MSRP SHOULD be. I considered the Mk5 and came close to getting one.

Because you NEED 45% off when MRSP is set at what, $6k? I'm not kidding here. Can't talk about NF discounts, they make us promise. But they're not upside down like Leupold. And they don't play fucking games like Trijicon with their third party bullshit. Eurooptic has a vet discount too, better than nothing but it's not that great. No German mfg.'s got back to me so they didn't get any business.

4-16 ATACR is the way to go though, it's just a hard one to beat. I went Tremor3 but I think MilXT is probably the way to go. Hopefully it'll translate to less fucking with knobs in the long run.

So ATACR in the front, the SR25 sports a USO 3.2-17x. I'm vacillating on selling the LR17 though, sure it's longer and a bit hefty but when I compared the two side by side I found the older USO to be on par with the newer NF. They both look very good and the USO never let me down. They only pull about $1500 used, that's probably with the mount, ARD and caps, $1200 without.

I'd sell it if it weren't for the fact it'd take twice that to replace it and I'm just not down for that at the moment. But if you have a mini Aimpoint or RMR to trade I might consider a partial if you're interested. At any rate, they pop up on the PX here all the time for $1200-$1500 depending on what they come with. I was just looking at that the other day in fact, historically that's what they go for now. Another good option, probably the best overall option for the price, if you ask me --damn Mk4's are going for that now and a USO is ten times a Mk4 even on a bad day.

View attachment 7563574
I think you may be overstating the minute differences between gear just a bit. Could of, should of, would of, If one has never found a need for an illuminated recticle, one could get into a mk5 for around a grand cheaper than an ATACR. There is not a grand worth of difference between a tangnet theata and a Bushnell XRS, let along a Mk5 and ATACR. Oh wow... according to my handy dandy optics calibration chart the apha tier optic preforms .023 percent better at dusk than some mid tier trashcan optic.

This is simply the male version of Louis Vuitton vs Coach. Both are nice, both will work, one may be have a nicer quality hear and there and 99 percent of people could care less about either.

For your average shooter, they would come out an order of magnatude further ahead with fixed 10x super sniper and a grand worth of training and trigger time than the latest piece of gucci gear. Although you may not be able to flex on the poors, you may be able to outshoot them if you put in the work. A Gucci optic is not going to magically make or brake 99 percent of shots.
 
@Strykervet
Thanks for the USO idea. That one never even hit my radar - def going to do some research on it. As for the pic you posted, I love and hate it. Love it bc both rifles are beautiful in their setups but hate it because...damn...that 20s pulls at my heart strings and that NF just looks like it was made to be there. (Going from the conceptual to the actual just makes me want it more). Ugh. lol
Curious, what mount are you running with the NF on the 20s?
 
Just want to say thank you to everyone for giving me input on optic ideas (and mounts too) - its been super helpful so far!
 
1614013243047.png


JK.

ATACR 4-16, Razor AMG, S&B 5-50, March 3-24x52 , Kahles 3-18, ZCO 4-20, TT 3-15P. All can be had in a good tree reticle. Minox ZP5 would be a great candidate if it came in MR4.

Razor 3-18 and 4-27 are hard to beat if you can live with a little extra weight. IMO the best bang for your buck would be a LRTS/LRHS at around $800 or a little more when the new ED primes come out. Around $2K the AMG is kind of the one to beat for lightweight crossovers while still having a good eyebox and exceptional glass.

The New ATACR 4-20 looks interesting until you realize its only 2 oz lighter and a inch and a half shorter than the ATACR 5-25 (which I have mounted on my MWS now, jury is still out).
 
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A lot depends on what you intend to do with your weapon. Paper, steel, animals-and what distances. Anything 300 and less I would go with a 4X ACOG. Built like a tank, and very reliable.

Anything further and me personally, Leupold Mark5. Look at the commercial sales area-good prices. Go with MOA. It is all yards. MIL is metric.

Both work, and I would learn both systems.
 
Not sure why someone would drop 4k+ on a mk20 to put an acog on it.

Also telling someone new to go with MOA when the entire industry has gravitated to mils for good reason....questionable advice.
 
and that grasshopper is why we have different opinions. And as I said he did not say what his goal is. I have done a lot of shooting and most of it has been tactical not precision long range. I have had the opportunity to use an ACOG as well as the Leupold Mark5 and Mark6 CQBSS. and others and from 300 and in In a tactical situation I would be and am very pleased with all of them.
To each his own.
 
View attachment 7563720

JK.

ATACR 4-16, Razor AMG, S&B 5-50, March 3-24x52 , Kahles 3-18, ZCO 4-20, TT 3-15P. All can be had in a good tree reticle. Minox ZP5 would be a great candidate if it came in MR4.

Razor 3-18 and 4-27 are hard to beat if you can live with a little extra weight. IMO the best bang for your buck would be a LRTS/LRHS at around $800 or a little more when the new ED primes come out. Around $2K the AMG is kind of the one to beat for lightweight crossovers while still having a good eyebox and exceptional glass.

The New ATACR 4-20 looks interesting until you realize its only 2 oz lighter and a inch and a half shorter than the ATACR 5-25 (which I have mounted on my MWS now, jury is still out).
I've read up on the Vortex Razors and to your point they are great value if weight is not an issue which it really is not, but ounces = pounds. As for some of your other ideas, I like them all, but they're def outside the budget lol.

I will look into the LRTS/LRHS options and I've had my eye out for secondary market opportunities too (missed a new Steiner Mx5i 5-25x for under $1400 on eBay but have a friend that might be willing to let go of his Steiner Tx5i 3-18x for around $1100 and its a safe queen - if you have any thoughts on that, Im all ears.) Also, I have seen a few NF NX8 2.5-20x go for around 1600-1700 used which is doable, although I've read their eye boxes can be very finicky from mid to max mag but relative to what i am not sure, as it was a review i read and do not have any experience with it.

Thanks again for your input!
 
I've read up on the Vortex Razors and to your point they are great value if weight is not an issue which it really is not, but ounces = pounds. As for some of your other ideas, I like them all, but they're def outside the budget lol.

I will look into the LRTS/LRHS options and I've had my eye out for secondary market opportunities too (missed a new Steiner Mx5i 5-25x for under $1400 on eBay but have a friend that might be willing to let go of his Steiner Tx5i 3-18x for around $1100 and its a safe queen - if you have any thoughts on that, Im all ears.) Also, I have seen a few NF NX8 2.5-20x go for around 1600-1700 used which is doable, although I've read their eye boxes can be very finicky from mid to max mag but relative to what i am not sure, as it was a review i read and do not have any experience with it.

Thanks again for your input!
Steer clear of the T5X, they are complete turds. Had 2 and sold them quick.

The NX8 really has shitty glass and poor DOF. I would look elsewhere.

You may want to wait for the new LRTS 2 to come out. GA Precision is going to sell them and they will go fast. There is also another scope coming out that is supposed to be a game changer under $2K but I dont have any more info.
 
and that grasshopper is why we have different opinions. And as I said he did not say what his goal is. I have done a lot of shooting and most of it has been tactical not precision long range. I have had the opportunity to use an ACOG as well as the Leupold Mark5 and Mark6 CQBSS. and others and from 300 and in In a tactical situation I would be and am very pleased with all of them.
To each his
Good point on usage for optic - I never specified. Primarily target shooting up to about 600-yards as I don't know of many ranges that are close in driving distance that offer > 600-yards, but ideally, I'd love to be hitting steel at 800+ yards at some point in the future as I learn and assuming my skills allow for it. That and a range that offers it too lol.

In all honesty, an optic that offers solid versatility with a tilt towards medium to longer range applications if that makes sense. I might be thinking of a unicorn for all i know, hence reaching out to you guys for some perspective lol
 
I run Leupold 3.5-18x T3 reticle. Wind dots at 4mph, engaging targets with holdovers is very fast and efficient.

I shoot at Thunder Valley and run the range from 200-700 ringing steal holding elevation and wind dots. Finish the drill dialing1k elevation and bust some clays.

Scar20 is very accurate with handloads and leaves me impressed every time I bring it out.
 
Just want to say thanks for all the input. Found a solid optic and now, I gotta get me a right proper mount. Any Ideas & Suggestions???

Scope is 5-25x5mm, 34mm tube with 26 mil elevation, total obj bell 62mm.

Leaning towards QD mount,
I've read not to use cantilevered mounts on SCARs (this whittles down potential list quite a bit)
Been looking at Bobro, ARC Spuhr and Era-Tac
Not really sure I need incline with mount, if one comes up with it, so be it.
As for height, I guessing the bare min would be around 1.3ish"(scope caps) but probably north of that is better
 
I do not think you can beat Spuhr--not cheap but built like a tank. In case you want to use NV I would go with 1.5".
 
I think you may be overstating the minute differences between gear just a bit. Could of, should of, would of, If one has never found a need for an illuminated recticle, one could get into a mk5 for around a grand cheaper than an ATACR. There is not a grand worth of difference between a tangnet theata and a Bushnell XRS, let along a Mk5 and ATACR. Oh wow... according to my handy dandy optics calibration chart the apha tier optic preforms .023 percent better at dusk than some mid tier trashcan optic.

This is simply the male version of Louis Vuitton vs Coach. Both are nice, both will work, one may be have a nicer quality hear and there and 99 percent of people could care less about either.

For your average shooter, they would come out an order of magnatude further ahead with fixed 10x super sniper and a grand worth of training and trigger time than the latest piece of gucci gear. Although you may not be able to flex on the poors, you may be able to outshoot them if you put in the work. A Gucci optic is not going to magically make or brake 99 percent of shots.

No, I think you misunderstand where I'm coming from. I can't talk about it in detail here but I'll just say the ATACR is the best deal between 'em and I'm sticking to it. If you aren't getting any discounts then I'm sure that changes things.

Speaking of that range time you mention, that's also where I've seen optics take a shit, some do it more than others. The cheap ones do it most often and with the most gusto.

Maybe I didn't hit on it enough, but I did say that USO in basically on par with the ATACR in terms of usability, I suppose I could have elaborated.
Finally, most guys on the 'Hide aren't looking for the absolute rock bottom budget buy. There are other sites for that. I assume anyone that spends $4k on a rifle is looking to spend at LEAST $2k on glass, with rare exceptions, not considering used deals.

@Strykervet
Thanks for the USO idea. That one never even hit my radar - def going to do some research on it. As for the pic you posted, I love and hate it. Love it bc both rifles are beautiful in their setups but hate it because...damn...that 20s pulls at my heart strings and that NF just looks like it was made to be there. (Going from the conceptual to the actual just makes me want it more). Ugh. lol
Curious, what mount are you running with the NF on the 20s?

Sorry, I come and go... So yeah, it's an ADM mount on the Mk20, the Delta? --it's the only one that doesn't rake your knuckles, like at all. That's if you don't need/want any MOA. It's a 1.5" or whatever accommodates NV (they're usually somewhere in that neighborhood). It does have an offset mount for a dot too but it's not on it in that picture (they didn't include screws, had to wait on those). It's not a bad mount but I don't feel it's worth what they cost either. What it is though, is a specific mount made for these rifles and you can use 'em with bolts on either side. I wouldn't choose one for that SR25 but it seems to be the goto for the SCAR. I was able to cancel the order for those offset charging handles, don't need 'em with this mount so maybe factor that into cost?

QD mounts aren't all they're cracked up to be. It was something we thought we needed twenty years ago. What we really needed were offset irons or an offset dot if anything. Nobody ever took their scope off. Ever.

With SCAR platform, the charging handle is a big fucking deal. Cantilever only puts more shit in the way (unless it's for maybe a dot and can be positioned such that all the shit is behind the handle) QD levers only stick out more.

I prefer the Badger Condition One but that's another expensive mount. Both are very light. The Condition One is better for hanging shit on if you need to do that though, I got it for an MRAD and it's fine on there. But for the Mk20 or any SCAR, it seems the best is that ADM, that I know of anyway. FWIW, that's the only ADM mount I'll probably ever have, it fills a specific role. The SR25 actually has an older Badger one piece mount. Super solid, Badger is my personal goto.

Yeah, USO got me going good and strong for a few years indeed... Kept me from having to use shit, do without and/or spend a fortune I didn't have.

I'm not rich --firearms are just my thing, that's where my money goes and I have to be savvy and search out deals. I can't afford to pay MSRP on any of this shit to be honest. Won't pay it. So if you see me with it, you can make a solid bet I've got less than 70% MSRP in the whole kit, probably less.

Just want to say thanks for all the input. Found a solid optic and now, I gotta get me a right proper mount. Any Ideas & Suggestions???

Scope is 5-25x5mm, 34mm tube with 26 mil elevation, total obj bell 62mm.

Leaning towards QD mount,
I've read not to use cantilevered mounts on SCARs (this whittles down potential list quite a bit)
Been looking at Bobro, ARC Spuhr and Era-Tac
Not really sure I need incline with mount, if one comes up with it, so be it.
As for height, I guessing the bare min would be around 1.3ish"(scope caps) but probably north of that is better

The absolute minimum is gonna be 1.3" with 0MOA because if the OD of the obj is 62mm then the center to bottom is 31mm or 1.22". I'd go 1.5 but I always do --NV shit. It's also the appropriate height for me in most cases.

Adj. MOA --cool and all, but I don't think they're worth $600 or whatever. That's also gonna affect the height at max elevation. Then you've got what, a 7.62? Or even a 6.5CM? Do you think you'll expend the available elevation in whatever optic you choose at that range? If so, how often do you think you'll be shooting that round past the point it goes transonic? For me that limits the round to ~1k, give or take depending on a few things. At any rate I won't be maxing the elevation and especially won't run out of reticle.

I DID want one of those Era Tac mounts for my .50BMG HTI though... Until I realized maybe one shot in a thousand would/could take advantage of that. Bobro and Spuhr are nice but so is Badger and they typically cost less. NF makes a solid mount too that shouldn't be overlooked for the price.

Again, I'd ditch the QD option. Just not necessary and bolt on is better in almost every way. There is always a better solution than a QD mount, promise. I wish I'd spent less time screwing with them.

I don't know if you can tell, but the obj on that USO in the picture above on the SR25 is 44mm, probably 50-something on the od. That's a 1.5" 0MOA Badger mount. FWIW, Badger also has "longer" mount options, ie, they'll accept longer erectors (only ever a problem with USO IME but there could be others?).

Cantilever or not? Again, all about the knuckles. Horta put his shit in a cantilever and turned it around backwards. Mfg. will most likely tell you this isn't a problem unless it's got additional MOA.
 
A lot depends on what you intend to do with your weapon. Paper, steel, animals-and what distances. Anything 300 and less I would go with a 4X ACOG. Built like a tank, and very reliable.

Anything further and me personally, Leupold Mark5. Look at the commercial sales area-good prices. Go with MOA. It is all yards. MIL is metric.

Both work, and I would learn both systems.
That red part in the quote above is wrong. The whole industry is moving towards mils. Also it has nothing to do with yards or meters. Mil is not metric. It does line up with base ten but isnt metric. MOA and MIL are two different ways of measuring arc. With a laser rangefinder pick what ever you want it to display yards or meters. With your ballistic calculator match what you select for your rangefinder. Input muzzle velocity in calculator and you'll be damn near spot on, and zero at 100m/yds. If you miss, you use the reticle in the scope to make your correction.