Rifle Scopes M1a Scope questions....

[franks]

Ok, so i purchased a new in box National Match from early 90's a couple of weeks ago, it has a good mount and i was wanting a scope, i have looked for the last 3-4 weeks and possibly now more undecided than when i started. my budget can be as high as $1500

i plan to definately shoot at 100yards more often than not and would like to be able to reasonably reach up to 1000yards if i get the chance to shoot long range.


my questions are
Do i need First Focal Plane(whats the problem if i do go FFP)?
what is your brand suggestion?
what magnification is most useful(ive had a mark4 leopould 4.5-14x40 and didnt care for the range magnification it needed more IMO)?
should i wait and get one that is $2000 range?

any useful info is greatly appreciated.

 

[ArmyJerry]

Put a 10X on there and think about it a bit.

Sorry , let me expand a bit, put a 10X on there and make sure the mount is very stable, shoot it for a bit, once you are confident the mount is stable then go up in power.

 

[Sonic Crack]

if your shooting know distance theres not much of a "need" for FFP. If your shooting paper for groups a higher mag scope would be nice but for bangin steel a 10x is all you really need. I had a 10x on my M1A and had no problem on steel out to 500. Never shot further than that with it but its not impossible.

Stick with name brand optic and your GTG. More money normally equals better glass and or more features with the big name optics anyways. Check out the Optics section, plenty of reviews of about every brand

 

[bunsen27]

I don't think Springfield has ever made a "good" scope mount for the M1A. Their are several options out there, but I've had good success with Sadlak Industries.

 

[franks]

My mount is a Saklak
Side note....this will never be used in hunting. Only target

 

[Shooter45]

As bunsen27 said, Springfield is not known for making good quality mounts. Spend a few dollars extra and get a Sadlak or Smith mount. Getting a solid mount is paramount to achieving the best accuracy out of your rifle and Sadlak or Smith have a reputation of providing this which is the only mounts I use. Getting a solid mount is one of the larger problems for the M1A combined with achieving the proper cheek weld if you're using the original walnut or synthetic stock that the Springfield M1A came in. This can be addressed by placing a strap on cheek pad or changing the stock entirely depending on budget.

And for first or second focal plane, that depends on your needs. If you are shooting known distance courses a second focal plane scope is fine but if you are shooting various targets at unknown distances and must do estimation, first focal plane will help extensively.

I ran a ST-10 (fixed 10x) on an M1A for a while and wanted more magnification from every distance. I'm not running a SWFA 5-20 and haven't looked back. The extra magnification and FFP reticle have fit my needs exactly.

Smith:
M14/M1A TACTICAL SCOPE MOUNT | Brownells

Sadlak:
M14/M1A TACTICAL SCOPE MOUNT | Brownells

 

[franks]

see post 5, the mount isnt a springfield its good to go.

i definately dont want to buy twice.....i have learned to buy once unless there is profit to be made

 

[Name Enough]

My preference was the ARMS #18. It mounts the scope lower to rifle. The problem with mounting a scope on an M1A is getting a good cheek weld. I used the ARMS 18 mount and a 32mm scope on low rings. I built up the stock with hard foam held by an elastic sleve, the kind that is used to hold a few extra rounds on the stock.
I don't like the strap on cheek pads as they shift in place and have to be remounted and tightened up every so often.
Currently I own a M1A Scout which has a Scout mount and a Leupold handgun 8x32MM scope which allows both eyes open and a decent cheek weld.
Before purchasing a scope mount read the mounting instructions and decide if you have the where-with-all and tools to mount it yourself. I had mine mounted by a gunsmith to make sure it was done correctly. The mount must be absolutely parallel to the barrel and this is accomplished with tools that I don't own. You can read about this on the Sadlak site.
BTW - love Sadlak stuff for the M1A. Had a problem once and when I called them they acutually put the boss on the phone. I was duly impressed. At one time I owned three M1A and all of them were tricked out with various Sadlak parts. They really help.

 

[franks]

My preference was the ARMS #18. It mounts the scope lower to rifle. The problem with mounting a scope on an M1A is getting a good cheek weld. I used the ARMS 18 mount and a 32mm scope on low rings. I built up the stock with hard foam held by an elastic sleve, the kind that is used to hold a few extra rounds on the stock.
I don't like the strap on cheek pads as they shift in place and have to be remounted and tightened up every so often.
Currently I own a M1A Scout which has a Scout mount and a Leupold handgun 8x32MM scope which allows both eyes open and a decent cheek weld.
Before purchasing a scope mount read the mounting instructions and decide if you have the where-with-all and tools to mount it yourself. I had mine mounted by a gunsmith to make sure it was done correctly. The mount must be absolutely parallel to the barrel and this is accomplished with tools that I don't own. You can read about this on the Sadlak site.
BTW - love Sadlak stuff for the M1A. Had a problem once and when I called them they acutually put the boss on the phone. I was duly impressed. At one time I owned three M1A and all of them were tricked out with various Sadlak parts. They really help.

in the pile of stuff i got there was an ARMS #18 mount, the Sadlak was already mounted just never had a scope on it.