New glass for my old Rem 700 .243

[QPM]

Hi all!
It is very difficult to find information that compares scopes by lines which is what I have been trying to do. It would be great if there was an objective way to rank glass quality (some kind of light transmissivity number or something).

I am thinking of replacing the glass on my .243 which currently has a circa 1985 Japan stamped Tasco 5-20 x 44 AO. The glass is clear and it holds zero... maybe I should just keep it. This is a working rifle, so I just zero to MPBR and know that it is good out to 300 with 95 grain SSTs, so a duplex or simple reticle would be perfect.

I really like my XTR II, my PST gen II 1-6. and my Leupold 2-7 (VX-3HD), so I am comfortable with all brands, I am just trying to understand if there is a big difference in glass quality or if they are all about the same across these lines.

I am looking at a Burris Veracity 3-15 (msrp ~900), Vortex HS 4-16 (~600), and a Leupold (3HD line (350-600). The HS is on blowout for 319 (21 left at optics planet here: https://shrsl.com/451xr), I get military pricing on Leupold, and the veracity is getting blown out at 450. My guess is that the Veracity is the best glass but it is on blowout due to the crappy ballistic E2 reticle (discontinued) which I don't really like.

Does anyone have experience with these and/or opinions?

 

[FuhQ]

Hi all!
It is very difficult to find information that compares scopes by lines which is what I have been trying to do. It would be great if there was an objective way to rank glass quality (some kind of light transmissivity number or something).

I am thinking of replacing the glass on my .243 which currently has a circa 1985 Japan stamped Tasco 5-20 x 44 AO. The glass is clear and it holds zero... maybe I should just keep it. This is a working rifle, so I just zero to MPBR and know that it is good out to 300 with 95 grain SSTs, so a duplex or simple reticle would be perfect.

I really like my XTR II, my PST gen II 1-6. and my Leupold 2-7 (VX-3HD), so I am comfortable with all brands, I am just trying to understand if there is a big difference in glass quality or if they are all about the same across these lines.

I am looking at a Burris Veracity 3-15 (msrp ~900), Vortex HS 4-16 (~600), and a Leupold (3HD line (350-600). The HS is on blowout for 319 (21 left at optics planet here: https://shrsl.com/451xr), I get military pricing on Leupold, and the veracity is getting blown out at 450. My guess is that the Veracity is the best glass but it is on blowout due to the crappy ballistic E2 reticle (discontinued) which I don't really like.

Does anyone have experience with these and/or opinions?

EuroOptic is clearing out the XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR scopes for only $599... I have 3 of them so far, and will be buying more to replace/upgrade cheaper scopes on rifles.

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 Illum SCR Mil Scope 201051

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 SCR Mil Scope 201051 | Only at EuroOptic.com!

www.eurooptic.com

Also, I stopped shopping at Optics Planet a long time ago, after they "lost" an order for some Lapua brass they claimed was "in stock" for 2 months, and I cancelled the order, got a refund, and bought from Midway, and had it in 3 days. I haven't shopped with them since, and that was 3.5 years ago. I can find what I need in other (better and more reliable) places online.

 

[QPM]

EuroOptic is clearing out the XTR-II 5-25x50 SCR scopes for only $599... I have 3 of them so far, and will be buying more to replace/upgrade cheaper scopes on rifles.

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 Illum SCR Mil Scope 201051

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 SCR Mil Scope 201051 | Only at EuroOptic.com!

www.eurooptic.com

Also, I stopped shopping at Optics Planet a long time ago, after they "lost" an order for some Lapua brass they claimed was "in stock" for 2 months, and I cancelled the order, got a refund, and bought from Midway, and had it in 3 days. I haven't shopped with them since, and that was 3.5 years ago. I can find what I need in other (better and more reliable) places online.

Good tip on Euro-optic; I just wonder if 5x on the low end is enough FOV for walking through the woods. Like 21 feet vs 35ish... I have the scope on my Creedmoor and love it.

I had the same thing happen with optics planet on a set screw of all things.

 

[FuhQ]

Good tip on Euro-optic; I just wonder if 5x on the low end is enough FOV for walking through the woods. Like 21 feet vs 35ish... I have the scope on my Creedmoor and love it.

I had the same thing happen with optics planet on a set screw of all things.

It has 21' of FOV @ 100 on 5x according to their website. Plenty to me, from my experiences. That's a pretty average FOV for a 5x low-end scope.

XTR II™ Riflescope 5-25x50mm | Burris Optics

www.burrisoptics.com

Also, I've been using Seekins rings for a decade, and love them, but I have recently swapped up to the new American Rifle Company M-BRACE rings, and have been using them on every scope since. They are super fast and easy to level your scope in, and clamp the scope completely around the tube, instead of just the top & bottom of the tube. They're only a few bucks more than the Seekins rings. For this scope, I run the 34mm Low height rings.

American Rifle Company M-BRACE 34mm Picatinny-Style Scope Rings Low

The American Rifle Company M-Brace Scope Rings will hold firmly without marring or indenting the scope, even under the heaviest recoil. The uniquely...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[diggler1833]

I have two XTR IIs as well, and they have held up for me well over the years. So much so that I have no intention to replace them anytime soon. Like you, I also have a PST II 1-6, and consider it the best PST II that Vortex made...I actually like it better than my 1-8 XTR II because the image is a bit brighter to my eye in the woods, and there is less of a fish eye effect at 1x.

That being said; I'm not sure you need a high magnification, tactical style scope for a max range of 300 yards...that you'll set and forget the elevation and windage. Something lighter with capped turrets and even SFP if you're used to a regular duplex will open a lot more doors for potential options. That 3-15 XTR II of mine is so wide across the illumination and windage knobs that it hooks on crap (SxS seat belts etc...) before the rifle does.

Ive also found that 10x at 300 is more than enough for killing everything except except for maybe chipmunk-sized targets. Getting into feral hog sounders (groups) or feral dog packs that are attacking my cattle, the extra FOV on the low end really, really helps kill more than one or two at a time.

 

[Campguy308]

I've been considering a new scope to replace a SWFA 10x on a Ruger American Hunter in 6.5, which I plan to use as a hunting rifle and general purpose rig. I'm thinking hard on the Athlon Midas Tac 4-16x44...Camera Land has them on July 4th sale for $525 right now.

 

[FuhQ]

EuroOptic has the Burris XTR-II 5-25x50 on clearance for only $599. You won’t beat that scope at that price, period.