Rifle Scopes Reconsidering IOR 16x42... need help sauce with these considerins'

[spamassassin]

I've been saving up for months specifically for nice glass. I only shoot long range but up until recently I've been able to get away with pretty plain jane feature sets and magnification. The bulk of my glass right now consists of a series of Bushnell Elite 10x40 mil/mil. I really like that model. 200 bucks and nice and clear 10x with mil-dots and reasonably great tracking. I'm building a rifle right now though that'll be much higher dollar and I'm trying to figure out which glass I want/need.

I've been thinking about bits of the Bushnell ERS and LRS lines, the IOR 16x42 or 10x42, US Optics ST-10, Leupold Mk4, SWFA 10xHD and that sort. I know the scope will cost from 800-1200 bucks or possibly more. I'd like to keep it to 1200 or less but if there's a solution that's perfect at 1300 then that's sorta that. It just means another couple weeks of saving.

So, pour some help on me. Requirements are as follows:

REQUIRED:
Fixed magnification or first focal plane
Ranging Reticle (G2DMR, MSR, Mil-Dot, Mil-Quad, etc...)
Resettable turrets
Turret attachment NOT done through the sides of the turret caps. The way most vortex turrets attach bothers me. The way the Bushnell Elite turrets screw on is better IMO.
peak magnification of at least 10x (prefer a little more but no need for much more than 16-18x or thereabouts)
Top quality glass
Mil/Mil
no twist objective bell (adjustments of the optics should take place on the sides or rear, not the front)
20MRAD vertical adjustment range (more is good too)
10MRAD windage adjustment range (practical minimum)
30mm main tube
Non-BDC
Not junk.

Nice to have:
10MRAD per turn turrets
uncovered turrets
not super long
not super heavy
zero stop
sunshade

I have a feeling I'll end up with the US Optics ST-10 but that's just because USO's are the glittering mythical brass ring. I don't know that what my 1200 bucks gets from USO is necessarily superior to what it gets from any of the other options. My shooting is done from the prone from 100-1700m predominately in pretty stiff winds.

 

[EasyGravy]

I love my st-10. I also have an sn-3 that I love more. USOptics was more than helpful with any questions or help needed.
For a few bucks more you could get a gen 1 razor 5x20, of wait till sept and grab a Steiner 3x15 they are pricing them in you budget.

 

[Dead Nutz]

I like ior's, really nice scopes, but the ST-10 is a really nice SCOPE as well. If you're set on a fixed power setting the ST-10 would be hard to beat.

 

[CSTactical]

The IOR scopes are very nice. The USO ST10 are also very nice I run a few myself.


Mike @ CSTACTICAL

 

[BCP]

I've been saving up for months specifically for nice glass. I only shoot long range but up until recently I've been able to get away with pretty plain jane feature sets and magnification. The bulk of my glass right now consists of a series of Bushnell Elite 10x40 mil/mil. I really like that model. 200 bucks and nice and clear 10x with mil-dots and reasonably great tracking. I'm building a rifle right now though that'll be much higher dollar and I'm trying to figure out which glass I want/need.

I've been thinking about bits of the Bushnell ERS and LRS lines, the IOR 16x42 or 10x42, US Optics ST-10, Leupold Mk4, SWFA 10xHD and that sort. I know the scope will cost from 800-1200 bucks or possibly more. I'd like to keep it to 1200 or less but if there's a solution that's perfect at 1300 then that's sorta that. It just means another couple weeks of saving.

So, pour some help on me. Requirements are as follows:

REQUIRED:
Fixed magnification or first focal plane
Ranging Reticle (G2DMR, MSR, Mil-Dot, Mil-Quad, etc...)
Resettable turrets
Turret attachment NOT done through the sides of the turret caps. The way most vortex turrets attach bothers me. The way the Bushnell Elite turrets screw on is better IMO.
peak magnification of at least 10x (prefer a little more but no need for much more than 16-18x or thereabouts)
Top quality glass
Mil/Mil
no twist objective bell (adjustments of the optics should take place on the sides or rear, not the front)
20MRAD vertical adjustment range (more is good too)
10MRAD windage adjustment range (practical minimum)
30mm main tube
Non-BDC
Not junk.

Nice to have:
10MRAD per turn turrets
uncovered turrets
not super long
not super heavy
zero stop
sunshade

I have a feeling I'll end up with the US Optics ST-10 but that's just because USO's are the glittering mythical brass ring. I don't know that what my 1200 bucks gets from USO is necessarily superior to what it gets from any of the other options. My shooting is done from the prone from 100-1700m predominately in pretty stiff winds.

Find a deal on a bushnell hdmr.

 

[mjh30]

Spamassassin, are you simply shooting long range or are looking for a scope that you can use in say practical/tactical matches. If its simply for long range target shooting, reconsider a sfp scope, it will broaden your choices significantly. BTW, the first scope with decent glass I bought, was a IOR 16x42 still have it, good for long range, too much mag for practical rifles matches, its taken some abuse but still works fine.

 

[spamassassin]

I'm only doing target work with this rifle. I tried a SFP variable in the form of a Bushnell YardagePro. I loved that scope except for it being SFP and that's what made me decide to go FFP on any future variables. I usually prefer a fixed power. Fixed are cheaper and have less to go wrong on them and focal plane is irrelevant so they made a natural fit into my safe.

I'm ok with variables but I do honestly prefer fixed magnification. The IOR had been pretty firm in my head but it is getting second thoughts mostly because it appears to be mil/moa and mil/mil is so much simpler to deal with. All I hear and have seen about IOR glass suggests that the optical quality might just make up for the difference in angular units of measure between reticle and turrets.

Right now I'm really seeking alternatives to the few options I see out there (Bushnell *RS and HDMR, USO ST-10, and SWFA HD 10x). I saw a brand I was unaware of yesterday (huskemaw) but wiped those off the list after a cursory scan through the Hide for reviews. Finding new brands means to me that I don't know what's out there.

Does Vortex use only that janky 3-set-screws-on-the-side system for their turret caps?

And about the Steiner thing. Tell me more.

 

[EasyGravy]

The new steiner tx5i line coming out in sept has its own sticky in forum, just seach it. They have very attractive pricing with the 5x25 being $1899 i believe.

 

[EasyGravy]

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/showthread.php?t=253102

 

[spamassassin]

Grazi gravy! Man that 5-15 is really a temptress.