SCAR 17 OPTICS To 600yards

338FREAK

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Minuteman
Jun 3, 2013
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Hello all, so I just got a 17s. I know they're hard on optics etc. Here's what I want to do with my rifle: I regularly shoot from 50-600 yards. I want this to stay lightweight, i have other long range rifles. I just want to bang steel out to 600 down to 50 yards maintaining lightweight and carbine capability. I have a 1-6 vortex strikeagle on it now and am not a fan of the reticle. I like the idea of a fixed power with a 45deg red dot as I only use my optics at min or max magnification 99% of the time. Price is up to $1300 anything over that I'm going with the Elcan 1/3/9 I think unless someone has a better option. Im open to suggestions, please dont turn this into a optic eating thread. Thanks.
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I tried fixed power with offset and found myself going back to 1-8x28 Trijicon for main optic (keeping Steiner offset) due to lack of a versatility and a field of view at shorter distances.
New 1-10 Vortex Razor is something I am contemplating next for that particular rig.
 
I have a buddy in the same predicament, wondering what to get. Be interested in what people have ran and had good luck with.
 
Im liking the razor but they arnt out yet and the price is a turnoff. Probably a dumb question. Anyone here use an acog to 600 yards effectively hitting say a 8" plate?
 
Im liking the razor but they arnt out yet and the price is a turnoff. Probably a dumb question. Anyone here use an acog to 600 yards effectively hitting say a 8" plate?
8" please plates with the ACOGs just isn't going to happen with much regularity. They'll do full silhouettes out to about 450yds consistently if you have the Geissele trigger and are shooting top tier ammo.

I'd want a Vortex Razor Gen III 1-10x or NightForce NX8. With the Razor Gen III 1-10, the ATACR 1-8 is pointless now. NX8 still sells itself if you want compact. I love that little NX8.
 
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What sort of reticle do you want?
That will help in making recommendations...

I’ll recommend the Leupold Mark 6 1-6 in whatever reticle most closely matches your preferences.
 
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If I ran a gun like you (non-DMR)...I'd go Vortex 1-10...Mark 6 3-18 with piggy back rmr...heck I run a Schmidt Bender 3-20 US PMII on a 16" gas gun DMR...

Elcan 1/3/9 is not that great btw...narrow fov...at 9x the reticle is blurry yuck....
 
i really enjoyed running the acog rmr on my scar 17. I've run many different types of optics, and I found that to be one of the best choices for what the rifle is.
500 yard shots on silhoettes with ball ammo no problem, until the rifle starts to heat up. Currently I am running an eaotech and magnifier on my 17, don't have enough rounds through it to say much about it, but i am sure it'll work out well.

You could consider the 6 power acog, which is what the bristish military was using on their lmt mws. Those are expensive and hard to find, but they appear.

I'd stay about from the nx8, sure its compact but at high power, hard to get a good sight picture, and the glass isn't great.

For hitting 8 inch plates at 600 yards a 3-15, 3-20, 4-16is probably where you want to go. Khales 3-18, sb 3-20, minox 3-15 would all be good choices. Personally, being a little bias here, i would put a nightforce atcar 4-16 on it. That's what my lmt is running now, and it's not too bulky and heavy, and just a great overall scope. I ran the vortex 3-18 on the scar, and it was just too big and heavy.

lastly, with regards to elcans, they are a bit dated. Much better options now. However, due to this, you can find really good deals on them. i recently saw a used elcan 1-4 sell for $1k
 
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Hello all, so I just got a 17s. I know they're hard on optics etc. Here's what I want to do with my rifle: I regularly shoot from 50-600 yards. I want this to stay lightweight, i have other long range rifles. I just want to bang steel out to 600 down to 50 yards maintaining lightweight and carbine capability. I have a 1-6 vortex strikeagle on it now and am not a fan of the reticle. I like the idea of a fixed power with a 45deg red dot as I only use my optics at min or max magnification 99% of the time. Price is up to $1300 anything over that I'm going with the Elcan 1/3/9 I think unless someone has a better option. Im open to suggestions, please dont turn this into a optic eating thread. Thanks.
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I've run a Leupold CQBSS on mine and it works out to a little beyond 600 - although I always prefer more magnification if I can get it. 10x or more would be better but at the cost of weight and possibly feeling unbalanced depending upon the optic.

The razor HD-IIE 1-6 could do it, but I still prefer 8-10x mag if I can get it.

As an FYI... The SCAR 17 really loves 168gr pills and less due to the 1:12" twist FNH selected. 175-178's do ok but not as repeatable accuracy like 168's IME, I had the same experience trying to workup handloads 168's were consistently more accurate/preferred by the rifle.

I hear you on the reticle on the Strike Eagle. I run one on my .300BLK and it works but I don't like the reticle either.