Rifle Scopes SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

[Dragun]

Hey guys I am on the verge of putting together my first precision rifle. I am buying a Tikka T3 tactical 308, 20in barrel. I love this riffle. I am familiar with it and I have made hits with my friends Tikka at 1000meters. I am fairly new to the whole rifle scene but my friend brought me out to shoot last year and i got hooked. My dilema is choosing a scope. I have gone through this forum inside and out and still cant make a decision. My friend has a Schmidt & Bender with a max magnification of 20x.
Here are my requirements:
FFP
mil/mil
hunt once in a while. (never hunted before, hoping to start soon)
target shooting to 500yards every weekend or so.
1000yards shooting maybe once a month.

My choices are.
Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50
SSHD 5-20x50
or maybe save an extra month or so and get a
Schmidt & Bender 3-20x50
not too fond of Leupold. Just a personal feeling about them.
I was hoping to stay in the price range of $2500 but the Schmidt & Bender is so inviting. I am liking those 3 scopes. Any thoughts on this. And do you think it would be worth the wait/time and money to get the Schmidt & Bender.
Side note here I am near Denver, CO and learned to shoot rifle in Germany.
Thank you guys in advance for your assistance.

 

[tylerw02]

Re: SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

If you can afford it, why not save and get the S&B?

You'll always wonder what you gave up if you compromise!

 

[jawa]

Re: SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

Think about it this way... How much will I actually shoot? Will I do competitions? How rough will I be on my scope? Do you have other hobbies that will be sucking your wallet dry?

Thats the way I think about it. I would tell you to go with S&B, but I feel it would be a waste of money if you dont shoot regularly. You could buy a cheaper scope and depending on your situation, stock up on reloading gear, or more ammo. Especially if this will be your first gun/time shooting ever.

 

[fargo007]

Re: SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

I would not recommend buying based on popularity, name, or recommendation alone.

You really need to look through them and then decide which one you would like to look at for the rest of your life. It's kinda like gettin' married. Be sure about it before you drop all that coin. Other scopes to consider are the NF 5.5-22x50 and the Vortex Razor. Both excellent.

--Fargo007

 

[CSTactical]

Re: SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

The NF Scopes are rock solid and hard to get like the S&B but we have some in stock.

I have been really happy with the NF MD2 and the MLR2.0 RETs they are very nice.

Mike @ CST

 

[Dragun]

Re: SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

Considering the setup is going to perform as a hunting/tactical/long range rifle, the Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50 seems like a great choice for a sub $2500 scope. What is the performance like for 1000yard competition purposes. I under life size targets will be no problem. But I have never competed before. I really would like to make sure the setup performs all of the above as best as possible.

Also assuming I go with the Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50. Should I keep the base that comes with the Tikka T3 tactical or go with the EGW 20MOA.
And what about rings. What height rings will allow me to zero at 100yards, hunt at short distances but also make contact with my target at 1000yards. Need to have enough elevation for the fun stuff.

 

[_RJ_]

Re: SCOPE DECISION - NEED HELP

-S&B or Hensoldt if you have the $$

-Nightforce

-USO for a customized / tailored to your specifications

This is how I choose my scopes. Currently I run a S&B w/ MSR reticle 5-25 on my .308 that does everything (hunting & target shooting).