Rifle Scopes Scope help!! long sorry!!

[dieseldr99]

I have on order a rock river arms varmint a4 in .223. I am looking to use it for varmint hunting, predator hunting, and punching paper. I am not necessarily an accomplished long range shooter, but I am very interested in it. I need some scope help. Initially I felt like I should keep the low end of the magnification at 4 for a close moving target. But I am considering a scope and a reflex dot mounted on the ff tube.



I have basically an $1100.00 budget and i would like that to include a mount. I can keep saving if I have to but would like to move on to other projects.



1st I was thinking Bushnell elite 6500 4.5-30x50 tactical mil-dot because of the magnification range. But I have read several accounts that they are not very clear in the upper end of the magnification and have parallax issues around 300 yards



2nd I have strongly considered the Zeiss conquest 4.5-14x50 originally mil-dot with target turrets. However I really like the zr800 reticle but I can not find it with turrets all other reticle I can find with turrets. I feel I want turrets. the zr1000 does not match 223 very well so I guess it is mil-dot?



3rd Bushnell elite 3200 5-15x40 tactical mil-dot and putting the extra cash toward a range finder budget


4th stretch the budget and get my hands on a used 3.5-15-56 nightforce nxs


with so many choices out the any help is appreciated

Thanks

Justin

 

[ubet]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

Personally, I would wait until the vortex pst comes out. It should be under your budget and leave you some room to buy good base and rings.

 

[dieseldr99]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

Wow I have never changed my mind so many times on a piece of equipment.

I have decided I really want a nightforce so I am gonna have to work on the budget. Now I am flipping back and forth between the 5.5-22x56 and the 3.5-15x56, I tend to always want more magnification. whether I need it or not I am unsure. If I go with the 5.5 I will more strongly feel the need for a reflex site as well. I am thinking of going with a larue tactical mount. I can get an adapter to put a burris fast fire on one of the rings for like 70 bucks plus 200 for the fastfire putting the entire budget if i buy new over 2k in (2100 or so) I am along way from that but I can get there. (sorry this is getting long again).

With the 3.5-15 I would probably not need the fastfire, heck I may not need it with the 5.5 but would like it.

I want to shoot crows with this gun from as far away as I can get my ability up to. probably not over 300-400 yards due to finding large enough openings to hunt.

I want to hunt other varmints and vermin as well including coyote. But I do have another ar already that is lighter and has a 4-12 on it.



Please feel free to chime in

Thanks

Justin

 

[Wild_Man]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

I think 10-15x is all the magnification you need for your intended use. Those Night forces you mention are going to be pretty bulky on an AR. I would consider the 3.5-15x50 as big as I would go.

As mentioned above, I would see how the PSTs turn out. I think the 2.5-10 is going to be a real nice scope for an AR or maybe the 4-16 FFP if you think you need that much power.

 

[rjroberts]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

Watch the internal adjustment available on the scopes. Some have more than others. That 3200 5-15 has only about 54 moa, according to factory spec, IIRC. While you may not need to dial in more than that for a .223, suppose you get another rifle or even another upper with a longer range cartridge. You'll want at least 60 and preferably 70-80 (a 3200 1x fixed has 80). Don't forget, you need to correct for variances in mounting, too, so the available elevation isn't simply just the range equation.

 

[Trapshooter12]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

For the Predator Hunting I would get the 3.5 to 15-50 NF Scope. If yor calling Predators 95% of your Hunting is going to be 30 to approx. 200 yards out, any further than that and the Animal most likely is going to be charging in to the call and the higher powers on the scope is going to make it hard to follow the animal as it moves through the brush. Although the scope I have on my Predator Rifle is a leupy I generally run it on 6 power. The only time I turn it up to 12 is if one happens to hang up past 200 yards and is just sitting there and this happens maybe 1 out of 50 Coyotes I call in maybe.

I noticed the other day the NF has come out with a 2.5 to 10-32 scope that might be more in the line of what you want to put on your AR.

 

[Sapper524]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

If you are really gonna try and stretch your ARs legs at the range ... 600+ ... then you might want that 15x type magnification. If its primarily for hunting that much magnification is a negative, my personal opinion. Im building a 20 inch heavy upper for my AR and im going to put a SS 3x9 FFP on it. I to have "wanted" a nightforce for a long time but don't "need" one. I pondering a NXS or Razor HD for my next 308 build but on the AR platform in 223 I don't think you need that much optic. Just my 2 cents. Spend 60% of your budget and buy a case of Black Hills 68g match with the rest!

I fully believe that in optics the "cheap" alternative usually ends up being just that ... CHEAP. I personally don't consider the SS HD models to be that. The glass is outstanding and they are very durable.

 

[dieseldr99]

Re: Scope help!! long sorry!!

Wow, it seems amazing to me I started this post like 3&1/2 months ago. My ideas have changed a lot in this time frame. I ended up set on getting a ffp scope with a subtended illuminated mil reticle with 1/10th mil knobs. Per many recommendations I put on order a vortex viper pst 4-14x50 ffp mil mil. Then the wait ensued, the initial small shipment showed some issue's. Now I am led to believe vortex is addressing this and will eventually bring a good scope to market. I will most likely even buy 1. But for now I can wait no more. I want to get this rig lined out and ready for crows this fall.

Along the way I picked up an swfa ssalt mount. And have now purchaed a used nightforce 3.5-15x50 f1Mlr 1/10th mil knobs scope. It comes with a set of nightforce titanium alloy rings. I am sure they are way to low for the a4 rock river. Is the ssalt a good mount, would you mount a nightforce in it or get a riser and use the nightforce rings or should I sell both and get the larue?

Thanks for the help guys
p.s. I don't have the nightforce in hand just yet it is in transit.