Steiner P4Xi 4-16x56 from @gr8fuldoug at Cameraland for $800 comes to mind. Awesome scope for the money. I’m still amazed by its optical performance every time I use it. Easy to get behind, great low light performance, durable, and has good turrets.
The 2 ways I would think about this if you are set on doing this right now: 1) buy a mid tier optic (it will likely need to be used) with a lower power, or 2) you buy a mid-low tier optic (used or closeout) with higher power. If you live where it is hot and humid, the higher quality glass is important because the mirage will be worse. If the climate is dryer, on really hot days you can dial back a lower end optic and typically be okay. With a grand in your pocket I would not consider the lower end stuff - thick reticles, bad coatings, gritty turrets, etc.
More money pays dividends. With another $500 in the pot you should be able to buy a decent used/demo/discontinued optic that won't have too many disappointments. If you can find something like a Steiner T5xi it will have enough to keep you happy for a while (good power range, okay glass, okay click feel). Another $1k gets you a used NF or maybe Vortex that is likely discontinued, but one in decent shape will last years. The reality is pretty much anything that is new under $2500 is going to be lacking in more than one area, and it takes around $3k to get the stuff that you just grin at all the time.
I gotta disagree with the large majority of that assessment. I've spent 5 years actively competing in PRS with a Burris XTRII. Hardly top of the line, durable and tracked perfectly, glass wasnt close to top of the line. Never dropped a single shot due to the scope, could find and hit every target just like everyone else. I wouldnt have shot any better with a more expensive optic.
There are plenty of good scopes at $1k. Some great ones at $2k. There are plenty of optics at these price points these days that will treat you great. There are multitudes of guys running sub $2500 optics in the PRS and NRL and winning.
Get the best you can afford. Upgrade later if you choose.
You may have missed post #10. I have a Burris XTR II so I know very well what they are capable of. Yeah I have moved on from keeping on my primary systems, but I still have it and it does still get used just this past weekend in fact. I have never blamed it for missing a target that I could actually see. It is okay up where I live, but is sucked ass in the humid TX heat. So if he is where it is hot and humid mirage should be considered. Also, a scope being usable vs. finding things that you don't like about it are 2 very different things. The OP seems rather concerned about regrets; it is pretty easy to pick apart a $1k scope which is what the post you quoted was about.
If you are stretching it out past 600 you will start to struggle with a 14...
Whatever. Not everyone shoots full size ipsc out in the middle of a field. If you are the guy that can put 3 shots on the hostage taker flapper at 1200 with a 14x then good on you. I sure as heck am not going to assume a guy that just bought his rifle can do it.
I don't think @antithesis is saying it can't be done with a low power or fix power scope, but rather a higher magnification range can make it easier to see and spot both impacts and misses, and can help identify targets. I can sit down and poke a target at a thousand with a fixed 10 x, but the target will likely be hard to make out.lol teaching shooters, to include new shooters, and watching them hit 10”, 8”, and (most hitting) 5” steel at 1,000yds on 10x, 12x, and 15x mag from the prone definitely never happened I guess.
People build shooting up to be harder than what it is. lol you can put the DOPE on the gun, tell the dope to get on it (after showing how to get into position, NPA/Trigger Press/etc because it has never done it before), and have them hit 10” steel at a grand with a fixed 10x. I’ve had multiple people do it, it isn’t fucking magic.
I guess shitty fundamentals can be made up for by increasing the magnification. lol
More magnification = increased hit probability at distance. got It.
Shooters on a budget need to focus their limited funds on glass and tracking quality, not magnification.
I don't think @antithesis is saying it can't be done with a low power or fix power scope, but rather a higher magnification range can make it easier to see and spot both impacts and misses, and can help identify targets. I can sit down and poke a target at a thousand with a fixed 10 x, but the target will likely be hard to make out.
I have the Ares ETR, an Bushnell 4.5-18 LRSTi, and the 4.5-18 LRHS. The LRSTi parallax is more forgiving than the ETR, sepecially in the humidity and mirage we have here in Kansas. I have taken all 3 scopes out to 1400 yards, but I would pick the LRSTi over the ETR for a hunting/match scope any day.
I recently picked up a GenII Razor with a 50% off cert from a match. Thanks @vortex.nick for getting it to me so fast. Looking forward to shooting a match with it.