some noob questions

[CanadaGoose]

Hi,

I bought a Ruger 77/22 on a whim at Bass Pro last year, and now I'm hooked...and hungry for something bigger. After much research, I fell in love with the Sako TRG 22. It's perfect for me becuse it appears to have excelent out of the box accuracy, and I want a gun that can shoot way better than me so I can grow into it and not worry about getting something else down the line. I also don't know nearly enough to build a custom rifle, so this seems like the best choice in terms of accuracy and price. I know there are cheaper rifles out there that probably shoot just as well, but something about the TRG really has me hooked.

Anyway, here are my questions:

1. What is the best suppressor for this gun and where can I get it? Suppressor info (brands, types, reviews, etc...) on the internet has been much harder to come by for me than stuff about guns and optics, so I would appreciate a recommendation. I want something with the maximum level of suppression possible, since I already have a permanent ringing in my ears from too much loud music.

2. After looking around, I came up with a list of good scope brands (Leupold, Nightforce, Zeiss, etc...), but I don't really know what I will need. These things range so much in price, and I'm not sure what differentiates the $500 scope from the $10k one. Also, I want to eventually shoot out to 1000m. As far as I can tell, the TRG can do that with the right load. What scope will let me do that and what reticle should I get?

3. As with rifle scopes, sighting scopes seem to have a rediculous price range. What features should I be looking for? Any brand recommendations?

I know most of you guys can probably go on for pages about any one of these questions, but I hope to get some general ideas to get me started. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[htorano]

Re: some noob questions

There's plenty of info about scopes in previous posts. You will get different opinions, most with valid explanations of why each shooter prefers it. I run a S&B 4-16x50. It's perfect for that 1000yd range and the sight picture is crystal clear. It's mil/mil with the p4 fine reticle. I simply find mil System to be more user friendly than moa
Again, just my opinion.
Now, I don't know what scope you were looking at that went for 10k, but, I'd pay premium for a scope, even if it meant buying a cheaper rifle

 

[Alpine 338]

Re: some noob questions

As far as glass, you have a lot to pick from. I have a TRG-22 and currently have a Nightforce 3.5-15x50 on it. I chose this scope for the reticle, a NP-R1 which allows hold-over to 30-moa, which is good enough for me to shoot to 1000-yards without adjusting the elevation dial with the right load and elevation (above sea-level). I also have a Rem 5R with a fixed 10X with MilDot reticle. I shoot it often out to 1K, but have to adjust the elevation dial to make it happen accurately. Do I need a higher magnification scope, or a more expensive scope? No, but having the features of higher magnification, or other features that are only provided by higher end scopes are something that can always help you shoot better. I am slowly upgrading the optics on all my rifles to a First Focal Plane, variable power scope with a reticle and adjustments in Milliradians. I have a mix of scopes, some with Mil reticles with MOA adjustments (like my fixed 10x), some with MOA reticles and MOA adjustments (like my Nightforce's), and some with Mil reticles with Mil adjustemts (like my Schmidt and Bender). You need to decide (do some research) and pick what features you want, and then decide what you can afford. A good rule as many have said before, buy the most (best) scope you can afford. Also, look around, ask people at the range if you can look through their scope. Compare different scopes next time your at the gun shop or gun show, etc. There are a lot of good scopes out there. My only (personal) rule is I don't buy crap made in China. China is not our (America's) friend, and I try to avoid anything made in China. Yes, I know there are somethings that you almost can't avoid buying that's not made in China these days, but I try my best. So, I suggest if the scope is made in the USA, Japan, or Europe it's worth looking at.

As far as spotting scopes, I feel Kowa is the best scope for the money. There are some better scopes out there, but you can't go wrong with Kowa.

 

[CanadaGoose]

Re: some noob questions

Thanks for the info, guys! As far as magnification, I was actually looking at the higher power scopes (20x and above). Am I wrong to think that these would be better for the 1k shots? What is the difference in terms of function between MOA and mil dot reticles/knobs? It seems like just a unit of measure preference. Are there functional differences?

Also, any advice on suppressors?

Again, thanks for all the help and for putting up with my noobishness!

 

[htorano]

Re: some noob questions

Mil/moa IS just a preference thing. I went with mil because there's less calculations involved. Whatever you do, make sure turrets match the reticle (mil /mil or moa/
I'd say you could go to 25x magnification for 1 k yards, but if you search the forum, you'll see that most people here shoot that range at 12-16 x anyways

I like to be able to go down to 4x when shooting moving targets, but, I guess that 5-25x suits the likes of many shooters. Hopefully, someone else will chime in with their opinion