Rifle Scopes The Obligatory "Which Scope" Post by the New Guy

[Karabast]

As the new guy, I feel obligated to carry on the tradition. I'm excited to meet that one dude who tells me "Google is your friend." He's my favorite.

I do not currently own a precision rifle. The closest thing I have is a fairly nice Norinco SKS. I am currently a third of the way into "Long Range Shooting Handbook: A Beginners Guide to Precision Rifle Shooting" by Ryan Cleckner. I like to read, a lot, before I jump into a new hobby. I also like to rehash things I read on Google with other people. I am in no rush but I don't want to put it off forever either.

I am a civil servant so I have budgetary constraints. In an ideal world, I'll be ready to go after an initial $1,200 investment into a gun and glass. There is some wiggle room in that. I have been a nuisance at the brick and mortar gun store down the road from me and look at the same stuff every time I go in.

Rifles of interest:​

​

Remington 700​

Tikka T3x​

Ruger Precision Rifle​

Howa 1500​

Savage Axis or better.​

Calibers of Interest:​

​

.308​

6.5 Creedmoor​

I am favoring the Tikka. Followed by the 700. The reasons are simple: I love the way the Tikka feels and I figure if the 700 is good enough for snipers in the US Army, the Corps, and many LEOs, then it ought to be worthy of my time. I have never shot any of these rifles or these calibers.

Eventually I will upgrade the stock but would initially like to become proficient and familiar with how something shoots out of the box. I feel like I can learn a lot from that tactile experience. I may be wrong about that. I also have a slight problem in that my wife is a lefty and I'm a righty. She's also shorter than me. A lot more research is needed.

I qualify for LEO or discounted pricing on a few brands. 30% off Savage MSRP, Officer pricing on Ruger, FNH. Beretta, who owns Tikka (I believe), offers 20% but I am not sure if the Tikka brand qualifies. More research is needed. The more I save, the higher quality glass I can buy.

Range Access Type:

Knob Creek (home of the famous machine gun shoot) offers a 350 yard range. The in-laws can probably get me out to 500-700 yards. Goal: 1,000 yards or more.

Shooting Positions of interest: ​

​

Prone​

Bench​

I have bulged discs in my spine from being fat and lifting other fatties into the meat wagon. So prone is probably going to make my hands go numb after about 30-40 minutes. Bench is preferred but I want to learn both.

Purpose:

To kill paper. I've never enjoyed hunting (horribly maimed a rabbit once and felt so bad that I lost interest). Not saying I wouldn't hunt or don't enjoy watching people hunt, just not my thing to be the trigger man doing wetwork. I also will not hesitate to defend life or my nation. I've never been competitive. I have a mild interest in competition shooting with peers but view it more as a practical training opportunity than anything.

OPTICS:

I qualify for 40% off of Vortex, US Optics, Steiner, and Burris. I can get 35% off of Nightforce. 25% off Zeiss. And also can get 45-61% off of Bushnell optics. Trijicon & Eotech are about 25% off MSRP.

So in the 40% off range, I'm looking to buy a ~$1,000 optic for ~$600.

The big question is, based on the information provided and the listed brands, what would you guys say I should be looking at. I value your opinions, your time, and your experience.

I am here for mentoring and I am completely open to constructive criticism or input. You can also tell me to go take a hike but that'll hurt me in the feels. You don't want to hurt me, do you?

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

You don't need Google. This is the Hide. It has a search feature.

 

[Karabast]

You don't need Google. This is the Hide. It has a search feature.

It’s like all professional up in here

 

[TripleOrNothing]

As the new guy, I feel obligated to carry on the tradition. I'm excited to meet that one dude who tells me "Google is your friend." He's my favorite.

I do not currently own a precision rifle. The closest thing I have is a fairly nice Norinco SKS. I am currently a third of the way into "Long Range Shooting Handbook: A Beginners Guide to Precision Rifle Shooting" by Ryan Cleckner. I like to read, a lot, before I jump into a new hobby. I also like to rehash things I read on Google with other people. I am in no rush but I don't want to put it off forever either.

I am a civil servant so I have budgetary constraints. In an ideal world, I'll be ready to go after an initial $1,200 investment into a gun and glass. There is some wiggle room in that. I have been a nuisance at the brick and mortar gun store down the road from me and look at the same stuff every time I go in.

Rifles of interest:​

​

Remington 700​

Tikka T3x​

Ruger Precision Rifle​

Howa 1500​

Savage Axis or better.​

Calibers of Interest:​

​

.308​

6.5 Creedmoor​

I am favoring the Tikka. Followed by the 700. The reasons are simple: I love the way the Tikka feels and I figure if the 700 is good enough for snipers in the US Army, the Corps, and many LEOs, then it ought to be worthy of my time. I have never shot any of these rifles or these calibers.

Eventually I will upgrade the stock but would initially like to become proficient and familiar with how something shoots out of the box. I feel like I can learn a lot from that tactile experience. I may be wrong about that. I also have a slight problem in that my wife is a lefty and I'm a righty. She's also shorter than me. A lot more research is needed.

I qualify for LEO or discounted pricing on a few brands. 30% off Savage MSRP, Officer pricing on Ruger, FNH. Beretta, who owns Tikka (I believe), offers 20% but I am not sure if the Tikka brand qualifies. More research is needed. The more I save, the higher quality glass I can buy.

Range Access Type:

Knob Creek (home of the famous machine gun shoot) offers a 350 yard range. The in-laws can probably get me out to 500-700 yards. Goal: 1,000 yards or more.

Shooting Positions of interest: ​

​

Prone​

Bench​

I have bulged discs in my spine from being fat and lifting other fatties into the meat wagon. So prone is probably going to make my hands go numb after about 30-40 minutes. Bench is preferred but I want to learn both.

Purpose:

To kill paper. I've never enjoyed hunting (horribly maimed a rabbit once and felt so bad that I lost interest). Not saying I wouldn't hunt or don't enjoy watching people hunt, just not my thing to be the trigger man doing wetwork. I also will not hesitate to defend life or my nation. I've never been competitive. I have a mild interest in competition shooting with peers but view it more as a practical training opportunity than anything.

OPTICS:

I qualify for 40% off of Vortex, US Optics, Steiner, and Burris. I can get 35% off of Nightforce. 25% off Zeiss. And also can get 45-61% off of Bushnell optics. Trijicon & Eotech are about 25% off MSRP.

So in the 40% off range, I'm looking to buy a ~$1,000 optic for ~$600.

The big question is, based on the information provided and the listed brands, what would you guys say I should be looking at. I value your opinions, your time, and your experience.

I am here for mentoring and I am completely open to constructive criticism or input. You can also tell me to go take a hike but that'll hurt me in the feels. You don't want to hurt me, do you?

I am pretty new to this as well. I bought a Tikka CTR in 6.5 Creedmor. I also have a Rem 700 in .308. Get the Tikka. You won't regret it.

 

[Poorboyr]

Just so you know, the companies’ that are providing you those great prices highly frown on people sharing them and especially posting them. If I were you, I would remove the prices so those companies don’t take away the good deals. They clearly state to not disclose the pricing.

 

[Shane431]

Get a Tikka CTR 6.5 Creedmoor. Then get a Vortex 5-25 strike eagle, or a PST II - 3-15 or 5-25. Another option is going to be a SWFA 3-15 if you can find one. If you can spend $700 call Doug at camerlandny and get a Bushnell 4.5-18.

That should be everything you need in your price range.

 

[TripleOrNothing]

Get a Tikka CTR 6.5 Creedmoor. Then get a Vortex 5-25 strike eagle, or a PST II - 3-15 or 5-25. Another option is going to be a SWFA 3-15 if you can find one. If you can spend $700 call Doug at camerlandny and get a Bushnell 4.5-18.

That should be everything you need in your price range.

Yep.

 

[jbailey]

I would buy the best optic you can. Stretch your budget on this asset. Why? Because optics don't wear out and you could be using this scope for the rest of your shooting career. See how much of a difference in cost a quality optic is over a moderately OK one with the cost spread out over 10 years, plus the higher resale value on the quality optic (for example, you could sale a 10yr old 5-25x Schmidt for a good % of your original cost).

Also, don't buy new. Buy on the Hide PX from a guy that has a good long history here, with posts that are more than just in the PX. Buy a good used Schmidt here and you can resale it in a few years at the same price you put into it. (or Maybe the math is different with your LEO discount... ?)

I would also add Leupold Mark 5 to your list. It is excellent optic, great warranty and they have a nice LEO discount.

 

[Powder_Burns]

General rule of thumb is to spend 2x on the optic what you spent on the rifle. Exceptions would be if you sunk $7k into an AI, you don’t need a $14k optic.

But assuming you plop down $600-$800 on a production rifle, an optic in the $1200-$1600 price range will generally be good to go.

Are there scopes for $500 that will get it done? Sure, but your mileage may vary. Glass quality, reticle choices, turret tracking, that comes with more dollars.

 

[Biscuits]

double post

 

[Biscuits]

I have a Rem 700. Just bought a Tikka T1x 22 rimfire. Although it is a rimfire and not directly comparable, the bolt is another world of smooth compared to the Rem 700. Personally, I’d pick one up, work the bolt and figure out what you want.

My 700 is a 308. Maybe if I was buying it again I’d buy a 6.5CM as the bullet really
mains supersonic longer. My range has some electronic targets, but the 308 bullet goes subsonic a bit over 1000 yards. The electronic targets at my range only work if the bullet is supersonic, so I can only use them to 1000 yards.

For scope, exposed turrets, mildot or MOA reticle and matching turrets (ie no mildot reticle with MoA turrets).

Personally in your situation, I’d consider a Tikka T3x with a 24 inch varmint barrel and a 3-15x44 Vortex PST Gen II scope.

 

[Evlshnngns]

Savage 12fv in 6.5CM and a 15x+ scope of your choice. I like extra power on the scope for paper punching. I have athlon and Sightron, both have worked well.

 

[CodeMonkey]

I've got a Savage 12FV I. 6.5 Creedmoor from Cabela's that I got on sale while there was a rebate going. It was pretty accurate right out of the box. I dropped it into an Oryx chassis, so I'm about $750 into it all together. That rifle is so accurate with Hornady factory 140s that I don't even bother reloading for it. I've got it topped with an Optika6 5-30x56 that I got for a healthy discount from Sport Optics.

I've got more expensive setups now, but I still love to shoot that Savage, and I'll probably never get rid of it.