I know this has been debated quite a lot on this forum as well as others. The problem with almost everyone of those threads is that people are talking about different uses for these scopes and it's difficult to get a clear answer. I'm hoping to restrict the scope of this thread so that I can get clear answers. (no "scope" pun intended) Not to sound like a dick, but for the purposes of this thread, I'm not interested in what is good for hunting or shooting steel targets with. I'm solely talking about shooting paper at up to 600 yards with the intention of accuracy and minimizing group size. Here is the breakdown of the features between the two.
........................Viper...........Weaver
Magnification.......6-24x..........3-15x
Reticle................EBR.............mil-dot
Focal Plane..........SFP.............FFP
Illumination..........Yes..............No
Weight...............22.4 oz........27.5oz
The features that I'm most interested in comparing between the scopes is the reticle, focal plane, magnification, glass, and turrets as I believe these are the only specs that will effect the type of shooting I'm wanting to do. (If I'm missing something please let me know.) Stuff like illumination and weight would simply be a tie-breaker for me.
I THINK the comparison really comes down to the Weaver's plane mil-dot FFP reticle and (possibly) slightly clearer glass vs the Viper's sfp EBR reticle and higher magnification. Am I correct in thinking this way? Which scope would better suit a new shooter who is primarily interested shooting paper up to 600 yards with the best accuracy and precision?
Additonal notes:
I've read the Viper PST 4-16x has some clarity issues that the 6-24x doesn't. So I'm really only interested in hearing about the 6-24x model's glass.
I'm aware that Vortex has an excellent transferable warranty. That really isn't a factor I want considered here though as I don't plan on ever selling it if I get one.
If it somehow makes a difference, the scope will be sitting on a Savage 10P-SR (18" heavy barrel) in .308.
Please don't cloud the thread with other recommendations. The only two choices I have are the Weaver Tactical 3-15x50 mil-dot and the Viper PST 6-24x50 (non ffp). Without wasting everyone's time going into details, just trust me that these are the only two I have to pick from. Also I don't want price difference to be factored in either.
The biggest thing that has me second guessing the Weaver, is that I'm not sure if 15x is enough for 600 yard shooting where I'm wanting to be sub-MOA. (Eventually getting to 1/2 MOA would be awesome.) That being said, I've read a little about mirage and question how useful having a higher power is.
Thanks in advance for all useful input.
........................Viper...........Weaver
Magnification.......6-24x..........3-15x
Reticle................EBR.............mil-dot
Focal Plane..........SFP.............FFP
Illumination..........Yes..............No
Weight...............22.4 oz........27.5oz
The features that I'm most interested in comparing between the scopes is the reticle, focal plane, magnification, glass, and turrets as I believe these are the only specs that will effect the type of shooting I'm wanting to do. (If I'm missing something please let me know.) Stuff like illumination and weight would simply be a tie-breaker for me.
I THINK the comparison really comes down to the Weaver's plane mil-dot FFP reticle and (possibly) slightly clearer glass vs the Viper's sfp EBR reticle and higher magnification. Am I correct in thinking this way? Which scope would better suit a new shooter who is primarily interested shooting paper up to 600 yards with the best accuracy and precision?
Additonal notes:
I've read the Viper PST 4-16x has some clarity issues that the 6-24x doesn't. So I'm really only interested in hearing about the 6-24x model's glass.
I'm aware that Vortex has an excellent transferable warranty. That really isn't a factor I want considered here though as I don't plan on ever selling it if I get one.
If it somehow makes a difference, the scope will be sitting on a Savage 10P-SR (18" heavy barrel) in .308.
Please don't cloud the thread with other recommendations. The only two choices I have are the Weaver Tactical 3-15x50 mil-dot and the Viper PST 6-24x50 (non ffp). Without wasting everyone's time going into details, just trust me that these are the only two I have to pick from. Also I don't want price difference to be factored in either.
The biggest thing that has me second guessing the Weaver, is that I'm not sure if 15x is enough for 600 yard shooting where I'm wanting to be sub-MOA. (Eventually getting to 1/2 MOA would be awesome.) That being said, I've read a little about mirage and question how useful having a higher power is.
Thanks in advance for all useful input.