Rifle Scopes What scope for 100-400 yards?

silverphoenix

silverphoenix

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Nov 4, 2008
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#1
I know very little about scopes--all I've ever used is iron sights. So I have an idea of what I'm looking for in a scope, but no idea what scope to look for.

This is for the 5.45x39 cartridge.

I would like to be able to shoot 100-400 yards and by 400 yards I mean be able to see the holes in the paper. Definitely needs to hold zero 100% of the time, lifetime warranty, adjustable, no cheap POS that will break when I need it, good for day (up to 400 yards) and night use (50-150 yards), can't break the bank (Thinking in the $200-$400 range).

I've been looking at the vortex vipers, but have no idea what to get--is 3x9 enough???

Purpose will be hog/varmint hunting at night and deer during the day.
 
#2
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

What rifle is this going on, an AK variant?

5.45x39 for deer? Can you get decent deer capable bullets in 5.45?

You won't see holes (5.45 holes) in paper at 400 yards with a 9x. "Maybe" with a 6-24x.
 
#3
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

It's going on a saiga 5.45x39. Not the most accurate rifle in the world, but it gets the job done on a budget.

Plenty of deer have been taken with this round--placement is everything. It is both legal and humane. The bullets tumble like nobody's business and do not just paper punch like the .233 or 5.56. I will be using hornady bullets with ballistic tips, so it should be more than enough to take down a large animal.

I wouldn't want to get really bulky with the scope--the lighter the better.

So if I go 6x24, do I need special cams for this round?
 
#4
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

+1 on what JasonK said. Don't expect to see .22 cal bullet holes at 400 yards. It's hard for a lot of spotting scopes to resolve small bullet holes at that distance.
 
#5
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

3-9 on an AK variant will do great. Lets face it this aint no prairie dog whakin piece. 8-12" steel 9x will do well and the 3x will work close. As for bullet selection; the Hornady's will not tumble. Not designed for that and if they slow enough to start to yaw forget about a clean kill. Military ball will tumble but in the 5.45x39 I don't know what the max distance is.
 
#7
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

SWFA SS16x or a Falcon 4-14 are the two I'd recommend. They fit all the criteria you specified, except for the holes in the paper at 400yds with a 5.45

Holes in paper are a tricky thing, subject to many more factors than the glass. Under the best conditions, a 5.45 hole in paper is at 400 like looking at the hole in a notebook sheet with no magnification from 40 yards away (assuming a 10X scope). Light, mirage, paper, your vison, etc all come into play.
 
#8
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

You prob won't get the whole shopping list at that price but...

I've had a 4-8x42 POSP for about 8yrs. FFP goodness, variable illum is low-light only, Tonka Tuff, better clarity than the typical 4x24.
POSP 4-8x42 V - 230 USD
http://www.posp.ru/pr_i.html



For $400 prob the $299 Weaver Grand Slam 3-10x deal advertised here at Midway (and well reviewed here as well), plus a good side rail mount (<span style="font-weight: bold">make sure you can get the western optic fwd enough to use on a side rail mount</span>)
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=598484
 
#9
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

The Konus M30 6.5-24 scope @ SWFA was $299.95 last time I looked. My brother has one on his Remy 700 SPS and it has performmed well. Be aware any scope in that power range, or eveen close to it, will be rather large.
 
#11
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">SWFA SS16x or a Falcon 4-14 are the two I'd recommend. They fit all the criteria you specified, except for the holes in the paper at 400yds with a 5.45

Holes in paper are a tricky thing, subject to many more factors than the glass. Under the best conditions, a 5.45 hole in paper is at 400 like looking at the hole in a notebook sheet with no magnification from 40 yards away (assuming a 10X scope). Light, mirage, paper, your vison, etc all come into play. </div></div>

+1 on the SWFA 16x. With a 10x you will not see shot holes @ 400. You can also get a 20x of the same scope all for about the price range your looking for.

Keep in mind, the weather is going to have a lot to due with seeing the shot holes. Especially temperature. When you go with more magnification, the mirage is also magnified making it even more difficult to see impact points.
 
#12
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

Is there one of those SWFA SS 16x42's that has an illuminated reticle?

I'll be using it for hunting mostly at night for varmint. Looks outstanding though! If I can use it at night, then I think I'll go with it.

Also, when it says 16x42--does that mean it's fixed at 16 power? What's the lowest power it can go to?
 
#13
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

No illumination, fixed power. They do have an outstanding FFP variable, 3-9x42, for about $550 with the coupon.

If you want illumination, check out the Burris TAC 30, or their SixX line in 2-12.
 
#15
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

I really think your asking for your setup which in many ways is limited to do too much on extremes of the spectrum. 5.45 on wild hogs I think head shots maybe, deer out to 400 with this round I think is unrealistic without laser precision which again a saiga in that caliber is not likely to produce. As a simple reliable close hunting rig I think you can do it. Resolving .22 holes at 400 I wouldn't plan on it unless you go with the highestend of optics and rather high magnification. Both of which would make your earlier requirement of light and compact nearimpossible. Thi isn't a precision target weapon don't try to make it one. Its a hunting gun meant to work through anything get a scope that matches. For the price and glass quality swfa 3x9. Go cheaper the weaver 3x10 mil/mil. Fixed scope for hunting is really limited. 16x inside 200 yards in low light I don't think that's going to offer you much. If you really need illuminated burris or bushnell. Again 3x9 is ideal and I would keep it inside 200 yards with that round. As it was stated earlier the higher end projectiles are most likely not going to tumble they are designed specifically to avoid that. The tumbling effect is creating strictly by the caliber size but the tested grouping of many factors barrel twist rate projectile weight and design speed of bullet and expected type of target and distance. Change up any oth that and your likely to get very unpredictable terminal effects.
 
#16
Re: What scope for 100-400 yards?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fx1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Shooting large deer with a 5.45mm caliber out to 400 yards is down right inhumane. </div></div>

I never said I was hunting deer out to 400 yards, just looking for a scope with that range period. For all you know, I'm hunting deer at 50, hogs out to 300, and paper at 400. This is going to be for hunting night(except deer), day, paper punching, prairie dogs (I at least have to try!), coyotes, hogs, etc. all around hunting gun.

NY700--appreciate the info. Might as well use FMJ surplus then if that's the case with the Hornady. In that case, I guess I'll just be using my 3006 with deer since I have no desire to use FMJ on them and I'll limit this to a varmint rifle. 5.45 is devastating to hogs; a friend of mine already uses it on them with great success--it's amazing how such a skinny round does so much damage!

Just going to get a spotting scope in addition---I was hoping to do double duty on this, but now see that's unrealistic.

Definitely settled on a 3-9x40--illuminated reticle is a must. Looking into SWFA, Burris, and Vortex.

Anyone have an idea of what height of rings I will need with a 40mm?
 
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