Intermediate to long range scope reccomendations

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  • gmcman355

    Plinker
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    Jul 22, 2011
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    Ive been searching for a scope to go on a RPR chambered in 308. Currently running a nikon m308 with the nikoplex reticle. Seems like a decent scope and has served me well for hunting but I have recently started punching paper and the nikoplex reticle is covering up the center of my target at a 100 yds. Hoping to stretch out to 5-800 yards later this summer so a scope upgrade is in order. Ive been looking at the vortex pst, sightron s3, some different nikons, and burris. Biggest problem im running into is the fact that I dont know what I dont know. The sightron has really nice glass and the MOA 2 reticle is nice but not sure if they are as rugged as some of the others. I do hunt with this rifle so its ability to hold zero while getting drug around the woods or in a utv is important. Ive got a vortex diamondback that has been a great scope and its on the lower end of their quality. Any others i should be looking at. Price needs to stay under a grand and I would like something that i can grow into to eventually use at 1000 yards if i can get my skills to that level.
     

    CampingJosh

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    Dec 16, 2010
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    Vortex PST series is very good for the money. SWFA SS series, too. Those would be the minimum I'd want for 500+ yards.

    Have you settled on a budget yet? That really is crucial in making a proper recommendation.
     

    gmcman355

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    Jul 22, 2011
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    I would really like to keep it in the 700 dollar range as my plan is to buy a second of the same design albeit with slightly less magnification to go on a 223 RPR so that i can become very familiar in their use and operation no matter which gun Im using. Havent completely settled on what magnification im going with but the 6-24 range seems to be very common. Sightron does have an 8-32 and a 10-50 but I know at those levels mirage can become a big problem so not sure how much I would be able to use that extra power.
     

    M67

    Grandmaster
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    Jan 15, 2011
    6,181
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    Southernish Indiana
    I went with a 3-15x50 Burris Veracity on a .223 build to play with, the glass is awesome, the turret system is slick IMO, and I like the FFP reticle without getting too crazy. BUT....experience so far has been limited with it, just mainly looking through the glass at different distances, it's great glass.

    I plan on going with a 4-20 XTR on another project
     

    gmcman355

    Plinker
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    Jul 22, 2011
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    Is there any place in Indiana that stocks the majority of these where a guy can put hands on them and look through them to see what fits them best. I live in southern Indiana but will be taking a trip to michigan later this fall so if there ends up being some place that has these I can swing in and maybe get a better idea. As of now the only one I have any personal experience with is the sightron that my buddy has. all of the scopes i own stop at 16 power except for one older Simmons whitetail classic that is a 20 power. I dont believe that even falls into a category close to these other scopes but it has always served me well which to me says that I probably dont even know what I am missing
     

    bgcatty

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    Sep 9, 2011
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    Carmel
    Take a look at Sig Sauer rifle scopes. My son has one on a very expensive custom built AR and consistently is able to hit 6” steels offhand at 250-300 yds. The glass is awesome.
     

    sloughfoot

    Grandmaster
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    26   0   0
    Apr 17, 2008
    7,153
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    Huntertown, IN
    I, and thousands of others, use iron sights for reasonably sized targets out to 1,000 yards. I have no input on a scope to answer your question. I am just curious what skills you think you must master to get long range hits. I can put a new shooter on a rifle with the proper come up on the irons and they can get hits on long range targets immediately. Maybe not X's but certainly on the target. The wind must always be mastered.

    Getting hits prone at 1,000 yards is much easier than getting center hits slung up and sitting from the sitting position at 200 yards on some days....

    I am not trying to put you on the spot, I see posts like yours all the time, I am just curious why you think you need fancy optics to get hits on shoulder width targets at any range.
     

    gmcman355

    Plinker
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    Jul 22, 2011
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    Trying to shoot competitively at 500 to 1000. I agree that it doesnt take as much as one would think to hit at long range if the target is of adequate size but trying to hit a 12 inch target at a 1000 yards has been challenging to say the least when my crosshairs cover the majority of the target.
     

    gmcman355

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    Jul 22, 2011
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    None that I know of. That is what i am pushing myself for though with the thought that if i can master that competitions like redbrush would become easier. Maybe not. I have not been into the game long as punching paper or ringing steel used to have no appeal. I was strictly a hunter and shots rarely needed to be more than 100 yards if i did my job. Not sure what changed but the increased distance has peaked my interest even if the targets arent live. The 12 inch gong is what i had started to use as i reached the 300 yard mark because it gave an audible feedback for hits. I have a lot of improving to do to make this a reality but its where i set my goal. I know the best gear can not make up for crappy shooting but it cant hurt
     

    sloughfoot

    Grandmaster
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    26   0   0
    Apr 17, 2008
    7,153
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    Huntertown, IN
    Consider doing yourself a huge favor if you are going to try to hit a 1moa target at 1,000 yards. Post a 4 foot by 4 foot piece of cardboard behind the steel. At least then when the 1 mph change in wind blows the bullet clean off the steel, at least you will know where the bullet went.

    FYI, a1 mph full value wind will move the bullet 1 MOA at 1,000 yards.
     

    gmcman355

    Plinker
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    Jul 22, 2011
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    I have been learning quickly, and the hard way, that what appears easy on paper is much more complicated in practice. I had painted the steel black and mounted it to a 4x8 sheet of osb board that was painted bright orange. The board was untouched for more rounds than i would like to openly admit before i figured the math out properly. The plate may get touched one of these days but id be willing to bet not before several of those boards have been shot up.
     

    Ggreen

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    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
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    SouthEast
    Are you just going for it at 1k and learning? Most ranges make you prove your ability and your equipment on a 200yd zero range, and generally an intermediate range in the 500-600yd range. Is your gear and load under 1moa at 100? I'm going through this process now. I recently shot out to 275 and was holding 5 to 6 inch groups, not good. I know a lot of it was my doing, but I'm also fairly certain that the load I was shooting holds pretty rough groups at 100. 1.5" being about the best I've got out of it. Learning curve jumping straight into the 1000 yard game would be pricey.
     

    sloughfoot

    Grandmaster
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    26   0   0
    Apr 17, 2008
    7,153
    83
    Huntertown, IN
    I have been learning quickly, and the hard way, that what appears easy on paper is much more complicated in practice. I had painted the steel black and mounted it to a 4x8 sheet of osb board that was painted bright orange. The board was untouched for more rounds than i would like to openly admit before i figured the math out properly. The plate may get touched one of these days but id be willing to bet not before several of those boards have been shot up.


    An afternoon on a NRA long range match with somebody downrange for marking your target and a scorekeeper behind you will teach you more in 20 shots for record than 20 days fumbling around trying to ring steel.

    Trust me on this, find a F-class match and get ready to learn and have fun. Your scorekeeper can watch your bullet going in and the guy in the pits will give you fast feedback.
     

    gmcman355

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    Jul 22, 2011
    86
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    Pretty much jumped in over my head. The gun and load will hold under 1 moa at 100. When it doesnt its me and I know it. My groups are considerably better when i go out and shoot on the weekends than they are when I try to get trigger time in after a 12 hour day. I was able to have hits with ease out to 3-400 on the 12 inch target. bounced it back to 5 and 600 and started to see how quickly minor errors became a huge miss. Still let my ego kick in and decided that if i can hit at 600 a grand cant be that hard right? Wrong I was and have been looking to untuck my tail ever since. I do enjoy the challenge but I need to dial it back and do more work at a shorter range.
     

    gmcman355

    Plinker
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    Jul 22, 2011
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    Are the guys at a match like that pretty open to helping a rookie? I dont want to ruin anyones day having them feel like they have to baby sit me.
     
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