Best optics for target/precision shooting in the $1500-$2500 range?

For the PRS game, most will use MRAD for units. I have spent the last 20yrs with MOA but have started learning the Mil system and matching Xmas tree reticle. There are certainly alot of positives and I do like thinking in base 10... for paper punching close and far, I will go MOA like in F class but I am going to use mils for PRS.

In your budget, these are scopes I have personal experience with and also offer.

Athlon Ares BTR is your full featured option and under your budget range. I continue to be impressed with the tracking. Optics are certainly useable and similar to other popular brands in the high teens.

Delta Stryker HD 4.5-30 FFP/Mils.. WOW, what an entrance. The optics on these scopes are stunning and are right there with the very best in the $4k market. Tracking has been solid and repeatable. LOW optical in Japan manfs these and is also the manfs for many many popular brands that so many rave about. 10yr manf warranty.

Athlon Cronus BTR will stretch your budget but has a reticle I prefer, similar glass and mechanicals to the Delta cause they are twins. comes with a no brainer lifetime warranty. Yes, it costs more then the Delta but I consider that insurance for the inevitable "oops", crash, bang, crunch of rough use.

Upcoming that have not hit Canada.. Athlon Ares ETR... this is supposed to be a Chinese manf Cronus. Reports out of the US have been super positive and I look forward to seeing them and offering them in July'ish. will be less money then the Delta and Cronus and have an ED glass variant.

Sightron SVSS FFP scope. none exist so I have no info to provide but Sightron continues to be one of the best values in optics and mechanicals. I have been competing with the bigger cousin 10-50 SV.. rock solid, amazing side focus system. I am taking a guess and say in the Delta/Cronus price range.

If you want a FFP scope with ED glass, contemporary features and mils, and don't mind the weight of a 34mm scope, I have no reservations suggesting the Cronus BTR or Delta Stryker HD

If you are want something that works and not cost alot, the Ares BTR is excellent value... I am beating on 2 and they both keep working as expected.

pm or email if you would like to discuss further.... Good luck with whatever you decide to get.

Jerry

PS, why no Sightron SIII FFP's.. great scopes, tracking and optics but their reticles are dated vs what is popular today. Zero stop is not bad. If you want better glass vs features like the Ares BTR, then this is a great option but since you are moving to compete, the Sightron reticle just isn't as good.. now if they changed it.... ummm.
 
Production class is kinda useless. It's a nice concept but doesn't really work in practice. I don't think I've been to a PRS match where there were more than a couple shooters in Production, even less than in Tactical/Limited. Just get the best rig you can and shoot in Open, you'll learn tons.

As for optics, I'm a big fan of the Bushnell HDMR2s granted they are in MRAD (mils). If you're dead set on MOA I think you can maybe get the G3 reticled DMR2 in moa but not sure. 90+ % of guys at PRS matches shoot in MRAD so it definitely makes it easier to talk wind holds and such if you're using the same system, but I digress. The Bushnells are super tough, hold zero and track perfectly, are ffp, have a zero stop and locking windage and great reticles. You can also sometimes find them, for about $1800 lightly used or get a new one now and take advantage of the $200 mail in rebate. I've personally used mine (I have 2) in something like 10+ matches (national and northwest level) and put over 5k rounds under them since last fall with zero hiccups.
 
Switch to MRAD, eh?

It does make sense if everybody else in the comps is using that system, I've just been reluctant since I think in inches. On the other hand, all the good shooters seem to switch to that road eventually. I'll do some more pondering on that. I have considered going with a Bushnell of some kind, they seem to have tons of models with good features for the $, and my dad has an old one on a hunting rifle which has maintained zero after 40 years.

I don't have any experience with Athlon, Sightron, or Delta. Is Athlon made in China? Or Japan? And where are Sightron and Delta made? I've heard most optics are made in Japan these days.
 
saunders278 said:
Switch to MRAD, eh?

It does make sense if everybody else in the comps is using that system, I've just been reluctant since I think in inches. On the other hand, all the good shooters seem to switch to that road eventually. I'll do some more pondering on that. I have considered going with a Bushnell of some kind, they seem to have tons of models with good features for the $, and my dad has an old one on a hunting rifle which has maintained zero after 40 years.

I don't have any experience with Athlon, Sightron, or Delta. Is Athlon made in China? Or Japan? And where are Sightron and Delta made? I've heard most optics are made in Japan these days.
Click to expand...

The belief that inches and MRAD are incompatible is really a leftover from shooting on square ranges with nice, even yardages. When you're shooting at all kinds of random distances, like you will be in PRS matches, you just think in angular measurements, be it MOA or MRAD. The actual size of your target in inches is kind of irrelevant, how big it is in mils is what matters. Wind holds are in mils, elevation, you get my drift.
 
Athlon, Sightron, or Delta are all made in Japan. You will see Deltas in PRS this year and the winner for the Eastern FClass Championship held last week in Gagetown used a Delta.
 
saunders278 said:
Switch to MRAD, eh?

It does make sense if everybody else in the comps is using that system, I've just been reluctant since I think in inches. On the other hand, all the good shooters seem to switch to that road eventually. I'll do some more pondering on that. I have considered going with a Bushnell of some kind, they seem to have tons of models with good features for the $, and my dad has an old one on a hunting rifle which has maintained zero after 40 years.

I don't have any experience with Athlon, Sightron, or Delta. Is Athlon made in China? Or Japan? And where are Sightron and Delta made? I've heard most optics are made in Japan these days.
Click to expand...

The biggest appeal of the mil system to me is base 10... Fractions can be harder for some to use under time constraints BUT if you are comfy with that, there is no difference IF the scope reticle is geared to match. All you need to know is the come up for the target you are about to engage.

Scope manfs who have jumped into this game and FFP optics have adopted the mil system... so shooters get good gear so they adopt that system, and away you go. If it was a bunch of MOA based scopes using 1/10 MOA clicks years back, might be a different story but no matter, pick your units and enjoy.

The current gen of scopes favored use 0.1mil clicks and Xmas tree reticles will 0.2 mil spacings... of course, each company has their own take on the topic but the basic specs are set. They are very user friendly and with the proper matching reticle and scope adjustment, very fast to use.

If you prefer MOA, Athlon does make FFP options in MOA.

And you will quickly see that shooters jump back and forth between mils and MOA. In general, they will chat about targets in MOA and adjustments in mils

Scopes are currently made in various parts of Asia/SE Asia... it will depend on the specific line of product from each company.

Sightron makes stuff in Japan and the Phillipines
Athlon makes stuff in Japan and China
Delta Strykers are in Japan... not sure on their lower line up

Nikon... alot out of the Phillipines
Bushnell, Burris, Vortex... a variety of Asian countries.

having used a couple of Athlon Ares BTR scopes made in China, I am stunned at how good their stuff can be. This factory gives up nothing to other factories in the region. From the exterior machining and markings, optics to the mechanicals, it runs with anything in the sub $2k market.

I have heard that cutting edge CNC machinery is going into this plant to extend what is possible. There will be a launch of Chinese made ED glass which has already been met with very positive reviews in the US.

All this provides products as good as other top tier products for substantial savings.

Common to every other product we consume... bit and pieces are manf in the locations where there is the best blend of quality vs price. Outsourcing from Japan to other parts of Asia has been going on for a long time and will continue to do so. As it is with "made in the USA".

I have been very happy with the Athlon, Delta, and Sightron scopes on my rifles.

Jerry
 
I don't know the ranges you plan to shoot or if your going to compete in an organized event.

I have a few Sightron S-3's, they track well and hold zero. had one that had to be sent in due to wondering zero, they replaced both turrets.

Also, I have 2 Vortex PST's, both track reasonably well, one had to be sent in due to a wondering zero.

I would suggest you look into the SWFA series of scopes, I have 3, 6x mil- quad, 6x moa-quad and a 10x mil-quad. the 6x's are for hunting only. The 10x is on a range rifle that is used to 1000 yards, glass is good enough for that endevour but the kicker here is the turret adjustments are spot on and repeatable. I have read reviews and commentaries on this line of scope and they rank next to NF for accuracy of adjustment and durability. The 10x with side parallax adjustment is ~$650 to your door, this scope is a joy to use ....worth a look.
 
I have Cronus BTR and reviewed it on here. Just finished a review of the Delta but am waiting to post as I'm using the Delta FClass scope this weekend. Bottom line: Delta and Cronus BTR are exceptionally good value and can be spoken about in the same sentence as Razor II but for over a G-Note less. Both are LOW out of Japan.
 
rugbydave said:
When you're shooting at all kinds of random distances, like you will be in PRS matches, you just think in angular measurements, be it MOA or MRAD...
Click to expand...

Yeah I guess that makes sense. Maybe I should just get an MRAD scope, get to the range, and get used to it now rather than later. Mils always seemed like the better option to me, IF you know what you're doing, which I don't entirely. But if it's not rocket science I should just get a scope in MRAD and save myself having to sell it later, I don't think I'll be competing this year so I have all winter to figure it out.

As far as optics make and model, I'm still leaning towards the Vortex PST, but I'll consider some of these other budget options that many of you are suggesting (Athlon, Delta, Sightron).

Thanks for all the advice, and I always appreciate more.
 
Bushnell HDMR would be very very hard to beat in that price range. H59 reticle and your good to go. These things will take a beating
 
Ok, I know this thread's been going on forever, but I really appreciate all the advice. I've got the $ together and am very close to making the purchase.

Just to re-cap, I'm setting up a rifle for PRS-style shooting. I'm settled on the Tikka Tac A1 in 6.5 Creedmoor, and I'll be getting an MRAD scope and learning that system.

As far as optics go, I've really steered towards Bushnell's Tac Elite series. But with the research I've done I'm not fully getting the differences between the DMR, the LRTS, and the LRS. Is it just glass quality?

I'm assuming the HDMR is just a DMR with a Horus reticle, or are there other differences?

The DMR 2 I looked at adjusts in 1 mil increments, isn't it important to have 0.1 mil click vlaues?
 
adamg said:
I have the DMR2, it is 0.1 mil increment clicks on the turret.
Click to expand...

Oh Okay. I was looking at Al Flaherty's Outdoor Store site, I guess they got the specs wrong. Thanks.

I might go with this one, the DMR 2 with the illuminated G3 reticle. The Horus reticle seems a bit busy. Anyone think the Horus is a better option?
 
saunders278 said:
Okay I'll skip the illumination, get the regular model. I just have to decide between the Horus or G3 reticle and I'm good to go. Anyone have any final thoughts or bits of advice on this?
Click to expand...

Reticle preference is a pretty personal and subjective thing. If you don't know what you want in a reticle yet, I'd probably get the G3, shoot the #### out of your rifle, and find out what parts of the reticle you like, and what different aspects you may come to desire. No one can answer this question for you, you have to figure out what works for YOU and your shooting style.

I started with the MSR reticle in a Steiner M5. Thought the reticle was great, lots of people raving about it online. I then started shooting PRS matches, and while the MSR sufficed (no doubt, it's a good reticle) - I wound up upgrading to a Khales K624i with a SKMR-3 reticle. It has .2 mil hash marks for windage, and a "Christmas tree" style elevation/windeage combination - this makes for very accurate wind and elevation holds when you don't have time to dial on the clock.

My ELR scope is a K624i with an AMR reticle. Different purpose, different reticle. This reticle has .2mil wind and elevation etches in the reticle, allowing for very precise holdovers throughout the entire elevation range of the reticle - great for very long shots in which you max out the elevation on your turrets, and have to hold some large elevation and wind quantities with the reticle.

Ask 10 different people on what their preferred reticle is and you'll most likely get 10 different answers. Buy the simpler and more cost effective reticle, in this case the G3, and find out what works for YOU and your shooting style.
 
kthomas said:
Reticle preference is a pretty personal and subjective thing. If you don't know what you want in a reticle yet, I'd probably get the G3, shoot the #### out of your rifle, and find out what parts of the reticle you like, and what different aspects you may come to desire. No one can answer this question for you, you have to figure out what works for YOU and your shooting style.

I started with the MSR reticle in a Steiner M5. Thought the reticle was great, lots of people raving about it online. I then started shooting PRS matches, and while the MSR sufficed (no doubt, it's a good reticle) - I wound up upgrading to a Khales K624i with a SKMR-3 reticle. It has .2 mil hash marks for windage, and a "Christmas tree" style elevation/windeage combination - this makes for very accurate wind and elevation holds when you don't have time to dial on the clock.

My ELR scope is a K624i with an AMR reticle. Different purpose, different reticle. This reticle has .2mil wind and elevation etches in the reticle, allowing for very precise holdovers throughout the entire elevation range of the reticle - great for very long shots in which you max out the elevation on your turrets, and have to hold some large elevation and wind quantities with the reticle.

Ask 10 different people on what their preferred reticle is and you'll most likely get 10 different answers. Buy the simpler and more cost effective reticle, in this case the G3, and find out what works for YOU and your shooting style.
Click to expand...

Makes sense, I'll start with the simpler one, thanks.
 
Nobody’s mentioned the zeiss v6 scopes. Turrets designed by nightforce. Just got my v6 3-18 and I’ve owned nxs nightforce before. These turrets feel amazing and are solid steel underneath the aluminum caps and a good zero stop setup too. Glass better than nightforce nxs for sure
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom