an idiot's guid to scopes

bandit86

bandit86

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we need one, preferably a sticky. Something that explains all the scope lingo to newbs. Actually I am sure we have one but I suck at the internet, especially at "searching". (hence the idiot in title. cute, eh? ;) )

I am looking at a 308 rifle for long distance shooting and I have no idea what i need. actually there is a post just below this where the guy is aking exactly for that but I dont even know what featuees I want, let alone need.

I dont even rightly know how far I can shoot with a good rifle ina 308 caliber, but would it be better if it's a fixed scope and i compensate for elevation, or should I get one of those fancy adjustable scopes for max distance? (I have access to a 600 meter range)
 
i just read through all of those posts and I am no closer to knowing what I want. i like my 3-9 but a 4-12 would be nice if it is enough for 600 meters. I do like the sound of a bdc compensator. mildots sound nice if i can learn to use them. all that for $5-800?
 
bandit86 said:
i just read through all of those posts and I am no closer to knowing what I want. i like my 3-9 but a 4-12 would be nice if it is enough for 600 meters. I do like the sound of a bdc compensator. mildots sound nice if i can learn to use them. all that for $5-800?
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1) clear glass plays a much bigger role then magnification, mt S&B on 12x is way better for long range then say my millet on 16x.

2) a BDC in my opinion is esentially useless unless u shoot in the same spot same temp same weather conditions all the time. if you take all your data in +30, 1500m above sea level, in clear blue skys, but then go shoot, in 0, at sea level in the rain, its not goin to be any where near accurate and ur stuck with makeing guess shots, knowing your come ups in MOA/MILS will be much easier to fine tune for different weather with 1 or 2 shots.


mildots are usefull if u know how to use them properly, but it takes practice and a good "eye" for estimatng target hights if u plan to range with it
 
ultimate_monkey said:
1) clear glass plays a much bigger role then magnification,
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What he said.

all a scope does is help you better see what you are shooting at, that's it.

As for aiming and figuring out bullet drop, you the shooter need to do that

The best way to see what you are shooting at is to do it through crystal clear magnified glass. the better the glass the easier it is to see.

Buy the best you can afford.

I would rather a 6x clear scope than a 32 power cheap scope.

Once you narrow down the range and cost of scope you can then determine the power. 4-14 is almost always better than 3-9, just because the difference between 3 -4 (bottom end of mag) is negligeable but the difference between 9-14 (top end) can be significant. Keep in mind every single scope is a compromise and you cannot have everything you want in one scope, those scopes don't exist so you will need to list your priorities for what you want in a given scope for a given rifle and buy the one that best fits your 'needs'.

what is good for you is not always good for the next guy.
 
dizzy said:
What he said.

all a scope does is help you better see what you are shooting at, that's it.

As for aiming and figuring out bullet drop, you the shooter need to do that

The best way to see what you are shooting at is to do it through crystal clear magnified glass. the better the glass the easier it is to see.

Buy the best you can afford.

I would rather a 6x clear scope than a 32 power cheap scope.

Once you narrow down the range and cost of scope you can then determine the power. 4-14 is almost always better than 3-9, just because the difference between 3 -4 (bottom end of mag) is negligeable but the difference between 9-14 (top end) can be significant. Keep in mind every single scope is a compromise and you cannot have everything you want in one scope, those scopes don't exist so you will need to list your priorities for what you want in a given scope for a given rifle and buy the one that best fits your 'needs'.

what is good for you is not always good for the next guy.
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Very well said. Good advice there. Glass I agree is a key factor. I'm a big fan of the leopold scopes. But each to there own. I'll say this, buy once and save yourself hardship when your scope breaks or sucks because you did not spend that little bit more. Good scopes are costly which is a shame, but a fact.

I was a British sniper for 5 years and mildot is great. But useless without correct training or knowledge.
 
I have a book by John Barsness, in my opinion one of the best outdoor writers, "OPTICS FOR THE HUNTER". Very well written and explains, in simple terms, everything you need to know about scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and touches on rangefinders. See if you can locate a copy, well worth the money, in my opinion.
 
#1 You already have a 3-9x40. Buy the rifle, put your 3-9x40 on it and see how it works, replace only if neccessary.
#2 The U.S. military lists the effective range of a .308 at 800 yards and a 30-06 at 1200 yards. Take the 30-06, ballisticallly the .308 is not even close. Take a close look at a 270 as well.
#3 Download a ballistics program and start punching in numbers. This way you can confirm the most effective calibre for this range and you will start to see how bullets behave in flight.
#4 Once you study the charts you will find that a mil dot is a friggen' hoax unless you plan on shooting through a rediculous range of targets. No one sights in for 100 yards and effectively shoots out to 600 yards using the same settings. Changes in bulelt weight make a huge difference that the mill dot cannot compensate for.
#5 The 3-9x40 you already have may not work at 600m but at 600m you should buy a scope dedicated for this type of distance that way you have both a close in scope and a long distance scope. Think fixed power that way you save on features and gain on quality.
#6 Compare evey single scope manufacturer, ignore none. All of the big names are making great scopes.
#7 A 12x scope of decent quality is considered acceptable out to 1000 yards.
 
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if you believe that line about the 06 having 400 yards more effective range than the 308, i've got a bridge to sell- other than 200 fps velocity, there is NO APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE- kind of like how the army used to tell you that the effective range of the fnc1 was 900 meters, but the c2 could reach 1100 meters, and the ONLY difference was the heavy barrel and the different rear sight( the c2 was bigger and went up further on the dial) BOTH WERE CHAMBERED FOR 7.62X51 NATO
 
Actually both of you are wrong. The cartridge is only 1 factor in determining effective range. The weapon system and fire control system also plays a role in determining range. For instance, the C6 GPMG in a light dismounted bipod role is effective to 800m when placed in a coaxial role or in a sustained fire kit its effective range is increased. This is because in the light role it is not as stable (only a bipod) and the fire control system is very simple (iron sights) the addition of stability (SF kit) and a better sights (Optical Mag - coax) increases range. So if I have a .308 Win with a heavy barrel, scope with good FCS (BDC/Imp Reticle) I will have a further effective range than a hunter with a 300 WM and a simple iron sight or basic 3-9x40mm scope even though he has a more powerful cartridge.
 
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