What would you guys consider to be the best scope (any price) available for long-range varmint hunting with something like a .22-250. I'm thinking of small varmints like ground squirrels as well as larger critters like coyotes, and at ranges out to, say, 400-500 yards.
Best Scopes for Long-Range Varminting
- Thread starter South Pender
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waynewjw
CGN Regular
Leupold, Bushnell, Burris, Vortex, Athlon, Nightforce, Arken, Swarovski, Zeiss - FFP - take your pick, they will all do the job. Do your research, get out to as many gun stores as you can to look and find the glass that works best with your eyes. Determine if a christmas tree reticle, or mil dot or DOA reticle will work best for you. I would go christmas tree, adjustable parallax. They will all do the job.
You mention FFP, which I translate as first focal plane. I think I'd much prefer a second focal plane scope for varminting, as FFP scopes produce a really enlarged reticle image with thick cross-hairs when cranked up to maximum power, and this could obscure the target if it were a small varmint like a ground squirrel.
I really enjoyed the Leopold 6-18 target scope for my long range gopher shooting using a 204. More recently I run a Sightron 8-32 for gopher & target action, maybe a bit overkill for the gopher patch but nice to have the extra magnification when at the range.
I would second the motion that a second focal plane is preferred for gophers & such. The reticle can get big & prone to obscure the target as the magnification gets cranked up.
I would second the motion that a second focal plane is preferred for gophers & such. The reticle can get big & prone to obscure the target as the magnification gets cranked up.
Mystic Precision
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With the massive increase in interest in rimfire PRS, you will find that a number of new gen FFP scopes have reticles that will allow very precise aiming even at full mag. All the Athlon scopes I compete with have a teeny tiny dot in the center which doesn't cover much... other scopes share similar subtension... just check the specs from the manf.
The helos 6-24 excel in the 10 to 16X mag range which is what I would use if I were going after 'pop cans' .... all the way out to 700yds.
The FFP popularity also offers a wider range of scope options, features and price points.
Currently, my fave value/performance option is the Athlon Helos BTR G2 6-24X56... I have tried the 30mm 4-20 and it is also a fantastic scope but i love the wider field of view the 34mm scopes offer. The 2-12 is gaining a large following as a mid range DMR type option but the reticle is a bit too 'big' for my tastes.
I am about to test the 1-10 which might just be my ideal walkabout pop can getter.
If you prefer SFP, the new HERAS lineup shares the excellent new HD glass used in the Helos... all the good stuff features, reticles and heaps of elevation travel.
Not that you will need much travel with a 22-250 out to 400yds.
With new gen reticles, I would have no issue shooting F class with a FFP scope...
let me know if I can help with an optic.
Jerry
The helos 6-24 excel in the 10 to 16X mag range which is what I would use if I were going after 'pop cans' .... all the way out to 700yds.
The FFP popularity also offers a wider range of scope options, features and price points.
Currently, my fave value/performance option is the Athlon Helos BTR G2 6-24X56... I have tried the 30mm 4-20 and it is also a fantastic scope but i love the wider field of view the 34mm scopes offer. The 2-12 is gaining a large following as a mid range DMR type option but the reticle is a bit too 'big' for my tastes.
I am about to test the 1-10 which might just be my ideal walkabout pop can getter.
If you prefer SFP, the new HERAS lineup shares the excellent new HD glass used in the Helos... all the good stuff features, reticles and heaps of elevation travel.
Not that you will need much travel with a 22-250 out to 400yds.
With new gen reticles, I would have no issue shooting F class with a FFP scope...
let me know if I can help with an optic.
Jerry
Agree. For smaller targets at long range, SFP works better for me. - dan
I am just about to.
I am going to make a suggestion that nobody else has and my suggestion is based upon a couple decades of shooting gophers both for volume at fairly short distances as well as for accuracy at longer ranges.
A fixed power scope offers numerous advantages. My scope of choice is a Sightron SII 16x with Mil Dot reticle. Fixed power scopes are less expensive, lighter and they have a better image quality because the light passes through several fewer lenses. They are also tougher because there are fewer parts to get damaged or shaken out of alignment. The last benefit of a fixed power scope is that you see the exact same image magnification all the time. The reticle is always the same size, which makes range estimation considerably easier. You quickly get used to a gopher at X distance looks X size.
At one time I had four 16x fixed power scopes on my various rifles.
To head off the obvious complaint that a high powered fixed power scope makes it difficult to find a small target ... this is not true. I found if I looked at the target and then brought the scope up to my eye, it would be pretty close to where I needed it to be. I have shot 16x as close as 15-20 yds at gophers with no issues.
A guy who shoots at my range has a Leupold Vari-X III 8.5-25x40 AO scope he wants to sell. It has the thin duplex reticle and appears to be in very good condition with no marks on it that I can see. However, it is an older scope and would have the earlier, lesser-quality lens coatings that were available then (I'm guessing that it is from the 1980s or 90s). Korth has confirmed that they could replace the lenses with newer ones with better coatings, and so that might be one way to go. One thing I like about this scope is that it is light and fairly compact--weighing about 12 oz., I think. He wants $500 for it (but the replacement of the lenses would add another $180). What do you guys think?
I’ve never seen a Leupold 8.5-25x40. The 6.5-20x40 LR or the older 1” tube ones are excellent scopes. 500$ is a great price. Either in a fine duplex or VH reticle, I doubt you’d need a lense upgrade.
The x50’s are good but need to be mounted higher and become bulky for a field gun imo
The x50’s are good but need to be mounted higher and become bulky for a field gun imo
