First firearm, first build, first optic!

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arcatern

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Hello all!
This is my first post here.

I have a cz 457 stainless in the mail, and am very excited to try out a hobby, sport, passion, whatever word you want to attach to shooting.
The main purpose is to have fun, learn more, and have an eye towards the local NRL22 comps and/or hunting down the road.
I do realize that a gun for hunting will be set up fundementally different.

I am going to mount an MDT 20moa base, but beyond that, am at an impasse.
Do I get a relatively inexpensive (ex: Athlon NEOS 4-12×40 BDC) starter scope, go to the range, blow through a couple bricks of ammo, and become competent and comfortable?
Or should I just dive into the deep end and get something more suited towards the PRS comps down the road?
Examples would be Riton 3 Conquer 6-24x50 MIL, DISCOVERYOPT HD GEN II 5-30X56 SFIR FFP-Z-MRAD, Scorpion Target Master Performance 6-24×50 MOA), all of which I can get for ~$350
My local range is ~25-130yards, there's a range ~45 minutes away that's at least 400 yards.

Are those scopes going to be overwhelming?
Or stick with the old adage of buy once, cry once?
Thanks all.
 
arcatern said:
Do I get a relatively inexpensive (ex: Athlon NEOS 4-12×40 BDC) starter scope, go to the range, blow through a couple bricks of ammo, and become competent and comfortable?
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This!

Don't try to decide now...with zero experience...that your purchase will be the last, or that you will be able to choose the perfect firearm for life. You will want to try many types and models of gun as time passes, and will find that some appeal to you more than others. Personally, I think your making a fine choice that could serve you well for many many years, even after you move into other types of guns and other shooting styles. But you're not making a lifetime commitment...buy, trade, sell, borrow, broaden your experience base.

I also think that the scope you mention above is about the most you will want to start with in terms of magnification. I can't see a beginner really enjoying or getting the most out of scopes with 20x or greater magnification; they're bulky, heavy, not really all that versatile and more difficult to use. There's a difference between magnification and quality; a cheap high-magnification scope is...still a cheap scope, and it's likely producing a much poorer image quality than an equally-cheap but lower-mag scope. Typically, in my experience, a cheap high-magnification scope is practically unusable at the higher end of the magnification range, so what are you gaining?

Welcome to the wonderful world of shooting! Enjoy! :)
 
I’m not familiar with any of the scopes named but it appears the scope price point differences in relation to the cost of the rifle is minimal so I would buy whichever scope is better suited to your biggest passion.
The 4x SFP would likely be your best option for hunting assuming it has parallax set for rimfire or is adjustable down to close distance (50 or less yards).
If competition is the primary goal pick whichever scope in your price point is preferred by that specific discipline and go with that. There will be a learning curve but you will have to learn it anyway and trying to unlearn non competitive kit will just double the time and potential lead to disinterest in the sport.
The other side of the coin is there is no reason other than budget as to why you couldn’t set up 2 scopes/rings for one gun, once set up it wouldn’t take too much to swap and reconfirm zero for hunting season, that’s one of the advantages of a picatinny rail.
 
IMO, since your rifle is 'in the mail' you should go to a store and 'test view' different scopes to see what strength and reticle you may prefer. Hopefully you can 'look' at a few, with a 'target distance' across the street or more, so you can get a feel for what they offer. I agree starting with 'medium price' like Riton may be good to start, but expect too 'move up' at some point in your voyage.
 
There are a lot of great deals on EE on this site. I bought all three of my recent scopes on here. Averaged about 30% off retail costs. One scope was 50%!! And they were all in excellent condition.

my suggestion would figure out your highest budget number and go shopping in the equipment exchange.
 
I am going to suggest a different direction and one that I took... just get an Arken EP5, DNT The One, Bushnell Match Pro ED, etc... You can get the Arken around $700 and probably find one lightly used for a bunch less. These scopes are still on the modest end of what you see at matches, but they also may be all you ever need. After a couple matches with a cheaper scope than these, most folks are looking to upgrade sooner rather than later. Admittedly, I do not have any experience with full featured scopes around $350 at matches... pretty much everything I see is $700 - to whatever a Razor costs.

True, you will probably be shooting at 12=16x magnification, but you want the 25-30x to see bullet holes when you are practicing. You also want a really easy to used reticle, nice turrets, etc...

(Edit: If you can hit a match with a loaner rifle or scope to check it out, you will learn a ton about what scope to eventually get. Folks are pretty keen to share at the matches and let you try their set-up)

(2nd Edit: i just saw you have 400m... you definitely would enjoy a 25 power scope if you have the ability to shoot steel at distance. My Range has steel at 320m and shooting it with my 457 is my favourite activity at the range)
 
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Rod B said:
Spend as much as you can afford on good optics. You will not regret buying good quality.

A review of the Riton scope https://gunsamerica.com/digest/budget-riflescope-riton-x3-conquer-6-24x50-conquered-2/
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While I can not comment directly on this specific model, I went with a Riton 1 Conquer 6-24 x 50. My experience with this scope was somewhat different than the individual writing this review. I shoot a lot at 100 yards. I love the zero stop feature, and since Allen wrenches come in sets, the different sized screws were not an issue. O-ring damage is usually due to ham-fisted handling. I have had it on my 455 precision rifle for about 3 years. BTW, I am not a fan of illuminated scopes for target shooting, however they might be OK in certain hunting scenarios; my Riton 1 does not have illumination.

I have found that it tracks 100 % accurately, 100% of the time; something that is indeed needed when shooting at various distances, even out past 100 yards, 100% repeatable. I sighted it in using CZ dovetail rings at 20 yards, then checked the range of movement either side of Zero, I determined that 40 MOA Rail would still allow me to sight in at 20 yards, but dial up for ranges out past 300. Bought the MDT Rail, and the math worked! I have a bit more than 4 moa down adjustment remaining at 100 yards, and lots to go out to about 350 (may never need that much).

Adjustment is in 1/4 MOA, which I am familiar with, and it is very simple for me to use.

Clarity is on par with all the high priced scopes that some others have at our club.

This is not my first Riton, I have a 4-12 x 44 on a Zastava 6.5 x 55. It was my experience with it's quality and clarity that made up my mind to buy the second Riton. No regrets, for someone wanting to get into precision .22 I would certainly advise buying one like mine., and I would buy the same scope again, no question.

Steer clear of the Scorpions. I had one on a 455 17 HMR, and was never happy with it.

Here is my Rifle and scope set up:


IMG_1646.jpg
 
In terms of ammunition, rifles, rifle parts, optics, accessories, you name it; you get what you pay for nearly every single time. That being said there’s nothing wrong with not getting the hottest or fanciest accessories either, not every gun needs to be a flashy tack driving piece of art. Some of my favourite guns I’ve ever owned have been pretty shtty in theory but a ton of fun in practice.
 
Bigcrigger said:
In terms of ammunition, rifles, rifle parts, optics, accessories, you name it; you get what you pay for nearly every single time. That being said there’s nothing wrong with not getting the hottest or fanciest accessories either, not every gun needs to be a flashy tack driving piece of art. Some of my favourite guns I’ve ever owned have been pretty shtty in theory but a ton of fun in practice.
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But... throwing money at a project to buy accuracy and precision rarely works either. My project started as an older rifle, with a damaged stock; put it in a chassis, bought a brand new take off barrel (Case in point... Glad the original owner never shot it, or he would have kept it), When I do my part with Tac-22, it gives me 10 shot groups at 100 yards, under two inches, and occasionally, under 1" The weak link is not the hardware, it is the operator. Lots of ammo and range time is the key. One can not figure out what we need to improve our shotting, until we consistently can shoot up to the potential of the rifle.
 
Meroh said:
But... throwing money at a project to buy accuracy and precision rarely works either. My project started as an older rifle, with a damaged stock; put it in a chassis, bought a brand new take off barrel (Case in point... Glad the original owner never shot it, or he would have kept it), When I do my part with Tac-22, it gives me 10 shot groups at 100 yards, under two inches, and occasionally, under 1" The weak link is not the hardware, it is the operator. Lots of ammo and range time is the key. One can not figure out what we need to improve our shotting, until we consistently can shoot up to the potential of the rifle.
Click to expand...
Very well said!
 
arcatern said:
Hello all!
This is my first post here.

I have a cz 457 stainless in the mail, and am very excited to try out a hobby, sport, passion, whatever word you want to attach to shooting.
The main purpose is to have fun, learn more, and have an eye towards the local NRL22 comps and/or hunting down the road.
I do realize that a gun for hunting will be set up fundementally different.

I am going to mount an MDT 20moa base, but beyond that, am at an impasse.
Do I get a relatively inexpensive (ex: Athlon NEOS 4-12×40 BDC) starter scope, go to the range, blow through a couple bricks of ammo, and become competent and comfortable?
Or should I just dive into the deep end and get something more suited towards the PRS comps down the road?
Examples would be Riton 3 Conquer 6-24x50 MIL, DISCOVERYOPT HD GEN II 5-30X56 SFIR FFP-Z-MRAD, Scorpion Target Master Performance 6-24×50 MOA), all of which I can get for ~$350
My local range is ~25-130yards, there's a range ~45 minutes away that's at least 400 yards.

Are those scopes going to be overwhelming?
Or stick with the old adage of buy once, cry once?
Thanks all.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the game!

First, do you know anyone who is into guns/shooting? Having a mentor in some capacity is highly worthwhile, that usually also brings in the side benefits of being able to check out their rifles, optics ect and possibly even have them help you set up your first build. Being able to get behind a range of optics in different classes and magnification ranges will help you narrow down the options.

What is your max budget for the optic?
 
apex survival said:
Welcome to the game!

First, do you know anyone who is into guns/shooting? Having a mentor in some capacity is highly worthwhile, that usually also brings in the side benefits of being able to check out their rifles, optics ect and possibly even have them help you set up your first build. Being able to get behind a range of optics in different classes and magnification ranges will help you narrow down the options.

What is your max budget for the optic?
Click to expand...
So update, I grabbed something less expensive than I was initially thinking of. Bushnell 4-12 with ao for $65, brand new takeoff. I figure that gets me out the door and to the range and woods and will help me decide what way to go down to later at a low cost. I was getting stuck between “will this be too much scope?” With tactical ones for maaayybbeee doing PRS and more hunting style scopes to move to an eventual bigger firearm so I made the call and will grow and learn and go from there.
 
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