Help me pick a scope for my Dad.

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slipper

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So this is going to be a bit vague, so apologies. My Father has fading vision. He is also scoring a 22-250 off a buddy of his. Now he doesn't know what model, only that it's a higher end bolt gun. What I want to know is what magnification and tube diameter would be ideal for an old fart who wants to reach out 2-300 yards?
I was also thinking of going with something with a better warranty, such as weaver, Bushnell elite, or leupold( any others?). What should I consider regarding the reticle?What do you say? Sorry I am completely ignorant especially, as far as optics are concerned. Smiling face tongue stuck out.
 
what sort of budget do you have for this?

id suggest somthing with a long eye releif, a big eye box, simple reticle, and good glass.. but with out knowing what you want to spend its hard to suggest any brands or models, with optics you get what you pay for, a cheap scope with a ton of features, will suck when compared to a more expensive scope with less features. if possible once you have a few brands and models suggested, have your dad look threw as many as possible, every ones eyes are different and what appears clear and crisp to you, may lack some sharpness to your dad
 
My best tip for optics is buy the best you can afford. If you buy good the first time it saves a lot of money in the end. A 1" tube diameter is fine and will weigh less. For 200-300 yard shots I personally would get a 3-9x40 scope but if you are worried about things being too small for his vision then a something with an upper magnification of 12-18 may be better. I assume you will mainly be hunting coyotes with the 22-250? For ranges out to 300 yds with a 22-250 I would not worry about ballistic reticles or turrets. They can be useful but at the velocity that a 22-250 is travelling you can zero your rifle for 200 yds and have a normal hold on the crosshairs out pretty close to 300 yds. If you want something to help long range shooting I personally prefer a Ballistic reticle over turrets. Less weight and less movement and fidgeting when it comes to hunting. In terms of value for money spent the bushnell elite line is good. Leupold scopes are better but we pay ridiculous amounts for them here in canada. the VX-3 4.5-14x40 would be a nice choice. For the extra money I would buy a swarovski or zeiss over a leupold. If that is out of your price range and you are thinking of the vx-1 or vx-2 line then I would lean towards the elite series from bushnell
 
If his vision is declining, I don't think a top end 9x will be enough for smaller targets.
Anti up a bit and if he doesn't mind an AO, then I'd suggest a side mount adjustment knob
verses the forward AO ring.
 
I recently mounted a Vortex Crossfire II 4-12x42 on my M85 and it works great. I only paid $238.00 shipped to my door with a no questions lifetime warranty. You can't beat the clarity of the glass with a simple uncluttered retical for the price. With my declining sight I found the bigger objectives are better so stay away from anything less than 40mm for the objective.
 
stubblejumper said:
So he travels to the USA to shoot prairie dogs? I would be looking at the Zeiss HD-5 3-13X42.
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Sorry I didn't get your us comment. Is there a statute preventing the hunting of prairie dogs with this calibre in Canada. Or are you saying that there is nowhere in Canada that has 600 yards invite distance? Sorry I'm confused.

Back on track where did you pick up the vortex scope? That sounds decent. Is the warranty proven?
 
slipper said:
Sorry I didn't get your us comment. Is there a statute preventing the hunting of prairie dogs with this calibre in Canada. Or are you saying that there is nowhere in Canada that has 600 yards invite distance? Sorry I'm confused.

Back on track where did you pick up the vortex scope? That sounds decent. Is the warranty proven?
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There is nowhere in Canada that I am aware of that you can legally hunt prairie dogs.
 
stubblejumper said:
There is nowhere in Canada that I am aware of that you can legally hunt prairie dogs.
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Gophers. Saskatchewan, BC, Alberta...probably lots of other places.

To the OP...for a dedicated LR varmint rig I would find a used Leupold VX3 6.5-20x. If you can't find the reticle you like then you send it to Korth and have it changed. Nice and simple.
 
redmist25 said:
Hard to beat a bushnell 4200 2.5 to 10 for the money. Good quality and they are quite often on sale at LeBaron for around $299
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x2. Any higher power is a waste i think, unless you are using it on a bench rest to keep from shaking and wanna count the hairs on a gophers nose.
 
Really? 600 yards with a x9 or x12 scope?

Sounds like you need a varmint scope with a high top-end magnification. 16 or 18. Maybe even 24.

Higher magnification means you want a bigger scope too, something with 40mm lens only gives a 2mm exit pupil diameter at 20x magnification, and the human eye can handle up to 7mm or so. If you want a more detailed explination, youtube TiborasaurusRex and part 20 of his Sniper 101 videos. The videos are long, but full of useful info.
 
The decision isn't a simple one or rather it shouldn't be. Does your dad want a bdc reticle, a rangefinding reticle, will he be using a rangefinder, is he into spinning knobs? Does he want or will he use an adjustable objective? Reticle choice and magnification range are two very key components that need to be determined first off. Bottom line is that choosing an optic is more than what brand at what price. Do the research and list out your needs and wants for the purpose it will be used for. This makes it easier to narrow down the choices and results in a better suited optic for the job.

Tdc
 
My two cents - I have shot groundhogs to 450 yds on 14x with a 22-250. If your dad has fading vision, I would NOT go with a fine target reticle as you can "lose" the reticle in low light condition. As well, if he ever wants to try the coyote varmint, he may lose an opportunity (like me!) because the reticle center is nowhere to be found in low light.

I have sold all my high end optics in favour of a reticle I love - a compromise perhaps, but works for my long range target shooting and hunting. The scope is a discontinued Burris Fullfield II in 4.5x14x42 mm with the BDC reticle. If he's shooting prairie dogs, the turrets are steel-on-steel with positive feel and clicks so he can dial yardage - just not marked as well or convenient as a dedicated target turret.

Do some snooping on the net, you will see the $300 Burris put up against a Mark 4 Leupold without much difference in optical clarity, resolution or twilight factor. The reticle has tapered thick crosshairs should you need to silhouette against the horizon to acquire a target in low light, and the BDC is convenient with 1.5, 4.5, 7 and 11 MOA holdovers - works with a 200 yd zero to 600 yds within inches for most magnum and non-magnum cartridges.
 
blauber said:
My two cents - I have shot groundhogs to 450 yds on 14x with a 22-250. If your dad has fading vision, I would NOT go with a fine target reticle as you can "lose" the reticle in low light condition. As well, if he ever wants to try the coyote varmint, he may lose an opportunity (like me!) because the reticle center is nowhere to be found in low light.

I have sold all my high end optics in favour of a reticle I love - a compromise perhaps, but works for my long range target shooting and hunting. The scope is a discontinued Burris Fullfield II in 4.5x14x42 mm with the BDC reticle. If he's shooting prairie dogs, the turrets are steel-on-steel with positive feel and clicks so he can dial yardage - just not marked as well or convenient as a dedicated target turret.

Do some snooping on the net, you will see the $300 Burris put up against a Mark 4 Leupold without much difference in optical clarity, resolution or twilight factor. The reticle has tapered thick crosshairs should you need to silhouette against the horizon to acquire a target in low light, and the BDC is convenient with 1.5, 4.5, 7 and 11 MOA holdovers - works with a 200 yd zero to 600 yds within inches for most magnum and non-magnum cartridges.
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Really?
 
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