Looking for Long range scope recommendations

crowellsr

crowellsr

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I'm looking for long range scope recommendations to upgrade my Vortex Tactical FFP 6-24x50 that is currently on my savage stealth to something with more magnification to allow me to stretch out the range accurately to 500-600 yards.

I don't have the budget for Nightforce, sightron etc. so ideally if they are around $1000 that would be perfect.
 
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Magnification on its own is not what you need. What you need is clarity. That is something that typically only comes with quality glass. You do get what you pay for.

Look at the Athlon line of scopes, and dont be afraid to buy used if your budget is tight.

And when it comes to budget, underspending and upgrading later is always more expensive then getting the one you need right out of the gate.
 
Is it vortex pst or new diamond back? 6-24 is plenty of magnification for 600. Inexpensive optics with higher magnification will be a downgrade from vortex pst 6-24. You can buy a used Sightron 8-32 for under $1000(make sure it comes with proof of purchase for warranty), lot of good shooters have used it in f class with good success up to 1000 yards.
 
I was shooting out to 500 yesterday with a 10X, good "glass" is a must, however with my "old fading eyes" I acknowledge I could use some more magnification. Try the Burris XTR II series in the 3X15 range? other than that you might find something in your price range in the Leupold VX-3i LRP series? . $1000 is a tight budget for good glass IMO.
 
Keep in mind that being able to stretch your shooting range way out there isn't just about having high magnification but also about having good quality glass with great clarity. The 24x magnification top end you currently have is plenty to get you out to your goal of 500-600 yards. You might just need to upgrade your glass to some better quality and you will be fine.

I have a Sightron S3 6-24x50 that I bought off the EE a few years back and have stretched it out to 800m and I think it can still go farther if I do my part. The Sightron has fantastic glass in it.
With your $1000 budget you should be able to pick up a very good quality scope on the EE if you keep an eye out. I'm not sure what is available new for that kind of money these days but I'm sure others will offer their opinions.
Having fun tracking down your new glass!

KC34
 
The Sightron S-Tac 4-20x50 can be had for under $1000, I have the 3-16. It has a very fine reticle with a 1/4” MOA dot in the center and excellent glass for the money. Jerry from Mystic precision did an excellent write up on these scopes on here. That would be my choice.
 
calgarycanada said:
Is it vortex pst or new diamond back? 6-24 is plenty of magnification for 600. Inexpensive optics with higher magnification will be a downgrade from vortex pst 6-24. You can buy a used Sightron 8-32 for under $1000(make sure it comes with proof of purchase for warranty), lot of good shooters have used it in f class with good success up to 1000 yards.
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It is the Vortex Diamondback tactical 6-24x50
 
I realize clarity is important. It's not like I have a cheap Tasco on there now that I am upgrading, I put a Vortex Diamondback Tactical on it that I would like to upgrade and put the Diamondback tactical on my 223. The diamondback Tactical has pretty good optics just need to be able to magnify a little more.
 
I think what you're not getting is that more magnification won't really help you. For shooting to 5-600m, 6-24 is more than ample. In fact, you don't need a higher magnification for shooting to any distance, really. I run a few 5-25x scopes and the only time I go over 16x is to zero or the odd time to resolve a very small target (like well sub-moa). In fact, depending on the weather conditions, you often can't zoom in much more because mirage gets bad (and these are a high end scopes, like 3 times your budget). The last match I shot, the furthest target was at 1445 yards and you guessed it, I never went above 16x.

See if you can stretch your budget a bit and get used Nightforce SHV 4-14F1 or a Burris XTR2 or Vortex PST 3-15x. When you compare them side by side to your Diamondback Tactical at the same magnification, you'll be surprised how much clearer they are. That's really what makes all the difference. You do get what you pay for and good scopes are expensive, unfortunately. C'est la vie.
 
If you need higher than 10 power to shoot 500 yards, you should practice more at the lowest power you have at a closer distance until your skillset catches up. I use a fixed 16x for 1000+ and its more than enough. And like everyone else has mentioned, its about clarity not magnification. The Diamondback isn't quality glass, its soupy at best.
 
I realize that clearer glass is a requirement but I also want higher magnification. The diamondback tactical does a fine job now but I want better clarity and magnification so I can see the target better for more precise aiming.
 
crowellsr said:
I realize that clearer glass is a requirement but I also want higher magnification. The diamondback tactical does a fine job now but I want better clarity and magnification so I can see the target better for more precise aiming.
Click to expand...

With better glass.....you DON'T need higher magnification.
 
If you're bent on staying within approximately the same magnification range, the Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 5-25 will be a substantial upgrade over the Diamondback.

Save a little longer and pick up a new one or keep your eyes peeled for a decent used one for a bit less.

Vortex haters are sure to disagree but the Viper PST Gen 2 is a really decent mid range optic.
 
Buy used. As good quality glass as you can get. Not as high magnification as you can get. That’s a big mistake I’d say. Get good glass for your money even if your down to a 10-15 power that’s plenty power with good glass
 
For SFP, consider Sightron STAC 3-16 or 4-20. Both will be well under $1k and has very nice glass for the money and features for LR shooting.

for more money and better glass, pretty hard to beat any from the SIII family with the 6-24 my fave... no issue engaging at 1 mile on milk jug sized rocks. The SIII family provides glass that punches well above its price point.

for FFP, Athlon has proven to offer tons of value... Argos BTR 6-24 is well under $1000. Surprisingly decent glass, solid tracking, useable features

for just over $1k, the new Midas TAC 6-24 FFP MIL. This scope offers a ton of performance and dead nuts tracking. Glass does play well with scopes costing more. This is my recommendation for shooters wanting an entry point into the FFP/PRS game. I have run my scope hard and tracking has been awesome.

If you can find used Sightron SIIIs, you will not be dissappointed.. except they are pretty much all SFPs.

Let me know if I can help

Jerry
 
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