Need Help, $500 max, 6-18 ish, good reticle.

[Jeff000]

I would have to say a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50. I have one and its great.

Its on my Savage M12 LRPV in 204 ruger.

It has caped turrets. I find that nice because you know they can't get changed in transport. The turrets are large and have very solid clicks. The turrets are "re-zero-able".

Remember that most $500 scopes are second focal plane. The reticle hash marks are only accurate at one power. So for consistent hold off you have to choose one power and stick with it, and under stand that the marks might not actually 1 mil or moa. Unless you are using the scope at the one power that they are accurate. I believe it is 14 or 16 power on the Viper 6.5-20x50. Mine is just a cross hair so I don't have to worry about that.

When your in the $500 price range worry about how the scope tracks before you worry about the glass.

With the Viper your in luck because it tracks very well and the glass is just as good or better then anything around that price range.

Don't forget the "If you ever have a problem, no matter the cause, we promise to take care of you." warranty. Even if you drop your rifle on a rock and smash off a turret. They will fix or replace the scope.

I think you just sold me.
14 or 16x is probably where I would have it most of the time, but sometimes i want to be able to really see whats going on when things are a bit far out yet.
What do you mean "re zeroable"? And what do you mean "how it tracks"?
And warranty like that is a huge plus.

 

[K0na_stinky]

I think you just sold me.
14 or 16x is probably where I would have it most of the time, but sometimes i want to be able to really see whats going on when things are a bit far out yet.
What do you mean "re zeroable"? And what do you mean "how it tracks"?
And warranty like that is a huge plus.

I checked the Vortex site and its 14 power where the subtensions are accurate.

By “re-zero-able” I mean that you sight in your rifle. So your shooting exactly where you aim at say 100 yards. Now the turrets are at random numbers. All you have to do it pull up on the turret and turn it until the number 0 on the turret lines up with the line under the turret. When you pull up it disengages the turret cap so your not moving the reticle.

You turn your turrets to compensate for bullet drop and wind. I reload for my 204 ruger. But I’m shooting a 39gr Sierra BlitzKings at 3800FPS. With a 100 yard zero my bullet drops 16.8” at 400 yards. So all I have to do is move my turret to 4 MOA up. Now I don’t have to hold over. I just aim where I want the bullet to impact. No guess work.

By “how it tracks” I mean that if I dial in 28.5 MOA up on the elevation turret to shoot at 1000 yards. It actually goes up 28.5 MOA and when I go from 28.5 back to zero I am back at my 100 yard zero.

To me, if a scope doesn’t track properly then I think its useless.

A local guy unintentionally tested Vortex’s warranty. When he was sighting in his rifle he had his turret caps off. He ended up dropping his rifle upside down onto his tail gate. The elevation turret hit first and stopped working. A guy from a local gun shop called Vortex and they said it doesn’t matter that he broke it and that they would fix it or replace it for free. I think he had to cover shipping though. But you can’t complain with that !