Optics for service rifle?

Canadian eh!

Canadian eh!

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Getting down to crunch time for procuring an optic for my first year of service rifle and before I pull the trigger :D I wanted to get some advice from the experts!

I had asked Hungry this summer at CQB, which optic he would pick and he indicated with price no object a Leupold M4 2.5-8 x36 with M1 target turrets would be his choice. Hungry, I am quoting you here from memory and if I have it wrong please forgive/correct me.

I want something that will serve me well for a long time without me getting the itch to upgrade it. I had originally decided nightforce 2.5-10x32 mil dot/mil radian, but price has become a lot more of a factor for me (yes, my wife shot me down after hearing the price ;))and I have narrowed it down (I think) to these two.

1) Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9x40 which is a TMR reticle with Mil radian turrets, but no zerostop. Illuminated centre dot

2) Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x44 which can be had in mils or moa with matching turrets and a shim based zero stop. Illuminated reticle.

I already have an aimpoint that I am very happy with for CQB so this optic will sit only on my 20" AR for service rifle (Daniel Defense MFR tubular rail on order to free float it, yes Bolivar you made me do it!!) Mounting will be on a american defense mount as I can't find a larue.

Any other suggestions ideas for things I have missed? I want to be able to really see the longer distance targets my eyes are getting old, so some kind of illumination would be great as well!

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks guys!:ar15:
 
I quote below from an earlier thread in response to my wavering on getting the free float or not ::D

"Bah, spend her. That`s what I did. Damn internet shopping. Did you know that on line sites are open 24 hours" - Bolivar

:nest:

I just couldn't help myself after that!!

"I'd go with the 2.5x10 - it just sounds more tacticool than a 3x9. "

Leaning that way;) I have found one in stock and I like the concept of the zerostop turrets. Big bell on the front of it though.
 
Canadian eh! said:
MMMM yep too pricey :D

I am thinking I may need a bit more magnification for those 500 metre targets......:confused:

Happy New Year my friend!
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I have little trouble hitting targets at 500m with a 3.4x Elcan. I personally think the rules should limit scope magnification to 4x but until they do people will obviously run higher magnification on their optics.
 
I have had some success with scopes in the 1 1/2-5 range. A higher upper limit would be of benefit in the deliberates. Currently have a Leupold in this range retrofitted with target knobs.
Just today I was looking at a Bushnell 4200 2-8x32 which had finger adjustable knobs with proper scales. It looked promising.
Having repeatable, easy to use adjustments is important.
 
Canadian eh! said:
I quote below from an earlier thread in response to my wavering on getting the free float or not ::D

"Bah, spend her. That`s what I did. Damn internet shopping. Did you know that on line sites are open 24 hours" - Bolivar

:nest:

I just couldn't help myself after that!!

"I'd go with the 2.5x10 - it just sounds more tacticool than a 3x9. "

Leaning that way;) I have found one in stock and I like the concept of the zerostop turrets. Big bell on the front of it though.
Click to expand...

Busted. Damn. :D

I wouldn't worry about the bell. AR optics sit high anyway, same as irons. If you are concerned though, maybe get the scope first and get some idea of how high your mounts have to sit above the rail. Or do some simple math.

1/2 OD of the objective - 1/2 the barrel diameter should give you the minimum height needed for the mount.....I think.

Zero stop sounds like a nice feature too. As TimK recommended, I count clicks from my zero to the bottom of the adjustment range and keep that on the rifle, so I can get back to zero if I get f*cked up. Zero stop makes this unnecessary if I understand it correctly.
 
Leg said:
I have little trouble hitting targets at 500m with a 3.4x Elcan. I personally think the rules should limit scope magnification to 4x but until they do people will obviously run higher magnification on their optics.
Click to expand...

I agree in principle, but untill SR matches are selling out again country wide it makes little sense to introduce restrictions.

Kind of like restricting shooters to unavailable IVI ammo.
 
I think if you are competing against military who are restricted to 3.4x then max mag should be 4x. But GL is right, we'd just be turning folks away unfortunately.
 
I agree with Tiriaq. 1 1/2 - 5 seems to be a good all around scope for SR and CQB.

The Elcan is fixed 3.5 and the boys can shoot the #### out of a V bull as well as us civies can with our "space guns" :D
 
I still like that Leupold Mark4 M1 3x-9x- 36mm, that I shot with back in 2007, 2008, and 2009. I could even use it for CQB. Now the scopes coming out in 1.5 - 5 x these days are quite competitive. Many of them have target turrets to allow changes in elevation (rundowns) and windage (especially at 400m and 500m).

This past season, I've mounted an ACOG TA31F on my 16" middy flat top and I'll see how that comes along for the next season. A couple of weeks ago, a visiting 2VP soldier and I were were going over some CQB transition drills at my home club and he just loved the ACOG for CQB... mind you he's an excellent shot with his Elcan back at the unit and PWT shoots.

Now I wish the Trijicon folks would place/install some target turrets on their ACOG line. That truly would be sweet. :D

Yeah, Shortandlong, you are right. Once the match convenors start placing magnification restrictions on the shooters, the numbers will die off. One thing is for sure with the numbers of shooters I had to prepare targets for at the ORA matches, I really don't feel comfortable adding more restrictions. The mil shooters with Elcans still kick butts. :cool: All PRA's have to do is look at their match attendance to see what works and what doesn't work. We gotta get more black rifle shooters out and competing and not staring at themselves in the mirror (like I do :evil: )

:cheers:

Barney
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Not sure I am closer to my decision!!!:D

I appreciate the perspective on competing at a 4x maximum and I may go that way with this in mind. Ultimately I think this may come down to what I can find in stock at a price I can live with, but given your feedback I am leaning now to the lower magnification end of the spectrum.

The search continues!!!
 
Had one. Liked it. It failed during the walk back at NSCC. Sent it to the distributor. Received there Sept. 8th according to the tracking receipt. Not a word since. My messages have been ignored. Fortunately I had the Leupold - but only approximately zeroed - on my other upper.
 
FWIW, at NSCC last summer, the Open SR winner used a Nightforce 2 1/2 - 10 on an old Colt with a well used, turned down stainless Armalite barrel and tubular handguard. Second and third places were taken by shooters with Elcans, one on a box stock Eagle Arms/Armalite, the other on a SwissArms. Both these shooters are QM winners.
Skill is the single most important factor. You cannot buy shooting excellence.
 
tiriaq said:
FWIW, at NSCC last summer, the Open SR winner used a Nightforce 2 1/2 - 10 on an old Colt with a well used, turned down stainless Armalite barrel and tubular handguard. Second and third places were taken by shooters with Elcans, one on a box stock Eagle Arms/Armalite, the other on a SwissArms. Both these shooters are QM winners.
Skill is the single most important factor. You cannot buy shooting excellence.
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Totally agree with you, years of practice is the only thing that will get me anywhere near that level (if I am ever able to actually achieve it at all). I need to start with some kind of optic though, so just trying to narrow it down.

Looking at a interesting option on the EE right now, more news perhaps to come later today.:D
 
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