Scope recommendation (unsure of magnification)
- Thread starter bottscuda
- Start date
You most certainly can depending on the thickness of the reticle, or you can simply bracket the target .
Cat
Everyone has their favorites of course so here’s mine as well, used it on .308, 6.5 cm, and .223 I liked it so much I got another one
Vortex strike eagle 5-25x56 was around 1200$ price may have increased a bit
Edit: bought the first one new and the second one here on the EE nib with scope caps (also nib) included for under sticker price!
Vortex strike eagle 5-25x56 was around 1200$ price may have increased a bit
Edit: bought the first one new and the second one here on the EE nib with scope caps (also nib) included for under sticker price!
NICE
I had several of the SS 16x42 for many years. They are a great scope for the money.
OP, you've had a lot of suggestions from people who mostly are posting what they have or what they want, with very few people taking into consideration what you will be shooting.
Honestly, at 300 yds, just about any scope will be fine. A basic 3-9x40 would work just fine. Remember, USMC snipers used 10x scopes to 1000+ yds for decades. 300 yds is so close you don't need huge magnification and for shooting paper on a range, you certainly don't need FFP or MIL whatever. Those are features used for field shooting and longer ranges and competition.
You'd be WAY better off, as a newbie, to buy a basic and less expensive scope and spend the money on ammo so you can practice and build marksmanship skills. A decent benchrest and rear bag will pay dividends way above that of an expensive scope.
I used ca. $400 scopes to shoot to 2000 yds. Back then we didn't have FFP or milrad turrets. We used a reasonably priced scope and learned how to shoot the thing.
A friend showed me a $450 Arken SH-4 4-16x scope today. We looked at objects at well over 2500 yds and I was quite impressed by the clarity of the glass. I'm sure that a $5000 scope would be better but that kind of money could buy a lot of other stuff.
Don't fall for the hype and ask yourself what features you really need and why. If someone says you need X feature, ask them why. Then see if the answer matches what you will be doing with the scope.
I didn't see what you will be shooting at- paper targets, steel, or maybe electronics like the Silver Mountain or Shotmarker targets ?
For fixed (known distance )ranges , by far I like SFP scopes because the cross hairs remain the same as the power goes up, and there is no need to use the reticle as a ranging device .
However, many shooters seem to prefer FFP scopes even on a fixed range.
If you are going to be switching distances on a fixed distance change , exposed turrets are nice but with a good optic that is clear, you can shoot the creedmoor easily ( and most cartridges actually) by holding over from 100 to 300 yards.
A Fixed 10 or even 6X scope id all you need .
I shoot my 4X hunting rifle at 300 and have killed deer at almost 400 yards with it by ranging the animals and knowing where to hold my reticle for a one shot kill, shooting at the range , and learning to use my equipment is the reason.
My only advice for scope brand is to talk to people at the range and possibly look through their scopes
Not everyon's eye will see the same clarity out of a particular brand if scope.
Cat
if you are chasing tiny groups, you probably want 6-24x magnification. Otherwise something smaller like a 4-16x will do.
That's a nice budget... lots of options at that range... if you want to save $, then the Arken EPL-4 checks all those boxes and more. For $500 ish, you get an optic that has no business being as good as it is. I have tested the 4-16x out to 800m in light so dim you probably shouldn't be shooting in... and wouldn't be with scopes costing 2x as much. The reticle, even in FFP is fine enough to be used for 22lr BR, yet still perfect at distance. One thing people overlook, and that a lot of more expensive scopes seem to miss , is eyebox and comfort. You can sit behind this scope for hours and not get fatigued by the glass. I've owned a BUNCH of optics, and shot through more than i can count, and you are hard pressed to find better at 4x the price... except maybe to cover the 5% of edge cases, 99% of shooters will never encounter.
That's a nice budget... lots of options at that range... if you want to save $, then the Arken EPL-4 checks all those boxes and more. For $500 ish, you get an optic that has no business being as good as it is. I have tested the 4-16x out to 800m in light so dim you probably shouldn't be shooting in... and wouldn't be with scopes costing 2x as much. The reticle, even in FFP is fine enough to be used for 22lr BR, yet still perfect at distance. One thing people overlook, and that a lot of more expensive scopes seem to miss , is eyebox and comfort. You can sit behind this scope for hours and not get fatigued by the glass. I've owned a BUNCH of optics, and shot through more than i can count, and you are hard pressed to find better at 4x the price... except maybe to cover the 5% of edge cases, 99% of shooters will never encounter.
I have high end Japanese glass and Arken and DNT as well. I won't tell you they are as good, but they are the best scopes in the price range that I've found and happily recommend them to other.
Prefer DNT/Arken to Bushnell Match Pro ED, Vortex Strike Eagle, Primary Arms GLX, to name a few comparables I've had my hands on.
Exactly this!
Thats because most shooters are mindless sheep following the latest trend and they have no idea why or what a particular feature is for.
There is no need to use the reticle as a ranging device with FFP... however it is handy that you can... at any power... unlike SPF which usually means you can only use the maximum setting.
Holding over is fine... for hunting. But if you actually want to make tiny groups on paper, holdovers aren't it... animals are big. Gross vital shots are trivial. .2 MOA is not.
This is excellent advice.
If you are doing more than just hunting... some features and options exist for other reasons than trends.Exactly this!
Thats because most shooters are mindless sheep following the latest trend and they have no idea why or what a particular feature is for.
I don't think anybody that is capable of shootingbin the .2's at 300 needs advice on scope selection .
Holding over when plinking at steel when not competing works just fine, and I doubt very much if tge OP intends on competing.
As far as reticles go at 30p I can hold where my 4x reticle goes to the thicker point and it works great for a 300 meter hold .
Otherwise , I'm shooting a much more powerful scope with 300 being the shortest distance I shoot at - or aperture sights .
Cat
Attachments
The OP specified 300yds, target shooting on a range.
Some good advice here OP, in and amongst the various comments. A couple of points:
-FFP isn't going to be of much benefit when shooting at fixed and known ranges. You won't need to use your reticle for ranging (as you already know the range), you won't be attempting to shoot at multiple targets at different ranges within the same shot string without dialing (it's not an option at most ranges outside of competition), your wind holds are going to be minimal to non-existent with a 6.5 at 300m, and if you're using you reticle to measure POA vs POI, it's likely to be at your highest magnification where any markings on your reticle will be valid.
-What size/type of targets are you planning on shooting? At any given distance, you're going to need a lot more magnification to see and correct shots on paper then on steel, given the reactive nature of steel. And smaller targets are easier to shoot with more magnification, though higher magnification tends to highlight the shortcomings of cheapest glass.
- why this rifle? As others have pointed out, 300m isn't much of a challenge for the 6.5 cm, and if you're not going to be hunting or don't have opportunities for longer range shooting, it's a lot of capability relative to what you're trying to do. I've got a 6.5 and love it, but aside from zeroing, I don't bother shooting it much under 600m because it's kinda boring, and $3 every trigger pull adds up. My 223 costs half as much per shot and presents some challenge at 300-600m. My 22lr is more like $0.25 a shot, and is an absolute blast at 300 (and very challenging to boot, especially when the wind picks up). All that to say that if you want a 6.5 as a range toy, you should absolutely get one. But there may be better cartridges for the shooting you have available to you.
As for actual optic recommendations, you may want to have a look at Sightron's offerings. They have a bunch of fixed power, FFP, and SFP scopes in the price range you're looking at and I've been very impressed with my S-Tac 4-20x50 FFP. Really nice glass for the price point, and no problem watching trace and spotting impacts at 1000m.
-FFP isn't going to be of much benefit when shooting at fixed and known ranges. You won't need to use your reticle for ranging (as you already know the range), you won't be attempting to shoot at multiple targets at different ranges within the same shot string without dialing (it's not an option at most ranges outside of competition), your wind holds are going to be minimal to non-existent with a 6.5 at 300m, and if you're using you reticle to measure POA vs POI, it's likely to be at your highest magnification where any markings on your reticle will be valid.
-What size/type of targets are you planning on shooting? At any given distance, you're going to need a lot more magnification to see and correct shots on paper then on steel, given the reactive nature of steel. And smaller targets are easier to shoot with more magnification, though higher magnification tends to highlight the shortcomings of cheapest glass.
- why this rifle? As others have pointed out, 300m isn't much of a challenge for the 6.5 cm, and if you're not going to be hunting or don't have opportunities for longer range shooting, it's a lot of capability relative to what you're trying to do. I've got a 6.5 and love it, but aside from zeroing, I don't bother shooting it much under 600m because it's kinda boring, and $3 every trigger pull adds up. My 223 costs half as much per shot and presents some challenge at 300-600m. My 22lr is more like $0.25 a shot, and is an absolute blast at 300 (and very challenging to boot, especially when the wind picks up). All that to say that if you want a 6.5 as a range toy, you should absolutely get one. But there may be better cartridges for the shooting you have available to you.
As for actual optic recommendations, you may want to have a look at Sightron's offerings. They have a bunch of fixed power, FFP, and SFP scopes in the price range you're looking at and I've been very impressed with my S-Tac 4-20x50 FFP. Really nice glass for the price point, and no problem watching trace and spotting impacts at 1000m.
Maybe not now, but since the OP did not specify any details on what his goals where beyond distance shooting, why limit him to "basic functionality"? There is no real downside to having a more capable optic, then if he has the opportunity to shoot further, he doesn't need to buy more gear later. Match the optic to the capability and usage of the rifle (hunting was never part of the requirement) and ensure some longevity and room to grow.I don't think anybody that is capable of shootingbin the .2's at 300 needs advice on scope selection .
Holding over when plinking at steel when not competing works just fine, and I doubt very much if tge OP intends on competing.
As far as reticles go at 30p I can hold where my 4x reticle goes to the thicker point and it works great for a 300 meter hold .
Otherwise , I'm shooting a much more powerful scope with 300 being the shortest distance I shoot at - or aperture sights .
Cat
Well of course, but advising the OP to buy something like a 10 -50 X scope capable of shooting tiny groups or high scores is not the best way to start either, I have seen it many tines over the years where a shooter ends up buying lots of high end gear without learning the basics first .
Personally I do not believe in starting off with top end gear , but many do.
However I was brought up into the shooting world differently than some and I believe one should learn to walk before they try to run.
The OP was asked exactly what their targets would be , and there was no response yet, so I can only assume they either found what they were looking for as far as their original question.
Cat
Last edited:
My two cents:
I have a dedicated Weaver Kaspa 2.5-7 x 32 on my Savage Axis 223. Regularly shoot it out to 200 yards (max range at the range) have no problems hitting targets at longer ranges. Fellas the scope is in your heard - learn how to shoot/hold overs/ bullet trajectories. Yes, I will post targets next time I am able to go to the range.
ivobb
aka ivob
circa 1967
I have a dedicated Weaver Kaspa 2.5-7 x 32 on my Savage Axis 223. Regularly shoot it out to 200 yards (max range at the range) have no problems hitting targets at longer ranges. Fellas the scope is in your heard - learn how to shoot/hold overs/ bullet trajectories. Yes, I will post targets next time I am able to go to the range.
ivobb
aka ivob
circa 1967
