Which scope for new .243AI?

C

caveman741

Member
Rating - 100%
27   0   0
Location
swift current, sask
I'm trying to find a really good scope for a new project I have coming. It's a .243 AI with 26" heavy barrel with a 1:9 twist. I want to pay the same amount for optics I am paying for the rifle. Leaning towards the nightforce but if there are other suggestion would like to hear some positive input.

Thanks
Caveman741
 
I'd go NF all the way if it's in your budget. There is really only one reason that NF is worth using, and to me that reason is reliability and durability. Plenty of lesser scopes have adequate optical quality and mechanical accuracy and precision, but it sure is nice to not have to wonder if your scope is still zero'd after taking a bit of a bump in the back of the truck, or stumbling and knocking the rifle against a tree or the ground, etc, like you might with many other scopes.
 
Ya nf is the way it's looking, price isn't really a factor. I'm just winding what power and objective size would go best with this new set up, I am kind of new to the long range side of things, before I would just basically buy what I could afford but now with this high end rifle I really want to up the anti sort of to speak. I plan on shooting This rifle for as long as I can.
 
I am doing a similar build (6SLR), and am going throught the same debate right now. I currently have a Premier Reticles 5-25 and a USO 3.2-17 as well I have owned many Nightforce and Leupold MK4. What I can tell you is that the glass in both the USO and PR are phenomenal and I would say equally as good. USO has a better selection of reticles to choose from and more options to add to the scope (bubble levels, ARD, turrets, illumination, coating/color...)

While S&B are top notch optics, I will not be using them on this build. From what I read on their website, they only have a 2 year warranty. Please correct me if I am wrong because I can't believe that a $3500 scope wouldn't come with a lifetime warranty. The other fact that turns me off is that you have to send the scope to Europe to be serviced if something does go wrong.

March really look like amazing optics but again ,5 year warranty on a $3500 optic just doesn't cut it for me. I really like the 5-40x magnification though.

And then there were two! USO and Premier reticles. I think the new build will be wearing a USO 5-25x58. I also like their MIL scale MPR reticle, it has finer increments that just .5 MIL.

Good luck to the OP, there are many fine choices out there, I hope you find whars right for you!
 
I'm pretty sure S&B has a lifetime warranty. Having to send it back to Europe wouldn't bother me, since the odds are about 1000 to 1 that it'll ever need service ;)

There's no wrong choice between those scopes, though!
 
Sounds like it's best just to call them and ask about the particular model you're interested in, and get it right from the horses mouth. I've heard lots of guys talk about S&B lifetime warranty, but I just looked at the website and would agree that it is confusing.
 
I'm just going to bite the bullet and go with the nf on this build, if get to do my second build, which will be a later caliber, then will probably look into precision or USO. The more I look at USO t&e more I like them too. I am liking the precision as well but as was said earlier the recticle selection is better with USO.
 
Well after further research I'm finding nf to be the way to go, not only for price and reticle options but just because availability as well. I'm having hard time getting a hold of a premiere reticle distributor in Canada. Just because of all the places I can get a nf and the people using them I think it is the better option.
 
NF are very good scopes indeed and its hard to justify the extra $1000-1500 to get to that next level of scope. There is a difference in quality from NF to USO, Premier, S&B, March but over $1000 worth...well thats a tough pill to swallow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom