Newb Questions for Precision Optics

[Doc. Holiday]

+ 1 for the shooter app. I love my Vortex 4-16 PST FFP mil/mil. Great scope and features for the money. It seems in your case that money is no issue. My dream scope is this http://www.laruetactical.com/scope-c...qd-scope-mount I know Mark is prob going to puke cuz it has a "busy" reticle, but I LOVE this reticle.

[Zach]

Another vote for S&B 5-25 H59. Very happy with mine.

http://www.schmidtundbender.de/en/pr...m-iilpmtc.html

[matemike]

For what it's worth, and illuminated reticle is almost useless. There's about a 20 minute window as the sun drops where it's slightly beneficial. Before that, you don't need it. And after that, it's to dark to see the target, and the reticle being lit up only makes it worse.

If you have that kind of money to spend, I'd get a Nightforce and add a NOD to the front of the stock. For 2k you can get a great optic and have 4k left over for a very nice NOD.

Other than that, you can go Schmidt and Bender.... But for .308 a 12 or 15 power variable FFP Nightforce is more than adequate. I never felt under glassed with a fixed 10 at 1000 yards. And any time I get on someone's gun with a 15 or 22 power, I dial it back to 10 or 12 for better FOV and less mirage anyway.

For AZ and the OP's application, yeah an illuminated reticle is basically money wasted. Just plan your bench time during bright hours.

But for more polar regions, Alaska, New Zealand, Siberia, and Argentina dawn and dusk (twilight) can last for hours during the spring and fall and all day long during winter months. An illuminated reticle could be very useful. Especially if the hunt of a lifetime were depending on it.



What is a NOD?

[Pappabear]

Night vision optical device

[Ring]

http://www.vortexoptics.com/category...II_riflescopes

http://www.vortexoptics.com/category...hd_riflescopes

[markm]

For AZ and the OP's application, yeah an illuminated reticle is basically money wasted. Just plan your bench time during bright hours.

But for more polar regions, Alaska, New Zealand, Siberia, and Argentina dawn and dusk (twilight) can last for hours during the spring and fall and all day long during winter months. An illuminated reticle could be very useful. Especially if the hunt of a lifetime were depending on it.

Noted.

[Inuvik]

A couple other places you might want to spend some money would be a nice rangefinder, and some sort of altimeter and thermometer. The Shooter App works great if you know your distance, altitude, and temperature.

My shooting partner has a really nice Leica rangefinder that works well. The last time we went shooting out in Nevada, we went to a new spot, and were off by about 2000 feet in guessing our altitude. This translated into a lot of misses and frustration. That 2K feet of altitude difference resulted in a 1.5 mil error at 800 yards.

[wilson1911]

Typically putting a 20 moa base on a gun will get the job done with most scopes in the medium price range and up.

I use a Nightforce scope ATACR, Vectronix/Terrapin range finder, Kestral w/Applied Ballistics and Nightforce spotting scope. The gun is a custom 338 Lapua Magnum. Where I live there are several 1000 yard ranges I can shoot at. I have had my gun for 8 months and I still have lots to learn. What I have learned is to buy the best glass you can afford, which should be a Vortex PST FFP, or a NF and a good base. Having all the other equip is nice, but not a must have.

If I had it to do all over again, I would have bought a Nightforce and any cheap bolt gun that you can upgrade the trigger. Shoot the barrel out, then you will be ready for more. Badgers are good bases, which you can move to your new gun later on.

I just saw I did not read page one lol. As it seems you have the cash go NF ATACR or BEAST, Kestral, and any bolt gun to learn on. If you decide to buy a high end gun first, you can bet your going to want some changes down the road.

If you have not built your gun yet, there is a gun shop here and he builds them for a decent price. His 6x47 Lapua shoots 4 inch groups at 1K all day. Matt shot a deer this year @ 867 yards verified with vectronix range finder. pm me if your interested.

From here I would find a good node on your barrel. Borrow a friends chrono to find your speed, then make a dope chart. Remember the fastest is not always the best. Most of the rest is learning your gun, breathing, trigger pull. Try to shoot 20-40 rounds a week.

This is to just make sure your going to like long range shooting, it takes a great amount of patience and learning make the long ones. 6x47L is a much better choice than 308, but requires reloading.

Do you reload ? if not I would start.

[teutonicpolymer]

I would look at Nightforce offerings and the SWFA 5-20X

I believe there is also the Bushnell something that has the Horus reticle which people like and I have been wanting to buy

and if you're in AZ you really don't need an illuminated reticle... I do suggest you get a sunshade though...

[Mariley85]

I have a Bushnell ERS 3.5-21x with the G2DMR on my .308 and could not be happier. I would gladly buy it again and again. For a scope in the sub-$2000 range, I don't feel it can be beat.