For what application?Originally Posted by Obscenejesster
Your first stated needs are too broad/vague to really nail down:
-You state that you are building a "Recce" rifle, however, the Recce concept is a precision 16" 5.56 carbine with a mid-range optic (the originals ranged from the TS30A1/A2 to NightForce 2.5-10x24 and even TA01NSNs). It seems to me that you are building a GP (general purpose) carbine that has a bias toward precision at the expense of slightly more weight. In the end, a decent barrel fed good match 5.56/.223 will generally turn in ~1.5 MOA, with plenty that will hover around 1 MOA and better. If 1/2 MOA is a concern to you, then you are looking for a precision carbine, and that performance will only be realized with higher magnification and a stable position (bipod or rest with rear bag).
-If you don't know what's more important, 1x or 10x, you don't have a clear purpose for the carbine. That's not really as negative of a statement as it seems. You can always get two optics and use them as appropriate. There are a few good mounts out there that have a high degree of confidence in return to zero.
-In 3-gun and 2-gun shooting sports, the 1-6 is the dominant single-optic type. However, since these competitions have the same stages/targets for all competitor divisions (which ranges from irons/1x optics to over 10x magnification in some cases in open division), they aren't all that challenging from a target detection standpoint. In the really real world of gunfights the usual conditions of a fight are that the target is immediately threatening and needs to be put down as soon as possible, or you are trying your best to find the dudes that are shooting at you.
-SHTF is a wildly broad condition to use and highly subject to imagination with little to rely on in the historical data section. In places where the S has hit the F in recent history the overwhelming consensus is not that people were running around shooting at each other with rifles; but rather that being inconspicuous and avoiding confrontation is the best plan for survival. That, however, does not necessarily take into account your individual preparedness, environment, support available, water and food availability, duration of arduous conditions, necessity for movement, transportation available, or threat specifics. I like to cover bases starting with the most likely and most dangerous possibility, and descend to the least likely and least threatening possibility. Most likely and most dangerous: lethal threat inside your bedroom while sleeping in the dark. Next: lethal threat inside the home in the dark. Next: lethal threat outside the home in the dark. Way down that list is "multiple lethal threats at 500 meters in daylight with spotter support". Contemporary combat operations kind of reverse the priority list. Being able to effectively engage individual targets in the dark at 500 meters is a real requirement, as is being a lethal threat in someone's bedroom in the wee hours of the morning. I'm not trying to lecture you, simply trying to help you nail down where your dollar is most efficiently spent based on your needs.
In the end, a decent 1-6 will let you effectively fight inside an enclosure in the dark and seamlessly transition to 300 meters in real world conditions, and out past 500 meters with a clearly identifiable target. I have used no 3x or higher magnification optic that I find acceptable for use inside an enclosure in the dark.
That's rough.Lastly, what scopes and what reticles would you recommend if I wanted to spend less than $1,000?
About the only thing I could recommend is the SWFA 1-6 if that's a hard number. Just remember that you still have to ship it and mount it.
The Leupy VX6 1-6 with firedot is interesting, but the reticle is lacking other than having a good dot.
For the 2.5-10/3-9 area, there really aren't any under 1k that I would recommend for what I think your needs are if you are going with a single optic. I really tend to stay in the over 1k range for precision hard-use, so my experience with lower cost options in this range is very limited and I would not feel comfortable making a recommendation.
The 5.56 is both under-appreciated and over-rated. 5.56 does well in its performance envelope, but just because I can plant bullets into a paper target at 1,000 meters on a nice range doesn't mean that the round is going to be consistently terminally effective at that range under realistic conditions. It isn't a death-ray. Keep expectation at 300 meters for terminal effectiveness. If you need to exceed that range, you need to step up in caliber.When it comes to practical applications of the 5.56 round, I do believe it is underestimated by many. I also know that our Military decided to use a 2.5x10 scope on the MK12 and I'm only going to assume they knew what they were doing. I'm also going to assume that during testing of the MK12, the operators deemed benefit from 10 power magnification. Am I wrong in this thinking?
A Mk12 is not a "sniper rifle". It's really a sniper support/DM rifle that has a home in the hands of a trained individual that is supported by other dudes with a healthy weapon/capability mix. They are fun/easy guns to shoot, but should not be taken to be the pinnacle of a general purpose carbine.
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