Vortex Viper PST Gen II 2-10x32 FFP vs 3-15x44 FFP for precision 5.56 AR advice

[crosseyedshooter]

I recently ordered a Viper PST Gen II 3-15x FFP for my excruciatingly slow MWS build. I was eyeing an ATACR 4-16x but frugalness prevailed as I'm just a civilian doing shooting-sports. For the money I "saved", I started thinking about getting a matching scope for a precision 5.56 AR. The classic "SPR" magnification range would point to the Viper PST Gen II 2-10x32 FFP.

Now, I found both scopes for basically the same price and they have the same turrets/functionality. The 3-15x is about 1.5" longer and 2 ounces heavier, but has the higher mag range and a Christmas tree reticle. Would I be better off going with the 3-15x on the 5.56 gun same as on the 308? I'm worried I'll be missing out on the Christmas tree and the slightly different sub-tensions (.2, .3, .5 vs .1, .2, .4, .6 mrad) causing me some confusion when switching guns. What are the advantages of going with the 2-10x on a 5.56?

Also, the furthest I've shot is 200 yards but I'm planning to drive out more regularly to a 600-yard range, with steel targets, and take some long distance shooting clinics. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Eurodriver]

Go with the 15x. The weight penalty is nothing and the 5x of mag will be appreciated at 600.

Also, don’t worry about length of a scope. It doesn’t really matter in practice.

Good luck in your quest for a good optic to look through, cross eyed shooter.

[ceshooter]

I just finished up making a decision on this very same debate. I ended up going with the 3-15 to have the greater magnification and with the added bonus of it being cheaper than the 2-10 version. The only thing of note is that I went with the EBR-2D reticle as I like the numbers being out at the end of the ranging dots.

[joedirt199]

Depends on how much close up shooting you will do. 2-10 has almost 60' field of view on the low end. Put a 2-10 on my 20" AR that I plan on running in a 50-600 yards run and gun I regularly go to.

2-10 looks better and is less bulky. I have shot torso steel out to 600 with a 1-4 swfa so magnification is not everything. Now if you are shooting tiny targets the more top end would help.

[glockshooter]

FFP scopes are nearly useless at low power. The reticle gets so small at 2 or 3 power that you will have a hard time seeing it. So with everything else being equal I’d go with the 3-15 for the added magnification.

[irondude]

I would go with the 2-10. For 600 yards it is plenty of magnification and the 2X power works well enough at closer ranges. I think you will be happy either way.

[crosseyedshooter]

I decided to go with 3-15 so that I have the same reticle on both guns. I suppose that’ll help my learning curve as well. I found the 3-15 on closeout with the EBR 2D reticle. It’s a “short run” that Vortex did where the Christmas tree numbers are moved outboard and center crosshair is closed instead of open.

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[crosseyedshooter]

Got the scope in and mounted to my BCM just for kicks while I finish the MWS build. I want to call this a poor man's ATACR 4-16x42 F1. It's like a JV version with 30mm tube, magnification just shy at 3-15x, FFP Christmas tree MRAD reticle, 44mm objective, etc. It has 22 mils of total elevation adjustment, so I paired it with a 20MOA 1.375" Unimount. I'm looking forward to learning about long range shooting using this scope.

Another thing I noticed is that this reticle only has 0.5 mil sub-tensions for holds (.1 for ranging). It keeps the reticle uncluttered, but I see many newer reticles are going to 0.2 mil sub-tensions.

[crosseyedshooter]

So...I put the scope on my Centurion Arms 16” CHF upper that has a bipod mount. I’m thankful for the advice on the 15x as it let’s me spot hits on paper at 100 yards. At first it was distracting to see and I kept chasing my shots which caused larger groups. Once I settled down and focused on sight picture, loading the rifle and trigger control, I felt like I could begin to isolate my mistakes. I’m not very experienced with shooting groups, so getting immediate feedback was very helpful.

Below sequence was top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right. Trying different ways of loading the rifle, I found that I could basically call my shots by how the rifle felt in recoil. I could see how lateral force on the pistol grip or shoulder position behind the rifle could cause horizontal stringing. I also saw how loading the bipod and cheek-weld could affect vertical stringing even while using a rear bag.


Once I felt like I had the “recipe” for consistency, I went for a 10-shot string. I wasn’t able to hold my concentration for all 10 shots. I was easing up on the bipod and cheekweld or my body wasn’t positioned quite right. On three shots, I pulled the trigger anyway as I hoped for the best. I knew, as soon as I pulled the trigger, I had messed up. I could feel the rifle dip or rise as it recoiled instead of coming straight back. The three circled in red are the ones I called as soon as I pulled the trigger.


Random things I learned:

• A good cheek-weld helps with consistent loading of bipod/rifle. It’s worth the extra 4-5 ounces for a wider stock in precision-oriented application.
• Not sure why 1.5”+ scope mounts are so popular for ARs. The 1.375” Unimount feels right with a SOPMOD stock.
• Centurion Arms chrome-lined barrel shoots better than I can. I don’t know when a stainless steel barrel will come into play.