Looking for scope suggestions/advice for starting long range

mr_magicfingers

Well-Known Member
I'm looking to put together a rifle for longer range target work and possibly competitions later this year. Most likely a Ruger Precision in 6.5 creed more. I shoot to 600 yards currently but want to take that out to 1000 yards as I get better. Before then, I'm going to get a new scope so that I can do load development on my stalking rifle. Seems reasonable to get something for target work now and move to the other rifle when I get it. The stalking rifle wears a 4 or 6 power fixed scope (Pecar) which isn't really up to the job of sighting in accurately enough for load development.

Have a budget of up to £1000, needs to be new as it's a business expense. I want FFP, mil reticle and turrets. Currently I can get the Bushnell 3.5-20 ERS with G2 reticle just within budget, or the Sightron S3 6-24 for a little less but with only a mil hash reticle. Any others you would recommend or suggest I look at or comments on these two lenses?

Thanks.
 
The Bushnell is getting something of a following as a newer entrant to the market. I would seriously consider IOR. There was an offer recently on a 6-24 variant bringing it into your budget - but the 3.5-18 is also a very capable scope.
 
I looked at the IOR, but the SFP is the one below my price limit, the FFP is a couple hundred higher, I've already upped my limit and can't really go higher. It's always tempting to keep pushing up though.
 
If you are looking for a scope purely for long range target shooting have a look at Fox Firearms Home - Fox Firearms They have gained something of a reputation for importing and selling reasonable quality scopes at bargain prices which you should be able to confirm by searching target shooting related websites. They have also gained a reputation for straight dealing and have a shop on Diggle ranges near Manchester.
 
I looked at the PST, it was on my original list, along with the bushnell 6-24 ERS. I was reading a fair number of stories of issues with them failing, although the warranty is very good. I thought pushing up the price range to £1k would move me into better quality but perhaps not.
 
I wouldn't worry about having FFp over SFP on the IOR its ret is calibrated to 12x so on 24x each MRad space is now 1/2 Mrad and the half markers are now 1/4Mrad so twice the resolution

at 6x mag its double

and the turrets dial easily glass is supurb

your welcome to look at mine tho im the East side of Dorset from you
 
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Plus one on the fox firearms. Scopes ... Amazing value for money & good lads to deal with .... I'm not doing long range but wanted a cheap but ok scope got load development on my .22-250 ... Wanted it in QR rings as I use drone pro NV on same rifle
I bought 4x16x50 and I can take it off / on & same zero very reliable ....& was mental cheap !
Used it on evenings for roe and works ok last light

Paul
 
Are you shooting a Tactical Match? I wondered why you wanted a FFP? Why mildot? Does anyone here use the tactical features of their scopes for hunting?
I shoot the odd longer range match and a FFP scope is at a disadvantage and a mil-dot is redundant as we are told the range to the target. The crosshairs of the FFP are too large at full magnification and in the Fly Match for example they can blot out the target altogether.
Mil-lines can be helpful if you do not have adequate dialed elevation but 30mm tubed scope by Vortex, S&B, etc will give the MOA you need to adjust with the dial without recourse to holding over.
When shooting people at long range (Tactical) the FFP is handy as the graduations are the same at all mag levels and the mil-dots or mil-lines allow quick, rough estimation of range by bracketing the human body or bricks, besser blocks or other known reference material between the grads and calculating the distance to your man. Windage can be estimated and allowance made quickly too. Then dial in the distance and let one go.
However many don't like the fussiness of a ranging reticle. I for one don't find them much use in target shooting nor in hunting as I mostly don't have the time to do the calcs and most animals vary a lot in size so a fixed reference is hard to find.
 
I am a relative new comer to long range shooting and dialling

also on a budget

i now have two sightrons
one on my .222 is FFP duplex and IR, I personally like the aspect of increased ret size as I use it for lamping and an easily seen reticule is an advantage
but at 3-10x the mag is a disadvantage at range.
The parallax is very precise
I have shot it out to 500yds but beyond that the picture is a bit of a guess on small targets

on the 300wm I just fitted a second hand 6-24x50 (£600 or so)
really like the glass, with solid clicks, covered turrets (it's a stalking rifle too so I prefer that)
its a sfp mildot which keeps the rest small at high zoom
the mildots are arguably redundant, I have inclined the mount system to give me 85 moa or 1700yds clear dialling

ffp for ranging is flawed in my opinion, holdover at longer range is not precise enough for me either
too many variables

i now have a decent pair of rf Binos and can do fixed distance targets with a full breakdown of inline to target and environmentals

have solved the physical issues now I just have to overcome the shooting ones!
 
Thanks for the continued replies.

I think part of the problem is that I don't yet know what I'm really going to end up shooting, which is why I was looking at getting a decent scope and putting it on my stalking rifle. Still learning about longer range stuff. Locally, I can shoot out to 600 yards at Millpool with some regularity. I can also go to Roundhouse on Bodmin for longer range stuff when they have days or competitions.

Regarding competitions, I know I'm not going to be interested in Target Rifle but F/TR sounds interesting. I'm also potentially interested in Civilian Service Rifle, but that limits me to .223 or .308 when I was thinking of 6.5 Creedmoor if going longer distance.

I would like to become a better shot, which can only help my stalking. I like the concept of the discipline of shooting to longer ranges, learning to read wind and reloading to suit my rifle and task. I'm not interested in bench rest or using huge tripods etc. I'm more interested in the practical application of using a 'real' rifle, something you carry around and the skills that would translate to shooting in the wild or on the hill. In the US they have 'precision rifle' competitions that seem to be more practical based and I guess that's the sort of thing that appeals to me most.

Reading about the Fox Rifle scopes has given me serious pause for thought. With a scope costing £150, I could pretty much buy a new rifle and one of those scopes for my original scope budget, get started in the longer range shooting and upgrade the scope later. That said, everyone seems to say spend the money on scope first, rifle later. I had been looking at a Ruger Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor but perhaps a more 'normal' style of varmint rifle would be a better option.

Tough to know where to start sometimes and where to throw the money. Any further ideas much appreciated.
 
Thanks for the continued replies.

I think part of the problem is that I don't yet know what I'm really going to end up shooting, which is why I was looking at getting a decent scope and putting it on my stalking rifle. Still learning about longer range stuff. Locally, I can shoot out to 600 yards at Millpool with some regularity. I can also go to Roundhouse on Bodmin for longer range stuff when they have days or competitions.

Regarding competitions, I know I'm not going to be interested in Target Rifle but F/TR sounds interesting. I'm also potentially interested in Civilian Service Rifle, but that limits me to .223 or .308 when I was thinking of 6.5 Creedmoor if going longer distance.

I would like to become a better shot, which can only help my stalking. I like the concept of the discipline of shooting to longer ranges, learning to read wind and reloading to suit my rifle and task. I'm not interested in bench rest or using huge tripods etc. I'm more interested in the practical application of using a 'real' rifle, something you carry around and the skills that would translate to shooting in the wild or on the hill. In the US they have 'precision rifle' competitions that seem to be more practical based and I guess that's the sort of thing that appeals to me most.

Reading about the Fox Rifle scopes has given me serious pause for thought. With a scope costing £150, I could pretty much buy a new rifle and one of those scopes for my original scope budget, get started in the longer range shooting and upgrade the scope later. That said, everyone seems to say spend the money on scope first, rifle later. I had been looking at a Ruger Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor but perhaps a more 'normal' style of varmint rifle would be a better option.

Tough to know where to start sometimes and where to throw the money. Any further ideas much appreciated.

Having gone down a similar route to yourself, and having tried and bought a number of scopes over the years, my advice would be not to skimp on scope quality. Whilst cheaper scopes may be optically adequate in reasonable lighting conditions, they often sacrifice the durability and precision needed in the erector tubes and turret assemblies for really precise long range stuff. There are a few cheaper scopes out there that make a decent fist of it, including the newer Falcon M18 which is very good, but by and large, it tends to pay to buy into better quality optics.

Your budget opens up some interesting options, especially if you were willing to consider good condition used scopes (and I'd be willing to bet that many hardly get removed from their gun cabinets over the years!).

People have already suggested the Sightrons and the Vortex PSTs and both are good scopes. Bushnell's Elite Tacticals are very good for the money, there's some pretty decent IORs out there around your budget and new to the scene is the 34mm tubed Delta Optics 3-24 x 56 ED OLT IR scope which is aslso worth adding and well worth a look. I use one of their HD scopes on my stalking rifle and it's excellent. Optically, I think they may even better the Bushnells and the Vortex.

Used, you would also do well to consider a good Nightforce NSX 5.5-22 x 56 as they're built like tanks, have some of the best turrets in the business and whilst not quite as bright as top flight Zeiss or S&B scopes have excellent sharpness and a choice of excellent, well thought out rets. I use one for LR shooting on my .223 and its perfect for the job. Heavy though, but that applies to most in this range for LR shooting.

You also occasionally get a good used Leupy Mk4 LR target scope crop up within budget but having owned a few of those, whilst good, the Nightforce is better imho.
 
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I managed to land a NF Br 8x32x56. For £500 and it tracks well etc ....older but I bought just for plinking longer ranges ..... It sits in QR mounts for that purpose and zeroed to match ammo....
So 2nd hand could net you a wee cracker

Paul
 
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