Long range scope - which one?

[Big Sky]

Hey guy's I have pretty much everything I need to seriously pursue long range hunting. I have this super accurate custom built .257 Weatherby/Ruger. It shoots itty bitty groups that come smoking out of the barrel @ over 3700 fps. I have all the reloading equipment, a fine tuned rifle, good friends to help coach me along. What I don't have is a scope matches this rifle's potential and what I want to do in the field. I've looked at Leupold's Tactical and Long Range scopes, NXS, and Nikon Tacticals. I'm sure any of them are better than what I have. I'm also torn between dialing in the range or using one of the various bullet compensating crosshairs on the market. So I'm turning to you experts. What glass would you put on this rifle in order to consistantly make clean kills between 400 to 700 yards? Right now I feel like the 4-12 Leupold is like hubcaps on a Mercedes. I need a better match up.

One more closer to the rifle

 

[Len Backus]

I vote for dialing in the range.

 

[LewisH]

Very nice pictures. Thanks for posting.

Scope? Consensus is NXS.

 

[NYLES]

I vote NXS with R2, why dail if you dont have to?

and I cant see your rifle pics!

 

[Ernie]

Hey guy's I have pretty much everything I need to seriously pursue long range hunting. I have this super accurate custom built .257 Weatherby/Ruger. It shoots itty bitty groups that come smoking out of the barrel @ over 3700 fps. I have all the reloading equipment, a fine tuned rifle, good friends to help coach me along. What I don't have is a scope matches this rifle's potential and what I want to do in the field. I've looked at Leupold's Tactical and Long Range scopes, NXS, and Nikon Tacticals. I'm sure any of them are better than what I have. I'm also torn between dialing in the range or using one of the various bullet compensating crosshairs on the market. So I'm turning to you experts. What glass would you put on this rifle in order to consistantly make clean kills between 400 to 700 yards? Right now I feel like the 4-12 Leupold is like hubcaps on a Mercedes. I need a better match up.
----------------------------------------------------
I have both a Mark 4 6.5-20 and a 8.5-25 and both have Darrell Holland's ART Reticle. I like having the option of both dialing or reticle use and with ART I have 1.5 MOA increments all the way out to 24 MOA vertically and then the way the tics or dots are I have both 1/4 MOA and 2 MOA for wind doping. The 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 MOA can actually be seen when looking through the scope since it is an etched glass reticle.
Here is a a pic.

One thing about about reticle use is getting confused about which tic to use. I used to keep recounting which takes precious time in the field. The ART system solves that.

 

[Len Backus]

Ernie, I never knew any details about this reticle. Pretty neat.

 

[Ernie]

Len,
This is my favorite reticle hands down. The next scope I get with this reticle in it will be a FFP. I think it will be the ideal for big game hunting.
One other note on the ART that is unique.
The optical center of the scope is the 3 MOA line or dot not the main crosshair. Darrel did this intentionally to provide more MOA within the reticle.
Also, the horizontal line and upper vertical line is set-up in Mils for mil-ranging.

 

[Big Sky]

xphunter, now that is an interesting reticle. I assume they provide good information for how to use their reticle with the purchase of one of their scopes. What's FFP stand for?

 

[jwp475]

My favorite reticle

The 2 MOA spacing is ideal IMHO and for my use works perfectly for hold over or dialing or a combination of both....

 

[Ernie]

xphunter, now that is an interesting reticle. I assume they provide good information for how to use their reticle with the purchase of one of their scopes. What's FFP stand for?

FFP=First Focal Plane
In a second focal plane scope (found in the majority of variables) the subtension (distance between the lines/dots) changes when you change magnification.
In a FFP scope the subtension does not change when you change power. the downside is the reticle gets thicker as you turn the power up. For hunting this is not a negative. For precision shooting at small targets like PD's, I would prefer the thinner reticle in the SFP variables where the reticle thickness remains the same.

 

[Ernie]

Oh, I forgot to mention that Darrell gives all of the techical help you will need and you get some software to boot that includes some practical laminated range cards for use at the bench or in the field.

 

[Big Sky]

xphunter,
Thanks for the clarification. I've tried the Horus scopes, but was too much crap in the view to make it real practical. I'm liking that DH reticle. Any one else have any other suggestions? I tend to lean towards simple rather than complex.

 

[Ernie]

Big Sky,
Your Welcome.
If you are ever in the Gillette area, I would let you see the scopes for yourself. Of course, they are on specialty handguns. I don't have any centerfire rifles.

 

[Big Sky]

So were you the evil influence over Len?