BDC type scope

[nksmfamjp]

i have a 6.5x55 Swede Ruger rifle. It is about 8.5-9 lbs with a scope. Looking at my loads and bullet performance, it looks like I can cleanly take game to maybe 500 yards.

I have been looking a couple of scopes. I really want to do this all by bdc in an under 20 oz scope. I'm thinking Vortex Diamondback HP either 3-12x42 or 4-16x42.....or the Nikon Monarch 3 in 3-12x42 or 4-16x42. Other options? I prefer the vortex due to it's windage marks in the reticle. $500 is my absolute upper limit, but i'm way more comfortable spending $400. Although, don't hesitate to post something more if there is a better bdc hunting scope out there....I just want to know.

What do you recommend?

 

[Kimber7man]

For hunting, sub $500 IMO it's hard to beat the Leupold B&C reticle.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Do yourself a favor and just get a regular mil-dot or mil-scale or even MOA scale scope. There are literally 1000 more options for scopes that will then work and BDC's kinda suck because they're only really good for 1 bullet at one MV in 1 set of atmospheric conditions. Inside 400 yards it's not usually enough different to matter unless the game is very small but outside that things start changing dramatically enough to make for a miss or cruel wound even on large game with a large kill zone.

With an MOA or MRAD scale reticle you can get some generous soul like me (PM for details) to make you something like the thing below or make one yourself. That way you can tune and re-tune your BDC setup for the air conditions you'll be in and the bullet you're shooting cheaply (can't do that with a BDC reticle in a scope or BDC turrets on a scope very easily or cheaply or quickly) and you'll be able to engage targets much further out with MUCH higher confidence. When I do a BDC I use an image of your actual reticle and custom tuned ballistics tables and you get a DOPE card with the BDC that spans a wide temperature range so you can do quick reference from the BDC image or a more precise shot calculation from the tabular data.


This is the actual BDC and DOPE card I use in competition for my .243AI. The BDC is tuned for 60F. You can see that despite a .620 G1 BC and a MV near 3200FPS how much difference a little temperature makes when those shots get long. My Ackley is a bloody laser beam upside something like a .308Win, a 6.5x55 would be right about between those two ballistically.

 

[ramrod79]

I run the vortex HSLR on my 1000 yard gun it's 4-16 lightweight at 19oz repateble when using turrets plus has the BDC reticle in it witch is awesome for windage. My son uses a 2-10x44 HS on his 6.5 creedmoor I limit his shots so the no parallax thing is not an issue out to 500 yards but usually his shots are 1-200 or closer but I have his scope set up to use BDC reticle out to 600 works flawless.

 

[xsn10s]

I've run an old VariXIII 2.5x8 Premier Mildot reticle on my 30-06 for years. I just use the mildots for my range drops. It's originally set up for 500 yards with a Nosler 180gr Partition. With newer bullets it could go 600 yards with 1800 fps impact and 800 yards using the mildot reticle. I've hit small water bottles the size of prairie dogs at 450 yards consistently with the 180gr PT load.

 

[xsn10s]

I'd just buy the best glass you can get with either a mildot or MOA reticle and use the reticle. It's flexible to use with any rifle and you'll appreciate the good glass the longer you have it.

 

[xsn10s]

Another option is Primary Arms. They came out with a reticle for the 6.5 CM this year. Or they are going to. One new line is made in Japan and the glass is supposed to be pretty good. But I cannot attest to the quality of the glass or the knobs.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Another option is Primary Arms. They came out with a reticle for the 6.5 CM this year. Or they are going to. One new line is made in Japan and the glass is supposed to be pretty good. But I cannot attest to the quality of the glass or the knobs.

After having had a not small number of PA 4-14x FFP's come through my long range classes on student rifles, I'd have to report that their 4-14x FFP optics are anywhere from generally disappointing in any particular respect to downright unusable in every respect. Some early units seem to have been cherry picked for reviewers and reviewers were very generous. Longer term testing and data collection has yielded much less salutary results as being common.

That said, PA's top end Japanese made stuff that I've had first hand experience with have proven in pretty vigorous use to be decent optics but I'd simply avoid their bargain stuff like cancer.

The BDC's are fine as far as that goes but the 4-14x FFP's have shown too many with milky glass, shot to shot shifting POI and the turrets are; in the best of cases, plain garbage. Enough would not zero and had shifting zero's to become a real pain in my arse.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Well, after looking at scopes and considering what might fit my rifles long action and Ruger ring spacing, I'm torn between the Vortex Viper HS 4-16X44 and the Leupold VX-3i 4.5x14 cds wind-plex...I think I prefer the simple Viper bdc reticle.

The Nikon 6770 Monarch 3 4-16x42 is a close second or third...


Any advice?

 

[Gwine]

I have had the Viper HS 4-16x44 for 6 yrs and have been very happy with it. It has dialed accurately from 0 to over 700 yds and has always returned to 0. I just keep a card in the flip up cap with what the subtentions equal in yardage.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Nevermind, read OP's OP.

 

[xsn10s]

That's why I suggested PA scope. It's the only scope with a BDC ret built close to the cartridge he wants. Supposed to come out already but I haven't seen it. At 400-500 bucks it limits his choices and I'm not a fan of Vortex. Another option is SWFA scopes. Glass is okay and the knobs are repeatable. Better yet is finding an older Zeiss Conquest with mildot ret. But you have to find one already made as Zeiss won't install a mildot reticle in the older Conquests. At least that's what they told me the last time I called them.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I have to agree with the above posters PA view..I bought one--and gave it away. I thought the reticle was interesting but the build quality and glass--sucked! I would avoid. I have not seen the top end stuff..this one had the hud reticle and was about $245 dollars...

Ed

 

[xsn10s]

Yes the 4-14 PA is made in China and like I said the glass quality and knobs I cannot attest to. The new line that will have a reticle made for 6.5CM ( which should come close to the 6.5x55) will be made in Japan. So the glass quality should be better and more inline with the Diamondback HP. In anycase good luck.