Five top scopes if money WAS an object

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I need a best bang for the buck. I can not afford 5 hundred or 1000 dollar scopes. I just can't afford it. I need a good bang for the buck scope. I have to scope two .223 rifles for 3 to 4 hundred yards max.

I know cheap scopes just won't cut it but I have to find a happy medium. The rifles I will be mounting them on is a S&W Sport and a Savage 11/111 both in .223. Not sure the Sport is really capable of prairie dogs at that range but I have taken them with this rifle out to 250 yards with a cheap scope. Problem is the cheap scopes are just not reliable over time. It took a crap on me not to long ago and had a short life.

Now I am trying to find a way to get the best I can afford and still service two rifles. I thought, and maybe this is a crazy idea, but can one scope really be used on two different rifles with success? I was thinking maybe spending a little more for one scope and using a quick change base be able to transfer the scope from one rifle to the other and back again while in the field. Lets say I sighted it in with the AR and made note of the settings. Then transferred the scope to the Savage and sighted it in for it and made note of the settings. Can I move the scope back and forth using the origins settings for each rifle and be sighted in? If so maybe I can get a little better scope rather than buying two lesser scopes.

Does this make any sense or am I just dreaming?

Anyway back to the total if money was an object what are the five best scopes?

thanks
 
Don't know about the five best , but here are a few I have used on Pdogs out to about 400 Yards . If you search hard ( or wait for Sales on New ones ) .... you can find them in your price Range : Used Leupold 12X or my favorite a Leupold 16X . Weaver GS 6.5-20 but the thin Cross-Hair and dot are tough to see with my eyes . Nikon Buckmaster 6-18X . Have heard good things about the Minox , but never tried one .
 
I have a Shepherd with the P1 reticle I will sell to you if you are interested. I ran Sheps when I first got the long range bug, but have now graduated to dialing range and shooting longer distances. For the 400 yard distance you mentioned, you can do pretty well with a holdover reticle like this. Check out the scope on the Shepherd Scopes website and PM me if you like the looks of the product.
 
hard question, I have used the falcon menace scopes with good results. You can find them used for 350-425. I like the ML16 reticle the best.

SWFA Riflescopes Falcon Menace Riflescopes

I have no expirance with Millet scopes but they are in that range and people seem to like them. they are second focal plane though, don,t know if that maters to you or not.

SWFA Riflescopes Millett Riflescopes Millett Tactical Riflescopes

I also have a SS scope, durable, great glass. this would be my first choice.

SWFA Riflescopes SWFA SS Rifle Scopes SWFA SS Scopes SWFA SS MRAD Scopes

Nikon, Leopold and Bushnell are solid choices too.

when picking a scope I determine what it needs to have and shop from there.

Low Light = 30mm tube and larger objective lens
Shooting multiple ranges = external turrets or bdc reticle
furthest distance / closest distance= power selection

I prefer some type of mill dot system.
 
Your two platforms are too different to use the same scope set up. The S&W will use a MSR ring setup to get over the front sight and that puts it several inches high on the Savage. 4X12 on the 223 Savage, like a Leupold or Nikon for <$300 discount. 3X9 on the S&W if it were mine. The limit on most MSR's are their short 16" barrels. That drops the velocity to about 308 speeds with bullets that are not even close in BC.

From the Savage the 223 is solid on small targets to about 400 yards with good ranging, Lasers don't pick up ground squirrels at that distance but their mounds will return pretty reliably. 12X is plenty at 400 yards and limits the mirage.

Just my $0.02

KB
 
I have always read and drooled over real expensive scopes not wanting to spend the money on them. in gander mountain they have binoculars from $2800 swaros to $99. I finally got to look thru real expensive glass. the swaros were no different at 150 yds which you can see in the store then a pair of bushnell trophy xlt 8x 32. I was with two other guys and made them and the kid behind the counter and they all said the same thing. I brought other guys there also. The busnell xlt's that were 10x and 12 x were not as good. leopold wind river for 119 were just as good. the bushnell 8x32 were 89 bucks. we tried 40 binos and the xlt's were the best.I have yet to see this much superior glass that I have read about. I feel if you can look thru that many scopes at cabelas gander etc. you will find what you want with spending a lot of money.others can do as they please
 
For me the best bang for the buck is a Tasco World Class. I still have one each on two of my rifles. The other firearms wear different brands. So it looks like I have more Tascos than anything else.
 
+ 1 on Nikon products, I have always thought they are a great bang for the buck,just picked up 2 of the discontinued Nikon 6x18 buckmasters for 250 and wish I had got more, and I have multiple ziess and leupolds,:rolleyes:
 
wildcater said:
For me the best bang for the buck is a Tasco World Class. I still have one each on two of my rifles. The other firearms wear different brands. So it looks like I have more Tascos than anything else.
Click to expand...
I will have to try one of those and the price is right
 
Kennibear said:
Your two platforms are too different to use the same scope set up. The S&W will use a MSR ring setup to get over the front sight and that puts it several inches high on the Savage. 4X12 on the 223 Savage, like a Leupold or Nikon for <$300 discount. 3X9 on the S&W if it were mine. The limit on most MSR's are their short 16" barrels. That drops the velocity to about 308 speeds with bullets that are not even close in BC.

From the Savage the 223 is solid on small targets to about 400 yards with good ranging, Lasers don't pick up ground squirrels at that distance but their mounds will return pretty reliably. 12X is plenty at 400 yards and limits the mirage.

Just my $0.02

KB
Click to expand...

If OP has picatinny rails on both rifles, the set up like I have on my wife's AR might (?) work ...

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f111/my-wifes-ar-115036/

... or like Eric's in #7.
 
Last edited:
Have you considered a Bushnell Elite 10x40 Tactical?
Great scope with mildots. $235 Cheap!
I know most shooters go for zoom scopes these days but really a good fixed power is still a great practical option. You have to ask yourself, 'how often do I shoot at something under 80yds'? If it isnt often then a fixed 10x may just be the answer and the Bushnell Elites are very good scopes.
I hunt long range with a Zeiss 6.5-20 but have 2 rifles set up with 6x scopes that set me back only $200 each (2nd hand Zeiss ZFs). They are great deer rifles right out to 300m.
 
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