Advice on Scope Welcomed

[xsn10s]

I prefer a lower magnification scope but the 5.5-22X range is very popular these days. Here's a link for a scope and rangefinder that will get you around the $5000 mark. You might even ask for a combo discount

Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x56 .250 MoA MOAR-T -C507

At Precision Optics we are dedicated to bringing you the very best products and services at reasonable prices, so that you can spend less time looking for a deal, and more time dealing with what is really important: doing what you love.

www.precisionoptics.net

This one put's you over your budget. https://www.precisionoptics.net/Sig_Kilo_10K_ABS_HD_10x42_SOK10K11_p/sok10k11.htm

This one keeps you in budget https://binocularscanada.com/products/productDetail.aspx?pid=LRF302

Both have a ballistics program that gives you your elevation and windage adjustments for your scope for those long range shots.

 

[Earnhardt]

Can you post a pic of your Ridgeline with your Forum name in it?

 

[Unionsparky46]

Hello, I'm new to the forum, and fairly new to shooting.
Having moved from a large city, and never shooting a gun before, to living on a huge acreage, and now a gun owner.

I first bought a 22 long rifle, then a lever 30-30, but a couple weeks ago bought a Christensen Ridgeline 7mm PRC.
My new Christensen is what I want to get the scope for.
My budget is up to $5000, I've heard there are scopes that cost triple that, but they're not for me.
I know that I want at least a 50mm if not 56mm so it is bright. Magnification from say 3, 4, or 5, up to 24 or more.

Do any good scopes have built in range finders?

I'm not very good at guessing distances.

Will any scope fit on my rifle?

I have shot a few peoples rifles this past year with scopes on them, and noticed a huge amount of quality difference when looking through them, between cheap, and more expensive.

I like my leupold VX6-HD 4-24x52mm TMOA reticle. You can easily range with it, get a CDS dial for drop and their warranty is second to none. 2200.00 new is a deal for what you get. I will never purchase another brand of scope again besides leupold just because of how awesome of customer service they have. I might even post my Nightforce ATACR for sale here and get a Mark 5 to replace it.

 

[kfreeze]

I went with a nx8 4-32×50. Is it the most clear scope, no. I can still see individual pine needles on a tree about 900 yds away on 32× though. Being the 30mm tube and 50mm, it is lighter than the ATACR too. I went with that scope just for weight, range of magnification and good tracking. Kind of a happy medium of everything I wanted in a hunting scope.

 

[Husky user]

This story sounds too good to be true!

 

[Earnhardt]

I like my leupold VX6-HD 4-24x52mm TMOA reticle. You can easily range with it, get a CDS dial for drop and their warranty is second to none. 2200.00 new is a deal for what you get. I will never purchase another brand of scope again besides leupold just because of how awesome of customer service they have. I might even post my Nightforce ATACR for sale here and get a Mark 5 to replace it.

$2200 for a VX6 is a deal?

A Mark 5, over an ATACR?

Really?....

 

[Allen Kitts]

Nightforce is a great choice. I have them on most of my rifles from NXS's to ATACR's. They have worked great and the factory support has been fantastic on the rare occasions that I have needed them. With the amount that you have listed you can get just about anything you could possibly need. I have not looked thought a Tangent Theta or a ZCO but everyone on here raves about them. Optics are really a tough nut to crack for one size fits all. Everybody's eye's are different. I think my Nightforce scopes are clear as a bell but my buddy thinks his Swarovski's are clearer. Look at and through as many as you can get your hands on. The hard part, the cost, you already have covered now go find one you really like and that fits your eye. Good luck and let us know what you come up with.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

As others have mentioned, at some point it really comes down to your eye and personal judgement/preference. I walked down a line of someone who had a Leupold Mk5, TT, Vortex Razor Gen III, ZCO, and maybe a Kahles (I don't quite remember) all mounted to a board so you could test all of them. They all had great and exceptionally useable glass, and you really start splitting hairs over the minute and subtle differences in the glass quality. The problem is everything else on the scope is also a factor. For me, the Kahles have the best controls especially with the left side parallax but have the reputation for being fragile and a bit over priced. Vortex is stupid heavy and I don't like the process for zeroing the turrets but has a great warranty. NF ATACR is way over rated and I find the rotating eye pieces to be a lazy design holdover from the NXS and frustrating while using lens caps in addition to their reticles being unintuitive. Leupold has had reported tracking issues since forever. Brand loyalty and tribalism also plays a role as people try to justify whatever it is they have personally spent money on. At some point there is also the question of diminishing returns, is the TT really $2k better than a Vortex? Only you as the end user can decide that for yourself, and both will show you what you need to put holes in with great clarity.

The moral of this story is that each brand has its strengths and weaknesses, and there are a lot of other great brands out there besides the few "top tier" brands being constantly regurgitated here. I am partial to Element Optics and the Theos is one of the best combination of glass quality, weight, user friends controls/turrets, magnification, and reticle designs that I have found. It fits my personal needs and requirements and I also paid $2150 US for it as opposed to $5k. I would say there aren't any great range finding scopes on the market so I would factor a quality rangefinder into your budget as well since guns are addicting and chances are you will buy another one in the future so a handheld RF will be more universal. Revic, Sig, Leica, Vortex all make great rangefinders.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Lee7588]

Like others have said Nightforce, I like the NXS and SHV, and also Zeiss scopes. As far as scope with range finders Burris eliminator is one and there are a few others, not sure on quality though. Those with range finder that also adjust the reticle do take some knowledge of your ballistics. If the batteries die in them you are up the creek, you may do better learning your ballistics and dialing up your reticles.

 

[Lee7588]

Welcome to the forum

 

[azarcher10x]

Zeiss LRP S3. It's a bit on the heavy side, but the quality can't be beat! The 5-25 is awesome, and well within your budget. Most higher end optics use Schott glass, which is Zeiss.

 

[gpo1956]

Can you post a pic of your Ridgeline with your Forum name in it?

Kind of an odd request?

 

[6.5x300 WBY]

NF ATACR 5x25x56. This would match amazingly well with your 7 PRC. Amazingly well...Great scope and just about Bomb proof. Get a range finder with applied Ballistics software and learn to shoot. Better yet is take a shooting course and learn to read wind speeds. Kestrel also good but I have zero experience with one.
I have 2 NF ATACR 7x35x56 & 5x25x56 love them both.
I have 1 Vortex Razor gen 3 6x36x56 and absolutely love love it. Stupid amazing glass.

Best of luck

 

[chav0_12]

If I was going to be spending that much money I'd be looking at the Kahles or Tangent Theta, find something in 3-18 or 5-25-ish. Or, save a little bit of money and buy something almost as nice, which would still be a superb optic and buy a nice rangefinder with ballistics solving abilities. An excellent shooting setup would cost north of the $5k US.