Need you guys help. Inexperience.

[Juneau]

Ok so my brain is absolutely fried trying to decide on a new long range scope.

I just bought a new .308 Rem 700 varmint.

Trying to decide on glass. My budget is $1000 +/_ $100,.... I 've narrowed my choices down looking at features and what I want. I have no experience with any of these and I need some pros / cons....

My priorities are:
Reliable tracking.
Max power range 20x to 32x.
Second Focal Plane
Non illuminated reticle / doesn't matter.
Glass Clarity
Some kind of ranging reticle,..not just mil dot,.
preferably moa/moa turrets/ reticle

my preferences are as follows,......somewhat in order,

1) Nightforce benchrest 8-32 ( a little high on budget, and hate the covered turrets and focus on end of bell.)

2) Leupold Mark 4 5-20x lr/t

3) Bushnell Elite tactical 6-24x50 HDMR Reticle ( love the reticle)

4) Vortex Viper pst 6-24

5) Nightforce SHV 5-20

Anybody have any reason for yes /no this one or that?

I dont like the covered turrets on the nightforce, but I know it will perform well.

How's the tracking on the bushnell?

Leupold Tracking??? good? no?

Vortex,.....ah just sort of leary being its a new company and I dunno about longevity.

I like the SHV,...but its got dinky little turret knobs,...and covered turrets which I despise.

Let me rephrase ....I dont range with reticle.......but I want some hold off/ bdc reticle,......not mil dots cause I don't use mil system
'

Im sorta strange I guess because I have to be turned on by the way something looks. There's some things I buy just because ...I Like it,.....doesnt always have to make perfect sense,...just something that makes me happy. Go figure.

 

[FearNoWind]

1) Nightforce benchrest 8-32 ( a little high on budget, and hate the covered turrets and focus on end of bell.) (clearly out of your price range)

2) Leupold Mark 4 5-20x lr/t (regardless of which reticle you select it'll be Mils)

3) Bushnell Elite tactical 6-24x50 HDMR Reticle ( love the reticle) (but you said you didn't want a Mil reticle and this scope's reticle is set to range in Mils)

4) Vortex Viper pst 6-24 (I don't think you can get this in a second focal plane configuration but it appears to come closest to the criteria you've listed)

5) Nightforce SHV 5-20 (has an MOAR reticle but it's center illuminated)

 

[Juneau]

The nightforce benchrest is only $1289.......I think can can scrape up the few extra bucks if I go that route. It looks fragile compared to the nxs,....

The SHV would work,...but I've read some bad reviews that say its not on par with other nightforce optics.


I like the G2DMR reticle,....I wont use it as its supposed to be used,...I just like it for all the wrong reasons.

I actually like the bushnell I just haven't read much about how they track? I like the big turrets to grab onto.


Theres a shop here that has the FFP Vortex Viper for $890. I checked it out briefly,...seemed nice,..but I dont really need the ffp. My targets are almost always at a known distance.

Yea the illumination doesnt matter,..I have no use for it,...but if it has it I guess thats ok. I just don't really want to pay extra for it.

Yes,..the viper pst is $750 for 2nd FP ....and $950 for FFP

I don't care for mil dot reticles,,...cause I find they obstruct the target at distance,....cover bullet holes etc,.....


More than anything I want something that tracks reliably,....and good clarity at distance.

Im not a sniper. I just go shoot at little steel plates as far as I can for fun. It ,makes me smile. If this wasn't fun,..and buying all the toys fun,....I wouldn't do it. So there's some things I buy just because,....I dunno,..they make me smile!

But yea,..I guess I'll have to settle for some sort of happy medium,....sacrifice one thing for another with limited funds.

 

[rcairflr]

Have you intentionally left out the Sightron SIII 8-32x with MOA reticle?

 

[nateisw]

Have you intentionally left out the Sightron SIII 8-32x with MOA reticle?

Sightron SIII does seem like it would be a good choice.
A couple others to check out would be the Weaver Super Slam 4-20, Burris Veracity line, and the Burris XTR II line. I have no experience with these scopes; just pointing them out as they seem to meet your requirements.

For what it's worth, in my limited experience, anything from Bushnell's Elite lines tend to track pretty well and I have heard that their lifetime warranty on Elite scopes is now supposed to be no-questions-asked like how Vortex's is.

 

[Juneau]

Sightron SIII does seem like it would be a good choice.
A couple others to check out would be the Weaver Super Slam 4-20, Burris Veracity line, and the Burris XTR II line. I have no experience with these scopes; just pointing them out as they seem to meet your requirements.

For what it's worth, in my limited experience, anything from Bushnell's Elite lines tend to track pretty well and I have heard that their lifetime warranty on Elite scopes is now supposed to be no-questions-asked like how Vortex's is.

Hmm,..forgot about the sightrons...will check them out.

I did look t the Burris XTRs and I was loving them until I read some reviews that totally turned me off to them,.....

Right now (got another window open) looking at the bushnell FFP 3.5-21 Elite Tactical. Little more money than I had budgeted, but heck if I find something I really like,...I don't mind spending a couple hundred more. Im thinking for what I want Im going to have to fork out 1200-$1300. Especially if Im looking at the nightforce benchrest.

 

[Juneau]

I want a LOT I suppose from the rifle Im building. I want it to be my toy, long range shooter,...but I also want to be able to hunt with it,...I hunt over bean and rice fields where a 600 yd shot is possible.

My daughter is dabbling with the idea of trying some F Class TR in the future,..and I might would let her start with this rifle,...Don't know if it's even doable.

 

[Barrelnut]

Juneau, welcome to the forum. Saw your intro post. Stay safe down there in the bayou.

The Vortex PST seems to be right in the price range with FFP, MOA and zero stop.

One thing you will notice on the forum is - seems most use Nightforce and Vortex. Both have great resale value in the forums and go quickly. That says something. Vortex is also valued for customer service and the life time warranty no matter who owns the scope. I use one on a 300 RUN and it dials actually out to 1000 yards and back, no problems. You wont go wrong with the Vortex.

I also use a Sightron III 8-32x56 with the MOA 2 reticle. It's a great scope, more for target use though for me. Sightron is also new to the FFP setups and their current ones seem to have a few issues, due to the very find reticles they use. They also don't have zero stop.

 

[Juneau]

Ok well I ordered one tonight.

After much research I went with the Bushnell Elite Tactical 6-24x50 First Focal Plane with the G2 Reticle.

I didnt want to go from the moa system to mil/mil,...but after some studying the mil system seems pretty easy think I can adapt to it easily. Makes sense too to have the mil / mil setup seems faster on calculations.

Everything I read on the Bushnell sounded good,...so I guess we'll see!

Amazon- Bushnell Elite Tactical G2 FFP Reticle ERS Riflescope, 6-24x50mm $870.44

Price was right, and I think it's going to fill my needs.

I watched some videos on the g2 reticle,...man I love it,..liking the mil system more and more,...I was a little intimidated going to that from MOA but its going to be all good.

I never did much ranging in the scope,..so now I'll have the option at least.

Hope I don't regret this

also bought some 6 hole vortex tactical rings(medium) and a 20 moa weaver base. Still came in under $1000!

 

[Juneau]

Juneau, welcome to the forum. Saw your intro post. Stay safe down there in the bayou.

The Vortex PST seems to be right in the price range with FFP, MOA and zero stop.

One thing you will notice on the forum is - seems most use Nightforce and Vortex. Both have great resale value in the forums and go quickly. That says something. Vortex is also valued for customer service and the life time warranty no matter who owns the scope. I use one on a 300 RUN and it dials actually out to 1000 yards and back, no problems. You wont go wrong with the Vortex.

I also use a Sightron III 8-32x56 with the MOA 2 reticle. It's a great scope, more for target use though for me. Sightron is also new to the FFP setups and their current ones seem to have a few issues, due to the very find reticles they use. They also don't have zero stop.

Thanks for the welcome.

Yea I see a lot of really high dollar rigs in here...jeese.....
I'm a poor ole police officer....lol,..some of you guys have rifles and scopes that cost half my annual salary!
I did check out vortex pst,....but I feel like there's just not enough track record yet on them....something about them bothers me ,..dont know what exactly yet. They are fine scopes though Im sure I'll own one before too long.

If I went nightforce,...I wouldn,t be happy unless I could get the nxs, and thats just outta my price range right now.

I'm going with the Bushnell for now, I think it's going to serve my purposes and be a good entry level scope for me. Besides it fits well in my price range and features set.
I was looking at the pictures post of some of the rigs in here, man my dinky little remmy 700 setup is like a pile of junk in here! lol

 

[ShootnMathews]

You got a fine rifle. You don have to have a $10,000 setup to hit targets. I've got a few budget guns that cost less than $800 scope and all that I would not hesitate to take a shot at a deer at 750 yards and I'm very picky about my shots. I despise wounded lost game. So that's saying a lot for the rifles.

I don't think you will be disappointed with that scope.

Good luck