Scope Recommendations for ELR - both hunting and range applications

Gamesniper19

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I have a very unique situation and your opinions would help me solidify what brand and what scope I choose. The need is for 6 fully custom rifles that all need new optics. The rifles are made up of the following calibers:
22-250 Ackley - running 75 grain Amax at 3390 fps
6.5 CM - running 129 ablr at 3048 fps
6.5 GAP - running 140 VLD hunting at 3220 fps
7mm - 300 Norma improved - running berger 195 Elite hunter at 3190 fps
30 Nosler - running 212 eldx at 2935 fps
300 RUM - running 210 ablr at 2990 fps
338 Norma - 285 grain ELDM at 3105 fps

I shoot LR (up and over 1000 yards on the range and depending on caliber, sometimes on animals) with every caliber and hunt with everything but the 338 Norma. My goal is go with 1 scope brand that can cover precision shooting and hunting across their line including 1 reticle that will do both so I can match up every rifle. I am initially thinking of 3 brands (Kahles, Leupold, and Nightforce) and am open to your recommendations.
Lastly, should I wait until after SHOT and see what comes out?
 
i think you need to add target size by distance
Maybe this will help your thought on why do I need to add this parameter - all rifles are well below 1/2 MOA groupings. The largest being the 338 with a .41 group to .16 with the 22-250. The parameters and need are both precision shooting and hunting.
 
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well in that case put a 15-55 on each, or better yet an 10-80x.
you are lost if you think distance and target size do not matter
LOST?
Given someone does not build a 338 norma to shoot 300 yards and that a 22-250 Ackley would not be appropriate to take a game animal at 1800 yards. Lost....not at all...I assumed that with the calibers given and the max effective range of each caliber on BOTH animals and targets, I would not have to call out whether I wanted to hit a barn door or a thumbtack.
The idea again, is a line of scopes that will be relevant across the reticle, caliber, and need.
 
Wow - what a nice issue to have to solve! Given you have stated no budget to work within, Kahles and Nightforce are great options. NF is introducing a new reticle that is a simplified Christmas tree style that is getting great reviews (see Precision Rifle Blog recent post). Kahles SKMR reticles are also great.Agree with your desire to standardize to simplify, and do think you should stick to one plane (given your purposes - FFP seems more suited) and MIL or MOA, but don't mix them. For me though, having one reticle wouldn't be a necessity on the whole line, as your purposes have to sometimes be different.

As an example, with the overlap in calibers you have (eg, 6.5 Creed and 6.5 GAP; 2 30s and a 7mm) you may have built these for different purposes? could one have been built to be a light mountain rifle? If so, you might want to break from the K or NF lines and look at a March 3-24x42 for one of those. That gives you the ability to stay with FFP and do it in a 22.5 ounce package. if you feel the need for a larger objective, you can go with 3-24x52 and it only adds 2 ounces. You won't sacrifice glass quality with either. Anything K or NF FFP is going to be much heavier and the mag range is more limited (4 or 5 multiple, not 8).

One other bit - since you'll be hunting you will sometimes be at the low end of the mag range. The FFP reticles become very fine and hard to see in certain light and backgrounds, so get illuminated option for any you will use to hunt.
 
Wow - what a nice issue to have to solve! Given you have stated no budget to work within, Kahles and Nightforce are great options. NF is introducing a new reticle that is a simplified Christmas tree style that is getting great reviews (see Precision Rifle Blog recent post). Kahles SKMR reticles are also great.Agree with your desire to standardize to simplify, and do think you should stick to one plane (given your purposes - FFP seems more suited) and MIL or MOA, but don't mix them. For me though, having one reticle wouldn't be a necessity on the whole line, as your purposes have to sometimes be different.

As an example, with the overlap in calibers you have (eg, 6.5 Creed and 6.5 GAP; 2 30s and a 7mm) you may have built these for different purposes? could one have been built to be a light mountain rifle? If so, you might want to break from the K or NF lines and look at a March 3-24x42 for one of those. That gives you the ability to stay with FFP and do it in a 22.5 ounce package. if you feel the need for a larger objective, you can go with 3-24x52 and it only adds 2 ounces. You won't sacrifice glass quality with either. Anything K or NF FFP is going to be much heavier and the mag range is more limited (4 or 5 multiple, not 8).

One other bit - since you'll be hunting you will sometimes be at the low end of the mag range. The FFP reticles become very fine and hard to see in certain light and backgrounds, so get illuminated option for any you will use to hunt.


Appreciate the thoughtful reply. I am going to be all MILS all the time and have considered FFP as my first option given the parameters. Using FFP, I generally feel that anything with a starting magnification below 5 is not needed (hard to see). Although I do have 2 calibers that I would limit to <800 on animals, the 6.5 CM and 22-250 ai (use this mostly to shoot coyotes and other varmints), I may be looking for a more compact and light version of great glass. Something in the 15-18 power range where the rest of the rifles will need ideally at least 24 power.

The 22-250 uses AMAX for better accuracy and high speeds. I also know that whatever smaller game critter i shoot with that bullet going that fast, its game over. I use the 338 Norma as my range rifle 1500+ yards with match ammo only. I don't hunt with it. I purposefully made it a bit heavier and more robust to ensure a stable platform; and the rest as cross over rifles with dual purposes. If I do choose to get back into competing PRS, it will be the 6.5 GAP that will lead that need. I use hunting based high BC bullets in all the other calibers including the 6.5 GAP.

I am a fan of the Kahles SKMR and new nightforce reticle. Also like the Leupold TMR. My hesitance with NF is that in order to get their best glass (ATACR), I have to go heavy 40 ounces ATACR versus 32 and 30 with Kahles and Leupold respectively utilizing their best high end glass. The Kahles and Leupold HD series uses their best glass across the whole line.

Thanks for the March recommendation and with my unfamiliarity of the brand and having never been hands on, ill stick with the 3 lines I know and trust.
 
When I look at a listing of what some of the best shooters in the world are using to win matches and March isn't listed, I have less confidence with the brand being one of the best in the business and better than Leupold. I will stay with some of the brands that are.
Again, my preference is to say with the 3 brands I have experience with and confidence in...Leupold, Kahles, and Nighforce

Thanks
 

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My hesitance with NF is that in order to get their best glass (ATACR), I have to go heavy 40 ounces ATACR versus 32 and 30 with Kahles and Leupold.

10oz seems like the last thing that would stop me from a purchase on a target rifle.
 
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