Scope selection for Savage 110 ba lapua .338. Leupold vs nightforce? HELP!

[cirionrc]

Scope selection for Savage 110 ba lapua .338. Leupold vs nightforce? HELP!

Starting competition 2 year class all the way from safety, scoping, cleaning, ranging, shooting, and reloading and need a setup to get started. Got the savage 338 lapua already and the reloader, brass, bullets, powder, primers, Everything but the scope and rings. Gonna be shooting 800 to 2000 yards. I was looking at the leupold mark 4 er/t (Leupold 110083 MK4*ERT M5 8.5-25X50 FFP Mil Dot) or nighforce nxs 5.5x22x50 mildot. I know you gonna say nightforce. I agree BUT:

The nightforce is second focal plane which I am a beginner for long range shooting. Don't know how difficult the second focal place is, but also considered the nightforce atacr if I am going sfp.

The nightforce beast is ffp, but its also $3200, so which made me think back to the leupold mark 4. Its ffp. I JUST WANT A GOOD SCOPE THAT WILL KEEP ZERO AND IS CLEAR. Dont want to run into problems and don't want to end up having to buy another scope or different rings, but willing to spend up to $2300 but would consider $3200 - but REALLY REALLY trying to avoid that. Will a leupold be a reliable scope? Everyone says NF has best quality, but I would think a leupold would be very quality built as well. Do leupolds break

Also, mil dot / mil rad. / MOA. What is the easiest reticle to use? Actual Item: nxs NIGHTFORCE NXS 5.5-22x50 Mil-Dot C196 - Mil-Dot Reticle - High Speed .1 MRAD Turrets

The mrad refers to the turret right. 10 clicks for 1 mil dot?

Also I don't want to run into any problems for elevation such as having to shim the rail...Would the burris signature (Burris 30mm Xtreme Tactical Picatinny-Style Rings Matte Medium Package of 2 ) be the lowest rings I can use with either of these scopes? Any other suggestions?

I am torn between these scope options. Any help would be useful. I am trying to get started with all this so I can start the instruction. I am investing a lot of time on this and want to make sure I have the right equipment.

 

[MMERSS]

I have the 110BA with NF 5.5-22X56 NP-R1. What type of shooting will you primarily be conducting? If you plan to dial all your corrections SFP will serve your purpose. If you plan on needing to take quick shots and holdover the FFP may be a more suitable option. For big game hunting, quick shots tend to lead to more probability for disaster as such I prefer the SFP and dial without consideration for making a rushed shot. Mil/Mil or MOA/MOA; well this is relative to each person's preferences. If I'm ranging in meters I prefer the Mil/Mil scopes. If I'm ranging in yards I prefer the MOA/MOA scopes. As you see above my NF scope is MOA/MOA and the majority of hunting has been with others who have a good grasp of visualizing yards, feet and inches. If I shoot with someone from outside the US, they have a hard time visualizing yards, feet and inches and prefer meters etc. which make the Mil/Mil more conducive. I personally would recommend the MOA/MOA if you are accustomed to estimating corrections in inches but either method will work.

 

[MudRunner2005]

NF NXS 5.5-22x56 MOAR is one nasty piece of glass.

 

[Shane1]

Leupold makes decent scopes however I have seen to many canted reticles in them. My experience was 1 out of 3 in the mark 4 line. I have 2 nxs 5.5x22's and a vortex razor now. The benefit of night force is you'll never have to wonder if it's right, good glass, strong as hell, perfect turrets. Holds zero, accurate adjustments, positive zero stop. I'm sure one or two have broke over the years but if I had to stake my life on one scope it would be nightforce . Razor I can't say as I've only had it a year but so far so good.

 

[WyoElk2Hunt]

I have several Leupold and Burris scopes but when I got my new 338 Lapua EOL LRH from McMillan it came with a 5.5-22X56 Nightforce Velosity 1000 and I purchased another one from Extreme Outer Limits. After a two day shooting course from McMillan I am sold on the Nightforce scopes.

 

[X-man]

FFP is over rated unless you are planning to hold off or range at lower powers?
FFp is great for tactical matches.

More important than anything is the zero stop.
Once you start shooting at LR you will see why.

The 8-25 Leupy is not in the same class as the 5-25 IMHO.
Get the MOAR if you can afford it, but I see no reason for you to spend the money on a BEAST.

 

[ultraedge]

The ATACR has very good glass and mine have 132 to 134moa vertical adjustment. With a 20 degree rail I can shoot my EDGE past 2000yds without holdover. With my NXS5.5x22x56 I have to use a 40moa rail to get to 1935 without holdover. The ATACR is much better in low light situations. In normal daylight the NXS 5.5x22 is just as good.MOAR is a good reticle, but for daylight shooting, the NPR1 is hard to beat. My son had a MK4 but it is not in the same class as the Nightforce in my opinion. Gary

 

[snowpro440]

Buy the nightforce and don't look back as I have the 5.5x22x50 with zero stop and the 12x42x56 as they both track well and are very reliable clear scopes . Also when you do shoot long range you find out how important it is to have a zero stop on the scope you purchase. Its no fun trying to figure out where your zero is.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Buy a nightforce and have the knowledge that when you miss it was your fault.