Scope recommendation for F Class beginners

[bored184]

My father and I are looking to dabble in F-class next year and we are currently hunting for some budget friendly scopes new or used, around $500 max but $300 would be better. We do not want to spend a good deal of money upfront not knowing if we will even be able to shoot. In the past, every time we made arrangements to go shoot a match something came up. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. We live in East Central Indiana, if any one knows of any F class shooting in that area please let me know.

 

[Jdne5b]

In that budget range, the Weaver t-24 or t-36 is what I would go with.

 

[Sniper338]

^^^^^^

 

[Delfuego]

Here you go!

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/2-sightron-scopes.3933718/

 

[m1jeff]

Camp Atterbury. Central Indiana High Power club.

http://cihprs.wildapricot.org/

 

[ED3]

If you spent a bit more, and sought out a Sightron SIII, you could easily re-sell if you choose to do so.
If you decided to keep shooting F Class, you wouldn't be presented with the immediate temptation to buy another scope.

 

[mikeeg02]

Another vote for a little more and getting a sightron sIII. I have two 10-50x60mm, with MOA reticles which I love for the 850-1,000 yard steel shooting I do. I do pretty well with them too. That reticle come with 1/4 moa clicks, the target dot comes with 1/8th, but you can send them back in and get either the reticle changed or the turrets changed for ~130 if I remember right. Ill probably send mine in for turrets over winter break.

 

[bored184]

Camp Atterbury. Central Indiana High Power club.

http://cihprs.wildapricot.org/

Thank you! I will be emailing them today.




Thanks for the scope recommendations. I'll probably look into the Sightron SIIIs, I have a fews things I have been wanting to sell which would help bridge the gap from my max to that 650-700 dollar range.

 

[Brian H]

Thank you! I will be emailing them today.




Thanks for the scope recommendations. I'll probably look into the Sightron SIIIs, I have a fews things I have been wanting to sell which would help bridge the gap from my max to that 650-700 dollar range.

We are shooting a match this weekend at Camp Atterbury, I would highly recommend coming out and seeing what its all about. And if you wanted to get your hands on a sightron SIII before buying Id be happy to let you look through mine.

 

[JLT]

Another vote for a little more and getting a sightron sIII. I have two 10-50x60mm, with MOA reticles which I love for the 850-1,000 yard steel shooting I do. I do pretty well with them too. That reticle come with 1/4 moa clicks, the target dot comes with 1/8th, but you can send them back in and get either the reticle changed or the turrets changed for ~130 if I remember right. Ill probably send mine in for turrets over winter break.

I guess I'll pile on, too. The SIIIs are excellent scopes IMO. If you're going to be shooting mid-range for the most part, the 8-32x56 is a good tool for that job and you won't be horribly handicapped at 1K with that scope. I have 8-32 SIIIs on my two mid-range rifles and I've been very happy with them.

Keep an eye on the classifieds here. A good deal can pop up on a moment's notice.

Best of luck!

 

[bored184]

How do the leupold VXIII compare to the Sightron SIIIs? Their used prices appear to be about the same.

 

[Mozella]

I'd bet that if you buy an 8x32 scope you'll do OK at 600 yards, but I'll also bet you'll be wanting more power if you get hooked by the F-class bug (most do) and/or if you shoot much at 1000 yards. You may not want to go for more power for a while but unless your Dad's eyes are as good as yours, he might.

Unfortunately good glass doesn't come cheap. If you're really on a tight budget I would steer away from an expensive scope which you can barely afford because it's a low power model even if the brand has a good reputation because so many winners shoot the same scope brand in higher power versions. I own two Sightrons but they're 10x50 and I know I would NOT be happy spending much money on a 8x32 or something similar.

I also own a Mueller 8x32x44mm scope which is MUCH better than you would think judging from the $260 price tag. It's perhaps not quite as good as the similar Sightron, but it is a lot cheaper and it makes sense as a starter scope if you have even the slightest inkling that you will want higher power in the future. I used mine when I started out in F-class and it was OK, but not quite optimum so now I have a more powerful scope. I still use the Mueller on a "fun" gun.

They say "Cry once", but you don't want to wait for a long time saving money for an expensive scope and miss out on a lot of fun F-class shooting. On the other hand, you don't want to spend all your money on something you can barely afford now with the knowledge that it's not really suitable in the long run. I highly recommend the Mueller 8x32 to start with.

 

[JLT]

OK, flame suit, check. Thick skin, check. Prayer for patience, ready. List of elegant and witty comebacks, put away.

I would give the SIIIs the nod in just about every functional category. I trust an SIIIs tracking like I trust the sun to rise in the morning. You dial in 1.5 minutes, you get 1.5 minutes. You dial it back and you are exactly where you started from. The turrets are very good from a readability standpoint point and very positive to operate. Not as snappy as a Schmidt & Bender PM, but there is that $3000 cost difference between the two. I'll call the optical quality a toss up, because it's too early in the morning to start that argument. For a given magnification range, the Sightron will almost always sport a larger objective lens, thus giving you a larger exit pupil and a brighter image at the higher range of magnification. The 8-32 has a 56mm objective and the 10-50 has a 60mm objective. My SIIIs all render a perfectly usable image at the very top of the magnification range.

Leupold's customer service is deservedly legendary. I've never had to contact Sightron for a service issue, but I've heard they stand behind their products in similar fashion.

All things considered and roughly equal, I'd go with the Sightron.

 

[nakneker]

Used Sightron. You like it you keep it, you dont and it's easy to cash out. Most importantly it will give a fair chance to see if you like F class.

 

[Mozella]

........... snip.............

All things considered and roughly equal, I'd go with the Sightron.

I would too; in fact I have several of them and I really like them. However, the Sightron model I think the OP should buy, the 10x50x60, is double his maximum budget and more than triple his desired purchase point. Plus, he's gonna' buy two and that adds up to a big chunk of change for most folks.

Even the 8x32, which is not optimum for F class in my opinion, is out of his price range. You can't get good glass for cheap but if you don't have the money.......... well, you either wait and save for it which means you miss out on a lot of fun. Or, you shift to some kind of plan B.

As far as I'm concerned, a viable plan B would to purchase a less expensive scope (putting power above optical quality for the moment), get involved in F-class, and then buy the correct scope later on.

I'll agree with you that the Sightron 10x50x60 would be a fine choice.

 

[MislMan]

I'll second going with the Mueller 8-32x44mm scope to get started. I put one on my Ruger Precision Rifle (6.5 Creedmoor) to test the waters at 600 yards and F-Open. Used that set-up for about 800 rounds and liked it very much. Back in April, I switched to a Vortex Golden Eagle and really love that scope and it has helped raise my scores. The Mueller now has a home on my S&W Sport II (AR-15) for 100-200 yard fun shooting. There is a lot to learn getting started and prone shooting position was a bear for me (very bad back, 4 surgeries so far). Make sure you want to continue shooting F-Class before spending the big bucks on a scope since front & rear rests or bipod will factor in there quickly. I only shoot for my enjoyment so the RPR works for me as 'sort of' competitive.

 

[swd]

While it's WAY over your budget a used 12x42 NF BR can be picked up for $1000-$1200 and will resale for what you paid for it if you decide to get out. Easy to buy and easy to sell. And if you stay in it you'll never need another scope for F Class.

 

[Shawnba67]

i shot my first 4 matchs with a 14 power Nikon when i bought an 8-32 power my score went up 6 points. Just saying you can get the feel with what youve got. The guys you shoot with are gonna be great look through some glass before you shell out the dough for one you think youll like

 

[JBT47]

While it's WAY over your budget a used 12x42 NF BR can be picked up for $1000-$1200 and will resale for what you paid for it if you decide to get out. Easy to buy and easy to sell. And if you stay in it you'll never need another scope for F Class.

Great advice

 

[Cody Richardson]

Also check out Southern Indiana Rifle and Pistol club, in Borden IN, just 15 min north of Louisville Ky. We run monthly midrange matches as well.