A good gun needs a good scope!!

[Remmington31]

I know that most people post about new guns or loads. My question is about a quality scope for my new .204. I think that I want a Leupold 6.5x20 Varminter reticle 30mm tube x 40 or 50 I am having a hard time finding out reliable info on scopes. This site has given me great info on all of my firearm question so I thought I would try my scope questions. I am looking for enough scope to pinpoint a crow,I have crow problems on my land) at 250 to 300 yds with out the cross hairs covering up the animal. Help please.

 

[Johnboy]

hello,just get a good target scope.the reticle is very fine.i would go with a cross and not a dot.

 

[StevePollak]

Remmy31-you definately are on the right track with a variable and the leupolds. Depending on your eyes, either a 4.5x14 or 6.5x20 w/fine xhair duplex should give you the ability to 'quarter' a crow @150-250yds.Steve-share your sport

 

[jo191145]

Nothing wrong with a Leupold. They're not the best optic on the market but better usually costs a lot more.
Another brand to look into is Sightron. Relatively new to the market but by most accounts getting excellent reviews.

Cry once,buy once. I have a drawer full of 'money savers' that did'nt live up to my expectations. An expensive lesson to learn.

 

[LHSmith]

For the use stated...I would stick with 40 mm, 1 inch tube with a fine dot or fine crosshair. The 204 is flat enough at those ranges to not need the Varminter reticle.
Remember: Keep It Simple Stupid....,no offense intended)
As long as Leupold maintains their excellent customer service, they'll have my business.

 

[cliffy]

NEVER Wrong with a Burris Signature Select 6-24X-44mm scope. This is the only scope I've found to date, that allows my shooting EYE, after Cataract surgery to simply hit the 10x ring with extreme reguarity. I've burned through five lesser scopes to date attempting to READ my target at 100 yards. Old age sucks, but Burris came to my aid at $565. New eyes cost much, much more. Berger 55 grain Varmint bullets seem to add to my pleasure of bringing me back into the accuracy game. At 67 years of age old eyes, I feel back into the accuracy game. cliffy

 

[mwood]

Have lately been using a newer Nikon Monarch Variable to 32 power with a 50mm objective. Yes Nikon glass is Very Very good,nice and bright), and this is a very comfortable scope with plenty of eye relief and not critical to head postion. It is a side focus, and also has an adjustable paralax. Nice price at $600 at Mid South.
I also have the popular Weaver 36T which does not compair at all.
It has the 'Nikoplex' cross hairs, which I like. Thick on the outside/ thin where they cross.....very nice. I have not seen a mid price scope that compares

 

[Dgd6mm]

Remmington31 if you decide you want a Leupold I may have what your looking for. 6.5-20x40 Vari-X3, 1 inch tube, stoney point target turrets, silver in color, fine cross hair. It's in excellant shape. 400.00 plus shipping,if you are interested send me a message.

 

[cliffy]

Getting RIGHT on target at 100 yards with a 24x scope takes some PRACTICE. Maybe more than just SOME practice. How about a hundred rounds a week spread-out through thrice a week? I shoot an average of 35 rounds a session throughout a week. I hope to not be bragging, but hope to inform about what precision with a hunting rifle takes. Being retired really helps my range time. My Burris Signature Select Scope has honestly helped my lock to shot times immensely. Getting fast and accurate takes practice, and more practice. The need to shoot regularily is not a wanna-do-it but . . . scenario. cliffy

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

Remmington 31 I have had very good luck with the Nikon optics, have two of them. I have a Nikon Monarch 3-12X42 nikoplex reticle on my .22/250 and a Nikon Buckmasters 6-18X40 on my .243 Win. The Monarch has better quality than the Buckmaster scope and I can tell you that I can count the leaves on a tree at 300yds. plus. Keep in mind that my eyes aren't worth a s--t at long distances but, with my corrective lenses on I can do this. Not bad quality for "intermediate" priced scopes.

Not to ruffle Cliff's feathers but I tried the Burris optics and they did not impress me. For what the Burris' are priced I think they are sucking hind tit with their windage and elevation adjustments. Not positive in feel or audible to know you just adjusted it 3 "clicks" up or down, left or right, or whatever the situation was. That was just my experience. Plus the clarity wasn't as good as my Monarch either.

Mike

 

[olympian]

31,

I would recommend an older 6.5-20x Leupold with target turrets, and a dot for varmints. It is easy to get overpowered in the field. Having shot a lot of different kinds of competition, unless I am shooting paper for groups, 17x is as high as I go. Wiggle plays with your head at high magnificant in the field. Even when shooting man sized targets at 1000yds., 10x power works great if the scope is clear. Really fine crosshairs are wonderful for paper, but I much prefer a dot in the field or silhouette shooting.

In experience, Leupold glass is significantly better than Burris. That said, if you ever look through a US Optics scope a Leupold (even top of the line) looks pretty bad.

 

[johnmyers]

I have a Leupold 6.5x20 LR with varmint reticle on my 17Mach4. I think you would like this better than LRT(50mm obj). Sets lower and is all you could need unless you use your windage and elevation dials alot and most of your shots are under 500yds. I use mine on prarie dogs and Indiana critters and the different lines on the varmint reticle are very accurate. If you are going to use it very much on yardages past what the varmint reticle is set for then you may want the LRT with the target type adjustments. You can't go wrong either way. Good shooting.

 

[cliffy]

I can, but rarely shoot at 24x. SCOPE quality does not relate to intense MAGNIFICATION directly. Yet, the higher the power of magnification, the more a given scope's quality-points faulter. Cliffy

 

[Rust]

My preference would be the 6.5-20 X 40 one inch tube Leupold with the fine duplex recticule. Smaller, trimmer, mounts lower on the rifle. In daylight, you don't need the larger objective for light gathering. More than enough scope for varmints out to 300 and beyond.

I've tended to avoid the "varmint" type of recticules because they don't match the actual ballistics of anything I shoot, they only work properly at one power setting in a variable scope, and my .223 varmint load is only down 9 inches at 300 from a 100 yard zero anyhow.

As mentioned, the KISS factor.

 

[cliffy]

Much as I like Leupold products, I favor the FAST FOCUS Eyebox design such as found within a Burris Signature, since I change distance often and swiftly. Even my Nikon Buckmaster is quicker to correct focus, power, and parallex is quicker than with my favorite Leupold. Hunting conditions change more swiftly than shooting at a paper target at a set distance. A rangefinder is a very useful instrument for hunting conditions, concerning a rapid change in scope adjustments. Cliffy

 

[Mikem]

One that hasn't been mentioned is the Bushnell Elite 4200 6X24, for the money its vary hard to beat. I have a Leopold 6.5X20,30mm and a Weaver T-36, but the Bushnell is just as bright and clear as the Leopold, and the turrets are smooth as glass, there a fine scope for about $500.
I don't know about there new 6200 Series, I don't have one of them.
M.

 

[cliffy]

My son's Bushnell 3200 pistol scope has broken three times, whilst my Bushnell Banner only broke once before I pitched it. A stout .454 Casull load will BUST-OUT the innards of many scopes in short order. Actually, an air rifle scope can take the most punishment of recoil, fore and aft, due to its purposeful gluing for fore and aft recoil. Cliffy

 

[Mikem]

Cliffy, could it be luck? My Bushnell is on a 6BR, so its not getting the crap kicked out of it now, but its got close to 1000 rounds of 6BR passed under it, and was on a 308 for 500+ before that, and still works great.
Don't forget, there guarenteed for your life, not threes.

 

[cliffy]

Yes Mikem, kicking the living crap out of scopes makes a wow-type difference. Yet, scope manufacturers must KNOW that their scopes will be used on a wide variety of firearms. So long as their "WARANTEES" hold true whatever the circumstance: Problem solved. Telling a customer that the scope was not properly Locktited in, holds no valid water, since some of us actually know how to properly secure a scope. Scope Failure is SELDOM the failure of "improper" mounting securement, rather than via improper securement of the scope internals. One should not have to spend thousands of dollars on a scope to obtain a STRONGLY-built scope. Cliffy

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I agree 100%. About a year ago I got a Cabelas Pine Ridge Scope 6-18x40 with the tactical turrets and my .223 Rem blew the reticle out of it while sighting it in. Needless to say, I steer clear of the really affordable scopes and shoot for middle of the road priced scopes of a reputable name. I would love nothing more than to top all my rifles with $1000.00 Leupolds but, my pocket book can't take that kind of abuse. LOL!

Mike