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Absolute best scope to resolve bullet holes at 600 yards?

SHall

Silver $$ Contributor
I have been out of the 600 yard BR game for about 5 years due to colon cancer. I shot a match this month at Piedmont Gun Club (IBS 600) this month. By the end of the match, I felt like my old self. I hope to get back into the game full force next season. I know in the last 5 years their has been some great new scopes come on the market. Up through 2014 I had tried most all of the best scopes up through a 8-80x March. The High Masters had not come out yet. I am looking for someone that has real world experience and compared the best high power BR Targetscopes available today, either varible or fixed. I am talking about all the March scopes, S&B, Kahles, Nightforce, Valdada, Sightron, Vortex or any other high end scope. Like I said someone with a vast experience with the high end scope. Not to be rude, but I dont care to hear from someone that has tried one or two scopes or just read technical data and thinks they are an expert. I know you can’t see 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards in all conditions, but last Sat. we had some decent condition in the am, I could not see bullet holes with my older March 40x or older NF NXS 12-42 on 42 even in the white. I could easily see them through my KOWA 883 Prominar spotting scope. I doubt there is any scope that can resolve like my KOWA with Florite lenses, but is there anything made today that even comes close? Thank you for your comments, Samuel Hall
 
I can tell you that my Sightron SSVS ED is much much better than my Vortex GE for clarity, color, and resolution, and looks better to my eye than a Nightforce Competition though I've not owned a comp, just looked through it on a rifle at a range. It resolves 22 caliber bullet holes at 300yards in most conditions in a variety of target types and colors. The geared focus on the Sightron is a game changer compared to all other scopes I've tried. lancexxx can get you a really great deal on one if you're interested. I have the MOA reticle with zerostop, but would choose the target dot for a BR only rifle.

EDIT: Make sure it is the ED model. I believe there are only 2 SKUs that are the ED. They are not the same as the regular SSVS with the lower quality glass. Sightron really should have introduced a new product line instead of appending the new ED glass models onto the old SSVS line. I wrote up a review thread of the SSVS, and can go find a link if you're interested.
 
Sam,

The Best scope I have ever used that helps me see Bullet holes at 600 yards is my 12x52 Valdada Terminator. With the 40MM tube and a German Schotts glass it’s simply incredible.

The down side is it’s very heavy and pricey.

I’ve built two rifles around that scope and I attribute a lot of my success this year to the Terminator. Several matches I’ve watched the bullets hit the paper at 600. I see Bullet holes with this scope better than my pretty pricey Optolyth spotting scope.

Bart
 
SHall said:
I have been out of the 600 yard BR game for about 5 years due to colon cancer. I shot a match this month at Piedmont Gun Club (IBS 600) this month. By the end of the match, I felt like my old self. I hope to get back into the game full force next season. I know in the last 5 years their has been some great new scopes come on the market. Up through 2014 I had tried most all of the best scopes up through a 8-80x March. The High Masters had not come out yet. I am looking for someone that has real world experience and compared the best high power BR Targetscopes available today, either varible or fixed. I am talking about all the March scopes, S&B, Kahles, Nightforce, Valdada, Sightron, Vortex or any other high end scope. Like I said someone with a vast experience with the high end scope. Not to be rude, but I dont care to hear from someone that has tried one or two scopes or just read technical data and thinks they are an expert. I know you can’t see 6mm bullet holes at 600 yards in all conditions, but last Sat. we had some decent condition in the am, I could not see bullet holes with my older March 40x or older NF NXS 12-42 on 42 even in the white. I could easily see them through my KOWA 883 Prominar spotting scope. I doubt there is any scope that can resolve like my KOWA with Florite lenses, but is there anything made today that even comes close? Thank you for your comments, Samuel Hall
Click to expand...

Sam,

Glad to see you are feeling better and back to shooting. Good luck in your future matches. Sorry, no scope advice from me. :D:D

Paul
 
I bought the 10-60 and 8-80 March scopes when they were on sale recently. Both are very good for this. The 8-80 is better.

At our last 600 yard match I could see 80 percent of the holes with the 10-60.

Good to have you back!

An answer to prayer!
 
Terry said:
I bought the 10-60 and 8-80 March scopes when they were on sale recently. Both are very good for this. The 8-80 is better.

At our last 600 yard match I could see 80 percent of the holes with the 10-60.

!
Click to expand...

Sounds good. Quality optics just give ya more. I tell ppl....scrimp and save anywhere else, but be spendy on optics. (And trigger)

I'm curious....

What were the atmospheric conditions? Temp / humidity / mirage / haze / wind / ambient light. On a perfect day a good optic might could do wonders...

What caliber?

Thanx.
 
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garandman said:
Sounds good. Quality optics just give ya more. I tell ppl....scrimp and save anywhere else, but be spendy on optics. (And trigger)

I'm curious....

What were the atmospheric conditions? Temp / humidity / mirage / haze / wind / ambient light. On a perfect day a good optic might could do wonders...

What caliber?

Thanx.
Click to expand...
Temp 60-70, humidity 60 percent, MJ light early, moderate to heavy later. Wind 5-10 variable speed and direction. Mostly Lt to Rt. The range faces North. Sunny day SE early, straight on by noon.
6mm.
 
Terry said:
Temp 60-70, humidity 60 percent, MJ light early, moderate to heavy later. Wind 5-10 variable speed and direction. Mostly Lt to Rt. The range faces North. Sunny day SE early, straight on by noon.
6mm.
Click to expand...

Were 6mm holes still visible in the moderate to heavy mirage? That would be amazing.
 
garandman said:
I do need an explanation of how any scope at the firing line makes both mirage and haze disappear in the 600 yd in between it and the target.

As I say... I've been there n done that . When significant Mirage existed you could barely Differentiate the 10 ring which is 4 to 6" wide. This was with a 60X Kowa spotter

I hold no ill will to anyone who declines giving that explanation. :)

On a perfect day A-scope might could see bullet holes at 600. But when mirage and haze kick up A-scope can no more make them go away as it can remove a building from your line of sight.

I'm dealing with Scientific realities not magic. Maybe I will find a match and go look through people's scopes and spotters to see it for myself.
Click to expand...

One this post isn’t about proving to you that we can see 6MM HOLES at 600 yards.

Talk to any of the guys that shoot 600 they’ll tell you the same thing.

Come to and a match and I’ll let you look through the scope.

Bart
 
@garandman Sir;

READ the OP's original post. - To wit, "Like I said someone with a vast experience with the high end scope. Not to be rude, but I dont care to hear from someone that has tried one or two scopes or just read technical data and thinks they are an expert."

The thread has became "derailed" by "gray noise" not what the OP has asked for. - He's looking for "Real World Experience" which to me means someone who not only shoots regularly at 600 yds. or beyond but as well who has experience with several high end scopes.

He's not looking for arguments, conjecture, or a derailed thread.

Kind Regards, - Ron -
 
I have shot at ranges from 100-2100 yards.

Past 400-500 it is difficult to spot hits on paper, let alone see the actual holes.

I've used super high end spotting scopes of various makes, models, etc. etc. and had the same results at distances much past 400 yards.

x80 power, etc.

It's hard enough even to see solid splash on steel at those targets, and if you are lucky, you get some audible feedback as well depending on caliber of bullet, if others are not blasting away around you.

Bottom line: seeing hits on paper out at 600 yards is a significant challenge.

On the longer ranges, I've used cameras at the target that transmit the images back to a large monitor and then...easy to see hits on paper.
 
I haven't had it out to the 1k yard line yet but just playing with it at 200 and adjusting on the diopter I was impressed. The Sightron SV ED 10-50 is a couple steps above my Golden Eagle. I would put it ahead of Kahles for optic quality and would love to set it next to a NF comp at 1k for a comparison.. I honestly feel that once you get to a certain level of optic quality the biggest "factor" is your eye.

Ray
 
garandman said:
I'd just be really grateful for an explanation how a scope makes mirage and haze disappear.
Click to expand...
I'm not a scientist or scope expert but I did sleep at a Holiday inn Express. However some glass is better in conditions and it is not always the brightest glass. Some scopes are clear and nice edge to edge but a little darker (IDK could be coatings) yet they seem to see through conditions better..


Ray
 
I have seen this twice at the 1000 yard line, once with a S3 8-32 and once with a NXS 8-32. It is bright and sunny and the humidity is in the 40-60% range. Mirage is thick. The target almost jiggles. Then a big cloud comes over and covers the entire firing line to the 1000 targets. Poof the mirage is gone and you can see the individual pasters on the face of the target. Then the sun comes back and it is business as usual.

Nobody has brought this up but you either need light shining on the back of the target to see bullet holes in the black or you need a light colored background to show the bullet holes. Contrast is your friend

David
 
My recommendation to the OP is this....

Before spending $4,000 on an optic, go see it YOURSELF in varying atmospheric conditions - heat, mirage, haze, bright / low sun, humidity, etc etc.

Ppl get emotionally attached to / define their self worth off their gear (cars, guns, boats, computers, etc) "Of course my gear is awesome and can do amazing things. I'm awesome and don't buy anything that isn't awesome.")

Nothing worse than expecting the world, spending $4,000, and only getting China (no offense, China)

Go see it for yourself. Mirage / haze / lighting conditions are real scientific challenges any optic faces, and the mere application of money is no guarantee they are gonna work in all conditions.

No offense intended to anyone.

G'day. :)
 
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