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Best scope for Benchrest

LouTarantino

I am new to benchrest and want to purchase a scope. I was considering a Leupold but have read that there are sometimes tracking problems with them. Can anyone recommend a scope that doesn't have those problems or a way to minimize them?

Thanks

Lou
 
Leupold makes a fine scope, but yes there have been issues with tracking and the reticles staying in the same place shot to shot. Three or four shops do various lock-up tricks for the 100/200 Benchrest crowd to lock down the internal adjustments.

The Weavers have a reputation for good tracking, and many shooters are trying out the Sightron 36X as well.

I hope the point-blank shooters chime in her with their favorite solutions, but I don't think you'd go far wrong starting off with a Weaver T-36. If you didn't like it, you could always turn around and sell it without losing much money.
 
I have had all 3 of the scopes that the moderator has mentioned. As far as I am concerned, the optics on all three are very good and very suitable to benchrest competition. I think the Leupold comp has the best optics, but not by $600 more than either Sightron or Weaver. Every internally adjustable scope ever produced has the potential of changing POI and the high dollar Loopy may have the worst reputation going currently. I think your best bet would be to give Ron Hoehn a call and talk to him about his "fixed" Sightrons. He and others perform afix in which two screws are added to the scope body to lock the erector tube in place to keep things solid. There are others such as Cecil Tucker who will add a tension spring to a Weaver or Leupold to reach the same effect. The Sightron is probably the cheapest option but dont let that sway you against it, I believe that 2 Super Shoots were won with fixed Sightrons. I think it was Ron Hoehn and Bart Sauter.
The other option is to go with a "frozen up" scope and an externally adjustable base. There are only a few guys doing this but it is really catching on. Gene Buykys has the best looking set up as far as I can tell. Its a little more expensive at $350 for the base and rings and freezing of a comp. Leopold for another $150. The Leupold comp. is the only scope he is currently freezing and the run $1000. If you can find someone to freeze up a Weaver or Sightron, it would be considerably cheaper.
 
Some of the short range benchrest shooters this side of the pond are useing Sightron and haveing a good run with them esspecially being $1000 cheaper than a Leupold i Have an early model Leupold Golden Rings that has been good and also a Bosch & Lomb in 36X it is exellent and can zero at 100 wind on 12 inches of elevation for 500m wind it back to zero and it will be spot on. That alone gives you an edge, when you have confidence in your gear. Wind up3.5 inches and shoot at 300m 1.25 at 200 just takes out one more thing you don`t have to worry about.
 
I know of a few competitors that have had POI problems with Nightforce as well. The main issue I have with Nightforce scopes is their weight. They are twice as heavy as a Weaver, Sightron, 36 Leopold and maybe 12 oz. more that the comp. Leupold. Honestly, I don't own any Nightforce scopes but I have had the oppurtunity to gaze through them quite a few times. I have to say that other than their fancy reticles,which are of no use in the point blank game), I don't see what all the hype is about. The glass seems nice but not that much different than the others mentioned in this thread. Any way, back to the weight thing. In a HV rig its not as much of an issue at 13.5# but in a LV at 10.5#, It would be very hard to make weight. If you are new to the sport, then I assume you'll be building a 10.5# rifle so that you can shoot it in any class. Most of the top competitors use their 10.5# rigs to compete in everything except unlimited in which they use their rail gun.
 
There are several excellent options in BR scopes, most of them mentioned above. Basically, if you monitor equipment lists, there are two "real" options: moderate price, Weaver 36X; top-of-the-line, Leupold 40X or 45X.

The others all do the job. NightForce has a good following and Sightron has an excellent reputation.
 
I am very happy with my Nightforce 12-42x56BR NPRR reticle. Like mentioned the major drawback is weight! Dam things are clunkers...Light rifle's 16.5 pounds at Bodines makes it tough to mount a NF and still make weight without sarficing stock and barrel weight.

Weaver 36x seems to be the standard. Sightron's I am told track well, but I had issues with the glass...clarity not very good.

Burris Black Diamonds are very clear, again your dealing with weight here. But not as much as NF.

Leupolds still are the all-around favorites. Maybe If I had won the scope in the Bodines raffle I would give them a try, but looking through them and using a buddies I don't understand all the hype and fuss is about.

IOR again heavy. Clear glass...some have tracking issues. Zeiss are very very very clear, good tracking. Problem is they don't seem to be set-up for target shooting. I guess that is why Leupold is such a favorite...so many options and reticle styles.

I would just like to say, by the best glass you can afford :) I have had several rifles underneath my Burris 6-25x50 BD and have always kept the scope.

RHINOUT!
 
It sounds like the Sightron gets good reviews after reading this thread. Looking to put a high power variable on a varmint gun and am considering the Sightron 6 to 24. Whats the opinion of the Sightron variable scopes ? All of the positive reviews I have read have been on the fixed power. Thanks.

Rupe
 
Rupe: I've had a Sightron 4-16X and a 6-24X and rate them excellent. The 6-24X was the first scope that I ever did a "box" test,shoot a shot, move the scope up 1", shoot a shot, move it right 1", shoot a shot, move it down 1", shoot a shot, move it left 1", shoot a shot) with and had the fourth shot right on top of the first. I also have a 36X on a benchrest rifle. All three of these scopes have very high-quality optics and hold and track adjusts with the best of 'em. You won't be sorry if you get one, in my opinion.
 
I have a Sightron Slll 6 X 24 30mm. side focus with a dot and it is a very well made scope. It sits on a Remington 40X 6mmBR. I've shot 200 & 300 meters with this scope and would buy another Slll in a heartbeat. I have several of their cheaper scopes and they are good quality as well. When I bought my 6 X 24, the company had a deal where you received a pair of compact binoculars if you sent a card in. I picked a set of their 10 X 24 compact binoculars and was surprised at the quality. I figured that since they were free that they would be cheaply made but was pleasantly surprised to find they were top quality; good resolution and bright. Sightron will be making some serious inroads among shooters.
Chino69
 
I use the Weaver T-36 and I give it a thumbs up except in light transmission. It's not the brightest scope around and it's extremely small exit pupil makes it that much more difficult to use when combined with a dark field of view. Still, mine is very accurate in it's tracking, has never failed to repeat and was 'cheap' to boot. I'd like to see brighter optics obviously and a side focus would be a bonus too. If anyone ever comes out with a 1/16 MOA click, I'll snap it up. If that's done in a base instead of the scope, that'd be ok too. What has kept me out of the higher priced scopes,besides the money) is that the best scopes are all 1/4 MOA. That's just not good enough. -Rod-
 
Rod,

The NightForce Benchrest models offer 1/8 moa clicks. The NF NXS models are 1/4 moa clicks.

Leupold's single-power BR scopes also have 1/8 moa click values.

Some of the European scopes offer 1/2 cm clicks, which works out to about 5 clicks per inch.
 
You must look at the NEW IOR 9/36x56 with huge 35mm. tube. Optics are great made in Germany and adjustments are spot on. Have compared all the upper end scopes and nothing optically any better. Great scope in my opinion.Any one have any suggestions for spotting scope for 600 to 1000yrd. work.Looking for the best. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
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