How Much Do I Need?

[WhelenMan]

I'm new here folks and trying to plan my first rifle build. I'm building a 6br or version for 600 yard shoots primarily with a possible 1000 thrown in on rare occasions. I'm trying not to break the bank and was wondering what power scope I can get by with. I currently have a 6-20 Simmons Gold Medal Silhouette scope that I bought many years back. It was their top of the line then and was the only scope they sold for Leupold prices but it didn't last. It's a very good piece of glass and my eyes are good. Can I get by with this little amount of power? I see most of the shooters using 36-42 for top end. Do I need to plan on another scope or can I get by with what I've got to start?

Also the local dealer has a nice Zeiss Conquest also in the same power range. My only reservation about it is the price and also the fact that adjustments are 1/4 and not 1/8. What do you think about the larger adjustment range? Confused in Tennessee!!!

 

[Fred Bohl]

Larry,

I'm of the opinion that "you have to see it to hit it" and therefore I'm sorry to tell you that to see,resolve) a 6mm,0.243 in) diameter bullet hole at 600 yards you need at least 26 power and 50mm objective diameter even in great seeing conditions. Click Here for a handy calculator.

For more typical seeing conditions you will probably need at least 40x magnification if you have normal,1MOA) visual acuity. And forget seeing bullet holes 1000 yards with a rifle scope.

 

[WhelenMan]

Thanks for the link to the site. It's going to be close. My visual acuity is 20/10 to 20/13 depending on when it is tested. Maybe I was misled but I was of the impression that 600 yard competition shooters didn't rely on seeing previous shots and only relied on the warmup sighter shots for their zero. I had a shooter last week that told me that the difference in 600 yard shooting was that you don't know what you shot until you get your target back. Maybe that was just in his case. Like I said I'm totally new to this and have a lot to learn.

 

[Fred Bohl]

I've only been shooting over 300 yards with good equipment for the last three years myself,although 55 years total - indoor gallery 22short 50ft first match in 1951 at 7 years old). I'm still looking for a rifle scope that will show my 6mm bullet holes at 600 consistently but nothing handles the haze, air pollution and thermal turbulence,mirage) by late morning or later in warm weather.

Several shooters have reported that the March 40x - 52mm is the best so far but I've not seen one yet and am not about to part with $2100 for an "almost" winner. If I win the lottery I might try the US Optics SN-9,big win needed $3800) as it uses external adjustments. I still think,or I'm just suffering old-timers) that we had far less POA retention problems with the old Lyman and Unertl target scopes with their external adjustments.

It is more to shlep,haul and setup) but I do very well with good spotting scopes from 500 out to 1000 in any seeing conditions I'd waste barrel life on.

 

[WhelenMan]

Thanks Fred. Those scopes sound like if I bought one I wouldn't be able to afford the rifle. A lot of the shooters I've seen at the matches so far have been shooting the 42x max NightForce scopes, but that may have to wait for later. I may have to spring for a Weaver to start with after spending all my cash on the rifle. I mostly worried that if I spent the money on a fixed 36x scope then there may be conditions where it just will be too much glass. I thought about joining one of those Alzheimer's support groups but I kept forgetting when the meetings were.

 

[Fred Bohl]

I currently have 5 Weaver T36 scopes,all under $400) and only one has shown the the slightest hint of POA shift so I just moved it to my Cooper .223,least used and lowest accuracy expectation) for plinking. The others have been fine and stable as far as I can tell,I'm not in Jackie Schmidt's class). They have been good enough on my heavy 6BR to shoot several under 0.1 inch groups in a railroad tunnel,no wind or mirage).

Several very good long range shooters have told me that even 36x is too much in bad seeing/mirage conditions. But I still believe in visibility and need the 36x,probably more as I get older) so if the seeing conditions are worse than I can handle at 36x I'm probably wasting barrel life an my little time left anyway.