Hello my names charlie and iam from bozeman Montana. Iam 51 and have lived here most of my life , originally from Colorado springs. Any who, I started hunting and shooting FIVE YEARS AGO LOL! I just love it !! But...iam a 51 year old 10 year old when it comes to rifles and shooting and hunting! After deciding I was hooked I've decided I need to learn to shoot properly and iam determined now to become a marksman! I've taken 3 muley bucks and this year I got my first bull elk (only elk!) So since I've started hunting I've fired my rifle FIVE TIMES!! Not enough I wanna shoot targets now and I also want to redeem my 4 un filled antelope tags (those little bastards have my number). So...my wife (good wife) got me a christenson arms 6 5 prc as a gift. I know now after reading it's not a purists favorite and media and marketing b.s. but she bought it for me and I will not hurt her feelings by bad mouthing it. Now I may find it's what the nay sayers for warned but that's going to be hard seeing as I know no better and iam new to firearms. Ok I want this rifle for targets out to 500? And I want a ethical shoot on antelope out to 400? I know you guys are laughing cause 400 is probably close but to me it's far off. I've killed all of my animals within 75 yards so 500 is looooong lol! I may not take a 400 yard shot but want to practice for it. I only want to spend 600- 1k dollars on the scope. And my only gun friend warns against a objective lens over 50mm because of my size (worried cheek weld would go bad?) Ok iam long winded!! So iam good with 2nd hand and iam looking on here for used stuff too as well as lesser value brands . Think I want a 4-6x20-20+x50 but I suppose a higher max cant hurt? Since I may take a short shot dont want a high starting power unless you guys think starting at 10s cool in the mountains. My elk in the scope at 40 yards just looked brown!! Sorry I type so much. Would love a n.f but the cheap ones are 56mm ? Looked at zeiss v4 and leupold vx3i lrp ? And I've read about sightron stac and s111? If used I guess it's about price? I dunno what do you guys think fits the situation best. I wanna be honest and I have other hobbies that I spend on too lol thanks for listening charlie
New member asking for recommendations
- Thread starter Charles McDonald
- Start date
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
Heck a Bushnell will work fine too. You seem to have a joyous attitude so just give it the ole college try. 4-500 hunting/target work doesn’t have to cost 1k or even close to it. Leupold vortex or anything off the shelf should suit ya. Take the money you saved and get more ammo
Ha!! Sounds kinda dumb but I wanna learn the turrets! I very found several 600-700 scopes used so maybe that's the ticket. You know you go down the rabbit's hole! Black friday was bad for me I ordered all the reloading gear!! So what do you think of nikon? Theres a new one at sportsmans here black 1000 for 557 or so? Or maybe a s&b lol
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
Nikon has just announced they will no longer be making scopes... so closeout deals to be had. However, that may impact your ability to have warranty sometime down the road. As for what I think of Nikon, they are literally the only scope that I would sway person away from. I'm just a guy on the internet though fwiw.
JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
Charlie, that 56 mm means bright, to me a big plus. To shoot game deer/antelope size you don't need a lot of power. I have shot multiple deer 400 to 750 yrs all between 8 and 12 power even though scope goes to 20. Repeatability of scope is most important and shooting out to your max range not depending on a ballistic table. A used name brand such as Nightforce, Leupold would be my choice , proven warranty service and good copmetition record. Work a load then practice the same type of rest you will hunt with. Just as important a range finder good on animals as far as you can ethically shoot, hit, and kill. Have fun.
Charlie
The Bushnell Elite is a excellent scope. Any powder you like. GOOD PRICE
dthomas
Gold $$ Contributor
The leupold vx5hd line of scopes would fit your needs and budget. A 44mm objective is perfect for a hunting rifle in my opinion. I have a vx6hd and really like it but it is more than you were looking to spend. There is not a lot of difference between the two. The 6.5 prc sounds perfect for what you are wanting to do.
dc.fireman
Sling & Irons!
Charlie - welcome to one of the best forums on the 'net for obtaining useful shooting related info.
I'm not a hunter - I'm a target shooter. However, the objective size of the scope will translate to brightness & clarity, especially during low light conditions, like dawn & dusk. Perhaps a fixed 10x or a 3-9 power is sufficient for hunting.
One of the mantra's I've begun to embrace in regards to equipment is "buy once, cry once". The better made stuff is generally higher priced for a reason, but it comes with good engineering, backed up by a good warranty. A lot of the higher end manufacturers are good at communication, and standing by their product. Many members of this forum prefer Leupold & Stevens, and Nightforce, because of their no BS warranties, and their customer service.
Just my 'two cents': I've spent money on inferior equipment trying to save a buck - and regretted it later when I had to replace it with something I should've bought in the first place.
Good luck!
-tc
I'm not a hunter - I'm a target shooter. However, the objective size of the scope will translate to brightness & clarity, especially during low light conditions, like dawn & dusk. Perhaps a fixed 10x or a 3-9 power is sufficient for hunting.
One of the mantra's I've begun to embrace in regards to equipment is "buy once, cry once". The better made stuff is generally higher priced for a reason, but it comes with good engineering, backed up by a good warranty. A lot of the higher end manufacturers are good at communication, and standing by their product. Many members of this forum prefer Leupold & Stevens, and Nightforce, because of their no BS warranties, and their customer service.
Just my 'two cents': I've spent money on inferior equipment trying to save a buck - and regretted it later when I had to replace it with something I should've bought in the first place.
Good luck!
-tc
CharlieNC
Gold $$ Contributor
A mid range variable, like 4-16, will provide great short to long range magnification suitable for hunting. Consider an illuminated reticle which is of tremendous benefit when the animal is against a dark background which hinders the ability to see a standard black reticle. I personally prefer a first focal plane scope with a graduated reticle which is always in calibration, but most like the second focal plane scopes. Look closely at the weight of the scope since the nice features often add significantly. Finally don't fret the larger objectives, since a little foam and a stock pack let you adjust your cheek weld perfectly. For the money Sightron is hard to best.
Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
I have a different view on things. To me, the mantra "buy once, cry once" is for children. It's totally misguided for a 51 year old prepubescent child. You are just now discovering rifles and optics; you are going to learn a lot, you are going to learn what is right and what is wrong for you and your needs.
It is insanity to spend a large amount of money on a riflescope at this stage of the game. What you want to do is avoid buying something bad, but there are a lot of good scopes out there for a few hundred dollars that will do just fine until you learn more and start forming your own opinions. Also, the industry is always coming out with new products.
I think your idea of a low power to 20+/- some is fine for your current stated needs. A 4-16 or a 5-20 or somesuch would be great. Eschew the fixed 10X at all costs. Also, you don't need the fancy Christmas-tree reticles at this stage, stay with the simpler ones and learn them well.
As for the size of the objective, you don't need 52 or greater with that range, a 40 or 44 will be just fine.
Nikon, Vortex, Bushnell, Sightron, Burris, heck, even Leupold in a pinch, will all be fine. You do not need ED glass, so save money there. Yes, turrets would be a good idea and also a side focus or an adjustable objective since you want to go further than a couple hundred yards.
I would think you can find something very reasonable for less than $600. Don't agonize over the selection, this IS your first rodeo.
It is insanity to spend a large amount of money on a riflescope at this stage of the game. What you want to do is avoid buying something bad, but there are a lot of good scopes out there for a few hundred dollars that will do just fine until you learn more and start forming your own opinions. Also, the industry is always coming out with new products.
I think your idea of a low power to 20+/- some is fine for your current stated needs. A 4-16 or a 5-20 or somesuch would be great. Eschew the fixed 10X at all costs. Also, you don't need the fancy Christmas-tree reticles at this stage, stay with the simpler ones and learn them well.
As for the size of the objective, you don't need 52 or greater with that range, a 40 or 44 will be just fine.
Nikon, Vortex, Bushnell, Sightron, Burris, heck, even Leupold in a pinch, will all be fine. You do not need ED glass, so save money there. Yes, turrets would be a good idea and also a side focus or an adjustable objective since you want to go further than a couple hundred yards.
I would think you can find something very reasonable for less than $600. Don't agonize over the selection, this IS your first rodeo.
First let me say that I do not disagree with anything the other posters have told you. It is all good advice, at least for someone.
But, that said, let me give you a little different take, as I went through exactly what you described several years ago when I decided to get serious about rifle shooting.
First, buy a very good scope, and one that will work well for both targets and hunting, because if you really want to get good you're going to have to spend about a thousand hours shooting targets for every hour you spend hunting. Mark McMahon said get a NF SHV or SIII, and I think that is great advice. Get one with a standard, thin crosshair with hashmarks at .5 moa, 1 moa or 2 moa. Even every 5 moa is okay for windage. I buy mostly NF because they almost never break, and a broken scope on some of my hunting trips would be a real bummer. Sightrons and others almost never break, either, but NF is off-the-chart reliable and tough. Very good glass is not cheap, but you don't realize how important it is until you start spending a lot of hours looking through it.
I would say get one that goes up to 20x MINIMUM. 24x or 32x would be even better. You don't need the high end for hunting but it sure makes shooting targets more convenient, and fun, and you're going to be doing a lot of that.
Get one with a lot of internal adjustment (at least 80 MOA in the elevation turret). Get a 30mm tube scope. Get help in selecting rings so that you have plenty of that adjustment available for shooting long range (i. e., so you don't "run out of clicks").
Get a guru to help you find a good used scope. I have saved a TON of money over the years buying used scopes. There is almost never anything wrong with them, and if there is the mfgr will fix it for free, usually. The Internet has forced almost all of them to go to "no questions asked" warranties. Even if a scope is OUT of warranty they will usually still fix it for free. All you lose is the shipping TO.
The scope in the photo below is a NF 8-32x56 NXS with a very fine (MOAR-T) reticle I bought from another poster here, Alex Wheeler. (Thanks, Alex!). I already had one of those, so I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. Alex was ready to move on to something else, so I got a great deal on it -- much cheaper than new. There are many great deals on the MarketPlace pages here, and on Sniper's Hide, etc. I'm not recommending an NXS to you, it would be too expensive. I'm just making a couple of points with it.
You will notice in my photo how high above the barrel the 56mm objective is. Some people swear by the "cheek-weld," but you couldn't pay me to shoot with one. I have experimented and found that it is vastly more comfortable for ME to shoot with a high scope, and I am MORE accurate that way. It works for everything except shooting a lot of prone, which I cannot do anyway because of my neck. My recommendation is, don't be afraid to try a higher scope, especially if you have neck problems like I do.
Don't worry whether you're getting the "perfect" scope, just be sure you buy one that is popular, that meets the criteria above, and that you get a good deal on it, so if you want to sell it later you will be able to get most (or even all) of your money back.
Using Burris Signature rings helps make sure you do not leave any ring marks on your scope tube, which helps with resale value. The ones in the photo are Burris Signature XTR (not some other "XTR," SIGNATURE XTR). They aren't cheap either, but like a good scope, they are worth it in the long run. They are also a huge help in making sure that most of your internal adjustment is available to you AFTER you are sighted in.
HTH!
But, that said, let me give you a little different take, as I went through exactly what you described several years ago when I decided to get serious about rifle shooting.
First, buy a very good scope, and one that will work well for both targets and hunting, because if you really want to get good you're going to have to spend about a thousand hours shooting targets for every hour you spend hunting. Mark McMahon said get a NF SHV or SIII, and I think that is great advice. Get one with a standard, thin crosshair with hashmarks at .5 moa, 1 moa or 2 moa. Even every 5 moa is okay for windage. I buy mostly NF because they almost never break, and a broken scope on some of my hunting trips would be a real bummer. Sightrons and others almost never break, either, but NF is off-the-chart reliable and tough. Very good glass is not cheap, but you don't realize how important it is until you start spending a lot of hours looking through it.
I would say get one that goes up to 20x MINIMUM. 24x or 32x would be even better. You don't need the high end for hunting but it sure makes shooting targets more convenient, and fun, and you're going to be doing a lot of that.
Get one with a lot of internal adjustment (at least 80 MOA in the elevation turret). Get a 30mm tube scope. Get help in selecting rings so that you have plenty of that adjustment available for shooting long range (i. e., so you don't "run out of clicks").
Get a guru to help you find a good used scope. I have saved a TON of money over the years buying used scopes. There is almost never anything wrong with them, and if there is the mfgr will fix it for free, usually. The Internet has forced almost all of them to go to "no questions asked" warranties. Even if a scope is OUT of warranty they will usually still fix it for free. All you lose is the shipping TO.
The scope in the photo below is a NF 8-32x56 NXS with a very fine (MOAR-T) reticle I bought from another poster here, Alex Wheeler. (Thanks, Alex!). I already had one of those, so I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. Alex was ready to move on to something else, so I got a great deal on it -- much cheaper than new. There are many great deals on the MarketPlace pages here, and on Sniper's Hide, etc. I'm not recommending an NXS to you, it would be too expensive. I'm just making a couple of points with it.
You will notice in my photo how high above the barrel the 56mm objective is. Some people swear by the "cheek-weld," but you couldn't pay me to shoot with one. I have experimented and found that it is vastly more comfortable for ME to shoot with a high scope, and I am MORE accurate that way. It works for everything except shooting a lot of prone, which I cannot do anyway because of my neck. My recommendation is, don't be afraid to try a higher scope, especially if you have neck problems like I do.
Don't worry whether you're getting the "perfect" scope, just be sure you buy one that is popular, that meets the criteria above, and that you get a good deal on it, so if you want to sell it later you will be able to get most (or even all) of your money back.
Using Burris Signature rings helps make sure you do not leave any ring marks on your scope tube, which helps with resale value. The ones in the photo are Burris Signature XTR (not some other "XTR," SIGNATURE XTR). They aren't cheap either, but like a good scope, they are worth it in the long run. They are also a huge help in making sure that most of your internal adjustment is available to you AFTER you are sighted in.
HTH!
Last edited:
For your needs, the Sightron Stac or SIIIs will fill that bill perfectly and leave plenty left over for other hobbies.
Charlie, welcome from another new member.
400-500 yards is within the "somewhat accepted" hunting distances, and well within the limits of the 6.5PRC.
I'm of limited budget, and thought i'd share my experiences with you.
I shoot targets from 25-600 yards on the normal bases, with ocassional 1,000 yards.
Hunting along gas lines in PA my opportunities are 20feet to 1,500 yards.
My longest hunting shot is 413 yards.
Most of my rifles wear 4-12 power scopes.
I have 2 Redfield Revenge, 3 Vortex Crossfire II, 1 Sightron Field Target, 1 Sightron STAC 4-20X50.
I'm currently corresponding with US Optics to offer their TS12-X in MOA. (I'm old fashioned)
All of my scopes are capable of fine accuracy out to 600 yards from a hunting rifle perspective.
The Sightron 4-12X40 Field Target is the new to me scope, and still playing with it.
I've had several Vortex Diamonbacks. Quite frankly for the money i was disappointed by them.
For less money, the Crossfire II has at least the same quality of glass, and features.
I hear the Diamondback HD is worth getting, but again, more money.
400-500 yards is within the "somewhat accepted" hunting distances, and well within the limits of the 6.5PRC.
I'm of limited budget, and thought i'd share my experiences with you.
I shoot targets from 25-600 yards on the normal bases, with ocassional 1,000 yards.
Hunting along gas lines in PA my opportunities are 20feet to 1,500 yards.
My longest hunting shot is 413 yards.
Most of my rifles wear 4-12 power scopes.
I have 2 Redfield Revenge, 3 Vortex Crossfire II, 1 Sightron Field Target, 1 Sightron STAC 4-20X50.
I'm currently corresponding with US Optics to offer their TS12-X in MOA. (I'm old fashioned)
All of my scopes are capable of fine accuracy out to 600 yards from a hunting rifle perspective.
The Sightron 4-12X40 Field Target is the new to me scope, and still playing with it.
I've had several Vortex Diamonbacks. Quite frankly for the money i was disappointed by them.
For less money, the Crossfire II has at least the same quality of glass, and features.
I hear the Diamondback HD is worth getting, but again, more money.
[Q
UOTE="std7mag, post: 37680453, member: 1317144"]Charlie, welcome from another new member.
400-500 yards is within the "somewhat accepted" hunting distances, and well within the limits of the 6.5PRC.
I'm of limited budget, and thought i'd share my experiences with you.
I shoot targets from 25-600 yards on the normal bases, with ocassional 1,000 yards.
Hunting along gas lines in PA my opportunities are 20feet to 1,500 yards.
My longest hunting shot is 413 yards.
Most of my rifles wear 4-12 power scopes.
I have 2 Redfield Revenge, 3 Vortex Crossfire II, 1 Sightron Field Target, 1 Sightron STAC 4-20X50.
I'm currently corresponding with US Optics to offer their TS12-X in MOA. (I'm old fashioned)
All of my scopes are capable of fine accuracy out to 600 yards from a hunting rifle perspective.
The Sightron 4-12X40 Field Target is the new to me scope, and still playing with it.
I've had several Vortex Diamonbacks. Quite frankly for the money i was disappointed by them.
For less money, the Crossfire II has at least the same quality of glass, and features.
I hear the Diamondback HD is worth getting, but again, more money.[/QUOTE]
If you haven't bought a USO TS yet, I'll just throw in my 2 cents. The clicks are very mushy on my TS20, not tactile at all. With hearing protection and gloves on, it almost seems as if they are free wheeling. Also, the reticle is too heavy for my liking. For the money, I would rather have a vortex pst II. Scopes are very much a personal preference though. If you have looked at one and like it, that's great. I'm just saying I'm disappointed with mine.
UOTE="std7mag, post: 37680453, member: 1317144"]Charlie, welcome from another new member.
400-500 yards is within the "somewhat accepted" hunting distances, and well within the limits of the 6.5PRC.
I'm of limited budget, and thought i'd share my experiences with you.
I shoot targets from 25-600 yards on the normal bases, with ocassional 1,000 yards.
Hunting along gas lines in PA my opportunities are 20feet to 1,500 yards.
My longest hunting shot is 413 yards.
Most of my rifles wear 4-12 power scopes.
I have 2 Redfield Revenge, 3 Vortex Crossfire II, 1 Sightron Field Target, 1 Sightron STAC 4-20X50.
I'm currently corresponding with US Optics to offer their TS12-X in MOA. (I'm old fashioned)
All of my scopes are capable of fine accuracy out to 600 yards from a hunting rifle perspective.
The Sightron 4-12X40 Field Target is the new to me scope, and still playing with it.
I've had several Vortex Diamonbacks. Quite frankly for the money i was disappointed by them.
For less money, the Crossfire II has at least the same quality of glass, and features.
I hear the Diamondback HD is worth getting, but again, more money.[/QUOTE]
If you haven't bought a USO TS yet, I'll just throw in my 2 cents. The clicks are very mushy on my TS20, not tactile at all. With hearing protection and gloves on, it almost seems as if they are free wheeling. Also, the reticle is too heavy for my liking. For the money, I would rather have a vortex pst II. Scopes are very much a personal preference though. If you have looked at one and like it, that's great. I'm just saying I'm disappointed with mine.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.