I've been out of the game for a couple years and I'm looking for recomendations for a good quality scope for use on California ground squirrels and potentially doubling over to some F-class or LR benchrest target shooting if I get the time. I built a Kreiger barreled, 8"twist, 22BR on a RBLP Panda repeater action. The best scope I have personally used in the varmint fields is a 30mm Luepold VX3 6.5-20 x 40mm with the Varmint Hunter reticle. I would like a little bit more magnification if possible but clarity, image quality, and reticle are more important traits. I looked through a Nightforce years ago and it was really nice, but I have no idea which one it was. I'm not much of a knob turner and would typically hold off. I know good glass costs, but I want to buy once and cry once. Not interested in paying up for a name and need to keep the cost in the $1k ball park, less being better. Not many options around here to test drive before buying so I'm looking for recommendations. It's a big heavy rifle so a 30mm tube and 50mm lens won't be out of place.
One and done varmint scope?
- Thread starter gzig5
- Start date
lawman29
Gold $$ Contributor
Sightron SIII 8-32x56 MOA-2 Reticle 30mm Tube - 1 out of 3 models
Sightron SIII 8-32x56 MOA-2 Reticle 30mm Tube Rifle Scope, Matte — Objective Lens Diameter: 56 mm, Magnification: 8 - 32 x, Reticle: MOA-2, Tube Diameter: 30 mm
Also member lancexxx deals in them
thekriebles
Gold $$ Contributor
You could wait for a used Sightron SIII 10-50x60mm MOA-2 reticle, typically $725 - $825
Sightron 8x32x56 or 10x50x60. 1/2 the price of NF. Just my two cents Tommy Mc
I just noticed the Sightron 10-50. Wasn't familiar with that one. Will do some research on them. I take it the Sightron have upped their game? I seem to remember that they were considered on the level of the Weaver BR scopes 5-10 years ago. I know the Nightforce were pretty good, but it has been years since I've seen one in person.
Sightron is top shelf stuff now.
I would second that. I use a BR 12-42 and a 8-32.
I find the 8-32 is usually plenty magnification especially w mirage.
Great glass.
effendude
Gold $$ Contributor
There's nothing wrong with a Sightron either. The original post stated that he was interested in using the scope for BR or F-class as well. When I first started down the F-class road 16 years ago, older, experienced OTC/match shooters told be 8-32X scopes were plenty powerful enough. A year later, all of us had 8-32X scopes sitting on shelves as we had learned real fast 12-42X or even higher was better for the game.
!2-42 scopes dial down nicely for varmints and you still have top end power for competition or load development.
Scott
!2-42 scopes dial down nicely for varmints and you still have top end power for competition or load development.
Scott
I tested a friend's Sightron 8x32 SIII against my Nightforce 8x32 BRSightron SIII 8-32x56 MOA-2 Reticle 30mm Tube - 1 out of 3 models
Sightron SIII 8-32x56 MOA-2 Reticle 30mm Tube Rifle Scope, Matte — Objective Lens Diameter: 56 mm, Magnification: 8 - 32 x, Reticle: MOA-2, Tube Diameter: 30 mmwww.opticsplanet.com
Also member lancexxx deals in them
Bear in mind your individual eyesight will have input into the final decision. But, to my eye's, I couldn't see any difference at the edges, colors were sharp and crisp. I went with the MOA-H reticle for live varmint shooting in the ND wind. Lance had it to me in a week. Virtually unheard of today.
Unfortunately now I have to wait for something other than single digits or less temperatures to finish working up summertime loads.
Al
1raggedhole
Silver $$ Contributor
Leupold, Nightforce and sightron are all great if you get something 50mm or larger objective. I’m very happy with my VX3 varmint reticles with 50mm up to 20x, but of course the 56 mm nightforce or 60 mm sightron helps with the higher magnifications (over 25x).
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
These are just my opinions, so like some other things, everyone has one and they all stink.
I would use 2 different scopes for your 2 intended purposes. Why?
For the past several years I have spent a month each year shooting prairie dogs. Don't repeat the mistakes I made. My first PD hunt I took these:
AR with a 3-9 scope on it, Sako 223 with a Leupold 6.5-20 Duplex, and 22-250 with a Leupold 36X scope on it.
The 3-9 is insufficient magnification, the 6.5-20 was good for magnification but the Duplex reticle gave no specific holds for wind once I got past the fine portion into the wider portion of the reticle. The 36x was worthless for finding the dogs I had spotted in an alfalfa field. Field of view too small.
So I started PD hunting seriously. Went with Leupold VX-3 had some 6.5-20 and 8-25 powers, most with varmint hunter reticle. The VH reticle just isn't what I needed. Depending on how hot it is when you shoot and how hot you get your barrel, the 25x may not be useful to you. The windage marks are too wide and the elevation system isn't what I'm looking for.
So now all my PD rifles wear the Vortex Viper HS LR 6-24x50mm scopes that are FFP with XLR reticle. The years I stayed for the full month I shot over 5K dogs each year. So I spend a lot of time looking through glass. I found that a first focal plane scope is a necessity so when you change power, you use the same windage holds. With the heat and mirage I don't see a 36 power scope being reasonable.
The NF 12-42 Bench rest scope is a nice scope, I have 2 of them. But the front objective parallax adjustment will drive you crazy on a PD hunt. Works great for a fixed range target.
I hunt mid May to mid June. Wind is typically 10 mph every day, sometimes more. So I don't have a lot of issues with mirage and barrel heat. I know for a 200 yard shot crosswind with a 20 Practical, my wind drift is 3 MOA. So I just hold on my 3 MOA reticle tick and another dog goes to PD heaven. Here is what it looks like and where I hold.
lawman29
Gold $$ Contributor
*DEMO* Nightforce NXS Rifle Scope 8-32x56mm
Red Hawk Rifles is proud to carry a full line of legendary Nightforce Optics products at the best prices.
redhawkrifles.com
It's Christmas, treat yourself
That reticle is sweet, especially if you hunt varmints, fast acquisition, not busy like many are nowadays. I've always found a dot to be the fastest on prairie dogs, gh's and coyotes crows etc. aim point shoot.
Bunch of enablers, spending my money. ;-) That would be a nice one but is a bit out of my current budget.*DEMO* Nightforce NXS Rifle Scope 8-32x56mm
Red Hawk Rifles is proud to carry a full line of legendary Nightforce Optics products at the best prices.
It's Christmas, treat yourself
Some very good advice here, I appreciate it.
The Leupold Varmint reticle is my favorite. It’s clean and without 1.8 bazillion hash marks that clutter up FOV (especially when trying to zone in on a bullseye for load development). If FFP isn’t your thing and you avoid one of the infamous canted reticle units with sloppy side focus which Leupold will refuse to repair under warranty, a higher magnification version of what you already have might be the ticket.
I've been spinning around in circles for a week and a half now. Couple of used NF scopes have come and gone in the for sale section. Had my eye on a 12-42 BR NP-2DD but I decided for field use I really want the side parallax focus and that means stepping up to an NXS which is out of my budget for now. So I am going to give the Sightron PLR 10-50x60 with MOA-2 reticle a try from LanceXXX. Fits my budget and I think the reticle will fit my field and F-class needs. I went with the higher mag rather than the 8-32 mainly because it didn't cost me too much and as long as the quality of the glass is good I'll be able to dial down if the mirage is bad and from all the discussions I've seen, nobody has been going to a scope with a lower max magnification now that the glass quality allows the higher mags. Appreciate the inputs and I'll try to come back and give a review when I have it.
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