I want an optic for my .308 AR10, I built it from PSA (don’t judge me they have good shit for the price point in my opinion). I want a reliable optic out to at least get 500m+ , I want vortex but am stuck understanding whether I want an LPVO or a dedicated optic for longer ranges. Please let me know your opinion.

Trijicon 1-8 VCOG

Thing is a one piece beast.

A US Optics compact 1-8 would work really well.  Vortex also makes really fine optics, it all depends on how much you want to spend.

Knowing your price range and the rifle's intended use would really help.  If your use would primarily be 300-600 yard shooting I would consider an optic with 10-18x..if your primary use would be practical rifle matches where 60-70% of the targets are 200 yards and closer, I would recommend an optic with lower power available, such as 2x on the bottom end.

Ask yourself this question.  Do I expect to use 1x far more often than magnification?  I don't see a 308 being a home defense weapon, so I expect the answer will be no.  LPVO's are a pile of compromises, and do nothing extremely well.  You will get better glass for your $$$, and better eyebox and better light gathering by simply dumping 1x for 1.5x, or 2x or 2.5x, etc.  Also will be lighter, double bonus!

i built up an AR10 during the pandemic out of boredom.
Used a close out DPMS upper/ lower and a BA barrel.
for optics I ended up with a US optics TS- 3-12.  FFP reticle, very compact and the glass is of surprisingly good quality.
I probably have 1K  rounds through it and it seems to hold up well ( I know , not much of a testimonial)
US Optics TS 3-12

Nx8 1-8 with the new FC dm reticle is pretty fun. I have one on my Sabre 110A1. Thing shoots.   I’ve shot that combo to 800 on 12x20  steel targets .

I agree the glass is good for the price point. Although the  eye box is tight and the reticle is very fine at 3x.

OPnsaid to get out to "at least" 500+. To me that means at minimum 500 yards and out, if so then I prefer more at the high end that 8x. 3-18 seems to.be a perfect match for that requirement.

I have a primary arms 4-12 FFP on an AR10 im pretty fond of. So much so I built a kinda sorta "DMR-ish" AR15 with the same optic so it'd have a little brother.

I’ve got a Steiner T5Xi 1-5x (3TR 7.62 reticle) on a 16” M5 build with a Criterion barrel. I only shoot 175gr SMK out of this rifle. Below are my holds with a 150yd zero (near zero comes out to 55yd). It works out well.

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When you say 500+ meters, do you mean shooting steel plates, or hunting, or something else completely?

If it's just for fun, you can get away with using hold over on reticles, but if you really want to hit things, and for sure if any hunting is involved, you need a scope with dialing turrets for those kind of ranges.

I have an SWFA 10x that is lower priced, and works for targets. It is probably the lowest price dialing scope that is reliable. The downside is it is fixed power, and it's not super great quality. It's good enough though, don't take that the wrong way. For shooting targets over 100 yards, it works just fine. It's pretty limited inside of 100 yards. They do make a 6x which is probably better all around, but it never seems to be in stock.

Another option that is lighter, and still reasonably priced is the Leupold 3-9x CDS with tri moa reticle. It's new to me, but I'm not new to Leupold. This is really a light hunting scope so it might not be the best target scope. I am a fan of a 1" tube because of the weight and bulk, but it can't dial as far. It should be able to dial out to 600-700 yards though, otherwise consider a 30mm tube if you want to do longer shooting.

On the higher end of cost, a lot of hunters like the Trijicon Credo, and they make one in 1-10x with a dialing turret with a 34mm tube. Why 34mm and not 30mm, I have no idea. I probably won't own one, they are pretty far outside my price range.

As kind of a middle ground is a Maven 2.5-15x with target turrets and SHR-MIL reticle. I might own one of these one day, it seems like a good middle of the road scope. It's a little heavy, but that's what it takes.

If you don't need to be as precise, maybe consider the Vortex Viper 1-6x. Don't underestimate 6x.

I don't think you mentioned budget.

If you aren't worried about close-in shooting or CQB with it, then I would recommend, as other posters above have, to get better glass for your money with a 3-12x or 3-18x, etc.

I currently have a Sig Tango MSR 1-10 on my 16" 308 AR-10, and uh...it kind of sucks. Mostly due to the incredibly tight eyebox, and it's not that much lighter than a decent scope. The reticle is kind of amazing, in my opinion, and the glass is okay, but the tight eyebox ruins the overall experience.


I'm currently saving for the Eotech Vudu 5-25x to turn this into a better DMR/deer stand build. This particular scope is around $1500, has really good glass, and is very compact for the magnification range.

The VCOG is awesome

Holy hell! For $3400 I would sure hope it's awesome, that's as much as a top end Nightforce target scope.

ACOG all the way. Attached File

I would definitely prefer a higher top end, but I took my BCA-10 out to 600yds with a Viper 1-4. Not ideal, but very doable.

Vortex Viper 3-15 for week-end NRA matches at 500yds.

I may be wrong, but the OPs description of his rifle leads me to believe he's not looking for high end optics. But I could be mistaken.

With that being said.. I have a PSA AR10 with an inexpensive Vortex Copperhead 4-12X44 Dead-Hold BDC (MOA) Reticle (1" Tube) and so far I can slay just about anything out to 400yrds quite easily. This was just a scope I had laying around and wondered if it would hold up to a lot of 308 recoil. Well it's been 4yrs now and I still can't find a reason to buy something else, I use it for hunting/plinking not tier 1 operator shit..

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I have a Vortex Viper PST II 2-10x on bith my precision 5.56 and .308 ARs. Both get shot out to 800m. Sometimes, I'll take the .308 to 1000m, but that's usually when I bust out the 6.5.

I find a 2-10x FFP variable to be the cat's ass for my usage- IDPA-sized plates, busting small rocks, potentially hunting if I ever get some time. 2x is just fine on the low end for shooting close-in, too.

I just had my PA-10 out on a 600 yard range with a Burris 1-6x RT-6. It worked great all the way out to 600 yards. Inside 10” all day long. Also as fast as a red dot close in.
Great set up IF your 600 yard target isn’t hiding in the bushes, or otherwise hard to find.
Target in an open field 600 yards away waiting to be shot..perfect.
Target back in the woods 600 yards away…not so much.
LPVOs are awesome, versatile tools.

ZC527. Nothing less. All I he money saved with PSA can be used on this.

$4,000!? Hard pass.

I have a Vortex 1-6 and a US Optics 1-8 and both work really well for their price point.  For shooting at 500 yards, the 1-8 makes things a little easier, but doesn't make the rifle any more accurate.  Both optics are illuminated, first focal point, and I'm happy enough with both that I'm not looking to "improve" by spending a bunch more money.  I have optics with more power, and a 1-4 LPVO, but the rifles set up with the 1-6 and the 1-8 are very adequate for what I want to do with them.  At the gun club where I do most of my shooting, we have a 550 yard rifle range with steel that I can shoot on any time there isn't a match or range maintenance going on, and I regularly shoot on the 550 yard range with both of those rifles.

With all that said, if you plan on doing a majority of your shooting at 500 yards I would probably consider something with a 10X power optic or maybe even 12X if I was going to be shooting at lots of clay birds on the 550 yard berm.

Qft

The Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18x44 FFP is also a great economical option. It’s the “MK
5HD at home”.

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I have a Vortex 2.5-10 mounted on mine. I haven't stretched it out yet though. I think it was around $400 when I bought it 10+ years ago, it's been on a few AR's and a few bolt guns, always worked great.

Depends on how long your barrel is to suggest an optic. Also how good your eye sight is. If you’re young with great eye sight and a 16 inch barrel, a real good 1-8 or 1-10 with real good glass can do it for you. Will you be carrying this AR allot or more of a bench gun? You will want lite if carrying allot. Allot of variables to decide to get the right optic the 1st time. My Ruger SFAR with a 20 inch barrel has a 4-16 since my eyes are not the greatest and want to see further down range. But have a 1-8 on a 12 inch AR10 I had before selling it.. This one is more close range. Good luck on your decision.

One vote for LPVO.

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I like this Athlon 2-12. About perfect for an AR .308

Steiner 2.5-10 on mine, really like it

I'd got for like a 3-12, 4-16, or something along those lines.

If you want to be super cool, you can put an Eotech Vudu 5-25x on it because it's short and compact and built for AR-10 DMR uses.

A 4-16x or 5-25x are way overkill for shots around 500m. 3-15x would be okay, but I'd want less magnification and more FOV on the low end.

PSA sells the Vortex 1x8 Strike Eagles combo as low as 270. If you get their emails they list them frequently. I have a Sig Tango 1x6 combo they sell for 279 to 299. I only can go to 200yds but it still works well on my PSA 308 budget build.

This is what is on my Ar10 love the optic.

https://www.eurooptic.com/EOTech-Vudu-1-10x28mm-FFP-LE5-Crosshair-Reticle-MRAD-Riflescope-VDU1-10FFLE5.aspx

NF ATACR 4-20. Bit much for most uses but the competitions I shoot touch 1k. Good for spotting but very tight going between targets. Spend most of the time on 12x or so.

He built a PSA. I doubt he wants to put an optic that cost nearly 3k on top of it.

OP, try an Arken. Better yet, find a slightly used Trijicon Accupoint or go to Locked & Loaded or B&H and buy a new one whenever it is on sale.

Edited to add: That wasn't a dig on your rifle, OP. I've enjoyed each PSA I own. IMHO, Vortex is junk glass in that mid-tier range they have and the Trijicon is just not too much more for the money. Just trying to give some perspective.

FWIW, I run a PA 2.5-10x gLX Griffen.  I quite like it, as 2.5 is good for CQB, and one of the few FFP, that actually works at low power.  , and dial it up to 10x and the MIL Christmas tree becomes visible and usefull.   Ran my AR10 on the 800 yard gun range great.

It is a little heavy, but not too bad.

I'm not a fan of 1-8x, as I find the 1-2x level of that range a  total waste.  You can CQB with 2x and even 2.5x just fine.

These are my favorite .308 optics:

Trijicon TA11
Leupold MK6
Vortex Razor Gen3
Primary Arms PLXC

I would love a quality 2-12 or close to that, with BDC though.

You said 500yds+. Nightforce ATACR 4-16

Hola,

You mention you want an optic for a .308 to shoot to 500m+.  Are you looking for something to maximize the distance for, what I would call practical distance of the .308 of 800m, or more of faster shooting closer in with the capability of shooting less finely resolved targets at 500+?  By "+", I'm guessing 600m?

For the 5.56 guns, I find an LPVO usable as a compromise with a focus on closer in shooting.  Sure, you can use a 1x6+ to get to 600m+, but after 100m or so, an MVPO really shines.  Your optical view is a lot better.  However, usually, there is a trade in weight and bulk.  Also, if I'm shooting to 800m, combined with multi range usage, I prefer an FFP scope.

I'm assuming you have the 5.56 guns covered, so I'd go with something more useful for distance shooting, but it doesn't have be excessive either.

Me personally, I'd look for something with a low magnification range of 1.5 up to even 4x, with the high end magnification being 10-18.  Lots of choices in all price brackets in this range.

Last year, I was on the hunt for a 2/2.5-10/15 range scope for out to 800m or so, but with some flexibility for closer in and not too heavy.  These scopes get heavy quickly.  I researched just about everything out there with a budget cut off of $1k.

The PA GLX 2.5-10 (which looks like it's been discontinued), Vortex VST G2 2.5-10, Trijicon 2-10, Leupold Mk3 3-9 and 4-12, Athlon BTS 2-12 were considered at first.  I think all of these would work depending on your wanted features.  If you took the best features of all these, you'd have a terrific scope, but I think they are all within a range of "good" capability.  I also then started considering scopes that moved up the magnification ladder a bit.  4-16, 3-18 and so on.  This next bump up in magnification brings advantages for longer ranges, but highly likely even more weight and bulk.

PA had a big sale on their GLX 4-16 FFP Athena reticle.  Gotta say, I love this scope.  FOV is decent and the weight is only 23.5oz.  While 4x on the low end can be limiting for inside of 50 yards, having the 16x on the top end gives me a lot flexibility.  I use this on my AR10, and sometimes switch it over to an 18" 5.56.

This will fit the op's needs very well.