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Posted: 3/11/2011 9:55:14 PM EDT
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I am building a RR Varmint A4 with 24" bull barrel in .223. I just about have all the parts on hand or ordered, except the scope and was looking for some advice. I would have a tendency to go overboard in that department, and get a scope with more power than the rifle I am putting it on. What is the most power magnification I would need for the effective range of a .223 varmint rifle?
Also what are some brand recommendations? I am of course considering Nikon and Leupold, but not sure which model exactly. I want some kind of varmint or bullet drop recticle. Does anyone have anything to say about a brand of scope called "Counter Sniper"? I have seen them in the Sportsman's Guide catalog, and the reviews on their website were positive, but I was hoping for some feedback from an outside source, be it good or bad. |
| I'd take the leupold out of that list, that's just just me tho. I have a Springfiield Armory 4x14 on my 24" oly PRC-1. 1x8 twist and absolutly love it, love the reticle, works great with my 75 gr hornady's. There always seems to be a bunch of refurbed Nikon scopes for sale... that says two things, they are good with thier warrenty and you might need to use it. I have an older 6x18 simmons whitetail expedition on my 243 and have used it for varmint hunting/ long range shooting and it does ok, the duplex reticle isn't any good for range finding like Springfields reticle. 18x is nice for shooting groups @ 100 yds and taking shooter error out of the equation. im rambling.... |
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Quoted:
I am building a RR Varmint A4 with 24" bull barrel in .223. I just about have all the parts on hand or ordered, except the scope and was looking for some advice. I would have a tendency to go overboard in that department, and get a scope with more power than the rifle I am putting it on. What is the most power magnification I would need for the effective range of a .223 varmint rifle? Also what are some brand recommendations? I am of course considering Nikon and Leupold, but not sure which model exactly. I want some kind of varmint or bullet drop recticle. Does anyone have anything to say about a brand of scope called "Counter Sniper"? I have seen them in the Sportsman's Guide catalog, and the reviews on their website were positive, but I was hoping for some feedback from an outside source, be it good or bad. Power and range is really dependent upon the objectives you set. If you desire to shoot 12" steel plates at 200 yards you need far lass scope than if you desire to shoot prairie dogs at 600 yards. Also the "effective range" of a varmint rifle is again determined by the objectives you set. In the truest sense of the word anything beyond 3-400 is probably not considered your average shot but there have been successful shots on varmints well, well beyond those ranges even out to 900-1000 yards or more. Based upon your vague post I would say you want a low range power of 3-5 and a high range of 12-18. Thats generally makes a pretty good all around scope anyways. If you have a specific intended use and could share that would certainly help. As for brands thats like asking "Whats the best self defense caliber". You'll get a million answers. The ones that seem to pop up most often, in no particular order are Zeiss, Leupold, Nikon, Bushnell, Vortex and Super Sniper. Now you could go high end and go with US Optics, Night Force etc but we're talking $1,000+ entry points here. Which brings up the second point. You really need to set a price point. You can get a decent....Oh I dont know...6-16x50 as an example....for anywhere from 200 to 3,000. How much do you want to spend? |
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The main objective for this particular gun is for praire dogs in the 200 to 300 yard range. At this point I am not a frequent enough shooter to be good at ranges further than that. Of course I would also like to do some more precision work on targets at closer ranges from time to time.
As far as price I was thinking in the 400 to 800 dollar range. As much as I would love to have a Nightforce scope, I don't think I could justify the cost for this particular rifle for as much as I am likely to get to shoot it. I think 400 to 800 dollars is certainly justifiable, and I want to get as good of a scope as I can in this range. I know that Leopold and Nikon, as well as several other brands all have models in this price range. Models I have looked at so far have started at powers of 3 or 4, going up to high teens and low twenties. The "Counter Sniper" brand I was looking at seemed to have quite a few features for the price. ie: a 2 - 16x44 mm w/ tri-color illuminated mil-dot recticle can be had for about $500, or a 3-25x56 mm for around $700. Sounds good, but I don't want to be lured into a lesser quality scope, just because they have a couple extra features or more power for the cash. I just have not heard anything about this brand, except at the Sportsman's guide website. |
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It all sounds like gimmicky crap to me. One color illumination is superior because they almost always offer a broader range of adjustment. Every multi color reticle I've seen is too bright to be of any use at the time o dark you would need it. I would also avoid any manufacturer that uses phrases like "rare earth coated". Its BS, coatings are just a film applied to the glass to give it certain optical properties. There is no magic coating that makes sucky glass seem clear, and transmit light better. I've also heard of the horrible fish eye on the Counter Sniper scopes, especially the ones with extra broad magnification ranges.
With $800, I would look for a used Mark 4 on the EE (not ebay), a Bushnell 3-12 4200 elite ffp, a Nikon Monarch X, or a Vortex Viper PST. You won't really need magnification in the 20s either. I have a 4-16 Millett TRS-1 (good choice in the $300 area) on one of mine and it is excessive. I can shoot to the best of my and almost my rifles abilities out to the maximum range of the round with closer to 10/12x. The 16x is headed for a .308 bolt gun as soon as I get one, and a new scope for the AR. Better quality glass will help you shot farther and better than more magnification. I found out about this 2-10 that seems very interesting the other day. It's very full featured. If they are anything like the CMR I've got, it should be an amazing scope. Won't be out till late summer at the earliest though. |
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