Stupid .223 medium/long range scope question

[verrlara]

Stupid question... dunno if this exists... a 200-300 dollar 5-18 or 5-20 or 5-25 or something in that area scope? Very much a beginner medium to long range scope that is repeatable. This would be going on a .223 rem bolt gun.

Thank you in advance.

This glass will get replaced at a later date when i've paid of the credit cards...

[Sir Toast]

Yeah. Check Vortex's line of scopes. Bushnell puts out an AR scope with a BDC that should fit the bill too.

They aren't going to be the best scopes, especially at long range, but there are a lot of options at that price range. Check out Nikons as well.

[Creampuff]

How many yards do you plan on shooting?

[ExtremeX]

$200-300 is a steep budget...

Its the same options that come up on the forums over and over again but here goes...

My personal favorite in that price bracket is the SWFA SS Classis fixed power scopes, like the 10x42 MIL/MIL.

I presume you want to learn how to use a scope correctly, and that one is setup correctly to help the learning process. They have an excellent track record for tracking and durability.

Optical performance is also about as good as it gets for that price bracket, it gets a head start being a fixed magnification optic but the classic series has respectable glass.

They also hold their resale value pretty well and should be easy to re-sell or move to a different rifle when the times comes.

There are other popular options that may be worth considering... For some the fixed power scopes are a turn-off but for what it lacks in variable magnification it makes up for in other areas.

[swallisa]

My personal favorite in that price bracket is the SWFA SS fixed power scopes, like the 10x42 MIL/MIL.

This enuff said,.......

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[09cs]

$200-300 is a steep budget...

Its the same options that come up on the forums over and over again but here goes...

My personal favorite in that price bracket is the SWFA SS Classis fixed power scopes, like the 10x42 MIL/MIL.

I presume you want to learn how to use a scope correctly, and that one is setup correctly to help the learning process. They have an excellent track record for tracking and durability.

Optical performance is also about as good as it gets for that price bracket, it gets a head start being a fixed magnification optic but the classic series has respectable glass.

They also hold their resale value pretty well and should be easy to re-sell or move to a different rifle when the times comes.

There are other popular options that may be worth considering... For some the fixed power scopes are a turn-off but for what it lacks in variable magnification it makes up for in other areas.

This, love mine! Can't be beat for the price in my mind

[verrlara]

Would either of these fit the bill?

http://www.bsaoptics.com/scope.aspx?productID=65

http://muelleroptics.com/mt852544

[ExtremeX]

Would either of these fit the bill?

http://www.bsaoptics.com/scope.aspx?productID=65

http://muelleroptics.com/mt852544

Short answer would be no... but ill elaborate anyways.

Just curious but what draws you to those scopes? The amount of magnification and price?

Magnification isn't a measure of quality or performance... 32x and 25x on scopes like that are going to be garbage in both optical performance and light transmission with a 44mm objective.

Both scopes have 1" tubes, which basically takes away from internal elevation adjustment/travel.

1/8" MOA click adjustments isn't really standard either unless you are shopping for a benchrest optic.

Both scopes have MOA turrets with MIL reticles... you should be after matching MOA/MOA or MIL/MIL.

Parallax adjustment is in the least convenient place possible, on the objective, vs rear or side focus.

Good luck with resale value... don't expect getting your price or a fast turn around. Its almost like throwing money away IMO.

Optical and mechanical performance... don't expect much from it.

I could go on, but I wont...

If you want a high magnification scope that is of decent quality, you will have to pony up some cash.

[verrlara]

Thank you guys for your honest input. Was pretty sure it was a stupid question and clearly scopes in the magnification im looking for don't exist at this price point. Guess I am not getting a long range scope. No worries. It was simply a curiosity question ^^.

[ExtremeX]

Its not a stupid question and what you are looking for does exist at this price point... I just showed it to you in my first post.

High magnification does NOT always equate to long range scope... don't get hung up on it. Its a nice feature to have, but at the $300 price point, it isn't the most important... put your money on tracking then glass.

I regularly shoot out to 600-800 yards with my 223 bolt action rifle, and I don't use an insane amount of magnification, generally between 8x to 16x. 10x is a perfectly capable magnification for out to 1000 yards if you are shooting steel plates.

The same scope is also available in 6x, 10x 12x 16x and 20x.

I highly recommend reading more on the subject to understand what to really look for in a target scope for long range shooting.

SWFA isn't the only game in town, but you will probably have to adjust your budget if you want better.

Hope that helps

[Sleighter]

With perfect clarity, magnification would be king. But the key to making a wise decision is understanding that NO scope has perfect clarity. NONE.

With that in mind, the lower the price point the lower the clarity. Here's the kicker, the lower the clarity, the worse it looks the higher magnification it uses. The magnification enhances the flaws in the clarity. It's counter-intuitive, but to shoot long range with "economy budget" scopes you actually will see better with less magnification.

A smaller target that is clear is way better than a blurry target that is huge.

[Whatisthis?]

Thank you guys for your honest input. Was pretty sure it was a stupid question and clearly scopes in the magnification im looking for don't exist at this price point. Guess I am not getting a long range scope. No worries. It was simply a curiosity question ^^.

I would recommend doing a lot more research and learning everything you can. I believe this about most things but it's especially true of long range shooting IMO and that is, there is always something to learn. A 10x mil/mil scope with a canted base will take you out just about as far as the cartridge will take you.

The swfa 10x is about as good quality as you will get in your price range. It's a a absolutely phenomenal scope.

Another option I'll throw out there is the vortex crossfire ii line of scopes. Not the same quality as the swfa but it is variable magnification with vortex's lifetime, no questions asked warranty. I would recommend something like the 4-12x. I do not feel the need for higher magnification on a .223. Ymmv.

[Sam .223]

shooting out to 600yds doesn't require a ton of magnification, i do it with a bushnell 1-4,
and while i can't make out details at that distance at 4x i can still hit the target, so i would think going 9 or 10x would be good, depending on your eyes, and you can find a lot of scopes in that magnification at your price point that are pretty good, not the best but not the worst.

[navin r]

I don't think it's a stupid question at all, I've got one of these Bushnell AR Optics 3-12x40 on a 16" PSA AR and it works pretty good, not bad for $170:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/bushnell-ar-optics-3-12x40-riflescope-w-bdc-reticle-matte-black.html

I've also got one of these Nikon M-223 4-16x42 on a WOA 20" AR, it's a lot better scope and a more accurate AR, but it's about $430:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/nikon-m-223-4-16x42mm-rifle-scope.html

Nothing wrong with learning with something a little less pricey and then buying better later.

[JMP]

In a variable scope there are three things you might be interested in:
1) Reliable
2) OK glass
3) FFP

With a $300 scope, you might be able to get one out of the three.

Personally, I much prefer first focal plane scopes. You will not get an FFP scope in the $300 range unless it has serious issues.

Thus, I like the recommendation of 10x or 12x SWFA fixed. Then you do not need to worry about FFP vs. SFP. The glass is by no means good, but it's great for $299. I recommend 12x over the cannonical 10x as it will give you a bit more magnification, and you are using it on a .223. Thus, you will lose some of the field of view, but it is not a big deal as .223 doesn't have much recoil and you will spot your hits. After that, the magnification is a bit high.

Your other alternative would be to get a variable 3-9x hunting scope that has second focal plane and probably a 1" tube. For these you can look at the lower end Leupolds or Zeiss hunting scopes.

The key to reliability is to avoid the third world manufacturing that's done in the very low dollar scopes. You can find some made in China scopes that appear to offer you more specifications, but they will have issues in actual practice.