primary arms 4-14x44 ffp scope thought?

[Cwarren6]

any one shoot one? looking for a scope for a budget 700 (.308) build

Thanks

[FIRSTGUN]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hVDu1EARBc

[JMP]

I'd suggest something a bit more robust, but if you are interested, you can read the thread a few lower that goes on for many many pages about this scope.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=886304

[Creampuff]

For a budget scope I've been really happy with it. I purchased the one with the standard reticle, and not the more expensive chevron type of reticle. I didn't want to have to worry about replacing a battery later.

I replaced my cheap Leupold VXI 3-9 x40 scope with this one. So I guess ironically I replaced a cheap scope with an ever cheaper scope. I just wanted a brighter picture.

I only shoot at 100 yards so it has been great on my R700 VSSF 223, so much so that I purchased another one for my R700 SPS 308.

I think if you compare this to the other cheap scopes in its price range you get a lot for the money. If you try to compare this to other scopes in that are 2 to 6 times its price, then needless to say you will be disappointed.

[jeremyro]

I have used it out to 1000 yrds on my steyer ssg04 .308 and had good results. The clicks and mills are true. I usually shoot with a leupold mk4 8-25 bit while it was being repaired I tried one of these out. No issues.

[Cwarren6]

I'd suggest something a bit more robust, but if you are interested, you can read the thread a few lower that goes on for many many pages about this scope.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=886304

robust scope being?

[JMP]

robust scope being?

I'd opt for a scope that is a bit stronger in construction and reliability. You cannot get this if you set your budget too low. I'd consider a more "budget" scope for a 308 bolt action to start at about the $800 range. I've used a lot of "budget" scopes, and that's about what is needed to get a solid construction and the features similar such as variable zoom and first focal plane. I'd look at the Vortex PST 4-16/6-24, SWFA 3-15/5-25, Bushnell 3.5-21, and other popular ones such as Burris, Sightron, etc. For a super-tight budget, one of the popular scopes is to go with a SWFA fixed 10 or 12x for $299. For next level up as an intermediate price range, I'd be looking at Nightforce, Kahles, Vortex Razor Gen II, etc. You can keep going up the ladder and you will get improvement, but it no longer becomes "budget".

Due to the price of the rifle and ammunition, as 308 is going to cost at least $0.50 for each time you pull the trigger, for me it makes sense to get something built that is stronger and will last. In the world of scopes, there really is no free lunch. Thus, I've found that the FFP/variable power scopes that can be relied on generally start at $800ish. Those are my personal standards for what I would recommend to a friend, but many feel differently.

[BillyGoatMachine]

JMP speaks the truth.

Primary Arms for a centerfire? No thanks.

Maybe, just maybe for a rimfire if that's all I could afford.

[ExtremeX]

I guess you are ditching the 300 WM for now OP?

Per your Howa 1500 thread, if you are still limited to your budget of $1000 total, my original recommendation still stands, which was one of the fixed power 10x or 12x SWFA classic scopes..

If you are talking about that $1500 budget, then you can start looking at options like the Vortex Viper PST, SWFA 3-15x variables, or anything else of similar quality, and in that price range, you do have options.

The scopes I listed here could also be moved to your 300 WM when the time comes.

You should be more concerned about picking the right scope for the application which is going to last you years to come and will survive multiple rifles. Think of it as an investment in your entire build while everything else is a cost.

[Cwarren6]

I guess you are ditching the 300 WM for now OP?

Per your Howa 1500 thread, if you are still limited to your budget of $1000 total, my original recommendation still stands, which was one of the fixed power 10x or 12x SWFA classic scopes..

If you are talking about that $1500 budget, then you can start looking at options like the Vortex Viper PST, SWFA 3-15x variables, or anything else of similar quality, and in that price range, you do have options.

The scopes I listed here could also be moved to your 300 WM when the time comes.

You should be more concerned about picking the right scope for the application which is going to last you years to come and will survive multiple rifles. Think of it as an investment in your entire build while everything else is a cost.

No ill always have that 300wm just trying to gather as much info as possible to make the best choice. whether that's trying to make the 300wm a precision rifle or just keep it as a hunter and start with a 700 in .308

[JMP]

No ill always have that 300wm just trying to gather as much info as possible to make the best choice. whether that's trying to make the 300wm a precision rifle or just keep it as a hunter and start with a 700 in .308

Generally, your hunting scope is going to cost less than your tactical scope as it needs lower magnification, less weight, and the dials will be less of a concern.

Personally, I'd suggest shopping for value rather than price. That's one of the reasons I have a difficult time with salespeople. They want to know my price, but I shop value, not price. For the scopes I have where folks would consider them absurdly priced, I'd actually list them a little higher than where I bought them on resale. For entry level scopes that are around $800 to $1,000, what you will find is that the worst case is that you can still sell them and recover all but about $200. For the absolute cheapest scopes, you can pretty much write them off as a total loss as they are mostly "throw away" scopes.

Be patient and shop wisely, and you will find that you can get a reasonable scope at a price where your liquidation value isn't leaving you high and dry. With nicer scopes, they always hold their value much better. So, if you get a popular $1,000 scope, think of it as a $1,000 deposit and in the end you will pay $200 for using it as you will get $800 back afterwards. That's well worth it. Then, it is easy to sell when you are ready to move up to a better scope. That's usually what people do. It's very rare for a newer shooter to buy a Hensoldt off the bat due to price, but there is a good chance he'll end up there if he shoots for a long time. Most people can't afford to simply buy their first scope and keep it as their last scope. That's why common advice you will hear is "buy the best you can afford".

[jimmykan]

I bought a PA 4-14x44 with the ACSS reticle, and I have to say the ACSS is a very innovative and useful reticle, it just works.

Fit and finish on the scope was very good. The adjustment knobs are stiff, which I like, but are a bit mushy between clicks compared to my Vortex Viper PST scopes. The glass quality is about the same though.

Then last month, after about 6 months of usage, I discovered debris on one of the internal lenses, and it was showing up in the scope image.

I called Primary Arms, and they immediately sent me a prepaid UPS label to return the scope, and then shipped me a new scope soon after they received the old one.

The new one looks and works well.

And while Primary Arms customer service is excellent, the scope carries only a 3 year warranty. Not sure what problems will crop up after 3 years and how those will be handled.

Oh well, I only use the scope for recreational purposes anyway. If the PA scope fails after the warranty is gone, then I'll just replace it with a nicer scope.

[ExtremeX]

Be patient and shop wisely, and you will find that you can get a reasonable scope at a price where your liquidation value isn't leaving you high and dry. With nicer scopes, they always hold their value much better. So, if you get a popular $1,000 scope, think of it as a $1,000 deposit and in the end you will pay $200 for using it as you will get $800 back afterwards. That's well worth it. Then, it is easy to sell when you are ready to move up to a better scope. That's usually what people do.

Another thing to take away from that OP is don't be afraid to scour the used market, or just wait for a really good sale...

In the above example, if you purchased that $1000 scope used for $800, you could pretty much rest assured you would be able to sell it for what you paid. If you did loose money on it, it would be very little.

Many optics manufactures do have excellent warranties too, putting to easy any fears you might have buying used.

[Merc1138]

Another thing to take away from that OP is don't be afraid to scour the used market, or just wait for a really good sale...

In the above example, if you purchased that $1000 scope used for $800, you could pretty much rest assured you would be able to sell it for what you paid. If you did loose money on it, it would be very little.

Many optics manufactures do have excellent warranties too, putting to easy any fears you might have buying used.

Yup. Good deals can be had on nicer scopes if you know what to look out for(so do some serious reading), and if you're buying used and it doesn't work out for you(wanting something else, but it still works fine), you can get as much for it as you paid.

[ExtremeX]

I guess it depends on where you are at with the sport too, the OP is new to long range… some people think it’s absolutely ludicrous to spend more than a couple hundred on a scope… My though on the subject these days revolves around the process of considering it an investment… and not always in the monetary sense, it’s not always about “getting my money back”.

Assuming you can afford to do it in the first place, buying a good scope is like buying dividend paying stock… I might have a grand or two into tied up in it, but it’s still paying me returns at the range.

Time is valuable, and ammo isn’t cheap, I prefer to use whatever range time I can get these days working with good reliable hardware that actually helps me improve myself. If the scope isn’t up to the task it’s only going to hinder your performance and in turn slow down the learning process. Even if that’s not your thing, it really is a pleasurable experience when working with a nice scope.

I buy good scopes for the long haul, but if I had to retire from shooting for any reason, I’m sure I could liquidate my scopes and get a healthy chunk of that change back. Even if I did lose a few bucks, I had the opportunity to shoot for years with good stuff and no compromise.

Either way, it’s not always about the money at that point, if it was, I probably wouldn't be shooting in the first place. I’m sure I’ve thrown more $ in lead down range than I would loose on my scope when I sell it.