Scope for 338 Lapua

[w1151228]

I spent 10 years in the Marines and never used optics on my weapon so I really don't know whats what. I just picked up a Rem 700 chambered in 338 Lapua. I know that being able to shoot out to a distance takes skill and not just a fancy scope and rifle. I'm looking at the scopes listed below as options. Id like to ask you guys if you like one more than the other or is one going to be more user friendly since shooting long distance is something new to me. Id like to stay under $1000 so if you have a different suggestion that would be great. My range goes out to 700 yards.

Zeiss HD5 Conquest 5-25X50
Sig Sauer Tango4 6-24x50 Riflescope,MRAD Milling Illum
Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP
Leupold VX-3i 6.5-20x50mm Side Focus CDS
Steiner GS3 4-20x50mm

[Kwikvette]

3-4 of us were on the same boat recently, myself included.

I went with a Burris XTR II 3-15x50mm on my R700.

[Divernhunter]

Get the Leupold and you will not be sorry.

[dstewart]

I use the Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x56 MLR .1MIL on mine. Almost never use it past about 14 power, even out to 1900 yards. More than power or features, the quality of the glass is a must when trying to resolve the target at long range. Glass clarity is first, linear tracking, usable reticle and adjustable turrets that match the reticle are next. Spend the money on quality glass over features if you need to.

The SWFA HD scopes have great glass and not overpriced;

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-5-20x50-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P51653.aspx

Edit, sorry I didn't see the <$1K part.

If your going to stay under 800 yards, then a good 10x scope is all you need. So perhaps;

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-10x42-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P50717.aspx

FOV will be a bit tight with 10 power at 100y, but still completely usable. You also get better optical quality from a fixed power than an equivalent zoom. The 10x SWFA SS-HD is the scope I would be happy with 100-800 yards. However, the 338LM is just getting started at 800 yards, the real fun begins at 1760+. So if you ever consider taking it out to 1mile +, you may want to consider spending just a bit more for something like the SWFA-SS-HD-5-20x50 above.

[brando]

Available elevation should be your main criteria.

[Socalmp5]

Available elevation should be your main criteria.

Yup at least a 20 Moa base.

[dstewart]

Available elevation should be your main criteria.

The SWFA scopes above have 100+ MOA of elevation adjustment, add in a 20 or 30MOA base and that will give you plenty of elevation for the usable range of a 338LM. But, an incline base is not needed if the OP is going to stay under 800 yards.

[Socalmp5]

Better choice.....

http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Tactical-Reticle-Riflescope-6-24x50mm/dp/B006UKMDFO

[CSTactical]

Call us at 916.670.1103 and we can help you find the proper scope for your needs.

[goodlookin1]

Dont go with a Vortex PST.....at longer distances, it's resolution will not serve you well.

Lower end nightforce will do well, but I'd recommend also recommend a Sightron SIII.

Bear this in mind: More magnification is not necessarily better. Honestly, I dont like turning my Vortex Razor HD Gen I up beyond 15x (it's a 5-20x). Any time the exit pupil gets smaller than ~3mm, you're losing tons of light and the sight picture begins to dim dramatically. Yes, this happens with the Alpha scopes as well.....it's simple physics. My ideal scope would be a 18x max power with a 56mm objective: The sight picture would basically not dim much, if at all, at the highest magnification level.

Whatever you end up going with, dont make the mistake that higher magnification is going to translate to being able to see more. Resolution and glass clarity/brightness are much more important at distances than higher magnification.

[dstewart]

^ Exactly.

[FMJBT]

Burris XTR II 3-15X50 would be my pick. I run one on a 300 Win Mag and my only complaint with it is that I wish the better SCR reticle versions had been available when I bought it. The Gen 2 mil dot is pretty decent, but a bit on the thick side in the center. Aside from that, it has excellent clarity and resolution at extended distances along with flawless tracking and idiot proof zero stop. The 3-15X50 also has the largest amount of internal elevation out of the XTR II line at 110 MOA.

[kelvin232]

The SWFA scopes above have 100+ MOA of elevation adjustment, add in a 20 or 30MOA base and that will give you plenty of elevation for the usable range of a 338LM. But, an incline base is not needed if the OP is going to stay under 800 yards.

+1 SWFA

[9mmrevolver]

Don't get any with a 35 mm tube. Not a lot of options for rings. 34mm on the other hand has plenty. I have a millet lrs 6x25-56mm. I usually shoot 10-12 power like previously others have stated. Don't know if I like it yet. Remember buy once cry once.

[JMP]

I spent 10 years in the Marines and never used optics on my weapon so I really don't know whats what. I just picked up a Rem 700 chambered in 338 Lapua. I know that being able to shoot out to a distance takes skill and not just a fancy scope and rifle. I'm looking at the scopes listed below as options. Id like to ask you guys if you like one more than the other or is one going to be more user friendly since shooting long distance is something new to me. Id like to stay under $1000 so if you have a different suggestion that would be great. My range goes out to 700 yards.

Zeiss HD5 Conquest 5-25X50
Sig Sauer Tango4 6-24x50 Riflescope,MRAD Milling Illum
Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP
Leupold VX-3i 6.5-20x50mm Side Focus CDS
Steiner GS3 4-20x50mm

I don't like the 700 action for a Lapua, but that's already been done.

Zeiss HD5 Conquest 5-25X50--not enough elevation range, second focal plane,

Sig Sauer Tango4 6-24x50 Riflescope,MRAD Milling Illum--not enough elevation range.

Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP--not enough elevation range,

Leupold VX-3i 6.5-20x50mm Side Focus CDS --not enough elevation range, SFP

Steiner GS3 4-20x50mm--not enough elevation range.

To be honest; these are all poor choices for a 338 Lapua unless you aren't planning on shoot it far. If you shoot far, you will need a scope with a fair amount over internal adjustment so you can dial your elevation.

At 1 mile, a scope that is zero'd at 100 yards will need approximately 20 mil of elevation if you are shooting 300gr factory ammo in a 338 Lapua. None of the above scopes would be able to do this unless you set your zero past 1,000 yards. If you are willing to do this, it may be fine. I am a person that likes to keep a zero.

Most of the scopes you are looking at will come with a 34mm+ tube since a wider tube will generally allow for more adjustment range. Your zoom values aren't bad as I find 5-25x a pretty good all-around zoom. If you have a 50mm objective lens, like all those in the examples, they will probably have poor images past 20x due to small exit pupil. Most scopes for long range have an objective lens of 56mm+

For around $1k, there is one scope I recommend for 338 Lapua. That is the SWFA 5-20x50. The reason is that it has 10 mil turrets with a lot of elevation range (~36 mil) and the glass is very good quality for the price. Obviously, I would expect there to be some error in order to accommodate such an elevation range in a small scope. If you can put it up in about 50 MOA of cant, you can get to 2,000 yards.

I consider 1 mile the practical limitation of a Lapua Magnum to consistently hit targets, but many shoot the Lapua to 2,000+ yards, and they will will need a ton of elevation.

If you only want to be able to shoot a mile, there are a lot of fantastic scopes that have 26 mil adjustment. For example, the Schmidt & Bender 5-25x56 PMII will practically give you all you ever need with only 26 mil of adjustment as you can hold over in extreme cases. With monolithic bullets and improved chambers, 26 mil will get you past 2,000 yards. Some people prefer scopes like the Vortex Gen II 3.5-27x56 as it has a bit more elevation.

So, I wasn't trying to make the post sound overly-critical, but I honestly think that every choice is a poor choice for a 338 Lapua if you plan on shooting it past 1km.