Need Scope Help - AR

[Barbarossa]

Hello,

I'm looking to order a scope for my 16" 1/7 AR in 5.56. Flat top A4.

This is will be used for punching paper at 100 yards. I'm looking for a scope with greater then 10x magnification. ( I have a 4x9 on my hunting rifle, and want something more for this rifle)

I've though about moving the 4x9 bushnell over to my AR, and getting something nicer for my hunting rifle, but I'm more worried about field of view etc...with my hunting rifle. (I did take an Elk at 200+ yards with it last year)

So let me show you what I've been looking at, please make suggestions and tell me if I'm on the right track or not.


4.5-14x40, Duplex Reticle, 3.27" eye relief
6-20x40, Duplex Reticle, 3.15" eye relief


6-18x40, longrange duplex reticle, 4.7-3.7 eye relief


Thanks in advance for your help

[wcnones]

10x at 100yrds is what some may consider overkill, but if that's what you are aiming to do just make sure you're doing it with experience as a motivator.

I'd suggest going with a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-10x50, as it should give you the best eye relief with great glass for not a huge outlay of cash.

[Barbarossa]

I hadn't looked at the bushnell's.

Any suggestions on rings? with the 50mm objective can I use standard height rings?

[maxicon]

Budget's important - what's your range, both for optic and mount?

When I shoot for groups, I like 12x and above, even at 100 yards. I'm also a Leupold fan, but you can get other scopes just as good for the same or less.

As for mounts, centerline height on an AR is determined by the iron sight design, not how close to the bore you can get.

The iron sights are 1.4" above the rail, and many people want their magnified optics at about that same height, maybe a little higher, so you can use the same cheek weld and shoulder mount for irons and optics.

Most rings for traditional rifles aren't high enough for that, and the ones that are will be called extra high, ultra high, or similar, but the centerline height is what's important.

Also, rings on the flat top don't give enough forward offset for many people, especially those who shoot nose to charging handle (NTCH) or use scopes with long eyepieces (many illuminated scopes) or lots of eye relief.

The 1 piece mount is popular, as it gives both height and forward offset, and there aren't alignment issues like you can have with rings. If your budget supports it, it's hard to go wrong with the $200-ish LaRue mounts, or slightly less expensive ADM mounts.

Here's the Big List of AR15 one-piece mounts, including sections on rings and extended rails:

http://www.maxicon.com/guns/optics/one_piece/ar15_onepiece_mounts.htm

[Barbarossa]

maxicon,

Thanks for the link, I can tell a lot of time went into that.

I have the standard front site. It is a spikes M4 upper.

I was looking at the following from riflegear.

Leupold VX-I 4-12x40

ADM Mount

But I'm not sure which would be appropriate.

[wcnones]

There are only a handful of Bushnell scopes with 30mm tubes, and they are usually listed as "tactical" either in the scope line (as in a Bushnell Tactical vs. a Bushnell Elite) or model name (As in Bushnell Elite 4200 Tactical).

The only non-tactical Bushnell scope that I know of with a 30mm tube is the 3-12x56 Trophy model; the one I listed is a 1 inch tube, and you are fairly safe assuming that any Bushnell scope is a 1 incher as the 30mm are fairly uncommon.

[mowrey1999]

scope help

2 of the scopes I would look at that are within reason in price and Performance are the Wotac 4-14-50 and the Falcon menace in 4-14FFP both are excellent scopes with 30mm tubes and have at least 80moa and I believe the new wotac has 100 moa the wotac is around 300.00 dollars and there are some tests on both if your interested at snipers hide ,just my opinion

http://www.sightwonders.com/wonderopticstactical.html

[maxicon]

I have that VX-I 4-12x40 with the standard reticle, and I like it as a basic scope. It's not real feature-heavy, like most lower-end Leupolds - friction adjust, no mil-dot, good but not great glass - but the build quality and reliability are good, and their support is excellent if you need it. They're also relatively light, and I like the flexible eye relief and view through them.

At this price range, it's mostly a trade-off between features, glass, and build quality. You can get scopes with illumination, AO, target turrets, etc, but they won't have as good a build or glass, so a lot depends on what features you want.

Another popular scope with similar features in that price range is the Burris Fullfield II.

The ADM mount's a good bet, and you'll be able to stick with it if you upgrade scopes later. I don't know if you can get extra rings to convert them to 30mm, but that would be worth checking out.

To keep the budget down, you can get good deals over at SWFA's sample list - refurbs, returns, etc. If you don't mind used, it's a great way to save money. All of my Leupolds were bought used, because their great lifetime warranty makes it low-risk.

http://samplelist.com/default.aspx?display_num=10&mfg_selection=&prod_type=-1&hide_sold=False&sort_parm=swfa_price

ETA: Another good choice if you don't mind a little less magnification is the Weaver Classic Extreme 2.5-10 on sale at Natchez. Weaver's another good quality entry level scope.

http://www.natchezss.com/brand.cfm?brand=WE

Big thread on them:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=18&t=417334

[Barbarossa]

Wow good info.

thanks a ton!

I'm not big on the wing-wing tactical stuff, Illuminated reticles and all that.

I'm looking for enough magnification to see what I'm doing, and clear glass.

[Black Majik]

I know you said more than 10x, but the Super Sniper scope offers a lot of scope for the money. Tracks well, good glass and if you need more magnification they have a 16x as well, but sacrifices FOV.

But, something to also consider if you ever plan to take it out past 100 yards.

[Barbarossa]

This look nice: Burris 6.5-20x50 Fullfield II $489.95

$449.95 on the sample list.

$419 @ optics planet.

I can't find any info on what ring size I would need. Would the 50mm lens fit with the ADM mount?

[LibertyOptics]

I would urge you to avoid the Burris. The Fullfield is made in China, and is overpriced.

Look at the 6.5-20x50 Vortex Viper for less cash and superior quality. New mildot models are here, and we have target dot and wide plex too.

The ADM is an excellent mount and they come in 1-inch, 30mm, 32mm, 34mm, 35mm, and 40mm rings. The Recon-S is $159 from us and it will easily accomodate the 50mm objective with 30mm tube.

Scott

[Barbarossa]

Scott,

How would you compare he 6.5-20x50 Vortex Viper, to the Busnell Elite 4200 6-24x40 ?

[maxicon]

I thought the Fullfield was made in the Phillipines, but all that's a bit fluid these days.

Where's the Vortex made? Isn't it Chinese?

[LibertyOptics]

Maxicon,

The Vortex Viper, Diamondback, and Nikon Buckmaster are made in the Phillipines. All excellent scopes with good glass and high reliability.

Barbarossa,

Advantage, Viper. Similar quality, but the Vortex will be brighter, and they are a better company to deal with if anything goes wrong.

Scott