Which Scope?

[Rommel]

I am considering upgrading from my vortex crossfire and here are a few options I have come up with. This will be mounted on my POF .308.

Busnell Elite 6500 Mildot 2.5x16 or 4.5x30
Nikon Monarch X Mildot 4x16x50
Leupold Mark4 Precision Tactical LRT Mildot 4.5x14x40
Nightforce BR 8x32x56
Leupold Mark 4 Mildot 6.5-20x50mm LR/T M1 Long Range


I want to stay under $1200 so those are what I have come up with.


Anybody have any suggestions or actually used some of these models that can give some insight?

TIA!

[MAX100]

Sightron SIII 6-24x50 MD LR scope Price around $775. Great scope with better glass than all the ones you listed.


GC

[Barney Gumble]

The mission drives the gear choice. What are you using it for? There's a big difference between a 2.5-16x and a 8-32x.

[Rommel]

Mostly paper punching but I am sure I will hunt with it as well....

[rksimple]

Add a couple hundred to your budget and get a Nightforce NXS 3.5-15.

[bombadillo]

Leupy!

[Stringer]

I can comment on Leupy glass since I use a VX-III 4.5-14x40AO, which wears the same glass as last year's Mk4. And it's beautiful! The image isn't stunning like Swarovski, but it's beyond negative criticism at this price range.

I also use a Sightron SIII, the exact same one that MAX100 mentioned. It is an awesome scope, and I prefer it to the Leupold overall. It feels extremely well made and durable, although I haven't abused it. The adjustments are wide and the clicks are sure. The side focus started stiff, but now it's butter, and there's no play in it at all. SIII glass is awesome, like MAX100 said. But as much as I may want to, I hesitate to say for sure that the glass is straight-up better than Leupold's. At 14x, Sightron's image is brighter than Leupold's, but it does have a 10 mm bigger objective as well. I can't distinguish if the edge-to-edge definition and clarity is any better between the two, because they are both perfect to my eyes. I give the nod to Leupold in terms of contrast. The Sightron's image looks more "washed out." Overall, I'd have to say it's a toss up between VX-III and SIII glass. The Sightron mildot is excellent. Most of the MDs are pretty heavy, but the reticule is very fine on the Sightron (not the dots but the lines). My Leupy has a fine duplex, which is precise and perfect for paper-punching, but it's not much more precise than Sightron's MD. Of the choices you listed, I'd bet only NF offers a better reticule than Sightron.

On a POF 308, I'd definitely want to keep the objective on the small side. Because of it's immense length and objective size, I would disregard the NF BR. Consider instead the 3.5-15x50 NXS. The NXS is about 2" shorter than the BR model. However, you'd need to pony up about $1500 for a new one.

Wish you had the budget for a USO, because the choice would be simple. A POF 308 is no joke. It's a sweet rifle. It's deserves a sweet optic. This would be a sweet selection: USO SN-3 with 37mm obj, ERGO AO, and EREK. $1920.

How's ramen taste to you?

[Rommel]

I think I am leaning more towards the Leupold Mark 4 with the TMR reticle... I think if I spend anymore than that I may be sleeping outside as the better half may not jive with a $1500 or $2k scope...

Thank you everybody for the info!!!!

[Argonaut]

No one ever regrets buying a Leupold.......I do love my German glass though. I am a trained professional photographer, a scope is different than a camera lens. The mechanics are more important than the quality of glass. I remember as a kid, one of my buddies got up early in the morning .......went to sight on a bull elk and the scope was fogged. It never happens with a Leupold and the warranty's are unbeatable. Perfect every day working scopes at a modest price

[rksimple]

No one ever regrets buying a Leupold.......

Yes...they do.

[Argonaut]

Only if you couldn't afford it in the first place.................

[rksimple]

Only if you couldn't afford it in the first place.................

No. When they break, have canted reticles, don't track, don't return to zero...and you realize that for just a couple hundred more, you could have bought a Nightforce.

[Argonaut]

In a previous life, I tested a lot of equipment....with a more or less unlimited budget. The Leupold's Never broke or failed in any way on there own. There were a few that fell out of Helicopters and the like, they were replaced by Leupold without question. There were a lot of new names trying to make a reputation. They would give them to us to try out........a lot of them came unusable out of the box or became that way in short order. Particularly the complex scopes that were pricey. The only other scopes that held up that well were the high end German stuff that cost twice as much. There is a reason Ronnie Barrett supplies only Leupold or Swarovski scopes with his rifles.

[Rommel]

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't the military use the Leupold Mark4's with the KAC SR25?

If so I would imagine that it can't be that terrible....

[rksimple]

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't the military use the Leupold Mark4's with the KAC SR25?

If so I would imagine that it can't be that terrible....

Yes they do...and they break. The loopies of yesteryear were much better.