50BMG scope?

[LDBennett]

I need a scope for a 50BMG bolt gun. This is NOT a competition gun. Our targets are animal sized steel targets at 600 to 800 yds.

What power is recommended?

Which scopes will survive the massive recoil of 50BMG? Can we get away with say a Bushnell Trophy or ???

LDBennett

[EBR Works]

You did not state your budget. You can spend from $100 to thou$ands!

I was presented with this quandary as well. After much research and not wanting to spend a boatload of cash, I chose a 16x SuperSniper in Badger Ordnance Max-50 rings. Yes, there is better glass, but there is nothing equivalent in it's price range. It works well out to 800 yards. It has endured 500+ rounds of .50DTC without a hiccup. It has adequate internal adjustment for these ranges, whereas the Bushnells do not. Read the reviews on it and you'll find them all very favorable.

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-Scopes-C1719.aspx

http://www.badgerordnance.com/productgroup.php?id=rings

Someone else will be along here in a few minutes with the Nightforce lecture.........

[powderedtoastman]

Impacto knows what he's talking about. I have the 10x SWFA SS and it's a HUGE bang for the buck. I don't have it mounted on a 50, but it's an awsome scope. Clear, durable, and holds it's zero. Mine is on badger rings as well.

[evollep3]

if it was me for the price you paid for the Super Sniper you can get a Nikon Monarch or even Buckmasters or if you shop around get a Bushnell Elite 4200 series much better scope

[EBR Works]

The Bushnell Elite 4200 does not have enough internal adjustment to get you to 800 yards. I have the 4200 Elite Tactical on a 308 AR. I had to retrofit a 20MOA rail to get past 800. No such issue with the Super Sniper.

That being said, the Bushnell is better glass, but for $500+

[CSACANNONEER]

50 BMGs do not have a huge recoil and that is a problem when it comes to scopes. 50BMGs tend to have muzzle brakes which eliminate much of the recoil from the shooter by using the expended gases to pull the rifle away from the shooter. That forward or reverse recoil is a big problem when it comes to glass just like finding glass for a spring piston airgun. Most glass is not made to handle it. When it comes to glassing your 50, think about warrantees! ALL optics can and will fail on a 50. It's a matter of how long they will last and how much it costs to repair them. If you want to go for an inexpensive scope, follow impactco's advise and get a SS. I used to carry one as a back up scope until I got my second 50 complete with a NXS and traded the SS away. SS may fail in less than 10 rounds of 50 but, they always come back from warrantee repair with the problem solved and they tend to last a long time after that. I would either get a SS or jump all the way to a NF or Leopold M4.

[evollep3]

The Bushnell Elite 4200 does not have enough internal adjustment to get you to 800 yards. I have the 4200 Elite Tactical on a 308 AR. I had to retrofit a 20MOA rail to get past 800. No such issue with the Super Sniper.

That being said, the Bushnell is better glass, but for $500+

you sure about this i mean i know that the Super Sniper has i believe over
whopping 110 minutes of angle (MOA) in travel for both elevation and windage
but the elite 4200 series are not that far off the 3200 holds a different story and like i said if you shop it right you will find a nice Elite 4200 but in my opinion supersniper is still tasco but you know... what do i know right i only broke 2 super snipers and never had any problems with any of my elites or Nikon Monarchs or my Zeiss???

[EBR Works]

IIRC, I only had about 50 MOA of adjustment with the 4200. How did you break the SS units that you had and what type of failure was it?

[CSACANNONEER]

what do i know right i only broke 2 super snipers and never had any problems with any of my elites or Nikon Monarchs or my Zeiss???

So, when you got the SS repaired under warrantee, did they break again? Do you run your elites, Nikons, Zeiss glass on 50s with efficient MBs? AFAIK, it's luck of the draw with any of them holding up to the reverse recoil of a 50 or a spring piston air gun. The SS was designed to handle it though. Of course, both impactco and I are not only speaking from personal experience but, also, the experience and prevailing thoughts of many other FCSA members. Again, your choices might hold up on a 50. I have friends that have put them on with good luck. But, I also have friends who have repeatedly had very bad luck with them.

[bruce_ventura]

Csacannoneer makes a good point about the reverse recoil. He actually helped me measure the shock and vibration spectrum on his rifle. The peak acceleration was about the same as on other high power rifles - about 5,000 Gs. The duration of the shock was ten times longer, though. That acceleration is oscillation back and forth as the acoustic shock wave bounces back and forth down the barrel. That means that a 50 exposes the scope to ten times the shock as a standard caliber.
The problem with all Chinese scopes (like SS) is inconsistent quality control. Some batches are good, while others have high return rates.

[bohoki]

my 50 makes my shoulder feel like ive been playing punchbuggy with kubiak

[EBR Works]

I had the opportunity to shoot an 18" barreled Ultralite .50 BMG today while standing. My shoulder is still sore.....

A friend & I both shot our Beowulfs for the first time today. He had purchased a new Bushnell scope. The scope lasted about 10 rounds.

[evollep3]

i had one on my bohica that got canted after a while, then the second one a little rubber bushing was danging inside you get what you pay for

[windrunner50]

If a Nightforce fits your budget....get one, you will not be disappointed. They have great optics, and will work with 50bmg's no problem!

[CSACANNONEER]

i had one on my bohica that got canted after a while, then the second one a little rubber bushing was danging inside you get what you pay for

So? How did they work after they came back from their warentee repair? From what I've heard, some of them do fail quickly on 50s but, they last a long time after they get repaired once. Also, I'll repeat this: ALL SCOPES WILL FAIL ON 50s! It's not a matter of "if" but, it's just a matter of "when". Even NF and USO fall apart when mounted on top of a big 50. So, when choosing optics, you always want to pick one with a good warentee.