Vortex- looking for some input.

[br2121]

looking for some input.

Rifle: Remington 700 6.5cm

use: paper punching out to 800 yards. I shoot 1x to 3x a month.

I like the EBR-2c reticule.

WANT: Razor Gen II 4.5-27x (around $2500)
Can Afford: Razor Gen II 3-18x (found a new one for $1750)
thinking about: the Vortex PST 6-24x - $950



So would you go for the lower magnification with a higher quality glass or go for the less expensive / higher magnification PST and save some dough?

Or just save some more dough and get what you want?

Note: I've owned a Valdada 3-18 and Bushnell 3.5-21x so I think the 3-18x magnification will be okay. I don't have a ton of experience with scopes above 21x.

any input will be appreciated.

[HK Dave]

3-18 or a 5-20 for $1350

[goodlookin1]

Go for the 3-18x. The 27x even with a 56mm objective will severely dim out starting at 20x.

I just bought the gen 1 5-20x and I like it but it does get dim after about the 15-17x range.

If I could have gotten a 3-18x gen 2 for $1750, ida done that.

[br2121]

Go for the 3-18x. The 27x even with a 56mm objective will severely dim out starting at 20x.

I just bought the gen 1 5-20x and I like it but it does get dim after about the 15-17x range.

If I could have gotten a 3-18x gen 2 for $1750, ida done that.

Thanks, just the feedback i was looking for

[whipkiller]

Better glass, little less mag.

[Iloveguns]

I would go with the Gen 2 3-18. If you can afford it you will not regret it over the PST. The Gen 2 4-27 does not get that dark compared to other high mag scopes I have looked through.

[RobG]

Either the 3-18 or 5-20 if you want to save some dough. The 5-20 is a tough optic, accurate, good glass, good turrets, great reticle. The can be had for 1300ish since the Gen II arrived.

Go for the 3-18x. The 27x even with a 56mm objective will severely dim out starting at 20x.

I just bought the gen 1 5-20x and I like it but it does get dim after about the 15-17x range.

If I could have gotten a 3-18x gen 2 for $1750, ida done that.

I found no dimming with my 5-20. The eye box got tight at 18x and above but that was it. Have you looked through the 4.5-27 or are you assuming?

[rero360]

I'm going to throw my vote in with the lower magnification and better glass crowd. I have a few optics, 1-6, 1.8-10, and 5-25, Vortex Viper for the first and US Optics for the latter two. For out to 800 meters, any of mine are perfectly fine, although I have found that with the 5-25 I tend to dial down to around 17 to 20 for anything inside of 1K. Heck, a 4 power ACOG is just fine for man sized targets out to 600 meters.

[dozer wright]

If you like Vortex

Check reviews on Sightron great reviews excellent customer service.
Great crystal clear glass awesome price point. I was amazed at first one I bought. On suggestion from a friend.

[goodlookin1]

I found no dimming with my 5-20. The eye box got tight at 18x and above but that was it. Have you looked through the 4.5-27 or are you assuming?

While I have not seen the 4.5-27x Gen II in person, simple physics dont lie. The 5-20x Gen I has an exit pupil of 2.5mm at 20x (which I perceived to begin to dim at about 17x), while the 4.5-27x has an exit pupil of 2.07mm. Smaller exit pupil = less light. When the exit pupil gets smaller than the size of your eye's pupil, you will have 2 negative effects: 1) Scope will dim out and will be especially noticeable in low-light situations, and 2) Cheek weld/eye position in relation to scope becomes really tight/critical.

Having said that, the Gen II is an excellent scope and is better than the Gen I. The truth is, Schmidt and Bender, Nightforce, Premiere.....any of the Alphas will exhibit dimming at high power like that. The good thing about the Gen II over the Gen I is that you can go higher in magnification before it begins to dim: That is because the objective is larger. I notice the dimming at about 17x on the Gen 1....that means it started to dim at about 2.94mm exit pupil. Assuming the same general optical qualities on the Gen 2, I could safely assume the dimming would instead begin at about 19x (56mm / 2.94).

The dimming is certainly not as pronounced in the brightness of daylight, but at early dusk or sunset, it will be significant to the point that you will need to dial back the magnification levels to allow for more light.

[JMP]

looking for some input.

Rifle: Remington 700 6.5cm

use: paper punching out to 800 yards. I shoot 1x to 3x a month.

I like the EBR-2c reticule.

WANT: Razor Gen II 4.5-27x (around $2500)
Can Afford: Razor Gen II 3-18x (found a new one for $1750)
thinking about: the Vortex PST 6-24x - $950

Any of these 3 scopes would would be fine for 6.5CD & 800 yards. The 6.5CD does very well at that range. It also tends to be a very accurate and precise cartridge, so I'd look for a reticle that has a small dot or open center rather than a traditional cross hair, which can block out your exact point of impact if you want to shoot very small groups on paper.

If you KNOW that you'll only be going to 800 yards, consider the weight. A smaller 30mm scope can actually be an advantage if you ever plan to shoot it unsupported. For longer range, you want BIG EVERYTHING, but 800, you don't need that much.

[RobertMW]

The glass clarity from the PST to Gen II is immense, get the 3-18, that is plenty of power for even 1000 yd.