Long Range Shooting

I've been a long range shooter for 15 years. I've always felt that your equipment had to be top-notch, or you'd run into problems. As an example, regardless of which rifle you shoot, if the chamber is not concentric with the bore bullets are started crooked and as a result when they exit the barrel they do not rotate around the bullet's center, but rather the bullet "wobbles". I know anyone reading this who goes long knows what the equipment requirements are. Additionally, you need a chronograph, a ballistics program and an optic.

My purpose in asking this question is to ascertain what scope the long range shooters use. A scope that is not reliable in its adjustments, and/or won't return to zero, just makes the whole exercise of shooting long range very frustrating. I used to believe one had dump 3K or 4K on a scope to enable one to shoot out to 1000 yards and beyond. As it turns out, there are lemons in the Alpha scopes as well. It doesn't matter how pretty the image is, if you've dumped 5.6 mils into your elevation (you think), and it turns out that the scope was not adjusting 1 click for every .1 mm, the difference at extended ranges could cause you to completely miss your target.

What I'd like to hear from are guys who are going long with affordable glass, and tell which optic you are using. Ranges and calibers would be useful as well.

Thanks ahead of time for anyone who takes a little time to reply to this post.

Sightron SIII With LRMOA Reticle: 6-24 X 50/ 8-32 X 56

Calibers: 260/338 LM

Range: 100-1500 yards

Years of service: 5

Issues/warranty used: 0 issues

What's your dollar value for "affordable". I run a Vortex Gen II Razor 4.5-27x56 and absolutely love it. My other 2 high end choices are the Khales K624i with SKMR2 reticle, or the NF ATACR F1. If I went Medium/low I'd look at the Gen I Razor, Bushnell HDMR or XRS (but their zero stop sucks), also coming to the plate is the new 6-30x56 from Primary Arms which I'm interested to see where it stacks up.
On the real low end it's be either the Primary Arms 4-14x44 or the SWFA line. Seen a lot of people have tracking issues with Vortex's PST line, but Vortex also has the best warranty in the business.

I here a lot of good things on the Sightrons listed above as well, but I don't like their reticles or configurations for what I do.

I shoot mostly competively anywhere from 15yds up to a mile on occasion with most work being between 300-800yds. I currently run a 243Win shooting BN coated 115DTACs a little over 3000fps.

SWFA 20x42 with SWFA med. rings, one piece EGW base on a Rem 700 sps .308. Criterion barrel, timney trigger, B&C stock. Bench rest out to 1000. 900 rounds & counting. I've had it out to 1200(yes it's a stretch but it got there) & the scope tracks fine. Scope set up with bubble level cost me $410 OTD!!


BW

Been to 1570 yards with my 6.5 Creedmoor running a Vortex Viper PST FFP 6-24. Run it in tactical matches often. Zero issues thus far. Absolutely love it.

To a large degree, it depends upon the specific use you have for the scope.
Some types of long range competition today pretty much require certain type scopes
at least as to how they function. For a long range hunter or a casual bench shooter like myself
any good scope will work regardless of how it functions as for turrets reticle ect.
I have an 8.5x25 leupold on one of my L/R guns, an 8x32 Nightforce nxs on another, and a 3.5x10 Leupold on another.
I think if they were all Sightrons id be just as happy, but I have no plans to find out.

My personal choices:

High (>$2k): Razor Gen II 4.5-27x56 - Easily the best scope I've ever used, NF ATACR F1 is right there with it but I prefer the Vortex reticles
Mid ($1k-2k): Razor Gen I, Bushy HDMR or XRS, Burris also makes the XTR Tactical which I've heard is pretty good but never used one. NF NXS is very nice as well.
Low (<$1k): Viper PST, Sightron SIII are only 2 I've used, both are very nice
Budget ($<500): Primary Arms is about the only one I'd consider using

But make no mistake about it. You can shoot 1k yards with a decent 3-9x... It all comes down to the shooter and personal preference. I'd never imagine using something like that for long range hunting or precision target shooting, but it can most certainly be done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WinnieTheBoom

My personal choices:

High (>$2k): Razor Gen II 4.5-27x56 - Easily the best scope I've ever used, NF ATACR F1 is right there with it but I prefer the Vortex reticles
Mid ($1k-2k): Razor Gen I, Bushy HDMR or XRS, Burris also makes the XTR Tactical which I've heard is pretty good but never used one. NF NXS is very nice as well.
Low (<$1k): Viper PST, Sightron SIII are only 2 I've used, both are very nice
Budget ($<500): Primary Arms is about the only one I'd consider using

But make no mistake about it. You can shoot 1k yards with a decent 3-9x... It all comes down to the shooter and personal preference. I'd never imagine using something like that for long range hunting or precision target shooting, but it can most certainly be done.

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Sounds like we would agree on a lot of stuff there Winnie.

I like a nice Leupold VX3 in the 6.5-20x50 or 8.5-25x50 Variety. I don't like all the extras in a reticle give me a nice set of glass with consistent adjustments and a simple Duplex or at most a wind plex and I can do the rest. At $700-$900 the VX3 line offers excellent optics and features without breaking the bank.

I'm using a Bushnell AR-Optics 4.5-18 (paid $100 for it after rebate) between 200 and 800 yards with very good results. I have done box tests as well as running an elevation test 30MOA up at 100 yards during a Long Range class and it measured elevation adjustment at .27MOA per click over the 30MOA range at 10MOA increments getting up to the 30 and then back to the 100 yard zero. I was blown away at how repeatable it is, but wish the glass was a bit clearer and the side focus worked a bit better.

This is on my long action 6BR shooting the 105 Noslers at 2750-ish. My elevation to 800 is either 21.4 or 22.4, cant remember offhand.

I have a vortex viper hs-t 4-16x44. It has been reliable and repeatable since I bought it in 2012, out to 850 yards. Now that I have a more capable cartridge I will test it further but am looking to upgrade.

One I am interested in right now is a Burris veracity 4-20x50. It looks like a great scope for the money and seems to have a good following. They are FFP, 30 mil tube, MOA/MOA, zero stop and looks to have good turrets. For $800 it looks, on paper, to be awesome. I have not seen one in person, but am looking for one to peek through.

One thing I do not like is a busy reticle. The nf reticles all seem very cluttered. I could get used to it, but at $2000 I want to like it out of the box.

In my opinion the NightForce 12-42X bench rest or 8-32X bench rest scope is the best value at just over $1000.00.
The 8-32X is 1,286.00 at Optic's Planet. 32X is plenty enough for me to easily see hit's at 1000 yards.

NF has many retical's,, my favorite is the NP-R1 or NPR-2 a fine cross hair and fine hash marks.

I really like my Sightron fixed 36X too for the $400.00.

A lot of guy's are using the Sightron 10-50X at short range bench rest and on 30BR's,, all I can say is they shoot 1 hole groups. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one, but the NightForce will be more rugged, for roughly the same price.

I run 3 Viper PST 6-24X50 and I would consider scopes that cost ~$1000 to be low end scopes. I'm not saying these scopes suck, but these will get the job done, have great warranty, and an excellent track record.