Heavy recoil Scopes

I have a 110 in 7mm rem mag currently with the 24" sporter barrel. This rifle does JUMP. While I will do some recoil reduction as time goes on (only had the rifle ~3wks) what mfg scopes can routinley handle that type of recoil? I called Primary Arms about their 4-14x44 MilMill scope and they told me it could not take that kind of pounding. Too bad, I like the scope and the price is...well, I can afford that.

Rifle is dual purpose, antelope and varmint as well as longish range target for fun. Since I've been away from scoped firearms for quite awhile (.223 has a Nikon Prostaff 4-12 with BDC reticle which is great for what I use it for) I could use a little help as the choices are just mind boggling.

Thanks for any insight you can provide. kb

A fixed power scope will always be more rugged than variable power, SWFA scopes are hard to beat price wise and durability.

Dean

I have had real good luck with the Nikon Monarch line. I have them on my 30-06s, 7mm RM, 35 whelen and my 375 H&H. All work great. Various variable powers but all perform just fine with no issues. They also have a generous eye relief (important!).

Deerandduck

For a reasonable price, the SWFA SS fixed power scopes are some of the toughest I know of. For "hunting" type scopes, about the only ones I really trust for hard-kicking sporter rifles are Leupold VX-IIIs. Nightforce is great at handling recoil and rough handling, but they are simply out of many people's price range.

Eye relief yes...I don't look so good with a beat up face.....well, depends on who you talk to maybe. Any opinion on the Millet scopes? I ran across them, specs look decent, there is a current sale to take advantage of but I know nothing about them. Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

What is "longish" range?

A higher quality but lower powered scope will have better visual acuity than a higher powered low quality scope.

A quality Leupold, Nikon, Vortex, etc. under 12x will be better than a higher power scope of the same price from some other manufacturers.

I would like to be able see well enough with my old tired eyes to shoot 600-800 yds. The ability to make it to 1000 yds would be nice but really, even for fun I doubt I would do that more than once in a great while. I will eventually spend the bucks for a really good piece of glass (for both rifles) but for now, I just want something that will hang together and get me out there while I get the rifle to the point serious glass is a final expense. Hope that long winded explanation helps....laffin.

What is the absolute upper range of $$$ that you are looking to spend?

Since it's a temp deal and I'll need to stuff the piggy bank over time, I figure if I can pick one up for $200 max and have it do what I need that fits the bill. And, if I'm lucky, have a scope I can put on other rifles as they are aquired and go through the same build process.

Wow, I've had "low cost" scopes on a bunch of hunting guns and never had a failure. Some people talk like you shouldn't even consider a scope unless you spend 500 dollars or more on one. That is just not the case IMO. I've had a Tasco pronghorn 2 1/2 power on a 12 gauge auto loader for over ten years now and it's still fine. (That's just one example) I bought that scope from Wal-mart for 20.00 bucks. IMO, you get better quality parts and assembly spending more, but unless something is wrong with the scope it "should" hold up to it's intended purpose, no ? Here's the thing, you see a scope on the shelf with everything you want, the right magnification, size, options, clarity, eye relief, and so on. You don't buy it because it doesn't cost enough ?

You buy enough cheap junk, then it breaks or otherwise fails to do what its supposed to do and you'll quit. Can't remember how many times I skimpped or a tool or other such thing only to re-evaluate my prior thinking. Enough life experiences will learn ya that. Sorry, not slamming ya bub, but my pop always called me "wet behind the ears" . Took many years to figger that out....but I got it indeed.

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Originally Posted by buxman66

You buy enough cheap junk, then it breaks or otherwise fails to do what its supposed to do and you'll quit. Can't remember how many times I skimpped or a tool or other such thing only to re-evaluate my prior thinking. Enough life experiences will learn ya that. Sorry, not slamming ya bub, but my pop always called me "wet behind the ears" . Took many years to figger that out....but I got it indeed.

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Understood and no offence taken. I was just saying it is possible to get something that works for cheap. Obviously buy the best you can afford because, as with anything you do get what you pay for.

buxman....trust me, I've been around the block more times than I care to remember. What it boils down to is this would be nothing more than a test scope, never intended to remain in place. Just allow me to use the rifle for testing to decide what I want to do with it. Simple premise. Maybe not so simple to put into action. As it turns out...for the time being at least it's a moot point. I picked up a Pentax III Gameseeker, new, with the power range I wanted to test for next to nothing. Not a scope I would ever mount to a rifle as the be-all-end-all but I've used Pentax camera's for years and one thing they have going for them is good glass (even the China shop). So, let the testing begin!!!

Thanks for the input gents....I do appreciate it.

I understand. And none taken, gents!

Avoid Bushnell / Millet- Cabellas "pine ridge" - Barska- and sight mark- NC Star.... Broken them all - on various boomers over the years- 7mm mag, .300 WM, 7.62x54r



Tasco world class, Simmons, primary arms, and Burris are $75- $175 they hold zero and perform.

SWFA Is the way to go after the $175-250 price range is jumped.

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Originally Posted by oneissuevoter

Avoid Bushnell / Millet- Cabellas "pine ridge" - Barska- and sight mark- NC Star.... Broken them all - on various boomers over the years- 7mm mag, .300 WM, 7.62x54r



Tasco world class, Simmons, primary arms, and Burris are $75- $175 they hold zero and perform.

SWFA Is the way to go after the $175-250 price range is jumped.

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Bushnell gets a bad rap from the Walmart blister pack scopes they sell. Which I agree are junk but.... step up above the 3200 line and they are good scopes that can handle recoil just fine. My 4200 3-9x40 is a fantastic scope that I would put just below my Conquest in low light performance. Plus the rain guard feature is the real deal.

Nightforce

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Originally Posted by Deerhunter 28

Nightforce

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I think you skipped the post with the budget. Your almost 10x's our target price.

I have a Burris 2-7 on my 06, I paid like 120$. I am pretty sure it was a refurbished scope.
Still works fine
Nikon monarch, 3-9
$180, on the backup 06, still holding zero

Lets be realistic here. How many rounds can you conceivable shoot in one sitting with that rifle? 10, 20, 50? I think Marshall at PA was being straight with you about his scopes but probably not for the reason you think. Nothing worse than getting one back broken. I have had several of the Primary Arms 4-14 FFP's and their 4-16 SFP's. Both are very durable and well made optics for the price. I have used them on 30-06 and 7mm RM rifles with good success. But these rifles are hunting rifles not target rifles so they don't get fired nearly as much as my long range target rifles. So think about this. The PA 4-16 will do everything you need. It has great glass, a good mil dot reticle and repeatable adjustments. It's also only $158! So buy it and be happy. If for some reason your rifle breaks it your only out $158 but I would be extremely suprised if you do. You can spend a whole lot more and have the same thing happen. After all it's not like your putting in a 300 WSM. Man I hate that round. The short strong impulse is the worst!

It's your money but I think your over thinking this. The tactical scopes are designed for abuse. The 30mm tubes and the internals are stronger due to how they are meant to be used. I still think PA's scopes are the best bang for the buck in the market. I just bought another one. This will be my 10th! I keep selling the rifles they are on and the buyers want the scope.

I have about every brand of scope out there, except for USO, S&B, that price range. Yep, Barska to Burris, Bushy to Leupy. I like them all for their intended purpose. I don't expect a Famous Maker to measure up to a $600 scope.
However, I don't enjoy plinking with 308s and 30-06s any more.
I have a couple of Primary Arms scopes and they are great. I have been very pleased with Fujinon and VERY disappointed with a brand new Nikon Monarch.
I usually have several guys look through the scopes at various targets at different ranges. The Monarch went back because it was judged 'by the group' to be no better than the $70 Wally World (Centerpoint) scope.
If you worry about recoil, look at high end airgun scopes. I have a couple of Hawke scopes and they are awesome. Millett also impact tests every scope. I have a few Milletts and love them, although the 35mm ones are BIG....

Just a few random thoughts. Flame suit on.....

ron

I have 3 Millet scopes (2 TRS and 1 LRS). The LRS is a BIG scope but then its on a very big rifle and a boomer at that (338 Lapua in 110BA) and I've ZERO problems with any of the Millets. The ones I've got have been great scopes!

No way good to know that, 338 Lapua has been calling me for a while :-)

Update....well, here is where it stands. I added a Harrels Precsion tactical brake (for prone shooting) and stuffed a Brako mercury dampner in the butt stock, which really balanced out the rifle, and tamed the recoil nicely. This thing is an absolute blast to shoot. I found a place where I can lay out on a small rise and literally shoot to the horizon. The Pentax GIII has worked great. Now for the rub...I have had to go back to glasses for some indeterminate time cuz contacts are messing with my eyes. Doc said I could not even put them in to shoot with. The GIII scope and my glasses do not get along. So I'm hoping I can sell both of the Pentax I have, got a new GII in a trade I've never used, it's still sitting in the box, for a couple hundred and get a another scope. My problem is going to be eye relief with my bifocals. I want a magnification range from 6x to whatever with a 50mm objective to take advantage of the wide open range I can shoot it at. I'm still not going to break the bank for a scope, no reason too. I figure if I can get a few bucks for the Pentax's, add a couple hundred bringing my budget to around $400 it's all good.

So who's got the eye relief in a scope? I have one of the Simmons Whitetail Classics (when they were still good) I love but it is staying put. The eye relief on it, in addition to the simple no frills reticule, works well so I will be looking for something along those lines. It's a 6.5-20x50. Ideas welcome and thanks for all of your input, it's made things much easier. I just wish PA made the milmil in a higher magnification range, that would do the trick. kb

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Originally Posted by sixonetonoffun

I think you skipped the post with the budget. Your almost 10x's our target price.

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Yes I did .
Sorry