Scope decsions for 260 rem

[BoilerUP]

Another +1 for the PA. I just invented a bunch of brass for my Creedmoor today, and did a little shooting. That very scope sits on that rifle. Truly out classes the SWFA 3-15X for glass clarity.

Really? A $230 Chinese-made scope clearer than the SWFA 3-15x?

I previously had the BSA Tactical 4-14x mil/mil, and while I was VERY pleasantly surprised by it, the tactile & audible feedback from its turrets were terrible and there was very obvious "milkiness" to the image and and chromatic aberration when set above 11x...issues that do not plague my Weaver GS Tactical 3-10x mil/mil @ 10x or SWFA 12x. That said, both optical flaws of the BSA aren't unexpected in a scope with those features at that price point, and neither would be prohibitive to shooting groups, banging steel or hunting.

I ended up selling the BSA Tactical and keeping the Weaver GST, which in my opinion is a heck of a scope for $300.

[darkker]

Really? A $230 Chinese-made scope clearer than the SWFA 3-15x?

Yes, the $230 Chinese scope is better than the $500 Chinese scope :)

MZ5 and I did some side X side testing of the SWFA 3-15, PA 4-14, & Weaver Tactial 3-15(#800363) this summer, out to 1700 yards.
The *Clicks* on the adjustment of the PA is very notably better than the SWFA, and a bit better than the Weaver. The Weaver has IIRC, 5 Mil/rev. I don't remember the SWFA, and the PA has 6mil/rev. The PA appears(mine anyway) to line-up with the actual hash marks better than the others, even though that really isn't a deal breaker for me; just annoying. The PA has it's adjustment obviously closer together, but is more solid. The SWFA honestly is kinda of a piece of junk for this, The weaver clicks, but is a wee bit mushy for me.

Where things get noticeable is in the clarity at that distance. We were shooting at a multi-colored Bullseye target(Red/Yellow/White) and a Brown 55-gal drum. The Weaver has the best glass in this test, easily. The SWFA couldn't find the bullseye in the heat. The drum you could see, but without knowing what it was, or how large it was; may have been mistaken for a tumble weed moving in the mirage. The PA you could easily tell which was which, and where. The interesting thing was the movement in the mirage. You would be able to acurately mil the target, but things did seem to move in the mirage. Sounds strange to describe, but both of us saw it the same way... Odd to the eye to have things move that much, but being able to accurately mil was easily done by both of us. The Weaver was by far the best. I would say that the Weaver looked the.. dullest, but was the clearest to find, dial and see the targets.

In my mind the SWFA in the $500 range is JUST under the Weaver, and is truly WAY out-classed. The SWFA by optical clarity should compete with the PA, and doesn't, at least at those distances.
Thus far my PA has about 1,000 rounds of Creedmoor under it. I dial it constantly with no issues. I couldn't say if it tracks as well as the Weaver, but certainly close enough for me. My 308(Weaver) is not moving quickly at all at a mile, and in my winds, not sure I could call the missed shots a failing of the scope. More likely an issue with the screwball with his booger-hook, on the bang-switch :)