Reply With QuoteWhat do you mean by "tactical"?
Does it need black webbing and straps attached or can it just say "tactical" somewhere on it?
I know this is probably hitting a hornet's nest/opening a can of worms here but... looking for optics recommendations for my build; no rush to pick it right now and want to make sure I'm buying once. The "best" scope I've owned to date is a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x50... which considering it was used solely for hunting within 300 yards was more than adequate.
For this project I'm looking for something more "tactical" with a bit more magnification... I plan on shooting past 700 yards (paper/steel) and using as a long range hunting rifle (have a few places where there is open line of sight for 600 yards; which from my fuzzy math is about as far as a .260 should be used for deer sized game).
I have looked at a few options... so far the Vortex Viper PST and similar are what I'm looking at; feel free to compare quality/features.....
I'd REALLY like a Razor HD Gen 2.... but I think that is going to be out of the budget.....
Sooo... what glass in the $1000 ballpark would you go with?
What do you mean by "tactical"?
Does it need black webbing and straps attached or can it just say "tactical" somewhere on it?
"Buy once/cry once"- Nightforce NXS 5.5-22X56
$1000-range- Sightron SIII 6-24 X 50
$5-600 range- lots of options, my favorite being Weaver Super Slam 4-20 X50.
Btw, nice screen name 😁😁
MUST have coyote webbing; nothing black... its not night vision. What I meant by "tactical" could also be described as "target"... finger adjustable turrets with a zero stop; something I can dial in adjustments on without having to unscrew top caps; mil-dot or similar reticle not needed but a plus.Originally Posted by mattri
I'll have to check out the Sightron... dilemma I'm facing is I can get a great deal on the Vortex with military/LE discount so the PST gets way down in my budget range... flip side is that I've read quite a few reviews of folks that have had to use the warranty... my personal take on warranties is they should be like concealed carry weapons; always have one but if you have to use it something has gone very wrong.
... and on the screen name it would appear that great minds thing alike!
Whats wrong with using the vx3 you have? Leupold will install the target knobs if it dosent have them.
Make your own zero stop if you think you (really) need one. Zero the gun and cut off a pc. of a 12 ga.
shotgun shell to fit the space below the scope knob. Remove the knob slip it on and replace the knob.
I can also explain how to remove it lol.
Your thinking is sound on the Vortex. The reason everyone raves about their warranty is because they have all had to use it. I have owned several Vortex optics and I will never own another one. If you like the Leupold stick with the leupold. I recently put one of the VXIII 8.5-25x50s on my match gun and that was the best money I have ever spent.
I have 2 PSTs, couldn't be happier with them. Bought them both used off this site and have never had any problems whatsoever, they are repeatable and are not babied. In my opinion their reticles and glass is better than NF.
The VX-3 currently sits atop a Browning A-Bolt in .308 that I sold to a friend about 2 years ago... I mean I guess I could steal it back but that just wouldn't be nice.
When you offered to explain how to remove the home-made zero stop... this bit popped into my mind;
"Place the small metal flap into the buckle." Well, I asked for clarification at that point. Over here please, over here, yes, thank you very much. Did I hear you correctly? Did you say place the small metal flap into the buckle or place the buckle over and around the small metal flap? I'm a simple man; I do not possess an engineering degree nor am I mechanically inclined. Sorry to have taken up so much of your time. Please continue with the wonderful safety lecture. Seatbelt--high-tech $hi+" George Carlin
I have two FFP PSTs and love them, but they are no where in the same ballpark as Nightforce. I own two 15x55 competition, one 12x42 BR, and a 5 x 25 ATACR. I would buy another FFP pst in a second, but not the SFP.
Awesome reply- glad the OP has different opinions to choose from.
A buddy I shoot with "had" to have a NF.
He bought one and really liked it, 8-32 target model. NP-2 reticle.
It's a good scope, no issues to speak of, but when he looked through my Vortex he was floored. Better glass, better reticle etc.
His next purchase was not a NF.
There will always be some folks who "have" to own a NF, and more power to them.
Others have looked through the glass, shot them back to back and decided to go with a Vortex.
Look through as many as you can, shoot as many as you can and pick whichever your eye likes best.
The NF, Leupold, Sightron, Vortex, Bushy... so many choices. The problem I'm up against is budget; I'd love to "buy once cry once" but a NF or similarly priced is out of range. Like a lot of folks the features on the PST for the price is something I find appealing... especially since they reportedly give a 30+% military discount; just have the downside of the reports of having to use the warranty.
The Leupold VX-3 I had was a nice piece of glass; however to get something with a FFP reticle from them with a lot of magnification will likely put them out of my price range. Maybe I'll just go down to the local Wally World and pick up one of these... seems legit?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Barska-Opt...l-Dot/23237989
For that price I'd look at the Bushnell 3-21 and the Burris scopes which have been getting good reviews though I haven't used one. I've got a bushnell that I use for tactical matches, it's a good solid scope and I really like the G2 reticle. I also have a vortex 6-24 SFP that I bought when I started shooting long range, it's now on a 223 for my 12yr old nephew to learn to shoot long range. It's a decent scope too and you can get it in FFP with a similar reticle now. The vortex warranty rocks, recently sent mine in as I had loaned it to a buddy to use and he overtightened the rings damaging the tube. Vortex replaced it under warranty. Made me a fan for life. Saving my pennies for a genII razor now.
http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-3-15x42-Tact...pe-P62238.aspx
Give this a look maybe all you need or want.
FROGGY
See profile for fire arms
Do it today there maybe no tomorrow
Well if were comparing warranties, none is better than Leupold.
Guaranteed for the life of the scope regardless of how many owners had it.
I bought a used vx3 3.5x10 a couple years ago in what appeared to be mint condition.
I sent the scope to Leupold for a reticle change as i didnt want the heavy duplex.
They notified me about an internal problem i wasent even aware of. Since the scope
was an older one the didnt have the parts on hand to repair it.
They sent me a new replacment scope at no charge. So in essence i bought a new vx3 3.5x10 for $350.
Yep people always rave about the Vortex Warranty and that being the reason they buy one but in reality any major scope manufacturer does the same thing. I bought a used Nikon Monarch from a guy here locally and it had some parallax issues so I sent it off for repair. Two weeks later I had a brand new scope show up at my door. Same quality and timely service I ever got from Vortex.
Vortex is the same, but not all do that, try it with a S&B. :)
I've read the Zeiss doesn't have that great of a warranty either. Seems strange for such a high dollar item.
I have 4 of the Vortex PST's the 1-4, 2-10, and 2 of the 6-24. I have been happy with them, not quite a Nightforce but im still really happy with them. One of the 6-24's and the 1-4 gets its turn on the truck gun, and they dont get babied. The 6-24 has taken a hard hit, then fell into cow poo and mud, then got blasted off with the hose to clean it and still works like new. All mine with the exception of the 1-4 all all SFP. I wanted the thin cross hairs at full magnification.
Did some warranty comparisons between my front runners... here is Leupold's verbage from their website:
Leupold Optics are built for a lifetime of performance at the highest level, plain and simple. Other companies offer lifetime warranties because they know the optics they’re selling you are going to break, fail, or fall short of expectations. At Leupold, that’s not how we do business.
With the Leupold Gold Ring Full Lifetime Guarantee, if your Leupold product doesn’t perform as promised, we will repair or replace it for free, whether you are the original owner or not—forever (excludes electronic components). You don’t need proof of ownership. Or a warranty card. And there’s no time limit. We do this because we believe in superior quality and craftsmanship, and we’re confident your Leupold won’t let you down. That’s the power of our company, and we stand behind our work.
They then throw in the kicker on a smaller drop down menu:
Warranty Exclusions
Unfortunately, these warranties do not apply if the product has been modified, misused or has been damaged by accident, abuse, or misapplication. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, contact Leupold Product Service before having any work or repairs done to your valuable Leupold optics. Call 1-800-LEUPOLD or (503) 526-1400.
Here is from Vortex:
Our VIP warranty is about you, not us. It's about taking care of you after the sale.
VIP stands for a Very Important Promise to you, our customer. We will repair or replace your Vortex product in the event it becomes damaged or defective—at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition.
You see, it doesn't matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it. You can count on the VIP Warranty for all Vortex Optics riflescopes, prism scopes, red dots, rangefinders, binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, andmonoculars.
- Unlimited Lifetime Warranty
- Fully transferable
- No warranty card to fill out
- No receipt needed to hang on to
If you ever have a problem, no matter the cause, we promise to take care of you.
The VIP Warranty does not cover loss, theft, deliberate damage or cosmetic damage that does not hinder the performance of the product.
And Bushnell:
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Since 1984, the majority of our Bushnell sports optics products have been covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Bushnell Outdoor Products guarantees these products to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original owner.
These warranties do not cover consumer caused damages such as misuse, abuse or repairs attempted by someone other than our authorized technicians. Click here for Repair Services.
LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY
Binoculars (excludes ImageView Binoculars)
Riflescopes (excludes Riflescopes with illuminated reticles and Red Dot sights)
Spotting Scopes (excludes ImageView Spotting Scopes)
Telescopes (excludes North Star Telescopes)
Not sure what Bushnell means by "limited lifetime" as its not spelled out explicitly on their webpage. Both Bushnell and Leupold have the "abuse and misuse" clause in there... Leupold also lists "accident" as a limiter on their warranty. So... of the three with what is actually in writing Vortex has the strongest warranty. If you are climbing into a tree stand and drop your rifle (number one you should be beaten severely for such irresponsibility...) and the scope breaks of the three looks like vortex is the only one that is, in writing, obligated to repair/replace. Not saying that Leupold wouldn't... just their warranty doesn't say they have to. Food for thought.
For that price I would look at the sightron 8-32 with croshairs as their mildots are way to big.
Willing to give back for what the sport has done for me!
Another thing to consider would be wether you will doing a lot of spot and stalk, where a scope with locking turrets will really earn its spot on your rifle. Just one less thing to worry about when your crawling into place for that shot on your dream bull or buck.
Im in the market for a scope for mostly the same criteria as you and although I have never handled one the bushnell elite dmr has nothing but rave reviews and can be had for just a smidge over 1k$ and on precision rifle blog outperfomed scopes that cost 6x as much. (Very thorough testing)
The swfa are notoriously rugged and good optics from what i have gathered and imagine a good choice as well.
Like others have mentioned the vortex seems to be hit or miss, and if you watch some tracking test on youtube i doubt you would be impressed.
I have 2 Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50. Haven't had a problem with either of them. Never had to use the warranty either.
They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Im trying to remember the last time me or my gun fell out of a tree. Or screwed up my scope while crawling up on a deer.
Im still on board for an occaisional 1 man deer drive however.
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