What scopes to use ?

[Russmerle]

I agree with LongRange, the problem is higher priced scopes don't mean that the quality is much better; in any sense of linear fashion.
Whatever you do, have your reticle match your turret adjustments(moa-moa, or Mil-mil). Personally I like my adjustments to ALWAYS be correct, regardless of magnification, so I use First Focal Plane scopes.

Dollar for dollar, the Primary Arms 4-14X FFP Mil/Mil scope is a steal. with multiple shooters going just short of a mile, the PA flat em-bare-assed the SWFA 3-15X.

Please heed this gentleman's advice... The PA 4-14x Mildot Front focal plain is the best scope for the money. .1 mil adjustments are on the money and it is a really solid scope...

[yobuck]

Please heed this gentleman's advice... The PA 4-14x Mildot Front focal plain is the best scope for the money. .1 mil adjustments are on the money and it is a really solid scope...

Use whatever scope you like and prefer.
But the fact is it dosent make a hill of beans difference to a shooter who knows his equiptment and how to use it.

[D.ID]

Use whatever scope you like and prefer.
But the fact is it dosent make a hill of beans difference to a shooter who knows his equiptment and how to use it.

AMEN.
and.............Keep in mind: "best for the money" is not best in any other catagory.

[darkker]

AMEN.
and.............Keep in mind: "best for the money" is not best in any other catagory.

This is true, so I'll offer some elaboration for the OP, from my scopes.

Weaver tactical(#800363) retails about $800. This scope has the glass quality of 98% of anything costing $1,000 or somewhat more. This scope is on Painless, I shoot to a mile with it rather regularly. Is one of my benchmarks to judge other scopes with.

SWFA 5-20 - retails around $1,200. Optically isn't really much better than the Weaver, certainly not by the difference in price. Color is a bit more true.

SWFA 3-15 - retails at about $750. This scope looks fantastic when looking through your neighbors window hoping to see his ole Lady changing, but that's it. Take it out in the middle of the day in summer and try target acquisition at 1,200 yards; you'll see what a train wreck it is. It's turrets adjust like the old fixed 10X as well.

PA 4-14 ffp - Retail is $229. We actually did a shooting day where multiple folks could shoot at the above mentioned 1,200 yards. Optically this scope flat embarrassed the SWFA 3-15. The SWFA couldn't distinguish one of the targets, it just disappeared. The other was impossible to mil, and really you would mistake it for veg if you didn't know what it was. The PA however easily resolved on both. Honestly this scope was very close to the optics of the Weaver. The PA also comes with as much adjustment range as the Night force BEAST line of scopes. IIRC 33 mil, mine tests at 34.

So again, buy the best quality you can; NOT just the highest price paid. Otherwise you can spend $750 for something that isn't worth the price of a VXI, or you can spend $230 on what is closer than most shooters could discern, to a $1,200 scope.

Cheers and best wishes on whatever you decide to do.

[lrshooting]

Well, I dont see what you are using it for, but I like my Viper PST FFP 4-16x50. Now I can give you pointers on why I bought it though:
1) If you going to hunt in anything that isn't really really well lit up, you need illumination on FFP reticles many times depending on your eyesight because they can be hard to pick out against a coyote in the dusk.
2) FFP to minimize time spent calculating hold with a variable power scope.
3) Uncapped turrets...this is controversial depending on use. I want uncapped on both windage and elevation. Vortex has another scope that doesn't have illumination but has capped turrets and I really just dont need caps if the turrets are snug. Just something for me to loose and have to take off. Id want them in heavy brush or rough terrain that I might bump the scope alot however.

Now I realize I only spent 900$ on a scope so maybe thats way under your price range, but ive never spent over 130$ on a scope before so it was a big jump for me.

That being said, ive shot the same size groups with a 70$ scope as my 900$ scope so it really doesn't matter as yobuck said. The high end scopes just make it easier to see in low light, have at least decent turret tracking and adjustment, usually more clear, and most of the time tougher (also heavier typically). Sometimes you get into electronics, but I dont consider that the actual scope.

Ive always heard spend as much on the scope as the entire gun costs, but I think thats too open ended. Id pick what suits your needs and wants that has decent glass and tracking above all else. I think some people spend money on NF and S & B just to fit in with their high end buddies at the range. I just cant see spending that much money on a scope thats not going to help anything but ego (not always the case, some people really do benefit from them) when I could spend that couple thousand on reloading supplies, another gun, etc. Heck, I see people around here spending 4-5 K on a custom rifle and high end scope, but dont know how to shoot them and still miss or group terribly.

I figure if Carlos Hathcock can do it over and over and over, with a hunting rifle or machine gun and a scope mounted to it, I can do it with a reasonably cheap gun. Theres other things more important to buy that are more practical. Of course when Im old and retired, ill happily splurge on expensive guns just because I can and they are ridiculously cool, and to make the kids mad watching their inheritance shooting away.

[darkker]

Of course when Im old and retired, ill happily splurge on expensive guns just because I can and they are ridiculously cool, and to make the kids mad watching their inheritance shooting away.

[lrshooting]

^^^ Cool dude right there...he knows what im talking about :)