Scope question...

My little 308 currently has a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x50 sitting on top of it. I'm wanting to replace it with a scope that has 1/4 MOA dial turrets (capped or not doesn't matter) that can be reset back to zero. I don't want anything expensive just reliable in tracking and good light gathering. I want at least a 50mm.

I've been looking online at the Vortex Crossfire II Hog Hunter 3-12x56, the regular Vortex Viper and some of the nikon scopes. Whats yalls opinion?

Not sure how cheap you are wanting to go, but I believe leupold and Nikon now make scopes with the turrets on them. Not sure of the price.

Mine and BrentM's gunsmith, custom gun builder, range owner, serious as a heart attack long range shooter, etc. will tell you that he will never again buy something other than a Vortex Viper PST (and I'd say he means it since he has about 10 of them in the box sitting on the shelf :D) to go on his rifles. He says that up and down their line, the only brand he has ever shot that he trusts as much to track well and return to zero is a Nightforce. That speaks volumes to me because he has forgotten 10X over more than I will ever know about shooting rifles for accuracy.

Also, if your Bushnell has the firefly reticle...I'll buy it from you ol buddy ol pal.

so is brent gonna sell that fancy leupold to me on the cheap and buy a vortex?

Nope. It's going to me when he gets his Vortex.

I don't think cheap and reliably track are two things that go together real well. Or at least haven't in my experience. A PST or a Sightron SIII is about as low as I'd go. The Sightron will track. I can't Vouch for the PST I've still not been able to convince myself to buy one, but everyone says they will.

If you find something lower that will shoot the box let us know. I'd probably just opt for a Ballistic Reticle at the lower price point... maybe something like a Zeiss Rapid Z for a couple hundred cheaper. You'll get a better scope.

It does NOT have the firefly reticle. I have heard nothing but good things about Vortex scopes. I own a pair of their binos and they have been great.

I volunteer you to be the guinea pig.



Get one!

I have no experience at all...just passing along what Paul says and if he says it...you can take it to the bank. And for the record, Paul is also a big fan of how the Sightron SIII will track....just like Goatkiller said.

I did buy a Diamondback HP to goof around and turn turrets on my good shooting .22. I haven't gotten around to shooting it past 50 and spinning the turrets though so I can't tell you much about how it tracks. Basically, I ain't worth a damn plug nickel for what you're after. Best of luck.

I have the Vortex Crossfire II Hogger on my Ruger 30:06 and love it. Pulls light in real good.

Have you dialed it out to distance and back? Does it track true?

SWFA SS seem to be the best for reliability and ruggedness. If your unfamiliar, read up. The 6x42 and 10x42 are $299

I've got a viper hs-t that tracks very well. I regularly dial it out to 500 and back and it always returns to zero. I also have an old crossfire in 6-24x50 with target turrets on my 22 sniper gun. I dial it from 50 to 200 and everywhere in between and have been doing so for about 5 years and it always returns to zero too. Realistically, given the .22LR trajectory, that's the equivalent of being on a 308 and dialing out to 500. Vortex makes a great scope from their lowest entry level to their highest premium end.

Off topic but I looked through some Vortex binos today. Clear as a bell. Guy said he had Vortex riflescope too and been very pleased.

Works like a champ. No problem at all.

I've got a Vortex Viper 1-4x24 on my DD AR-15 and a 4-12-50 on a Savage mdl 10 .308 I have and have been extremely happy with it.

I'll buy the elite 4200 if you wanna sell it

The question on cheaper scopes is not if they will dial accurately but for how long they will dial accurately.

Man you wouldn't want this scope. it has scratches all over it. I bought it when i was about 18-20 years old. It has been on several different guns, killed a PILE of deer and yotes. The glass is still perfect and she is just as true today as it was the day I bought it. I have to say it has been a dang goodun...

Bownhunter just follow the ole saying buy once, cry once and be done with it. Get a nightforce

I have an old B&L elite 4000 in similar magnification that won't ever be for sale...really good glass and tough as nails.

Thats what I have on my Custom Creedmoor. this is a plain jane Remington SPS that i had cut down to 18", threaded and put a youth stock on it. I loan it to kids, women who need to borrow a rifle, and sometimes I will take it if I am hunting in a climber or just want to carry a small light rifle. I take it out every now and then and will play around with it at 400-500yds. As it sits right now I just guess at how high to hold to hit the steel plate...LOL

10 4 yeah then I would get something a little less expensive lol. Vortex will probably be your best bet. I have seen some at gun shows around here for 250 300 bucks however no way to know how well it tracks until you get out and shoot it. For a plinking gun though should be fine

If you would dump the MOA adjustment for mills and go 42mm instead of 50, you can't beat a SWFS SS for reliable adjustments at anywhere close to the price.


What NF is on your other rifle? Why not switch it to this one and get a cheaper scope for the loaner-kid gun? You can always buy an elevated rail if you need more for distance.

The cheap scope is for the loaner rifle im thinking.

Yes the "cheaper" scope is for the loaner rifle.

MOA is what my NF is and what I'm use to so I figured it would be easier to keep them similar. It will be used for hunting so thats why I want a 50 or 56mm...

I just know that the SWFA SS scopes get really good reviews on their tracking and repeat ability from folks who shoot long range. I first looked at them as some cheap store brand until I started reading about them and hearing reviews from folks who can use any equipment they want.

Bow hunter I'm like you. I stick with MOA however I think one mil is like 3MOA at 100 so it may not be that difficult to convert. I consistently hunt long range so it's easier for me to stick with MOA so I don't mess something up

I'm sure someone can give an explanation of mills. I'm not a LR shooter but from what I understand mills are really easy because it's all based on 10. All you have to do is move decimal points to calculate.

I would also want a FFP reticle so dimensions wouldn't change with power change.

Nikon is supposed to have a good scope in the 7 series 30 mm tube

I ain't buying no damn vortex.
I don't care how good they track I need to be able to see the reticle and kill stuff with it right at dark. If I just punched paper it would be a no brainer tho

If you can't see well enough to do that with a vortex, your eyes are worse than mine. I have a crossfire II, the cheapest scope made by vortex. I purposely placed a piece of weathered gray wood at the end of a field I was hunting that was 135 yards away. When it was too dark to see the middle of the field, I could still easily pick out the board and see the reticle well enough to make a good shot.

Agree with doc on the crossfire II. The only one I own is a cheaper 4-12x40 on a 7-08 and it's silly clear at dusk for the price.

I knew that was coming.

I guess my eyes have been bad for 15 years,I started using Leupold vari-x III with heavy duplex and haven't looked back. It'll get it done in heavy timber and low light. I might use a high end scope IF it had some sort of heavy reticle and the reticle was in the second focal plane. Those high end , high power euro scopes that must have the power turned up to see the reticle are useless in the timber IMO.

Sounds to me like you should consider a illuminated reticle.

I do like the VX-Rs with that sweet little dot. Cut it off and it's regular duplex.

Heavies, with that dot would be the ultimate deer killin' reticle IMO.

I always wanted to try a Leica with a #1 reticle.
http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/358/358357.jpg

I would if I thought I could trust their warranty. I've heard too many stories of then not honoring it.

Op
SWFA just came out with a MOA reticle scope.

Rhclark
I came close last fall to pulling the trigger on one of the new leica ERI scopes. Thankfully I came to my senses and passed. They just don't seem to get it when it comes to warranty issues.

Definitely do some research on the SWFA SS before dismissing it as a cheap store brand. You won't best it's bullet proof tracking for less than 3 times the price.

I'll chime in that everyone that has the SWFA scopes has good things to say about them.

As far as low light I can't see a ballistic reticle either so I need an illuminated reticle, but then I have astigmatism that keeps getting worse.... so I just got all kinds of problems. But I don't hunt with target scopes so most all my target scopes aren't illuminated.

I think what I call low light is really dark. The only reticle I can see that isn't illuminated is FFP German #4 or whatever the reticle is in one of my S&B like a #4 but has a little circle with fine crosshairs in it.