I'm looking for a great scope for my Weatherby MK V 338-378 Arroyo. I have the same rifle chambered in 300 Win. Sporting a Leupold VX6. I want a better scope for the 338-378. I would like it to be mil in FFP and worthy of competition and long range hunting. I would like the scope to be worthy of the next custom rifle that can handle 100-2000 meters. World class for 2020. Thanks
You present a rather demanding set of requirements for a single optics, but let's see if we can wade through it. Yes, I read the thread, the whole thread.
As a quick note, I'm a long time competitive shooter (35+ years) and I have been competing in F-class for the last 13 years. I shoot a .308 at 1000 yards every month and then there are State, Regional, National and World competitions on top of that.
I live and breathe behind a riflescope looking at a target 1000 yards away, placing bullets on the target for score. The X-ring is 5 inches in diameter, the 10-ring is 10 inches and so on.
This is not to brag, by any stretch of the imagination, this is to explain the kind of surgical accuracy that is required in my type of shooting and so I use a riflescope that allows me to do that.
My requirements are high magnification (I use 40X,) great definition and clarity for my 65 year old eyes and superb tracking and dependable, predictable knobs.
The degree of magnification I need and use prevents me from using an FFP, my scope has a very thin SFP reticle with minuscule dots and lines. Totally worthless for hunting, I should think.
I know nothing of the 338-378 except that it's probably a pain to shoot and is probably not very conducive to extreme precision. I don't know what kind of competition you are considering with that rifle, but I think you should just forget that and concentrate of Hunting and Bragging shots, AKA ELR. To go from 100 to 2000 meters will require quite a bit of elevation adjustment on your scope.
You can certainly use a canted rail, but having a scope with the required internal adjustment range is the better way to go. Using the internet, I found that the MV of a 338-387 with a 250gr bullet is about 3000FPS. Using JBM, I picked a regular Hornady 250gr .338 bullet and plugged in some numbers. With a 100 yard zero, you will need 277MOA of elevation to get to 2000 yards.
There is only one scope on the planet that has that kind of elevation range built-in, the March Genesis 6-60X56. Its price is an eye-watering number, around $5000. It does have phenomenal glass (Super-ED High Master) and a unique Wide Angle eyepiece that will beat anything out there for field of view. It's an FFP with 400MOA of adjustment range, 300 up and 100 down.
Now if you want to save a little bit of money, there is another March, the 5-42X56 and it has 140MOA of elevation. It also has the Wide Angle eyepiece and is an FFP.
If you want higher magnification, you need to go with an SFP, and the highest magnification scope anywhere is the March-X 8-80X56 but it has a much lower elevation range.
Schmidt & Bender is a great scope, but they are porky, very heavy.
The Kahles brand is also excellent, great glass.
The Nightforce glass is fine, a little weak on light transmission in my mind, especially compared to others, but they are still fine scopes. They are also quite porky, heavy. I have an NXS 12-42X56, as a backup scope.
As you refine your specifications, it will be easier to narrow down the selection.
