driving myself crazy with scope selection, help!

[scottyboy]

first, let me apologize as i know this topic has been beaten into the ground..dug up and re-beaten (i have also read every post 10x with the search words i have been using)

i recently placed an order for my first custom build and while all those details are now ironed out - - its on to the scope i will be putting on this rig. it will be 100% a 'hunting rifle', i will not be using it for bench rest competitions or anything along those lines (although i might partake in the occasional / recreational PRS type thing)

what i am struggling with is the "ideal magnification", which i know is subjective. my rifle will be chambered in 300WM and the farthest i can shoot here in Minnesota is 1000 yards, so that is where i am going to cap myself for obvious reasons on shooting in the field.

i feel like i have pretty basic criteria that should make my decision easy, but i keep second guessing myself. i need SFP, MOA adjustments, zero stop, not Leupold. budget around $2500-2750 including rings/mounts.

so far i have been looking hard at NF, in particular the ATACR in 5-25, 4-16 or the NXS G7. the Swaro X5 and March. all of these scopes have pros and cons - - be it, ED glass, 34mm tube vs 30mm etc and they cover a wide array of magnification ranges.

so after this long winded ramble, i guess what i am trying to solicit is your real world experience from you all that have shot and hunted long(er) ranges than i have and what you feel is the best option (again, i know this depends on 1,000,000 different factors and everyone see's everything differently) i keep going back and forth - is longer mag range on the 5-25 ATACR worth the 56mm bell or the 50mm bell with a lower mag range? go with the G7 with a little lower quality glass, but get a 30mm tube with 50mm bell, longer mag range than the 4-16 ATACR? the Swaro 3.5-18 seems to be right in the middle of it all, but does it hold up as well as the NF ie tracking etc? (i have read Len's review). March fits it all as well, but i have heard mixed reviews about warranty work/service through bullets.com - - the 20% off deal is awfully appealing though.

and to top it all of, what we will be at SHOT that we all cant live without? that could throw yet another curveball into this. it is not possible that i can physically look at all of the options out there, the ATACR is the only one near me to fondle (not in the flavors i want), i might have to give Lens' store in Wisconsin a call to see what they physically have, they are only 6 hour drive away. i welcome any and all feedback, criticism or anything else you want to throw at me! i will admit i am over thinking this and just need to get something and stick with it, but i would hate to get option A, and then realize if i would have thought about BCD that option E would have been better for reasons XYZ... thank you in advance. scott

 

[Timber338]

One factor to consider is your style of hunting and if adding weight to the top of your rifle will bother you. I had the ATACR and while it's a great scope I just couldn't stand how heavy it was. My rifles are sporter weight and that monster scope made it top heavy and unbalanced. If weight doesn't matter then it's tough to beat the ATACR. But I also don't think it's necessary to have that much performance in a scope for hunting out to 1000 yards.

I am currently running the new Vortex Razor AMG and it's as heavy as I want to go at 29 ounces. It's a 6-24x50mm and I am pretty sure I will never shoot at an animal above 20x. But the 24x magnification is nice for shooting targets and it lets me judge an animal from pretty far out.

In my years of hunting I seem to use 16-18x to shoot at animals for long range shots. Higher magnifications just narrows the field of view too much.

 

[geo4061]

Nxs #434

 

[HARPERC]

I bought the first ATACR I got my hands on. I liked it so well I pre-ordered the 4-16x FFP version without ever seeing one.

I bought the FFP from Len, and was very happy at the way that end was handled.

I haven't looked back, the 2 best scopes I've had my eyes behind.

For us average folks getting past making a mistake on big ticket items is a bit spooky.

Some other good products out there no doubt, but the ATACR's won't disappoint you. Wait for SHOT or not?

 

[Timber338]

I bought the first ATACR I got my hands on. I liked it so well I pre-ordered the 4-16x FFP version without ever seeing one.

Harperc, since you've used both of these scopes, what are your thoughts on 16x max power vs 25x? Do you feel limited at 16x?

 

[scottyboy]

Thank you guys! I would like to think the weight itself won't bother me as I put on my fair share of miles this par fall chasing elk and deer, so to me..if the extra ~1lb of the ATACR is worth it for the features, then I can deal with the weight.

My problem with a "regular" NXS is the exposed windage and to me, it's just one more thing to check before shooting. The G7 solves this problem, but the reticle is not my favorite. (I like the capped windage more than i dislike the reticle)

Thank you again for everything they far, I really do appreciate it! Scott

 

[scottyboy]

Timber, you read my mind.. I've heard some people with the thought of "don't need the 25x for the shot, but it's nice to have to check out the animal, terrain etc a little greater detail and then dial back." With the 16x you don't really have that option to dial out for whatever reason and then bring it back, well you do...but you don't

 

[Timber338]

My problem with a "regular" NXS is the exposed windage and to me, it's just one more thing to check before shooting. The G7 solves this problem, but the reticle is not my favorite. (I like the capped windage more than i dislike the reticle)

Check out the Vortex Razor AMG. Both the windage and elevation knobs are locked out and neither can rotate until you pop up the turret. That scope has just about every bell and whistle you could want. I am very happy with it.

 

[scottyboy]

Check out the Vortex Razor AMG. Both the windage and elevation knobs are locked out and neither can rotate until you pop up the turret. That scope has just about every bell and whistle you could want. I am very happy with it.

How long did you have to wait for yours? My LGS has had one/some on order, basically since they were allowed to order them, and they still haven't gotten any yet (supposedly they are going to be one of the first dealers here to get them). I know it's been at least since April 2016 and likely well before then. That's one of my reservations about the AMG is finding one and then seeing how the reticle is. I got time to acquire a scope as my build won't be done for 5-6 months, so I guess that gives me plenty of time..

 

[ShtrRdy]

Excellent discussion. My first choice would be the ATACR 5-25x enhanced too.

But I wanted to ask another question ........ what are the closest shots you might expect? If you hunt in timber a lower magnification would be very helpful. When you dial down the ATACR to 5x there is significant tunneling so the field of view is decreased.

 

[HARPERC]

......Harperc, since you've used both of these scopes, what are your thoughts on 16x max power vs 25x? Do you feel limited at 16x?

Big game, rocks, or steel, no.

Varmints very much so. Currently the 5-25x is on a .223 we've used shooting sage rats, I used it on my .338 RUM shooting rock chucks. Some of that is the SFP, vs FFP.

The 4-16x is currently on the RUM, and I think that will be it's permanent home.

I've been a scope short for a bit, but have fixed that, and the 5-25x is getting moved over to a heavy .300 Win Mag in hopes of getting a little more long range varmint shooting in.

You pointed out the downside is weight, but I'm not much of a hiker anymore.

 

[scottyboy]

Excellent discussion. My first choice would be the ATACR 5-25x enhanced too.

But I wanted to ask another question ........ what are the closest shots you might expect? If you hunt in timber a lower magnification would be very helpful. When you dial down the ATACR to 5x there is significant tunneling so the field of view is decreased.

Hello ShtrRdy, the closest shot is hard to say. I can only rifle hunt here in part of the state and I typically don't hunt that part, so 90-95% of this rifles life will be spent traveling the country (aside from the rifle range). I would say it's safe to assume 50yds to be the closest. I shot my bull this year at 55 with my scope at 6 or 7x (didn't have time to dial it down to 3x) and I didn't think it was too 'zoomed' to hinder my shot, so that's where I got thinking 4 or 5 on the low end would be OK, given I would have the time to turn it down to its lowest respective setting. Thank you!

 

[Timber338]

Excellent discussion. My first choice would be the ATACR 5-25x enhanced too.

But I wanted to ask another question ........ what are the closest shots you might expect? If you hunt in timber a lower magnification would be very helpful. When you dial down the ATACR to 5x there is significant tunneling so the field of view is decreased.

It's always tough trading off long range performance vs close range field of view. Very few scopes excel at both.

FFP gets even more challenging because you are limited with total magnification range or else the reticle gets too big/small. I think 4X range is ideal for a FFP scope, so the reticle is usable across the entire range.

If I could design a hunting scope, it would be 4.5-18x50 FFP. I think the 4.5 would be low enough for short range (non dangerous game) and 18x would be plenty for long range hunting shots. My AMG is just a touch too much with 6x on the low side.

I would prefer 4x as my low magnification, but if Vortex comes out with a 5-20x AMG this year I will likely sell my 6-24 especially if it is a couple of ounces lighter. I've shot elk in the timber at 15 yards, and my 6x would have been tough at that distance. At the same time, those shots don't come up all that often most are 35 or further and 5 or 6x works fine and it's worth the tradeoff for long range performance in a long range rifle.

 

[HARPERC]

.....But I wanted to ask another question ........ what are the closest shots you might expect? If you hunt in timber a lower magnification would be very helpful. When you dial down the ATACR to 5x there is significant tunneling so the field of view is decreased...........

Field of view favors the 4-16x @ 100 yards/meters 4x gives you 26.9', 16x=6.9'.

5-25x, 5x=17.96', and 25x=4.92'. I don't know but on 16x I suspect its the same as the 16x on the 4-16x