Long range scopes

[bruce_ventura]

I asked, How do you plan to compensate for elevation and wind?, not If. I meant do you plan to dial elevation and hold for wind, dial elevation and dial wind, or hold elevation and hold wind (i.e., Horus)?

At 1,000-1,500 yds, you're mostly fighting atmospheric turbulence and glare. Unless you have vision acuity problems, I would recommend a lower magnification range. The NXS 5.5-22X56 is a better option IMHO because the glare performance will be better at all mag settings. I also recommend you use a 4" sunshade to further reduce glare. 22X is adequate for big game at 1,500 yds for normal (corrected) vision. Higher magnification will make the image bigger, but not clearer because of turbulence-induced blur.

I'm calculating no more than 35 MOA bullet drop at 1,500 yds, 7,000 ft elevation and a 220 gr SMK @ 3450 fps. With standard bases, you will need most of the 100 MOA of internal adjustment offered by that scope. However, image clarity will be better if you limit your internal adjustment to less than about 30 MOA from the mechanical center. You can do this if your gunsmith sets up the base properly.

If you have the base installed by a gunsmith, you can zero at 100 yds and get out to 35 MOA bullet drop with only about 42 MOA of internal adjustment. That requires your gunsmith to bed the base with 19 +/- 3 MOA bias relative to the bore (not the receiver). That still leaves +/-2 MOA for POI shift due to barrel resonances. Even if you use a standard 20 MOA base instead, you'll need to check that it is actually 20 MOA from the rifle bore on your rifle (it rarely is). If so, you can save the gunsmith cost.

That caliber can reach out to 1,800 yds and still have >1,000 ft lbs of bullet energy. The drop would be about 45 MOA. If you zero at 600 yds and you have your gunsmith bed the base to 24 +/-3 MOA relative to the bore, then you will need only about 46 MOA of internal adjustment.

 

[green 788]

pondered a similar decision a while back when we were scoping my friend's .338LM... we went with a Leupold Mk4 8.5 to 25 ERT, with the tactical milling reticle.

There were other options, of course... some with better glass (like the euro scopes)... others with a zero stop option (like Nightforce NXS)...

But the final decision for Leupold was based on the world economic situation right now. I persuaded him to get the Leupold because of the iffy survivability of the smaller scope makers around the world, especially those based in the european zone.

US Optics makes great stuff... but again, long term survivability of such a small company selling such high dollar scopes made me queezy... there would be few things worse than dropping 2500 or more on a scope only to find out that the company goes belly up a year or two down the road... no service for those, unless at a likely very high price.

Not to be a wet blanket to any of you guys who have S&B's or USO's or whatever... but I think Leupold will be standing firm when all others fall, assuming a worsening world economy.

My couple pennies...

Dan

 

[bruce_ventura]

... but I think Leupold will be standing firm when all others fall, assuming a worsening world economy.

That's a pretty extreme perspective. The market for firearms and accessories has flourished during the current US recession and will very likely continue to do so during the impending European one. A stronger dollar would make it easier for European companies to sell into the US market. The scenario in which companies like Zeiss and Swarovski fail has a very low probability.

 

[green 788]

That's a pretty extreme perspective. The market for firearms and accessories has flourished during the current US recession and will very likely continue to do so during the impending European one. A stronger dollar would make it easier for European companies to sell into the US market. The scenario in which companies like Zeiss and Swarovski fail has a very low probability.

we can certainly hope that ends up being the case...

 

[jake50]

Ok this might shortern the list of scopes. My budget is $2500.

 

[T3-OleMan]

jake50,

One other item to consider is the need for a low enough low # to allow you in very low light conditions at any range, in a noon time storm or at sun rise or sun set to zoom down to a 2, 3 or 4 and get MAX light on glass and your eye for TARGET ID ( is it a big spike or a legal 4x4 - even at 100yds., I have needed this feature & my tools let me down).
I took my $709..2008 mod......Leupold- VX III LR 4.5_14 x 50 BC to a dealer at sunset (called ahead) and tested against the $2,200 Zeiss Victory Diavari 4-16 x50 and Swarovski Z6. For a cloudless 30 min. after sunset I rotated through all 3 every 3 < 4 min. -up and down the power ranges at 100 yds-horse-barn and fence.

My old Leupold was out of the race after 15 min. due to looking at NE corner of a hill bottom.
The Z & S were about equal. You could hunt in the dark with both on a clear night and in a field where you did not have a sex or points type restriction or it being legal (i.e.-hogs etc).
I went with the Zeiss Victory Diavari 4-16 x 50 cause I wanted German Glass. I have been in noon time storms that NO scope could help you at any range or power. Dark is dark! I consider a 2, 3 or 4 a bigger advantage than jumping up to a 56MM OB+ and having a 5 or 6 as the bottom number.
Just my needs and opins.gun)
Good luck