Best scope for under a $1000?

[manakiah]

Looking to get a good scope for long distance shooting. I would like to get mil-dot. I know there is alot of great scopes out there anyone have suggestions. It will be mounted on a Rem 700. Thanks for the input. Jason

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[catwithboost]

Will get different answers on this one For me a Nikon Monarch.

 

[stmcelroy]

SWFA SS 5-20 is $999 right now and a great deal.

 

[mjbskwim]

Man there are some great Nikons out there for way under $1000 (very clear)
Bushnell,Vortex.I would bet you could get a nice Leupold for less than that.

I have a Leupold on my Winchester and a Vortex on my AR. The parallax is way better on the Leupold.
You really have to look through them.
But if it is a heavy caliber (300win mag/7mm or bigger) get the best one you can.

Man you have some shopping to do

Good luck

 

[madcratebuilder]

SWFA SSHD 10X, 30mm tube. At 799 it leaves you money for rings and base.

 

[stmcelroy]

SWFA SSHD 10X, 30mm tube. At 799 it leaves you money for rings and base.

Good choice too. I'm waiting for my SWFA SS 3-9x42 to get here, will be going on a Remington 700 AAC-SD.

 

[Bookmark Man]

Looking to get a good scope for long distance shooting. I would like to get mil-dot. I know there is alot of great scopes out there anyone have suggestions. It will be mounted on a Rem 700. Thanks for the input. Jason

For under a grand, you can get a very good scope in a Bushnell 6500. My 4 1/2-30X50 shows more detail on the same power setting than my Swarovski z5 5-25X52. Also the Bushnell is slightly better in low light than my Minox 13X56 binoculars.

 

[Samurai]

What distances? How big of a target? What caliber are you shooting? You specify mil-dot, are you going to use mil adjustments as well? I think the aforementioned SS scopes are going to be your best bet, but the mag range and features will depend on your answers to the questions I pose. Also, is weight a factor?

 

[tlfreek]

not to hijack this thread but for a 338 win mag - only target shooting what would you recommend? I would like to be able to shoot 100 to 600 yards.

 

[travis]

horus predator. <broken link removed> great glass, nice reticle, great value

 

[sprocket3]

Bushnell 6500 series or some of the 4200 series with 30 mm tubes. Though i'm not sure they make the 4200 with 30mm tube still.

If interested I just posted my 4200 for sale. Monarchs are nice, but I think the nice bushnells are a little better.

I have a 3200 that seems a big step down.

 

[Samurai]

For that 338 I would be looking at the SWFA 5-20X50, that will give you the ability to stretch that rifle out past 600 if you get the chance. 338 has a lot of potential...
As far as Horus, I've heard an awful lot of complaints about the tracking and repeatability of their actual scopes. I've used a couple of other scopes with their reticles, which I would recommend if you want to use their reticle system. Bushnell, Leupold and others all offer scopes with their reticles, but I wouldn't use their scopes unless you plan on using holdoffs exclusively. SWFA 10XHD, 3-9HD, Bushnell 3-12X44 FFP, are all excellent scopes for the money, it just depends on what features you need in your optic.

 

[Otter]

No one mentioned Sightron. I have a 6-24X SII I paid slightly over $400 for and it rocks. I added an 8-32X56mm SIII and am truly amazed with the quality. My only complaint about that scope is the parallax is a little touchy. I think I paid just over $750 for that scope....Bear Basin matched a price offered by The Ammo Zone. I have two Nikon 5-20X44mm and am very happy with them as well. Paid just over $400 from Mid South.

Both my Sightrons are mil-dots, but I wouldn't buy any more because I have a range finder and do not find the need to range with the mil-dots. Looks cool though! Friends are always impressed.

 

[Samurai]

I rarely range with my reticle, but since all my scopes are in milliradian adjustments once I've gathered data on a particular load and conditions I have, at the same time, created a drop chart for holdoffs. If it's 4.2 mils on the dial for 500 yds, and I'm in a hurry, I just hold 4.2 mils down the reticle....too easy.

 

[jack1122]

Zeiss Conquest comes to mind for under a grand.... Just a thought

 

[Bookmark Man]

Did you get enough suggestions, manakiah? There are too many values to check out in even one week. It will be fun deciding, though.

 

[deadshot2]

At the range people stop buy and ask "What kind of scope is that?" When I answer "Barska 10-40X50", they chuckle and say "Why did you buy such a cheap scope?" Then they look at my targets and groups and they are amazed.

I paid $269 for it at Optics Planet. Now sells for $309 with free shipping. Barska 10-40x50 IR SWAT Extreme Tactical Riflescopes 50mm w/ Rings AC10550 w/ FREE UPS Rifle scope 10-40x50mm

I have it mounted on a Ken Farrel G-Force Scope Mount <broken link removed> with Leupold QD Scope Rings (High). The Ken Farrell mount is available in 5 moa increments up to 40 moa so you don't have to do any fancy Holdover's when shooting out to 1000 yards. They allow you to operate your scope in the center of its elevation adjustment which will give you a clearer picture with the optics centered.

I like the 40X scope as I don't have to set up my spotting scope for ranges under 300 yards.

My Rifle is a Remington 700 SS 5-R Milspec and my total investment is about $500. Shoot groups of less than 1/4" (.202") @ 100 yards and 3/4" at 300 yards is a fairly regular occurrence.

I never use the Illuminated Reticle but its presence doesn't hamper the function of the Scope.

BTW, shop around, Optic's Planet matched Natchez Shooter's Supply on price and gave me free shipping.

 

[Bookmark Man]

deadshot2,

Your post reminds me that you get what you shop for, not necessarily you get what you pay for.

 

[deadshot2]

deadshot2,

Your post reminds me that you get what you shop for, not necessarily you get what you pay for.

I've found that there are lots of people that just can't grasp the fact that "If it isn't a big, established, and expensive, name, it isn't necessarily crap". Or restated, "If it isn't a Big Name and Expensive, it has to be crap".

The world of "Optics" has changed from the days when old world craftsmen took days, weeks, and even months, grinding and fitting pieces of glass to make binoculars and rifle scopes. They have been replaced, for the most part, by precision machinery that can make not just one or two good lenses, but thousands of them. Just like the world of electronics, optics have progressed to the point where the ability to manufacture high quality products has brought prices down. No longer is "Name" and "Price" an indicator of Quality.

On that note, for those that associate the name "Tasco" with low quality scopes, do some reading on the "Super Sniper" scope and it's acceptance in the world of "Professional Shooters" (where the winner gets to go home alive). Yup, it's made by Tasco.

BTW, I noticed the absence of Meopta Scopes in the recommendations. Some "Old World" (Czech Republic) craftsmanship with scopes from $600-$900 for the most part. I looked through one alongside a NightForce and couldn't see the difference as far as clarity of image. Half the price too.

In the end it will be up to the purchaser and what they like. Best way is to find a Dealer that has a wide variety and look through the selections. First pick several that have the best view and then from that group select the one that fits your wallet best.

 

[stmcelroy]

On that note, for those that associate the name "Tasco" with low quality scopes, do some reading on the "Super Sniper" scope and it's acceptance in the world of "Professional Shooters" (where the winner gets to go home alive). Yup, it's made by Tasco.

Tasco no longer has anything to do with the Super Sniper line of scopes that SWFA sells, haven't for a long time. Tasco earned their reputation by selling tons of crap scopes, sure the SS was a pretty good optic but that doesn't make all their scopes good.

The new SS HD scopes(3-9x42, 10XHD and 5-20) have really good glass, supposedly on par with some of the high end stuff.

I've got a SS 3-9x42 coming tomorrow, look forward to putting it on my Remington 700 AAC-SD.