Starter Taget/Bench Shooting Scope

[Beansie]

If any of you want to let me pick your brains on a good starter optic for bench shooting (50-200 yards for now) that would be great.

Picked up a Mossberg MVP and love this damn thing. Getting MOA @ 100 with the awful 3-9 that comes with it, but the thing won't stay zero'ed and won't adjust to the right, at all. So I'm feeling like a decent set of glass will help me a lot here.

This is just bench shooting for now, any hunting is years and a new optic down the road. Below is where I'm at right now, and any advice/reviews/comments would be gratefully received. (May or may not buy it fro Midway, just using their site to start research because I like the layout.)

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/47...-rifle-scope-6-18x-44mm-tac-moa-reticle-matte

This is my current leader. Owned by Leupold, not 100% sold on the reticle but like it better than mildots. The 6-18 is huge for me. I read, over and over, clear glass > magnification, but my eyes suck for a relatively young guy, and I need to use my fine focus at my job a lot, so they only get worse every year. I'm not shooting close to MOA @ 200 on 9 magnification I don't think, irrelevant of the glass. (Can be bought on Amazon for like $250, or I'd wait for a sale, etc. Not paying $300 for it.)

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1320395404/nikon-prostaff-rifle-scope-4-12x-40mm-matte

Number 2 right now mainly because of the reticle and I hear nothing but good things about Nikon glass. The fact it only goes to 12 magnification is making this drop off my list. See eye sight issues, but clarity, etc etc etc.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1477311024/weaver-kaspa-rifle-scope-4-16x-44mm-side-focus-matte

I hear good things about Weaver, and the adjustable parallax and forgiving eye relief really make this one hit my list, and it's cheaper than the other two. However, at this price point I assume the glass isn't near as good as the Nikon...

Any advice, or experience with these (or even a different scope to look at) would be greatly appreciated. I have a couple more on my list too, but these are the leaders.

 

[northny]

First for scopes / optics of any type try Natchez shooting supply
I have bought close to a dozen scopes from them and one muzzle loading rifle. Nothing but good things to say.

For bench work and a low recoiling rifle I would go with Tasco 6-24X. All of about $70 and lifetime warranty.

Befor the haters jump on me let me say I have and like Redfields Nikons and Leupolds. For heavy recoiling caliber or hunting in wet I would go with these

I have shot the Tascos on heavy barrel Rem 700 rifles (pillared and bedded) with hand loads and managed less than half MOA to 300 yards. With .222 and .22-250 and .243. After load development I will switch to 4.4-14 Nikons for hunting.

This is just what I do. Certainly not only thing or the best thing. Works for me though.

 

[Beansie]

For bench work and a low recoiling rifle I would go with Tasco 6-24X. All of about $70 and lifetime warranty.

.

Funny you mention this. I've looked at that scope probably like 6 times... At that price point it is hard to turn down, and worst case if it stinks I'll toss it on the 10/22.


However I keep getting hung up on the "you get what you pay for" and "buy once cry once" saying with optics, and am not wanting to deal with sending the optic back to Tasco 2 or 3 times wasting months of shooting time. But then again, even a $500 scope can have the crosshairs fail...

Ugh, So far optics have been the biggest pain in the ass to come to a decision on in my limited firearm experience.

I'll add this back to my list. At what setting does the glass get unclear/unusable?

 

[johnN]

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-3-15x42-Tactical-Rifle-Scope-P62238.aspx

this is what I have on my 308 bolt gun.it was worth every penny at full price, on sale tonight too.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/95...mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte

I have 2 of these. ok but not as clear as the swfa is.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/13...f-rifle-scope-3-9x-40mm?cm_vc=subv11320175710

I have 2 of these, one is a newer bdc model and a older crosshair on my 22's. these are just as good if not better than the Bushnell's.

 

[Beansie]

Just went to dicks to look through some glass. God the Nikon looks great.

Might need to up my price range.

 

[northny]

Have not had a Tasco fail yet. But I do have three of the Nikon 4.5 to 14x with BDC that I like. I believe on sale $199 at Natchez. Amazingly clear

 

[Beansie]

Have not had a Tasco fail yet. But I do have three of the Nikon 4.5 to 14x with BDC that I like. I believe on sale $199 at Natchez. Amazingly clear

What kind of distance are you getting out to with the 4-14?

 

[northny]

I am a member at HSC so that I can have access to 200 and 300 yard ranges. I dont usually shoot longer than that. With 4.5X - 14X 243 with 100 grain bullets center cross hair has me on at 200 yards, at 300 yards I use first bubble down for center hits Really not hard to ring the 12inch gong at 300 yards. I could just as easily hit a 6" gong if one was there. I probably can hold less than 4 - 5 inch groups at 300 most the time with a moderate amount of wind push. WIth .223 you dont really need BDC

By contrast, my 22 -250 with 24X or 36X scope will give me sub 3 inch at 300. (The .243 did the same when I had 24X on it)

But I can also center hit that gong at 300 with 3 -9X Nikon , just with larger group size. Hell, I'm sure can hit with my old .270 with fixed 4X scope.

So here is what I told my sons that I learned over the decades (the caveat being I have worn bifocals since first grade , over 50 years and YMMV) This is for Bolt actions

3 - 9X all you need for hunting and factory ammo. If gun, ammo capable you can get 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I can work up hand loads that are good or better than factory, but cant tell if I have optimal loads or which of a few good ones are better than the other.

4.5 to 14X - still fine for hunting (at 4.5X getting to be too high for woods work), but with 14X you will get smaller groups at 100 and easier to hit at moderate distances (200 - 300 yards). A big step up from 3 - 9X . The last 15 or 20 deer I have killed in the last 10 years my average shot is probably 175 yards, with closest 85 yards and this is what I typically scope my rifles with. I have two Nikons with BDC on my muzzle loaders (more than half those deer were ML kills including this year 135 yards) Cross hairs at 100, first bubble 150, second bubble 200 for MLs)

24X or 36X scopes are for range or varmint work for me. With these you can consistently get those 5 shots groups that all touch and make a little tear in paper if rifle, ammo, shooter are capable You can quickly see what a rifle or load CAN or CAN"T do. I wont bother trying to optimize a hand load without 24X For me those little tears in paper are with heavy barrel Rem 700s, with some trigger work, pillared and bedded and hand loads. My light barrel hunting rifles might do it by accident but wont consistently do 0.6 inch groups even with higher power scope.

You can also see what the SHOOTER can or cant do. Every once in a while I lose the handle and my notes from a range trip say I did not shoot ANYTHING really well at a range session. Nothing terrible, but just not great. The next trip I start with my .222 or 22-250 with varmint scope on it, and it if doesnt shoot a tiny group, guess what ITS ME! Flinching? Caffeine? Change in my technique? Doesn't take much to add a guarter or half inch to group size. But might be hidden by 3 - 9X

A final comment, the recoil of the 50 cal muzzle loaders is punishing on scopes. The Nikons have been flawless.

The tasco varmint scope has probably 500 rounds of .243 through it this year and last year alone. Then one on my 22 250 probably has a few thousand rounds through it and may last longer than the barrel.

 

[Beansie]

Thank you so much. That is the perfect write up I've been looking for.

 

[Ed]

For bench shooting I don't see how you can go wrong with Weaver T24 or T36, for the money.

 

[x-frog-22]

I use a weaver T36 on my 308 bolt gun at Harvards 300 yd. range . .With this I also don't need a spotting scope .