Acceptable scopes for 1k+

[Doc M]

Howdy,
Looking for a list of scopes that would be suitable for up to and preferably beyond 1000 yards. Moa would be preferred but not necessary.
I’m planning out and budgeting for a 22” 6.5 cm gas gun that I plan to shoot out to 1000 yards for fun target shooting and am looking for some direction. I would say max I’d like to pay is $1500 but if you swear by a certain scope I can probably save a little longer. I’d prefer a scope with a decent eye box, weight isn’t really an issue and I want a ffp scope.
Thanks for the help gents, I’m no expert so I’d love to hear what you guys think!

 

[Jcreid06]

Burris XTR III is probably the best bang for the buck. You can get them under $1k pretty consistently.

 

[Gohring65]

Xtr3 seems to be the hot chick right now.
Athlon ares btr and etr are good scopes in their respective price ranges. Cronus is in your upper price range but a good choice.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

1. Do you have access to 1000+ yards?
2. What is the max distance you are presently comfortable shooting?
3. Who makes the gasser you want?
4. Are you expecting bolt gun precision and accuracy from said gasser?


I can throw stuff out, but details will help make sure what I suggest is really worth considering...

 

[Doc M]

1. Do you have access to 1000+ yards?
2. What is the max distance you are presently comfortable shooting?
3. Who makes the gasser you want?
4. Are you expecting bolt gun precision and accuracy from said gasser?


I can throw stuff out, but details will help make sure what I suggest is really worth considering...

I presently have access to 1000 yards, most I’ve shot is 556 out to 600 with decent success, I’m planning on building a Fulton armory m21 and I’m expecting 1-1.25 moa

 

[hafejd30]

Burris XTRIII 5.5-30, Athlon Cronus BTR 4.5-29. The Cronus is made in Japan and excellent. I owned the first Gen but second is even better turrets. They can be had used (especially the Gen 1) inside your price. The Burris is US or Philippines made I think depending on illumination or not

Check out CameralandNY or give CS tactical a call and they can help you out

Get MIL. Unless you have a attachment to MOA. Most guys run MIL now. It will be easier to communicate and make calls for each other if you get into prs or what not. If your into fclass then moa is still the preference there

Most guys here run MIL. Which also means there’s a lot more MIL scopes that come up in the PX should you want to try something else, upgrade in the future or purchase more optics. Saves $$ in the long run. And it just makes more sense imho nowadays

 

[FuhQ]

Burris XTR-IIIi 5.5-30x56 SCR 2 MIL is going to be your absolute best bet for $1,500.

Call up Clay Hawkins over at EuroOptic. He’s who I always deal with. Good dude. And if you have MIL/LE/Vet/FR credentials, you can get it even less.

Also I recommend the new ARC M-BRACE 34mm rings.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

I'll be honest, in my quest over the years; spend the money to get great optics ($2k+) or just stay at about $700 tops.

 

[Doc M]

I'll be honest, in my quest over the years; spend the money to get great optics ($2k+) or just stay at about $700 tops.

Got it, what are your thoughts on the 2k+ optics? What do you have experience with what do you like dislike I’m all ears

 

[EscapeVelocity]

The vortex razor g3 is great for the price. Especially if you have access to the discounts. The NX8 4-32 is also a great multipurpose optic, and even better if you have a discount. I also really liked the Steiner t6xi 5-30..a lot.

Otherwise, the strike eagle 5-25, Bushnell match pro (6-24 or even the new 5-30), or an Arken EP5, are all pretty good.

 

[Doc M]

The vortex razor g3 is great for the price. Especially if you have access to the discounts. The NX8 4-32 is also a great multipurpose optic, and even better if you have a discount. I also really liked the Steiner t6xi 5-30..a lot.

Otherwise, the strike eagle 5-25, Bushnell match pro (6-24 or even the new 5-30), or an Arken EP5, are all pretty good.

I think I’ll try the strike Eagle and save for a razor g3 upgrade down the line

 

[FuhQ]

I think I’ll try the strike Eagle and save for a razor g3 upgrade down the line

After spending the last 3 years or so with the newest version of the Strike Eagle 5-25x56 EBR-7C... I'd skip it. It's not a bad scope, but it's not that great, either. It is a much better purchase over the PST Gen2, which is NOT worth the money, IMO.

Just get one of these for now... It is WAY better than a Strike Eagle 5-25x56. I have both and have compared them directly side-by-side. The XTR-II wins hands-down, in all categories.

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 Illum SCR Mil Scope 201051

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 SCR Mil Scope 201051 | Only at EuroOptic.com!

www.eurooptic.com

And then upgrade later to a Kahles K624i or K525i, NF ATACR F1, Burris XTR-Pro, Zeiss LRP S3, etc...

 

[samnev]

I bought the Burris XTRII 5-25X50 scope from EuroOptis and couldn't be happier. Great price and really nice scope. I agree with getting it over the Strike Eagle.

 

[Gohring65]

If I allocated 1500$ for an optic, I’d try to find a Cronus and a xtr3 to look thru and see which my eyes liked better, probably throw the XRS3 in there as well.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

Are you familiar with M1 weapons? Are you getting it because you really want an M21 or are you getting it to shoot lots?

It is a cool weapon, I've had a few and loved them for what they were. What they were not was easy to scope, easy to shoot scoped, or easy to keep running at peak performance.

An AR10 would serve you much better if it is to be a shooter; but when you want an M1 because you want an M1, I get that.

And if it is to be an M21 for sure, get a very good mount. And I wouldn't hang a hubble-sized optic on top of it, the balance absolutely goes to shit. Voice of experience.

 

[KevinWood44]

Athlon Midas Tac WELL worth the money. I got mine for $525 (open box) from Doug at Camera Land.

Burris XTR, Meopta Optika 6, GPO Passion, Zeiss Conquest (lil over $1k) all good scopes

 

[Doc M]

Are you familiar with M1 weapons? Are you getting it because you really want an M21 or are you getting it to shoot lots?

It is a cool weapon, I've had a few and loved them for what they were. What they were not was easy to scope, easy to shoot scoped, or easy to keep running at peak performance.

An AR10 would serve you much better if it is to be a shooter; but when you want an M1 because you want an M1, I get that.

And if it is to be an M21 for sure, get a very good mount. And I wouldn't hang a hubble-sized optic on top of it, the balance absolutely goes to shit. Voice of experience.

I am, and I’m very aware of how finicky they can be, they’re just really cool guns to me

 

[frank320]

I'll be honest, in my quest over the years; spend the money to get great optics ($2k+) or just stay at about $700 tops.

I have bought a lot of scopes and I must say the above statement to be weirdly very true…

Either go all the way and get a top of the line scope, or look for a deal/sale and just get something that works and stay under…

 

[moosemeat]

My model has always been buy retiring flag ship kind of scopes. I've never been able to get to that tier one level tho. I also buy used scopes that have great warranty so I can get em fixed if needed.

 

[chevy_man]

I think I’ll try the strike Eagle and save for a razor g3 upgrade down the line

I'd just get the Burris now.

Not a fan of the strike eagle. They are feature rich for the cost, but still a Chinese optic.

Or get the razor right now. For me this would depend on if I needed to save for an extra month or 2, or a year. Few months? Save. Year+? Grab a Burris and you can always resell for not much less than you paid.

 

[moosemeat]

The XTR3 3-18 at euro is a really good deal and excellent for the monet in my mind.

 

[Mongoose67]

I'll be honest, in my quest over the years; spend the money to get great optics ($2k+) or just stay at about $700 tops.

I try to buy the 3-4 year old $2K optic for about $700. Helps me sleep better at night

 

[Mongoose67]

I'd just get the Burris now.

Not a fan of the strike eagle. They are feature rich for the cost, but still a Chinese optic.

Or get the razor right now. For me this would depend on if I needed to save for an extra month or 2, or a year. Few months? Save. Year+? Grab a Burris and you can always resell for not much less than you paid.

I respect the Razor, but its outside of my budget. I bought the XTRIII and love it. I stay away from most Vortex and have sold all of mine.

 

[Salinas]

NF SHV is a great choice and the XTR3 3 is also one you can't go wrong with.

 

[cuz]

Can anyone tell me how the XTR III compares to the Athlon Ares ETR UHD and the Ares BTR Gen2 HD?

They seem to be in about the same price range.

Thanks.

 

[Gohring65]

Can anyone tell me how the XTR III compares to the Athlon Ares ETR UHD and the Ares BTR Gen2 HD?

They seem to be in about the same price range.

Thanks.

The xtr3 is superior to the BTR but the Ares gen 2 can be had for a little over 500$ (mil version) on Amazon, so it’s a smokin deal for that price.

 

[Glassaholic]

Howdy,
Looking for a list of scopes that would be suitable for up to and preferably beyond 1000 yards. Moa would be preferred but not necessary.
I’m planning out and budgeting for a 22” 6.5 cm gas gun that I plan to shoot out to 1000 yards for fun target shooting and am looking for some direction. I would say max I’d like to pay is $1500 but if you swear by a certain scope I can probably save a little longer. I’d prefer a scope with a decent eye box, weight isn’t really an issue and I want a ffp scope.
Thanks for the help gents, I’m no expert so I’d love to hear what you guys think!

You don't need a big scope or lots of magnification to shoot 1000 yards and on a gas gun I'd stick with something midrange and preferably under 30 oz. There are some really good budget scopes around the $1k price point.

• Burris XTR IIIi 3.3-18x50 is where it's at for your budget, excellent glass and solid mechanics
• Primary Arms GLx 3-18x44 is a newcomer but they have a good history of punching above their weight class

If you can stretch the budget a bit and don't mind surfing the classifieds section here you may also consider:

• Nightforce ATACR 4-16x42
• Leupold Mark 5 3.6-18x44

You asked for "decent eyebox" so will leave out some good scopes but have a reputation for tight eyebox like NX8. As a general rule I also stay away from recommending Chinese manufactured scopes.

Rancid Coolaids advice above is really solid.

 

[Scopeye]

Don't waste your money on a Vortex Strike Eagle in order to save up to a Razor G3. If you have $2000 and a little patience then why not just buy a brand spanking new G3 Razor 6-36x56 from a certain well respected Hide vendor named Scott?

If you need an affordable stepping stone then the Sightmark Presidio 5-30x56 for $314.99 most certainly can't be beat. It's like a Strike Eagle but better and way way way cheaper too especially since it's current sale price is significantly discounted while most other places sell it for around $450. At least you'll be able to at least break even when you sell it by the time you've saved $2000 for the Razor G3. Maybe the Razor G3 sale will go down to $1800 as it did recently by that time.

A buddy of mine took my advice and bought a Sightmark Presidio and after he received it, he told me he thinks it's comparable to his Bushnell Match Pro ED with the edge going to the Sightmark Presidio.

FULL DISCLAIMER I really think the Bushnell Match Pro ED is junk to begin with. It's a $500 Chinese scope at best IMHO.

 

[Scottnoidea]

My Strike Eagle was not even usable past 600m due to poor image quality. I moved it from a 6.5CM to a CZ457 .22lr for a local match shot back to 250m max and it was okay. Image quality was good enough during daylight and I must say it tracked very accurately and returned to zero. At night (we shoot matches at night too) if I turned on the illumination dozens of little dots would faintly appear everywhere in addition to the EBR7C reticle lighting up. When zoomed in past about 15x most of the dots disappeared. I'd strongly recommend not getting a Strike Eagle.

 

[Scopeye]

My Strike Eagle was not even usable past 600m due to poor image quality. I moved it from a 6.5CM to a CZ457 .22lr for a local match shot back to 250m max and it was okay. Image quality was good enough during daylight and I must say it tracked very accurately and returned to zero. At night (we shoot matches at night too) if I turned on the illumination dozens of little dots would faintly appear everywhere in addition to the EBR7C reticle lighting up. When zoomed in past about 15x most of the dots disappeared. I'd strongly recommend not getting a Strike Eagle.

Id recommend buying the Athlon Ares BTR G2 4.5-27x50 currently on sale for $565.49 (even if it says $869.99) with free shipping at Walmart online for your 1000+ yard shooting. Night and day better than the Strike Eagle and noticeably superior than the Bushnell Match Pro ED.

 

[Scopeye]

The xtr3 is superior to the BTR but the Ares gen 2 can be had for a little over 500$ (mil version) on Amazon, so it’s a smokin deal for that price.

I just checked Amazon and there's currently no Athlon Ares BTR G2 for $500.

The only place that's currently cheapest is Walmart online for $565.49 (even though it says $869.99) for the MOA model with free shipping and free returns.

 

[Grubber]

Burris XTR III

 

[Gohring65]

I just checked Amazon and there's currently no Athlon Ares BTR G2 for $500.

The only place that's currently cheapest is Walmart online for $565.49 (even though it says $869.99) for the MOA model with free shipping and free returns.

I just checked and you’re right. I bought mine for 565$ in June with prime. The mil version was the only one offered at that price, they are back up to 869$ now.

 

[Scopeye]

I just checked and you’re right. I bought mine for 565$ in June with prime. The mil version was the only one offered at that price, they are back up to 869$ now.

If you're ok with SFP, the Athlon Midas BTR G2 4.5-27x50 appears to have the same turrets and total elevation travel with zero stop and comparable glass to the Ares BTR G2 often times on sale for $470 on Amazon and I think it's the ONLY Chinese made scope that's actually worth paying regular price for ($599.99). I can only imagine how cheap you could get it for at EV... Guessing $350-$375.

 

[Gohring65]

Don't waste your money on a Vortex Strike Eagle in order to save up to a Razor G3. If you have $2000 and a little patience then why not just buy a brand spanking new G3 Razor 6-36x56 from a certain well respected Hide vendor named Scott?

If you need an affordable stepping stone then the Sightmark Presidio 5-30x56 for $314.99 most certainly can't be beat. It's like a Strike Eagle but better and way way way cheaper too especially since it's current sale price is significantly discounted while most other places sell it for around $450. At least you'll be able to at least break even when you sell it by the time you've saved $2000 for the Razor G3. Maybe the Razor G3 sale will go down to $1800 as it did recently by that time.

A buddy of mine took my advice and bought a Sightmark Presidio and after he received it, he told me he thinks it's comparable to his Bushnell Match Pro ED with the edge going to the Sightmark Presidio.

FULL DISCLAIMER I really think the Bushnell Match Pro ED is junk to begin with. It's a $500 Chinese scope at best IMHO.

Did you mess around with the turrets of the presidio? Do they line up with hash marks thru it’s whole range? Tracking? This scope and their latitude 34mm have me intrigued.

 

[Scopeye]

Did you mess around with the turrets of the presidio? Do they line up with hash marks thru it’s whole range? Tracking? This scope and their latitude 34mm have me intrigued.

I personally haven't handled one myself yet but a very trusted fellow scope affectionado buddy of mine just did and actually bought them because they were both on sale for ridiculously cheap prices and their lifetime warranty. I had previously discussed with him the newly improved specifically engineered Presidio turrets with greater elevation travel and zero stop compared to the older Citadels that a Sightmark engineer on YouTube has a video about. I suggest checking that YouTube video out search Sightmark Presidio.

The reviews on their older Citadels (which doesn't make any sense to buy now since their new Presidio is supposed to be a lot better) appear to be all positive.

Their Latitude may be worth trying out only if they are running a very cheap sale. If you do not like it then just use Amazon's usually good return policy.

 

[GlockBlock]

Euro Optic has the Burris XTR III on closeout at like $850 each which is an absolute steal for that optic.

 

[Scopeye]

I personally haven't handled one myself yet but a very trusted fellow scope affectionado buddy of mine just did and actually bought them because they were both on sale for ridiculously cheap prices and their lifetime warranty. I had previously discussed with him the newly improved specifically engineered Presidio turrets with greater elevation travel and zero stop compared to the older Citadels that a Sightmark engineer on YouTube has a video about. I suggest checking that YouTube video out search Sightmark Presidio.

The reviews on their older Citadels (which doesn't make any sense to buy now since their new Presidio is supposed to be a lot better) appear to be all positive.

Their Latitude may be worth trying out only if they are running a very cheap sale. If you do not like it then just use Amazon's usually good return policy.

The Presidio sale is over no longer $314.99 for the 5-30x56 or $279.99 for the 3-18x50 and I wait for their next sale to buy them.

I did buy several the Athlon Midas BTR G2 4.5-27x50s SFP MIL during Black Friday sale though.

 

[bbyars]

If i had to buy a "Made in China" scope id probably just spend a couple hundred on an Arken or an SWFA fixed 10x. Decent glass and features. Otherwise id save up and get into the little better tier of scopes being: Burris XTR series, Bushnell DMR series, Viper PST gen 2. After that price bracket i would look at Leupold MK5 and razor gen 2 which some can be found at $1500 or less.

In my opinion i would stay in the 3-15x range on a GG but the 5-25 isnt totally uncommon but not really usable, usually cheaper that way too. In my experience and expense i have not found a GG to produce consistent accuracy at 1K+ to need any more mag than 10-15x to spot your own shots. This is assuming your not going to spend the other $300-500 to weight it down like a PRS GG with weights and weighted arca rail to keep it pretty static. I did find switch to the JP silent capture did help with a little of the rebounding. With that being said, i personally would hold out for a MK5 3-18x.

 

[frank320]

Over the Thanksgiving week, I packed a CZ457 topped with Arken Ep5 into a plano box packed with pistols, ammo, bipods, etc... and checked it in as luggage. Arrived and dumped it on to the flatbed of the truck and drove into the desert out in AZ. Off road terrain, truck bounced all over, so did the Plano rifle box. Rifle and scope remained zeroed - sweet. Dumped everything back in to the rifle case and drove the 1hr off road desert terrain back.

Flew back yesterday and had the rifle case checked in. TSA guy in AZ was a ass - opened the case and flip over the case upside down to swipe. Manhandled everything and just jammed everything back in haphazardly. Anyways, got back everything and guess what - rifle and scope remained perfectly zeroed.

Thumbs up for the Arken Ep5....

 

[284ElkHunter]

If i had to buy a "Made in China" scope id probably just spend a couple hundred on an Arken or an SWFA fixed 10x. Decent glass and features. Otherwise id save up and get into the little better tier of scopes being: Burris XTR series, Bushnell DMR series, Viper PST gen 2. After that price bracket i would look at Leupold MK5 and razor gen 2 which some can be found at $1500 or less.

In my opinion i would stay in the 3-15x range on a GG but the 5-25 isnt totally uncommon but not really usable, usually cheaper that way too. In my experience and expense i have not found a GG to produce consistent accuracy at 1K+ to need any more mag than 10-15x to spot your own shots. This is assuming your not going to spend the other $300-500 to weight it down like a PRS GG with weights and weighted arca rail to keep it pretty static. I did find switch to the JP silent capture did help with a little of the rebounding. With that being said, i personally would hold out for a MK5 3-18x.

SWFA 10x isn’t made in china. It comes from an oem in Japan.