Rifle Scopes Advice on picking out Vortex glass on a new build

[akbirdhunter]

Hi All!

First time post, let me begin by saying what a wonderful community, so incredibly helpful and a wealth of knowledge.

I recently received a Remington Model 700 SPS rifle with 24" barrel in .308 for Christmas and need to fit it with some solid glass. I'd like to make a decent investment here as I'd like to build on this gun over the next couple years. The set up will be used for boar/deer hunting in the Southeast but I'd really like to be able to take it out west for more long range hunting as well. That said, during the off season, I'd love to practice my bench rest shooting and get this thing out to 500 yards with ease. Random thoughts, FFP is a very cool concept and something I'd like to invest the time in learning over time. That said, I do have concerns that making 50-150 yard shots might be a bit difficult given the fineness of the reticle as lower magnification powers. I don't think I'll need more than 12 or 16 magnification power for now as I'm not looking to do any 1,000+ yard shooting at this time; range would be 50-300 yards. Parallax adjustment would be nice as being out of focus at higher magnifications drives me nuts on the junky deer hunting scopes I've typically used. Lastly, given I am more or less a clean slate on reticles, I am open to suggestions. However, the EBR-2C, MRAD, and BDC reticles look great and appear (based on hours and hours of Youtube videos) like they'd be awesome options for doing what I want to do.

Down to the fun part...

I am willing to spend $250-500 on the glass for now and have come across a few options on the lower end based on my research:

• Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 FFP (EBR-2C Reticle) - $350 new
• Vortex Diamondback 4-12×40 (Dead Hold BDC Reticle) - $199 new
• Vortex Viper HS Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 4-16x 44mm (VPlex Reticle) - $299 new
• Vortex Diamondback Tactical FFP Riflescope 6-24x50 (MRAD Reticle) - $340 "like new" used

Glass doesn't have to be Vortex. They just have a lot of the features and the look I like! Open to suggestions on other brands and also used glass as well!

Please let me know if I'm leaving out any pertinent information.

Thanks all!

 

[captainmorgan460]

Diamondback Tactical 4-16 with EBC=2c in that price range. Seems like Diamondbacks have more quality issues than other models of vortex scopes though. But maybe you'll get a good one.

 

[30338]

Grab a SWFA 6x milquad, seekins rings and base and go shooting.

 

[hunter8793]

What kinda hunting are you gonna do out west?

I would save $50 more and venture up into the PST Gen II category. You can get a “refurb” with a lifetime warranty for $550.
Specifically a 3-15x44 SFP at AAOptics

a FFP is $75 more

The PST Gen II is a pretty good step up from the Diamondbacks.

 

[akbirdhunter]

Grab a SWFA 6x milquad, seekins rings and base and go shooting.

SWFAs look sweet, but for some reason or another, I prefer a variable power scope.

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I have the Diamondback Tactical 4-16 and so far have found it to be a pretty good and dependable optic, no issues thus far the past year. I looked through the 6-24 and personally found that the 4-16 had the better optical performance so I went with that model.

Another option is the Super Sniper 3-15, it checks most of the boxes. The one below is off their sample list, it's used but Demo A is their highest tier for used optics so it should be good to go.

Riflescopes - Used & Demo - SWFA Outdoors

www.samplelist.com

Kick in $80 more and you can also be checking out the Athlon Midas TAC 4-16X44

 

[akbirdhunter]

What kinda hunting are you gonna do out west?

Anything you'd consider "big game" except bear!

I would save $50 more and venture up into the PST Gen II category. You can get a “refurb” with a lifetime warranty for $550.

Gonna look into this thanks!

 

[akbirdhunter]

@Trigger Monkey: Sorry, double posted.

Have you had any issues in low power/light with the Diamondback Tactical 4-16 in hunting situations? I've read the reticle can be more or less invisible in some instances.

 

[ICU22250]

I would save for the PST gen 2 3-15x44. I picked mine up new at midway for 675 and I think that was to the door. It has the 2D reticle which is perfectly fine for me, only difference is an actual crosshair instead of an open center.. Also a plus for the gen 2 is the illumination which will help with the small crosshairs at low magnification when hunting.. just my 2 cents..

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I can post some pics of the reticle at low power in low light tomorrow evening. I'm not a hunter and don't typically shoot in low light so I honestly can't say how it'd perform.

 

[akbirdhunter]

I would save for the PST gen 2 3-15x44. I picked mine up new at midway for 675 and I think that was to the door. It has the 2D reticle which is perfectly fine for me, only difference is an actual crosshair instead of an open center.. Also a plus for the gen 2 is the illumination which will help with the small crosshairs at low magnification when hunting..

Starting to look like a hell of an option for me. Would love to find one gently used! Thanks for the advice.

I can post some pics of the reticle at low power in low light tomorrow evening. I'm not a hunter and don't typically shoot in low light so I honestly can't say how it'd perform.

Respect that and hey if you get around to it, that'd be great and useful info for others considering this glass in my situation. Thanks!

 

[akbirdhunter]

I would save $50 more and venture up into the PST Gen II category. You can get a “refurb” with a lifetime warranty for $550.

By the way, are refurbs still covered under the Vortex lifetime warranty? If so, seems like a no-brainer.

 

[hunter8793]

By the way, are refurbs still covered under the Vortex lifetime warranty? If so, seems like a no-brainer.

Yes

 

[gr8fuldoug]

You can take a peek at the Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50's which if you call us to order, 516-217-1000, & mention SH are only $249.99. IMO, for this price range it is the best option available

 

[Rocketmandb]

Vortex Viper Pst Gen II 3-15 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Vortex Viper Pst Gen II 3-15 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

There are a couple solid options there right now.

 

[C4N4DIAN]

I would get a viper over a Diamondback anyday. In my experience they have better soft stats.

 

[akbirdhunter]

Vortex Viper Pst Gen II 3-15 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Vortex Viper Pst Gen II 3-15 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

There are a couple solid options there right now.

I thought about this as well. Would buying a pre-owned scope still allow me to utilize the warranty as a second hand owner? I am not familiar with Vortex warranties. Do they have a registration card or do you simply call them and provide a serial number?

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[ICU22250]

The Vortex warranty is good no matter what man, second handed or been through a damb hurricane it doesnt matter with Vortex, they will take care of you... They set the industry standard for warranty coverage in today's market.

 

[10ring'r]

What kinda hunting are you gonna do out west?

I would save $50 more and venture up into the PST Gen II category. You can get a “refurb” with a lifetime warranty for $550.
Specifically a 3-15x44 SFP at AAOptics

a FFP is $75 more

The PST Gen II is a pretty good step up from the Diamondbacks.

I agree with "hunter8793", since you seemed to like Vortex glass. I just recently came into possession of a Viper PST 5x25x50 FFP EBR-7c (MOA, just because, me) and I am now spoiled. As I have gotten older, my eyes have needed higher mag. and this scope does it for me. My range has a 300yd. limit, but when I shoot 600yd. matches, well, I don't even bother taking my spotter with me (wife gives me the ol stink-eye, since that was my B-day gift a couple of years back).
I understand you want to use it mainly for hunting reasons, but I think a FFP reticle still would serve you well, because, even mine, at 5x, shooting 300 and below, the dot can be seen, depending on the background it's placed against and like we say, buy once, cry once, since longer distance shooting is in your future. I haven't used mine for any type of hunting, coyote mainly for me, yet, so can't comment. I would think the 3x15 would be just fine, for your use. Good luck! Mac

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I just came in from outside with the Diamondback Tactical and yeah I'd say it's pretty much a no go for low light against brush and darker backgrounds. That's not saying that the image quality blows it's just a trade off with the FFP EBR-2C reticle, 15 minutes past sunset and under 6X you're not really using the crosshairs for much. It was tough to get a picture to accurately reflect the light conditions but you can get an idea from these...

5:13pm @4X. That woodline is about 400 yards away.

Same time but at 6X. Meh.

 

[Ravenworks]

To be honest with a $200-$500 budget, I would seriously consider saving your money for awhile.
You will exhaust that much on a good mount/rings.
Keep your eyes open in the PX andvbe ready to buy,until them research things by reading, reading, reading and more reading.

 

[Alabusa]

You can take a peek at the Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50's which if you call us to order, 516-217-1000, & mention SH are only $249.99. IMO, for this price range it is the best option available

@akbirdhunter
Do yourself a favor and call Doug at CameralandNY for an Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50. I had a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 and traded it in for the Argos. IMHO it was a very good trade. I still have the Athlon and am very pleased with it. For $250 it is a no brainer.

 

[akbirdhunter]

I just came in from outside...

Thanks man this is helpful, saved me some $ there.

To be honest with a $200-$500 budget, I would seriously consider saving your money for awhile.
You will exhaust that much on a good mount/rings.
Keep your eyes open in the PX andvbe ready to buy,until them research things by reading, reading, reading and more reading.

Appreciate the advice man. I am starting to lean toward the PST Gen II especially given the Vortex warranty could allow me to pick one up secondhand.

@akbirdhunter
Do yourself a favor and call Doug at CameralandNY for an Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50. I had a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 and traded it in for the Argos. IMHO it was a very good trade. I still have the Athlon and am very pleased with it. For $250 it is a no brainer.

Gonna give Doug a call tomorrow after I do some research on this. Seems to have everything I want. Does anyone else have any experience with this glass? Wondering why so inexpensive for all the features.


Thanks so much everyone for all the feedback thus far!

 

[wade2big]

Thanks man this is helpful, saved me some $ there.



Appreciate the advice man. I am starting to lean toward the PST Gen II especially given the Vortex warranty could allow me to pick one up secondhand.


Thanks so much everyone for all the feedback thus far!

if you get the PST GENII, get the 3-15x44. It has a thicker reticle then the 5-25 which greatly improves the usability of the scope across its entire mag range compared to the 5-25 or razors genii models that blow at 10x and below in the bright daylight and even more so when the sun goes down. If you can find one with the EBR-2D reticle it is much bolder as well. I wish vortex would put make all their reticles as dark and bold as the EBR-2D.

 

[Geno C.]

I’ll echo everyone suggesting the pst 3-15. When it comes to hunting, in my opinion, an illuminating reticle is a must if you want to use all hunting light. The gen2 pst is a good optical upgrade from the gen1 to my eyes. Being able to get down to 3x is a big plus to me also. In a hunting gun, 2-3 on the bottom and a comp gun 5 or so. That’s what works best for me. A used 3-15 is where I would be looking if I were in your shoes.

 

[The DFC]

@akbirdhunter
Do yourself a favor and call Doug at CameralandNY for an Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50. I had a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 and traded it in for the Argos. IMHO it was a very good trade. I still have the Athlon and am very pleased with it. For $250 it is a no brainer.

Or talk to him about some options from Bushnell Elite Tactical/Burris XTR 2 lines-might be a tnuc hair out of your budget but many tnuc hairs better then Vortex PST line-IMO of course and I'm a big fan of Vortex.

 

[chevy_man]

You can take a peek at the Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50's which if you call us to order, 516-217-1000, & mention SH are only $249.99. IMO, for this price range it is the best option available

This. Call Doug. He's a straight shooter.

I thought about this as well. Would buying a pre-owned scope still allow me to utilize the warranty as a second hand owner? I am not familiar with Vortex warranties. Do they have a registration card or do you simply call them and provide a serial number?

Thanks everyone for your help!

Many others have a similar warranty. I've never needed to use another's warranty however.

My experience with vortex is go razor or go somewhere else. Looking cool isn't cool when you need to get turrets and crosshairs fixed. I got sick of sending mine in and got rid of them.

 

[houndog]

If you're willing to go with a Gen 1 PST, you can pick them up new for under $500 at Europtic right now. The Gen II's do have some additional features and slightly better glass, but new ones will run you approximately $800.

 

[bigbadbrad]

Diamondback is a no go for me, got one and it's just sitting. Eye relief is too much on the finicky side when you trying to get a good shot a gray scope is IRRITATING.

 

[robeast2000]

Take a look at the Steiner P4XI 4-16, its a step above the PST. I think Cameraland still has them for $799.

 

[C4N4DIAN]

Diamondback is a no go for me, got one and it's just sitting. Eye relief is too much on the finicky side when you trying to get a good shot a gray scope is IRRITATING.

Eye relief and eyebox are the most overlooked stats but they are crucial for hunting as they allow faster target acquisition and engagement.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

A $300 scope with all the features you desire is going to lack the most important feature... reliability. They are all the same low end chinese sweat shop junk made a little differently with different brandings.

Doubling your budget will get you into a closeout Bushnell LRTS 3-12 that gives you the features and Japanese reliability and build quality. Way better.

If that's out of the budget right now you can get an Amex cash rewards card thats 0% for 12 months and gives you $250 in cash back when you spend $1000 in the first 3 months. $649.99 for the scope, buy some groceries and gas to get to $1K to get that $250 cash back and that $649.99 scope just became $399.99 and you've got 12 months to figure out how to pay off that extra $100 over your budget.

 

[ICU22250]

Or talk to him about some options from Bushnell Elite Tactical/Burris XTR 2 lines-might be a tnuc hair out of your budget but many tnuc hairs better then Vortex PST line-IMO of course and I'm a big fan of Vortex.

I've had a Burris XTR II and I wouldnt even begin to compare the glass in it to the PST gen 2, tracking was great but the glass was shit.. maybe it was just my eyes or the one I had was a dud.. But i sent it back to greely and they said it was good enough so, needless to say I dont own any XTR's now. To be fair though, I had the first gen model XTR II..

 

[koshkin]

A bunch of people recommended Vortex PST Gen 2 3-15x44 and I think they are right.

Given that you are looking to do a lot of different things with this scope, get the 3-15x44 FFP version. The reticle gets a little thin on low power, but it is still usable and the illumination really helps in low light on 3x. I have one and it works really well.

It is a little above your budget, but I suspect you can find one used close to your price range.

ILya

 

[koshkin]

Bushnell 3-12x44 LRTSi is another good option, but it probably cost a little more and I can't figure out Bushnell's strategy with these scopes, so I can not estimate with any confidence what the support will look like going forward.

It is a good scope though, as is 4.5-18x44.

ILya

 

[Alabusa]

A bunch of people recommended Vortex PST Gen 2 3-15x44 and I think they are right.

Given that you are looking to do a lot of different things with this scope, get the 3-15x44 FFP version. The reticle gets a little thin on low power, but it is still usable and the illumination really helps in low light on 3x. I have one and it works really well.

It is a little above your budget, but I suspect you can find one used close to your price range.

ILya

Bushnell 3-12x44 LRTSi is another good option, but it probably cost a little more and I can't figure out Bushnell's strategy with these scopes, so I can not estimate with any confidence what the support will look like going forward.

It is a good scope though, as is 4.5-18x44.

ILya

@akbirdhunter listen to @koshkin he is THE MAN when it comes to optics.