I know there and many low end choices out there but I don't keep up with them. I have been fortunate to be able to get high end scopes so I don't know much about this need. Got a friend needing to find scope priced up to $400 with maybe reticle with BDC markings etc for holdover since this money won't buy good dialable scope. He wants to be able to shoot this for hunting up to 500 yds. It's for a Rem 700 in 308. Any suggestions would be much appreciated
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Rifle Scopes Best Bang for the Buck for $400 scope good up to about 500 yds
- Thread starter bbowles
- Start date
Best deal going right now IMO. https://cameralandny.com/spec-sheet...L-Midas-BTR&catalog[product_guids][0]=1622675
You didn't say if you want a FFP or SFP. Give us a call, we have great deals on Athlon Midas BTR's Athlon Agros BTR's, Hawkes, etc
Our pleasure to discuss different options
Our pleasure to discuss different options
Sightron s-tac 3-16, dont think you can find a better 2nd focal plane scope in that mag range for less than 350, that will consistently return to zero if dialing.
Let me clarify, the S-TAC is the best "budget" scope <400, in that mag range, that Ive found to trust dialing the turrets and return to zero. It does not have any type of zero stop, so he would either need to live without that or fashion one out of washers. I feel like Sightrons are usually underrated for what they are because they seem to have poor marketing, not the greatest recticles, and nobody talks about them much. If he isn't going to dial then there are many options out there. I have the 4.5-27 version of the Athlon Midas and the glass is incredible for what the scope cost. However, turning the turrets doesn't instill confidence. They feel as if they were lubricated with warm dog shit, gritty and not audible at all, and numbers don't line up well. If not dialing then it or the 2.5-15 would be good options in that price range, along with the Vortex Diamondback HP 3-12 or 4-16 x 42.
Do not forget about the benefits of wide field of view and a reticle that is visible in low light conditions. That is why I suggested the Midas BTR 2.5-15x50. The only drawback with the Midas BTR is that the turrets do not lock and could be bumped accidentally in a hunting situation.
Weaver Grand Slam Tactical 3-10x40 for $200 from natchez.com. I have one, glass is very good for the money, made in Japan, and its mil/mil
Another one, but it only comes in mil/mil FFP, is the Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44. I like that the entire reticle is in .2's and that the hashes cross over at the half mil, this makes it easier to see on 4x, and 4x is great for hunting when you want a wider FOV.
No problem being a holdover king with this because you can plainly see where 1 click is in the reticle, which is superior to any scope there is for the money, and the turrets track well, especially shooting out to only 500Y.
No problem being a holdover king with this because you can plainly see where 1 click is in the reticle, which is superior to any scope there is for the money, and the turrets track well, especially shooting out to only 500Y.
Swfa 10x fixed power. $299 tough as a red brick. Take mine to 800 easy
The Athlon Midas BTR or the Athlon Argos. If SFP isn’t an issue then the Midas is hard to beat. With its current price I think you would be hard pressed to find another optic with better glass for the same money. If you do want to stick to a FFP I would save a few more dollars and get an Athlon Midas Tac. It has excellent glass, 10mil per revolution turrets and a zero stop. The 10mil turrets and zero stop are a huge selling feature to me. Depending on your ammo that should get you to or close to 1000 yards with one revolution of the turret. As many have already said give Doug at Camerland a call. They have had the pleasure of lowering my bank account balance many times this year. In fact I have a Midas Tac on the way right now.
SWFA SS they have sales all the time.
https://www.swfa.com/optics/riflescopes.html?brand=SWFA SS&brand_model=SS+Classic
https://www.swfa.com/optics/riflescopes.html?brand=SWFA SS&brand_model=SS+Classic
I put an athlon 2x15x50 midas on my 6x45 12 inch AR suppressed and it shot under half MOA Easy.
I'm going to use it for coyotes.
The IR will be useful.
For 250 bucks it is the best budget scope I've seen.
I've had the 4.5x27 for a while and it works well on my 65grendel.
Again half MOA easy. The glass,IR,and reticle is pretty good for the money to me.
The turrets are soft but electrical tape will work for hunting.
I'm going to use it for coyotes.
The IR will be useful.
For 250 bucks it is the best budget scope I've seen.
I've had the 4.5x27 for a while and it works well on my 65grendel.
Again half MOA easy. The glass,IR,and reticle is pretty good for the money to me.
The turrets are soft but electrical tape will work for hunting.
Some of you guys need to read the OP's post again to see what he's asking for. A hunting rifle scope less than $400 to be used from contact to 500 yards, yet some of you are recommending scopes with magnifications 4X and over on the low end, all kind of crazy busy reticles, "tacticle" turrets and all kinds of unnecessary features.
I bet from the OP's description that most of the shots taken with this scope will be within max point blank range (0 - 300 yards) and a tiny fraction from 300 - 500 yards. I LOL at people who think they'll have the time to dial up range and/or windage and waste time trying to find an animal in a narrow ass field of view.
A scope with a thick/thin reticle, center illumination, simple BDC, low end of 1X and high end no greater than 6X will do everything needed better and faster than 99% of the stuff that has been suggested here.
A fixed 10X as the choice for hunting between 0 and 500 yards? Come on........
I bet from the OP's description that most of the shots taken with this scope will be within max point blank range (0 - 300 yards) and a tiny fraction from 300 - 500 yards. I LOL at people who think they'll have the time to dial up range and/or windage and waste time trying to find an animal in a narrow ass field of view.
A scope with a thick/thin reticle, center illumination, simple BDC, low end of 1X and high end no greater than 6X will do everything needed better and faster than 99% of the stuff that has been suggested here.
A fixed 10X as the choice for hunting between 0 and 500 yards? Come on........
I'll have to agree with 308pirate's description of what the OP is really looking for. The Athlon Midas BTR 1-6x24 with their ATSR1 reticle pretty much fills that bill. On the downside, as a 1-6 variable hunting scope it's a bit heavy at 18oz. and the 1X setting actually yields @ 1.4X, so not a true 1X. Other than those caveats, its a nice scope. Has decent glass, an illuminated center dot, capped turrets, and since the BDC reticle was designed for 69gr 5.56 projectiles it should work pretty well with 165-168gr .308 too. Athlon has discontinued this model, and a lot of vendors are doing close-out sales on it right now. Camera Land has the best deal I've seen yet at $249.99 here. Note that the reticle they use in the illustration is incorrect; what you will actually get looks like this.
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Well 308 pirate you make some good points. A throw lever on the variable power ocular helps with field of view and finding target, find em at low power spin up to full power. Past 300 yards I personally would rather dial in dope than have a BDC. Going out to 500 yds 12X to 16X is nicer, aim small miss small. Out west in the AZ where elevations and density altitude can be a factor at 500 then a ballistic app and density altitude app with dial up can save a lot of grief, aim small miss small. Hunting with my son last month we had him dialed to 200 yards zero so any thing 300 or closer was easy. He spotted a buck at 500 and got set up and I got on my binocs and range finder and fed him dope for a 350 yard opening the deer would move through.
I swear at least 50% of the answers in any thread asking for conditional advice on cartridges, scopes, or guns completely ignore what the OP asked and are based on the respondent's preferences regardless of how inappropriate it may be to the OP.
