Rifle Scopes Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

[Hannibalsnipes]

I was shooting with my wife last weekend and she said "I'm ready for a better scope now". She was using my old NC Star 3-9X42 mark III on her AR-build. I know it's chinese junk, but I bought it while still in grad school and it was all I could afford. She was raised in a family that "doesn't believe in guns" so I've been slowly bringing her around. I'm thrilled that she is taking a great enough interest to want a better scope.
We got home and I put an Aimpoint on her rifle and said, "what do you think?". She wasn't a fan. She wants something that: 1) she can zoom between 3-9 power 2) is still lightweight and compact 3) She also likes that the scope was made around the 5.56 round so that she only has to adjust the distance knob to go from 100-200-300 yards.
I'd like suggestions in all price ranges, but my budget max is $1500.
I'm doing my own research aside from this, but nothing beats first hand information and there are so many BS scopes out there, you can get burnt.

Thanks guys.

 

[jvencius]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9, maybe an upgraded mount, and a metric pisspot full of ammo is what I'd pick...

 

[lazy21]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

http://www.usoptics.com/Optics/sn-9.html

a little over your budget but worth it

 

[42769vette]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

well below your budget but have you looked at the 2.5-10 vortex pst?

 

[shootist~]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

For lightweight and with a 5.56 BDC knob (instead of a conventional turret), a Leupold Mk 4 MR/T - with conventional crosshair works very well. But you are looking at 1.5-4.5x, despite them calling it a 1.5-5.

My favorite AR optic right now, (after only three range trips, btw), is the USO DFP in 1.5-6, but it's not so light weight.

 

[Ba19]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

What about the Night Force 2.5 x10's

I have one and it is a great fit on my MK12 Mod0 set up.
Nightforce 2.5-10x32mm NXS - 1/4 MOA Knobs, ZeroStop and Windage Limiter

Many Reticle's to choose from and all are Illuminated
right around your budget and the downside is the 20 week wait time unless you can find a used one on the sale section in this forums

 

[Hannibalsnipes]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

Thanks guys. I have a lot of follow up reading to do on these scopes.

 

[Hannibalsnipes]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

This is exactly why I joined the Hide. I know nothing of Vortex scopes. This looks like a great option for her. The reviews I'm reading on it complain that there is not a parallax adjustment. My wife's eyesight isn't the best, so she would either need a parallax adjustment or the ability to re-focus the scope. Are you familiar enough with this scope to know if it has this capability? Thanks

 

[Hannibalsnipes]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9

This is a lot of scope for the money. Very viable possibility. Thank you.

I'm just wondering if it's too much scope for her. She hasn't come around yet to hunting. She's seen me kill hogs, but hasn't ever so much as put an animal in her scope.

I always say, buy it right the first time though. How would you rate this scope against the mentioned Vortex scope on this thread?

Thanks

 

[Opticsspecialist]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

vortex pst came to my mind first, get her behind some and see what she likes.

 

[quickdraw17]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

I have a Vortex PST 2.5-10 on a 18" AR build I finished last year. Nice scope for the money, and personally I have not found the lack of parallax adjustment limiting. I looked through the VX-R a little while back, it also seems like a good optic for the price. If possible, I'd try to get your wife to look through both and see what she prefers.

 

[jvencius]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hannibalsnipes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9

This is a lot of scope for the money. Very viable possibility. Thank you.

I'm just wondering if it's too much scope for her. She hasn't come around yet to hunting. She's seen me kill hogs, but hasn't ever so much as put an animal in her scope.

I always say, buy it right the first time though. How would you rate this scope against the mentioned Vortex scope on this thread?

Thanks</div></div>

You're welcome--if you do wind up going with one of them, I got mine from Scott @ Liberty Optics ('hide sponsor)--he was a stand-up guy to deal with and sold the scope to me for a very fair price.

I'm not sure about the "too much scope" idea--at least to me there's a "sweet spot" where you get a quality optic with repeatable, usable adjustments that will fit your needs (vs. your wants) but w/o breaking the bank and for me, the VX-R fell right in that sweet spot. Sure, I could have saved up a while longer for the Nightforce 2.5-10x32 that I really wanted, but the $1,000 difference between the Leupold I wound up with and the NF I wanted would buy a hell of a lot of ammo. That ammo and quality time behind the trigger would do more to improve my shooting than an inarguably better but 3x more expensive scope would so that was another point I considered.

I can't speak for how the scope compares to a Vortex, since I don't own a Vortex and have never compared them side-by-side, but at least on paper their specs are so similar as to be pretty much a wash... Since I intend to hunt, eventually, with the AR on which I have my VX-R mounted, the low-profile knobs of that model appealed to me a little more than the Vortex's higher-profile knobs that are maybe a bit more prone to getting knocked around/shifted accidentally so ultimately that's what tipped the deal in the VX-R's favor. The fact I could actually get one in a reasonable amount of time was also a plus for the VX-R since at the time I was actively shopping for an optic, a lot of folks had run dry on mil/mil Vortex's.

 

[ColoWyo]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

I have 3-9 VX-R Patrol on a 16" AR-15 and have been very happy with it. I'd give it a look for sure.

 

[CSTactical]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

Vortex PST
Leupold Mark AR
Leupold VXR-Patrol
MeOpta ZD
Trijicon TR24

For the price the PST and the VXR are hard to beat.

Mike @ CST

 

[Early Cuyler]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

I currently have a Leupold Mark AR 3-9x40 on my 16" AR15 and so far it has served me well. The primary difference I see in this and the VX-R is that the VX-R is illuminated where my Mark AR is not. Glass wise I was able to look at a fellow shooter's VX-R 3-9x50 side by side with mine and could not tell a noticeable difference.

Another thing to note on the differences is that the Mark AR is available with a mil-dot reticle. The VX-R's fancy reticle is a "Ballistic Fire Dot". I'm not a big fan of either as I'm an MOA guy, but am particularly against any factory (non-custom) ballistic reticle as the likelihood it matches your gun is rare. The Mark AR does have ballistic turrets (which does NOT match my AR15 at all), but they have the conventional 1,2,3moa markings as well.

All that being said, if you want to go budget- the Mark AR Mil-Dot gets my vote. If you want to go a bit more go for the 2.5-10x44 Vortex PST (I'm doing this with the EBR-1 MOA reticle). If you want to go for more, I would go towards a NF 3.5-15x50 used with the NPR-1 reticle.


Hope this helps.

 

[ColoWyo]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: halcyon575</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I currently have a Leupold Mark AR 3-9x40 on my 16" AR15 and so far it has served me well. The primary difference I see in this and the VX-R is that the VX-R is illuminated where my Mark AR is not. Glass wise I was able to look at a fellow shooter's VX-R 3-9x50 side by side with mine and could not tell a noticeable difference.

Another thing to note on the differences is that the Mark AR is available with a mil-dot reticle. The VX-R's fancy reticle is a "Ballistic Fire Dot". I'm not a big fan of either as I'm an MOA guy, but am particularly against any factory (non-custom) ballistic reticle as the likelihood it matches your gun is rare. The Mark AR does have ballistic turrets (which does NOT match my AR15 at all), but they have the conventional 1,2,3moa markings as well.

All that being said, if you want to go budget- the Mark AR Mil-Dot gets my vote. If you want to go a bit more go for the 2.5-10x44 Vortex PST (I'm doing this with the EBR-1 MOA reticle). If you want to go for more, I would go towards a NF 3.5-15x50 used with the NPR-1 reticle.


Hope this helps. </div></div>

The 3-9 comes with the TMR, which is not a BDC type reticle. It's a MIL reticle.

 

[jvencius]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ColoWyo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The 3-9 comes with the TMR, which is not a BDC type reticle. It's a MIL reticle.</div></div>

Plus it has mil/mil turrets to match the reticle and that's a very good thing.

 

[Early Cuyler]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jvencius</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ColoWyo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The 3-9 comes with the TMR, which is not a BDC type reticle. It's a MIL reticle.</div></div>

Plus it has mil/mil turrets to match the reticle and that's a very good thing. </div></div>

My mistake. I was basing my information off of the Leupold Website. They don't list the VX-R under their "tactical" section. BUT I do see the TMR reticle offered for the VX-R at SportOptics among other dealers so they obviously make them.

So based on the reticle, I rescind my previous endorsement of the Mark AR over the VX-R. I will NOT reverse it to endorse the VX-R over the Mark AR as the TMR reticle is in the nasty mil configuration

But I guess if that's what floats your boat, go for it!

 

[Hannibalsnipes]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

Thanks everyone. Feedback has been great. As this was the first topic I have started on SH, it has been great. Very respectful and informative. I am kind of shocked that no one busted my balls over the NC*, but I guess they're either refraining or know what it's like to only afford that quality early in life.

I want to give a HUGE thanks to Mile High Shooting. I just put in an order yesterday. They were very easy to work with, had everything in stock, and gave me a LE discount. That order was for a GA precision build that's currently in progress.

On to the scope for this thread: @ jvencius, when I mentioned the possiblity of it being too much scope, I meant that if I explain that the scope reticle will automatically turn itself on if the rifle is moved, she'll give me that ~are you serious~ look that every woman seems to be inately born with. I think the feature is useful and battery efficient.
I really should have mentioned earlier that I'm a MOA shooter, which pretty much makes her an MOA shooter.
I'm leaning towards the Leupold VX-R Patrol 3-9, but need to go to their website and make sure it is MOA, and of course need to see if she likes it.

Thanks again guys.

 

[jvencius]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hannibalsnipes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">On to the scope for this thread: @ jvencius, when I mentioned the possiblity of it being too much scope, I meant that if I explain that the scope reticle will automatically turn itself on if the rifle is moved, she'll give me that ~are you serious~ look that every woman seems to be inately born with. I think the feature is useful and battery efficient.
</div></div>

If you hold the button long enough to power the illumination off, it stays off--the only motion-sensing bit is if you turn it on and then sit still for long enough--THEN it will turn off and turn back on if you move the rifle. The VX-R Patrol is mil/mil--to me that's not a big deal since at least your reticle/turrets match vs. having a mismatch between turrets/reticle.

 

[Buzzsaw]

Re: Best variable zoom scope for 5.56?

NIGHTFORCE 2.5-10X32 in a UNIMOUNT