Rifle Scopes Choosing a magnification range for my .223

J

Jimbo47

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Minuteman
Mar 26, 2017
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#1
Hey everyone, I’m a new shooter who is hoping to get into long range at some stage. I want to start this journey with my Tikka T3X Varmint .223 bolt action because it is cheaper to reload and I only have shorter target ranges (500m) available nearby. But I am hoping this will still teach me the fundamentals before getting into longer distances. I will also use it for occasional varmint hunting.

What magnification range would be adequate for this application (primarily the 300-500m range)? I am thinking 4-12 (I found one of these pretty cheap: http://bushnell.com/tactical/riflescopes/elite-tactical/lrs-3-12x-44mm-illuminated-mil-dot) but not sure if this is going to be enough.
 
#2
I have a Tikka.223 with a 20" barrel. Shoots 77gr FGMM at about 2500 fps. Its good out to 500, past that gets a little "hit or miss". I would try to get something with more magnification. Inside 500, I want to see where I am hitting, or group size. Past that, I'm just trying to see if the plate moved.
 
#3
Bicky said:
I have a Tikka.223 with a 20" barrel. Shoots 77gr FGMM at about 2500 fps. Its good out to 500, past that gets a little "hit or miss". I would try to get something with more magnification. Inside 500, I want to see where I am hitting, or group size. Past that, I'm just trying to see if the plate moved.
Click to expand...

Thanks - what scope are you using?
 
#4
I've got a Sig Sauer Tango 4 3-12x42 FFP in the for sale section. I was debating putting it on my Mossberg MVP 24" 5.56/.223. Not sure? I have a Nikon Prostaff 3-12x42 BDC on it that works pretty well. ????
 
#10
I like fixed 10x for bolt 223s and 3-12 type magnification for semi auto 223s. 2-12, 3-15, that area.

Also, don't kill me, I prefer SFP for variables with 223. Inside 500 yards, I'm going for extreme accuracy and want thin crosshairs. There is wind, but it's not 1000 yards wind. My targets with a 223 tend to be small things like varmints that are very often thinner than the reticle of an FFP scope.
 
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#13
I was shooting my Tikka T3x Varmint .223 bolt action today... with a 6-24x FFP mounted on it. Mostly used it at 16-20x today at 400 & 550.
I'm transitioning from FGMM 77 to DTAC 77 (my gun LOVES 77gr SMK).

Truthfully, anything that runs up to 18x should be fine. But in the world of precision rifle... do not settle for "fine".

I'd honestly just run the exact same scope you'd run if you were shooting a very accurate .308 or 6.5. That way you can also move the scope over to anything you want later and/or never look back and wish you had "more".

Get a QUALITY scope that runs past 18x... you won't regret it. Life is too short for subpar glass, you deserve to see what you're shooting at clearly.
 
#14
Bicky said:
I agree with this. 25X is nice when shooting groups at 100.

BTW, here is my 223 Tikka.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i61.photobucket.com\/albums\/h43\/nicholasdouglas11\/Mobile%20Uploads\/20170213_190422_zpsbeugneua.jpg"}[/IMG2]
Click to expand...

Nice stock, that thing gives me wood, pun intended!! I've been jonesing over that stock since I saw it a year or so ago. Sorry to be off topic.
 
#16
Like many others I went with a 4-16 optic with the same reticle as my comp gun. The 223 was built second as a trainer/plinker/fun/cheaper gun. Some friends and I had a competition this weekend at our range, out to 520 yds, They were shooting 308's and 260's, I choose to shoot my 223. Little bullets won the day.
 
#17
My .223 has a PST 6-24 ffp on it. Works well and I can dial down if I don't need top power.

gW7vkTD.jpg
 
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#19
With a Bushnell LRHS 3-12 on my AR, which is a good scope for this application, I sometimes wish for more mag. That tiny man silhouette was looking kinda small at 12x/320y last time I was out.

I'm thinking of changing out to the new Athlon Ares BTR 2.5-15x50 which I'm counting on be better in a few ways. It'll be illuminated, parallax adjusts to 10Y and has a superior reticle. Sometimes I switch around scopes to different rifles like 22rf's and PCP air rifles so the Ares's versatility for close focus suites me more and something some of you might consider for the future.
 
#20
If this is for target shooting only, mostly at a few hundred yards, there is no real downside to having a variable with fairly high top end magnification.
There are a lot of good options out there, but you need to decide how much you want to spend first.
What is your budget?

ILya
 
#21
Are you shooting groups on paper or steel shooting? I have a few 223s and they wear anything from a 3-12 to a 12-42. Just depends on the tool. Not too often have I found a need on my bolt 223s for less than 5x. So for me anything 5-xx is a good general use. If I'm hitting steel with any sort of time constraint, I don't think I ever go over 15.
 
#24
Like most everyone else has said, something topping at 15 to 25 power is usually ideal. Personally I have to have at least 15 power to be satisfied. I've tried using lower stuff like a USO MR10 where I thought it would be ideal for the rifle it was going (SPR style AR15), but always end up selling to get something with more power. I've found 15 to be the minimum that I like, but getting something with 20-25 top end is rarely disadvantageous. Unless you have a specific requirement for what you want to use it for that requires lower power, I would recommend looking for something around 20-25 power top end and 3-6 power low end. Good for paper and steel, short and long range.
 
#25
I was running a 10X SWFA on a tikka 223 Varmint. I didn't have a problem hitting a 66% IPSC at 800 yards regularly. If you were shooting smaller targets I could see the need for a higher mag range. I've since upgraded to a 3-12 LRTS. I wanted a variable power range for a wider FOV while hunting. Something to keep in mind is that at lower power the reticle is more difficult to pick up. It's my coyote rifle and it's adequate for my ability. Slinging 75 amax's I think it's a good combo.
 
#28
I have AR-15 setup for coyote hunting , have vortex viper PST 2.5-10X32mm I like this one ( 32mm and 10 power ) compact Lightweight Comfortable to carry and good quality optic . Shooting range 100 yd plus or to 200 yd maybe some time up to 300yd ,
the power I use Mose the time is 6 or ( some times) to 8
 
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#29
Mk12 I use the 2.5-10x24 Nightforce.

Was shooting 1, 1.5 and 2 MOA targets with consistent hits this weekend out to 650y where the 1MOA targets started becoming hard as hell to see.
 
#31
I have a Mk6 3-18 on my Tikka 223 Varmint 24" and an early HDMR 3.5-21 on my mini SASS, going to switch them around though because the Tikka is obviously the longer range shooter of the two and I think will benefit from a little more mag at the top end.
 
#32
Just shot my 223 today. It is built as a slim medium weight hunting rifle. 16inch (about) varmint contour barrel, hs precision takeoff stock. I have a nikon 14x top end on there. No problems getting on steel at 500 yards. 69 smk does notice the wind there for sure. If I paint the target white I can see my hits well enough. 400 yards and closer is much easer to see hits.

I doubt this rifle will ever be used for longer range than that, so the magnification is not a problem. If it were are bulkier rifle I might opt for more scope, but as it is I just prefer it to be handy.
 
#33
Birddog6424 said:
I have a 223 trainer R700. I run an XTR II 4-20 on it. I think it's a little more than I actually need, so a 3-15 is on the list to go on this rifle. I think that will be the ideal magnification range.

[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/nY0mqJA.jpg"}[/IMG2]
Click to expand...

Nice set-up!! I think all that is needed is a 3-12 or a 3-15, tops 4-16. A 3-9 wouldn't be the end of the world?
 
#34
4x16 should be plenty, I took a class last year and the instructor gave use a lecture about exit pupil and how high magnification scope can f$@k up your eye. They made us all turn down our scopes to no more the 12 power, which was plenty bagging steel to a 1000 yards. Everyone has a different opinion but I've come to learn that more isn't always better. Just my 2 cents
 
#36
Here's an article that will probably do a better job of explaining then I would. http://www.shootingtimes.com/optics/optics_opticpupil_061907/
my understanding is the higher the magnification the smaller the beam of light coming out of the ocular. Kind of like a laser beam burning a hole in your eye. My instructor at the class has had to have eye surgery to try and repair his eye he described his eye like craters on the moon. I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it but it's something to be aware of. When you get older like me you begin to wish that you'd taken more precautions to protect your hearing, eyes exc.
 
#37
Devildog said:
Here's an article that will probably do a better job of explaining then I would. http://www.shootingtimes.com/optics/optics_opticpupil_061907/
my understanding is the higher the magnification the smaller the beam of light coming out of the ocular. Kind of like a laser beam burning a hole in your eye. My instructor at the class has had to have eye surgery to try and repair his eye he described his eye like craters on the moon. I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it but it's something to be aware of. When you get older like me you begin to wish that you'd taken more precautions to protect your hearing, eyes exc.
Click to expand...

This is the first of this that I have heard of eye damage. I think its valid. I won't be ranging the sun with my reticle any time soon. All kidding aside. All the more reason to use safety glass like you are suppose to anyway. I picked up a couple pair of Oakley Tombstone kits this winter on sale at midwayUSA, that I have been using with great success.
 
#38
Shouldn't a lot of older benchrest competitors that train and practice at high magnification in outdoors/sunny conditions have "benchrest eye" or have this issue more often like "tennis elbow"?

Not belittling it, just thinking about it as there is some logic to it, but in 20+ years of shooting, the first I've ever heard of it.

I asked an optics professional (designs and works for a current scope company) and he said the issue is not true.
 
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#40
Thanks again everyone. I ended up buying both the Bushnell 3-12 and a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 (gen 1). I'm not sure about the 6-24 for hunting but I'll play around with both when they arrive and see what's what.

I reckon the 3-12 will end up on a lighter hunting rifle down the track and the 6-24 on the target gun.
 
#42
pineoak said:
Shouldn't a lot of older benchrest competitors that train and practice at high magnification in outdoors/sunny conditions have "benchrest eye" or have this issue more often like "tennis elbow"?

Not belittling it, just thinking about it as there is some logic to it, but in 20+ years of shooting, the first I've ever heard of it.

I asked an optics professional (designs and works for a current scope company) and he said the issue is not true.
Click to expand...

I'll still put my faith in my instructor Steve Suttles at Badlands Tactical. Not to be a poster boy for Steve but to provided some background of his experience and credentials here's a little reading for you. http://badlandstactical.org/instructors/steve-suttles/. http://newsok.com/article/5391864. Again he was VERY passionate about the subject,

 
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