I am starting to get into long range shooting and was wondering if my scope was good enough. it is a ziess conquest 3-9x40 with 600 yard hashmarks. don't know if its good or if its gonna limit me to how far I will be able to shoot. the scope is on a rem 700 xcr tactical long range 300wm
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Rifle Scopes Entry Level Scope For Long Range Shooting
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I would say leupold 6.5x20 with 30 mm tube, mine is a vx3. I bought one for a 308 and it works well. It has target turrets and tracks well, I can run the elevation out to 750 and back to 100 and my zero is rite on. I gave under $800 for it just the standard duplex. There are better ones out there starting at double the money. Resale should hold up also, it's easer to sell a $800 scope than a $2000 dollar one. Most hunters and shooters think a $300 scope IS a high end scope. For the money I think leupold is hard to beat, plus made in USA. Just my two cents, good luck with your search. Ps I also have a nightforce and steiner so I have a comparison.
I just started myself and went with the SS 3-15x42. I caught it on sale for $500. FFP, mil-mil and 30mm tube. Very good glass also. Take a look at it.
I've made consistent hits out to 500 with a Tasco Varmint 6-24 with AO. Most scopes will get you shooting, and my advice is go shoot. Find out what you do and don't like about the scope. Find out what you want the scope to have. Keep practicing and saving money, and by the time you have the money saved up you will be able to make a better decision and better utilize your new super sweet optic.
As they say "Run what you brung!!"
As they say "Run what you brung!!"
Use what you have for the time being and get some experience shooting distance.
I shot our last 1000 yard steel match with my scope set on 10 power just to see how bad it would be. To my surprise I was able to see just fine out to 1000 yards. That being said when I started out I bought a bushnell et4305. I am still using it two years later. As someone that has been in your shoes, spend some time doing research on what works for you and the guys that you shoot with. There are lots of good scopes available in the 1000-1500 dollar range. When I bought my scope I didn't understand about matching turrets and first focal plane vs second focal plane. I can tell you from my experience most people shoot FTP and mil/mil. So if you are on the shooting line and the guy next to you is calling out corrections for you it makes it hard if you are moa and the guy next to you mil/mil. Basically it makes his info useless unless you are very fast at math. I'm not.
So I would suggest going mil/mil and first focal plane
Paul
I shot our last 1000 yard steel match with my scope set on 10 power just to see how bad it would be. To my surprise I was able to see just fine out to 1000 yards. That being said when I started out I bought a bushnell et4305. I am still using it two years later. As someone that has been in your shoes, spend some time doing research on what works for you and the guys that you shoot with. There are lots of good scopes available in the 1000-1500 dollar range. When I bought my scope I didn't understand about matching turrets and first focal plane vs second focal plane. I can tell you from my experience most people shoot FTP and mil/mil. So if you are on the shooting line and the guy next to you is calling out corrections for you it makes it hard if you are moa and the guy next to you mil/mil. Basically it makes his info useless unless you are very fast at math. I'm not.
So I would suggest going mil/mil and first focal plane
Paul
Give it a whirl. Depending on what you're shooting at and how far away it is, you'll probably find that 9x isn't as much as you want. But why not try it out first?
If you have it use it. Why would you want to spend more money at this moment? See if it works for you with your application then upgrade to adjust your needs.
You'll learn more about your requirements for an optic after you spend more time shooting so just have fun and practice for now.
As many have said-Get out and start shooting and try to find someone at the range to give you some LR shooting tips. I let NOOBS at the range shoot 5-10 rounds out of my rifle all the time! You might also try to find local matches you could attend. Lots of good information there. Someone may also provide a few basic LR shooting lessons for some cash or beer. Once you have some experience, you'll have a much better idea of what you need. I've only been shooting a year and I'm 65 and having the time if my life and many other new friends I've met shooting. Great bunch of people.
They shoot a thousand yards with Iron sights, and a 30.06 out to 1k I had one of those xcr's it shoot pretty well. It was my first long range gun. good luck and have fun shooting.
Thanks for all the responses. I was looking at a Swarovski z5 5-25 bt, but after reading all the responses think im gonna practice with this scope I've till I have a better idea what I need or want. I am a new member n just wanna say this sites members are a bank of info when it comes to shooting advice. Thanks for the tips
For long range shooting I wouldn't put anything less than a 3-15X50 or 4-16X50 if it were my rifle. The Bushnell elite line looks good at reasonable prices.
1) Start with what you have.
2) You need to set a budget. It may have some flex, but you have to have idea of price range that will work for you.
I ended up with a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x. Under $900 new from Sport Optics. But with Vortex's lifetime, no questions asked, transferable warranty, a used one is NO risk.
2) You need to set a budget. It may have some flex, but you have to have idea of price range that will work for you.
I ended up with a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x. Under $900 new from Sport Optics. But with Vortex's lifetime, no questions asked, transferable warranty, a used one is NO risk.
I used a Weaver Grand Slam Tactical 3-10x (a $300 scope with tactical/target turrets and a mil-dot reticle) for my first three years. It obviously doesn't compare to higher end glass, and would only allow me to spin up to about 750 yards on a flat base, but it worked well for me at the 100-650 yard distances I was accustomed to shooting during that time period. So, if you already have the scope you mentioned, and are somehow budget-limited out of another scope, I'd suggest you go out and give it a try to see what happens. However, if I'm not mistaken I believe the scope you have uses conventional hunting-style turrets, rather than a graduated tactical/target style turret that you can adjust for ranges beyond your zeroed distance. As such, it may prove to be very difficult for you to use that scope in the field for shooting at a variety of distances when elevation adjustments are required (in other words, when shooting at distances beyond your maximum point blank range).
As far as employing the "calibrated drop" style reticle you described, I've rarely found that scopes with hash marks for various distances actually correspond to the bullet drop you get in the real world. Think about it: for that "600 yard" mark on the reticle to match the drop of your fired bullet you'd need a bullet, velocity, and conditions that were virtually identical to whatever the scope manufacturer chose to test when designing that reticle. Because of that, those hash marks usually only give you a ball-park figure in the real world, rather than an aiming point that would be as precise as dialing a certain amount of elevation to compensate for the drop of YOUR bullet, from YOUR gun, in the conditions where YOU are shooting. That's not even to mention the effect that wind would have on your bullet, and the need to compensate for it at distance. I was shooting this afternoon under windy conditions that necessitated about 24 inches worth of wind correction at 550 yards (we weren't measuring via the inch system, but that's a number that most people can more easily visualize)... now imagine the trouble you would have guesstimating hold at that distance when you really wanted to get your shot on target.
Still, there's no harm in playing with it if you already own it! As for the magnification, I've made hits beyond 800 yards with 10x magnification, and I've shot at 6 and 8 inch plates at 600 yards with 3x magnification... some people have shot far beyond those distances with magnification less than 10x; and some folks have done very well at that task.
As far as employing the "calibrated drop" style reticle you described, I've rarely found that scopes with hash marks for various distances actually correspond to the bullet drop you get in the real world. Think about it: for that "600 yard" mark on the reticle to match the drop of your fired bullet you'd need a bullet, velocity, and conditions that were virtually identical to whatever the scope manufacturer chose to test when designing that reticle. Because of that, those hash marks usually only give you a ball-park figure in the real world, rather than an aiming point that would be as precise as dialing a certain amount of elevation to compensate for the drop of YOUR bullet, from YOUR gun, in the conditions where YOU are shooting. That's not even to mention the effect that wind would have on your bullet, and the need to compensate for it at distance. I was shooting this afternoon under windy conditions that necessitated about 24 inches worth of wind correction at 550 yards (we weren't measuring via the inch system, but that's a number that most people can more easily visualize)... now imagine the trouble you would have guesstimating hold at that distance when you really wanted to get your shot on target.
Still, there's no harm in playing with it if you already own it! As for the magnification, I've made hits beyond 800 yards with 10x magnification, and I've shot at 6 and 8 inch plates at 600 yards with 3x magnification... some people have shot far beyond those distances with magnification less than 10x; and some folks have done very well at that task.
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What kind of turrets does your have on it? Capped? Can you xero them out and read what you have dialed on them? Does it take a coin to turn them? If the turrets are good for that we all have many good entry level scopes that will work great. And your could be sold as well to cover some cost.
Well, that scope wasn't designed for LR, it's a lightweight hunting scope with a holdover reticle. It's not a tactical or practical scope. You can for damn sure shoot at targets at longer ranges, but using a nickel to dial for elevation in 1/4" increments is a skill that won't correlate in any of your future longrange endeavors. @ $1.00 a round in that 300 Win mag it is going to cost you $60 and a day or more at the range to figure out what increments your clicks are in MOA or IPHY. All the dope will need to be reworked once you decide to switch to mils. I understand the "just shoot" mentality, but we are talking about several hundred dollars worth of ammo (+time) to decide if you need another scope.
You asked a question so here is my answer - If you want to begin to shoot at longrange >600 yds as a first step toward shooting even longer ranges with more consistency, then you will be best served with a different scope. There are lots of serviceable entry level scopes in the classified section here reasonably priced. The scope you choose won't be the scope you stick with, so keep in mind you will probably be reselling it. Meet up with shooters in your area or at events and get behind their gear to see what you like. Use the search engine for best scope under $____ and I'm sure you'll find some worthwhile info. If you want a new scope get with a vendor, Liberty Optics comes to mind, and ask them to guide you.
You asked a question so here is my answer - If you want to begin to shoot at longrange >600 yds as a first step toward shooting even longer ranges with more consistency, then you will be best served with a different scope. There are lots of serviceable entry level scopes in the classified section here reasonably priced. The scope you choose won't be the scope you stick with, so keep in mind you will probably be reselling it. Meet up with shooters in your area or at events and get behind their gear to see what you like. Use the search engine for best scope under $____ and I'm sure you'll find some worthwhile info. If you want a new scope get with a vendor, Liberty Optics comes to mind, and ask them to guide you.
If your current scope works for you USE IT! The way to see if it works for you is to go shoot with it. In my estimation, the most important thing in a long range scope that will be used for shooting varying distances is GOOD, consistent and repeatable vertical adjustments. Optics are nice and the better they are, the more expensive they are, but I have found that all that is really REQUIRED is that the optics be good enough to do the job without interfering with the shooting process or falling apart during the mission.. Anything more/clearer/sharper is just icing on the cake and can cost big bucks. The biggest thing is to have good vertical adjustments in a system (millirads or MOA) that you can easily understand and deal with. Another thing is to have a turret that that is easy to get back to "zero" without losing track of where you are in the vertical adjustment plane. If you can't keep track of where you are relative to your zero, you are just guessing where you are shooting in the vertical plane. First focal plane is good if you shoot at a lot of targets at unknown distances AND you can't use a laser to figure out distances....that being said, a laser is VERY common now days, can be VERY accurate and makes the more expensive first focal plane reticle nothing more than a wasted expenditure. The biggest thing is to figure out WHAT WORKS for YOU doing the thing that the gun will be used for. Targets (whatever they might be) DO NOT CARE about "bling". BLING is only good for impressing your buddies and dead targets could give a rat's *ss how "blingy" the weapon that shot them was.
