Rifle Scopes First Scope and Gun- Advice for a noob Please

[Godofallu]

So i'm going to be buying my first long range gun and scope soon. Hoping to find a nice black friday deal or two. For rifle i'm leaning towards a Tikka T3X TAC A1, Bergara HMR or a Ruger American Predator. Totally open to suggestions. Cartridge will be 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm hoping to find a store that has some of these guns and scopes and play around a little but who knows.

My purpose is going to be shooting groups and pushing out to farther distances. There is a range right next to me which is free and goes to 300 yards. I plan to shoot there a lot and shoot for groups often. During the day on nice days. I also have a friend who's dad just bought a ton of land about 3 hours from where I live. We're already planning on setting up a long range and I think we could squeeze a lot of distance out of that land. Again that would be day shooting.

For scopes I have never really handled anything aside from a Prostaff 5 3.5-14X in a 1" tube. So my knowledge is nonexistent. I don't really have a set budget. I have plenty of money to spend but I am also very cheap. If there's an excellent scope at $600, $800, $1200, $1600, $1800 ect and people think it's a major step up in performance/dollar I am interested.

Must have:
Clear HD Glass. I don't need the best ever but clarity on some level is important to me.
MOA- I know and understand MOA somewhat and my buddy shoots MOA and I measure my groups in MOA. I don't care if it's better or worse. Not changing for now.
Parallax Adjustment- Minimum 100 or lower to Infinity
20+ Zoom
Not weigh a ton. 4 pound scope = no thanks. I can accept a big scope with big tubes for maximum light and image. But there is a point where weight is just too much. Lighter is always better IMO if the image is good enough.
Reticle with a great small dot in the center or some sort of extremely fine aim point. Probably FFP?

Thanks to anyone nice enough to waste some time helping a beginner.

EDIT: Just bought an Athlon Ares ETR and a HOWA 1500 26" Bull Barreled Action + Boyds at One Stock. Got rings and a 20MOA rail and ammo and a bipod and a rear bag too. Should have the supplies I need to assemble everything and get shooting. Now i'm researching "bedding". God idk why I didn't just buy a complete gun. Anyways thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[Dthomas3523]

If you’re going to be shooting a lot and inside of 600 mostly, I’d look into a 223. You’ll get much more barrel life out of it. If you’re not planning on competing, you won’t notice much of a difference.

Vortex Amg fits your scope description well. 24x max power, fairly small center dot, 25m parallax, and lightweight.

Out of those three rifles, I’d go with the tikka.

Or go one of the cheaper custom actions and have it chambered in 224 Valkyrie. More range than .223, cheap factory ammo, and should be very good barrel life.

If you’re planning on competing, then it’s back to a 6 or 6.5, or possibly a .224 if factory ammo is your thing.

 

[steve123]

Get the Tikka, a Athlon Midas TAC or Ares ETR, and ARC rings.

EDIT, uh I forgot the TAC only comes in mil.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I would also choose the Tikka. I have a CTR in 6.5. It no longer has the factory barrel, but the OEM barrel shot wonderful. The action is smooth and it's a quality rifle overall.

Later down the line, you can replace the barrel if/when needed. A few companies are making prefits for them. I have one from Solid Accuracy but I have only shot Prime ammo out of it. It's ok, but reloading for it would be the way to squeeze it for all its worth.

As for scopes, you can pick up a Bushnell Elite Tactical for less than $1000 and they are great scopes for the $.

The SWFA line is also a good scope, in either fixed or adjustable magnification. They will be having a black Friday sale tomorrow and you can save a good chunk of coin going this route.

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

Tac A1, Athlon Midas tac, and listen to franks podcast on mil vs moa, don’t be afraid to at least learn the difference and why someone might choose one or the other.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

In optics there are some excellent options from Athlon, Steiner, Leupold and Meopta. Please find a few minutes and give a call and we can discuss what might work best for you.
Happy Thanksgiving

 

[DownhillFromHere]

^^^ What Steve123 said. I have a TAC A1 and it's about as good as an off-the-shelf rifle can be.

DThomas also raises excellent points. Buying a 6.5CM to shoot 300 yards is like buying a 3-wood to play putt-putt. A .223 is way cheaper to shoot, barrels last 2-3x as long, and accuracy is outstanding (wind has much higher impact on bullet flight, of course).

You are coming into the sport at a time when excellent optics can be purchased for very reasonable costs. Pay very careful attention to reticles. Cheaper scopes generally have fairly simple reticles that can limit effectiveness of ballistic calculators in the sense that, if you ever compete, you'll need reticle graduations fine enough to support holdover - you won't have time to dial settings for every target.

Similarly, I'd stay away from fixed-power scopes with magnification over 12-16x unless you're sure you'll never shoot in a situation where you need to quickly locate and engage one or (especially) more targets.

Short version is Athlon scopes provide excellent value. SWFA also plays well in this space. I've purchased both. I personally prefer Athlon, and I can tell you it is definitely worth your time to call @gr8fuldoug at CameralandNY (see vendors here on the Hide) to discuss choices.

 

[bfglowkey]

Here are some humble recommendations based on your post:

Rifle caliber is a good choice and since you plan on shooting on friends land that will get you out further than 300 yds. Barrel life is adequate and if you shoot factory ammo it will be moderate loads anyway. Rifle choice pros/cons:
1. Tikka - sweet action, great out of the box rifle. Think its a smidge over 1100 bucks right now? Maybe more? Black Friday deals will tell. Depending on what your budget for the whole set up is it will eat up a chunk and cut your optics budget.
2. Bergera - a very small step down ( some will argue its a lateral move ) from the Tikka and runs around 900 bucks. Very nice mechanics ( trigger, action ) and comfortable to shoot. Opens up a little more for your optics.
3. Ruger American Predator ( RAP)- can be found for 400 or there abouts. Less refined in terms of out of the box how it looks etc but will easily reach out to 1000 and they are very good shooting rifles. Action smooths out after about 200 rds ( bolt handle is a little small but can be changed) Get the version 2 and run the ACIS mags. Stock will leave you yearning for something different but can be made due and the initial savings will more then pay for ammo/better optics which that trigger time is gonna pay off huge over super fancy gear and less money for ammo/optics/trigger time. Leaves you open to upgrade the stock later down the line if desired.

I have 2 of the 3 above and all are way more capable then I can ever hope to shoot at this time.

Optics: Based on what you are looking at I can really suggest 2 specific optics then let you talk with Doug above and he can easily get you to the best option. Nightforce SHV or Nikkon BLACK FX1000. Nightforce is a super clear optic and even my 4x14x56 has allowed me to shoot 1200 yds out on my Ruger RPR ( another great rifle to consider ) Glass clarity , reticle and turrets are all really nice and the only 2 minor things folks can say is capped turrets ( easy to remove and put off the side, and no Zero stop...which seems to be a big thing atm) Price is in the 800-1000 range depending on model and I think with some looking around you can find it cheaper. The Nikkon is just a well made mid range optic. Clear, simple reticle, solid turrets, zero stop, FFP etc. The 6x24 model is about 799 but with holidays could be cheaper. They also have a 4x16 model for 100 cheaper and some Second focal plane models for 200 bucks cheaper ( X1000 line) I was pleasantly surprised with this offering and it currently sits on RAP in 6mm Creedmoor. 1000 yds was easy to achieve....I don't even boher going past 18x on it yet. Haven't needed it.

Once you decide the max you want to spend, talk with Doug and figure out your optic first...that will give you a idea whats left for the rifle. I say go this route cause you already have it narrowed down to 3 you seem to like....so go with what your not sure of , the optics. Doug wont steer you wrong ( I cant think of one person that hasn't been 150% happy with Doug's customer service and knowledge)
Happy Thanksgiving and looking forward to the after action report and see what you went with and how it shoots for you!

 

[AMTGMC]

So i'm going to be buying my first long range gun and scope soon. Hoping to find a nice black friday deal or two. For rifle i'm leaning towards a Tikka T3X TAC A1, Bergara HMR or a Ruger American Predator. Totally open to suggestions. Cartridge will be 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm hoping to find a store that has some of these guns and scopes and play around a little but who knows.

My purpose is going to be shooting groups and pushing out to farther distances. There is a range right next to me which is free and goes to 300 yards. I plan to shoot there a lot and shoot for groups often. During the day on nice days. I also have a friend who's dad just bought a ton of land about 3 hours from where I live. We're already planning on setting up a long range and I think we could squeeze a lot of distance out of that land. Again that would be day shooting.

For scopes I have never really handled anything aside from a Prostaff 5 3.5-14X in a 1" tube. So my knowledge is nonexistent. I don't really have a set budget. I have plenty of money to spend but I am also very cheap. If there's an excellent scope at $600, $800, $1200, $1600, $1800 ect and people think it's a major step up in performance/dollar I am interested.

Must have:
Clear HD Glass. I don't need the best ever but clarity on some level is important to me.
MOA- I know and understand MOA somewhat and my buddy shoots MOA and I measure my groups in MOA. I don't care if it's better or worse. Not changing for now.
Parallax Adjustment- Minimum 100 or lower to Infinity
20+ Zoom
Not weigh a ton. 4 pound scope = no thanks. I can accept a big scope with big tubes for maximum light and image. But there is a point where weight is just too much. Lighter is always better IMO if the image is good enough.
Reticle with a great small dot in the center or some sort of extremely fine aim point. Probably FFP?

Thanks to anyone nice enough to waste some time helping a beginner.

If you are interested in a kestrel 5700 elite, Tono posted in the equipment forum under black Friday, kestrel + SHV for $1499.
Now that doesn't meet your ×20 mag but it can be had in MOA and it is like getting a night force for $750. This will not be your last scope but if you sell it in a few years you will get your money back.

Kestrel is not needed to shoot 300 to 600 yards but if you see yourself going out over 1000, shooting comps, multiple rifles in wide range of environmental conditions, in places without cell service, it might be worth it.

Also where are you located ?
Someone may be able to refer you to a good shop.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Godofallu]

^^^ What Steve123 said. I have a TAC A1 and it's about as good as an off-the-shelf rifle can be.

DThomas also raises excellent points. Buying a 6.5CM to shoot 300 yards is like buying a 3-wood to play putt-putt. A .223 is way cheaper to shoot, barrels last 2-3x as long, and accuracy is outstanding (wind has much higher impact on bullet flight, of course).

You are coming into the sport at a time when excellent optics can be purchased for very reasonable costs. Pay very careful attention to reticles. Cheaper scopes generally have fairly simple reticles that can limit effectiveness of ballistic calculators in the sense that, if you ever compete, you'll need reticle graduations fine enough to support holdover - you won't have time to dial settings for every target.

Similarly, I'd stay away from fixed-power scopes with magnification over 12-16x unless you're sure you'll never shoot in a situation where you need to quickly locate and engage one or (especially) more targets.

Short version is Athlon scopes provide excellent value. SWFA also plays well in this space. I've purchased both. I personally prefer Athlon, and I can tell you it is definitely worth your time to call @gr8fuldoug at CameralandNY (see vendors here on the Hide) to discuss choices.

The problem with Athlon is that they make a million scopes and I have no idea what the names mean or how the quality is. It's a headache just trying to understand their product line.

 

[Long Range 338]

All the rifle options listed will do the job. Buy the best optic you can afford, you will never regret it. Great optics make getting out to distance easier and more enjoyable

 

[Dthomas3523]

Here are some humble recommendations based on your post:

Rifle caliber is a good choice and since you plan on shooting on friends land that will get you out further than 300 yds. Barrel life is adequate and if you shoot factory ammo it will be moderate loads anyway. Rifle choice pros/cons:
1. Tikka - sweet action, great out of the box rifle. Think its a smidge over 1100 bucks right now? Maybe more? Black Friday deals will tell. Depending on what your budget for the whole set up is it will eat up a chunk and cut your optics budget.
2. Bergera - a very small step down ( some will argue its a lateral move ) from the Tikka and runs around 900 bucks. Very nice mechanics ( trigger, action ) and comfortable to shoot. Opens up a little more for your optics.
3. Ruger American Predator ( RAP)- can be found for 400 or there abouts. Less refined in terms of out of the box how it looks etc but will easily reach out to 1000 and they are very good shooting rifles. Action smooths out after about 200 rds ( bolt handle is a little small but can be changed) Get the version 2 and run the ACIS mags. Stock will leave you yearning for something different but can be made due and the initial savings will more then pay for ammo/better optics which that trigger time is gonna pay off huge over super fancy gear and less money for ammo/optics/trigger time. Leaves you open to upgrade the stock later down the line if desired.

I have 2 of the 3 above and all are way more capable then I can ever hope to shoot at this time.

Optics: Based on what you are looking at I can really suggest 2 specific optics then let you talk with Doug above and he can easily get you to the best option. Nightforce SHV or Nikkon BLACK FX1000. Nightforce is a super clear optic and even my 4x14x56 has allowed me to shoot 1200 yds out on my Ruger RPR ( another great rifle to consider ) Glass clarity , reticle and turrets are all really nice and the only 2 minor things folks can say is capped turrets ( easy to remove and put off the side, and no Zero stop...which seems to be a big thing atm) Price is in the 800-1000 range depending on model and I think with some looking around you can find it cheaper. The Nikkon is just a well made mid range optic. Clear, simple reticle, solid turrets, zero stop, FFP etc. The 6x24 model is about 799 but with holidays could be cheaper. They also have a 4x16 model for 100 cheaper and some Second focal plane models for 200 bucks cheaper ( X1000 line) I was pleasantly surprised with this offering and it currently sits on RAP in 6mm Creedmoor. 1000 yds was easy to achieve....I don't even boher going past 18x on it yet. Haven't needed it.

Once you decide the max you want to spend, talk with Doug and figure out your optic first...that will give you a idea whats left for the rifle. I say go this route cause you already have it narrowed down to 3 you seem to like....so go with what your not sure of , the optics. Doug wont steer you wrong ( I cant think of one person that hasn't been 150% happy with Doug's customer service and knowledge)
Happy Thanksgiving and looking forward to the after action report and see what you went with and how it shoots for you!

Who is selling Tac A1’s for 1100?

 

[Codiekfx400]

The problem with Athlon is that they make a million scopes and I have no idea what the names mean or how the quality is. It's a headache just trying to understand their product line.

That is exactly why you call Doug at CameraLand. He has extensive knowledge of Athlon scopes and will steer you in the correct direction.

 

[Dthomas3523]

The problem with Athlon is that they make a million scopes and I have no idea what the names mean or how the quality is. It's a headache just trying to understand their product line.

Doesn’t sound like you’re on an extremely tight budget.

Athlon Cronus would be the minimum (regardless of brand) I’d look at if you’re not forced to penny pinch.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

It would be my pleasure to go over the various options with you and together we can narrow down the best one for you