I have a question regarding scoping a .308 carbine...

[JINKSTER]

The carbine in question is a DPMS Panther 308 LR A4 and while it only has a 16" barrel?....after installing a Geissele 2-stage trigger it's proven itself remarkably accurate with very near bolt rifle groupings some well within moa and my question is this...

I now feel I've grossly under-scoped this carbine with an etched reticle Vortex Spitfire fixed 3X prism scope that I thought was fitting and cool at first and while I know the envogue thing to do is to mount up a LPVO in the 1-6X or 1-8X range like a Burris RT-6?....I'm considering mounting up a full size scope such as a 3-15X50 Burris Veracity...It's mainly a range rifle but a family fav because of the low recoil Severe Duty comp I mounted on so?...

LPVO or Full Monty?...Thoughts and Opines Welcome!

 

[montigre]

I have the Vortex Spitfire on my 5.56 AR and am very pleased with it out to 300 years or so, but that said, it is specifically designed for the 5.56 platform, so I assume it will not play very well with your .308 rifle. Go going a more traditional route like a LPVO will probably suit your needs better. YMMV...

 

[dogman]

I had a Nightforce 1-8 ATACR on my 16” chrome lined barrel LMT MWS but the rifle turned out to be very accurate so I moved up to a 4-16 ATACR. No regrets and the magnification power range is a great match for the capability of the gun.

 

[UpSideDown]

I like having full scopes on large frame guns. LPVO's are very much a compromise at best. The light gathering and usability and parallax and magnification, etc. of a real scope trumps an LPVO unless you really need an LPVO. I'd toss a 3/5-12/20 on there and enjoy it as a precision gun. LPVO's also work but I like full scopes.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

It's mainly a range rifle

You already have a 3x, what's the difference if that's the bottom end of the scope? The day I can't carry mine from the car to the range because of the weight of the scope will be the day I start selling stuff. Lighter weight LPVO might make sense if you're hiking/hunting.

 

[UpSideDown]

You already have a 3x, what's the difference if that's the bottom end of the scope? The day I can't carry mine from the car to the range because of the weight of the scope will be the day I start selling stuff. Lighter weight LPVO might make sense if you're hiking/hunting.

He has a 3x prism scope, it's a fixed 3x like an ACOG, kinda.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

He has a 3x prism scope, it's a fixed 3x like an ACOG, kinda.

Which is the bottom end of the 3-15x he's talking about as a replacement.

 

[UpSideDown]

Which is the bottom end of the 3-15x he's talking about as a replacement.

I'm not getting your point. I think this discussion has to do with the 15x area of things, not the 3x side of things.

 

[db2000]

 

[db2000]

Just put a higher mag scope on it. If the family is punching paper they’re gonna be more happy if they can see the holes in a target or on steel

 

[Mike_in_FL]

I'm not getting your point. I think this discussion has to do with the 15x area of things, not the 3x side of things.

Would you not agree that in a 3-15x variable scope, 3x is the low or bottom end of the magnification range and 15x is the high or top end of it? Already shooting with 3x prism...

 

[Ravenworks]

Just put a higher mag scope on it. If the family is punching paper they’re gonna be more happy if they can see the holes in a target or on steel

☝

This in a nutshell.
It also means that you don't need to go spend $3k to get the job done.
You do need to do a lot of reading .
Are you a Veteran? Bushnell had a very generous discount for us Veteran's.
Even if your not a Veteran they offer a lot of nice beginners stuff.

Primary Arms has a whole scope division and it will serve you well to go there and read some more.
Primary Arms has invested some serious cash into the scope business and it shows because people are noticing.

 

[Sincerd]

Guess if higher mags your thing for this setup it would be best. What's the longest range you shoot?

 

[hlee]

Range gun? Go big or go home.

 

[Docsherm]

I have a Gen 3 Vortex 1-10 on my 16 inch 308. No issues getting out to 800 yards with it.

 

[candyx]

4-16X , 16"barrel , 7.62, mount a Delta Point Pro off the scope mount 45* for CQB.

 

[JINKSTER]

You already have a 3x, what's the difference if that's the bottom end of the scope? The day I can't carry mine from the car to the range because of the weight of the scope will be the day I start selling stuff. Lighter weight LPVO might make sense if you're hiking/hunting.

I'm not getting your point. I think this discussion has to do with the 15x area of things, not the 3x side of things.

First?...thanks to the both of you for your response and input and maybe I should clarify a few things here as follows.

While "at the moment" this DPMS is mainly a range gun its intended true primary purpose is a shtf gun and it is for that reason that even when I purchased the straight 3X spitfire I questioned my own decision in not having the 0 power option available for CQB but I got swept away with the spitfire's rugged appearance and it being dubbed "A Poor Man's ACOG" but between looking through my old Swarovski 3-10X42 AV (on a Ruger all weather) and my Burris 3-15X44 Sig HD (on an FN PBR)?...the Vortex Spitfire is not only muted in magnification but compared to the other two scopes?...is like looking through fish scales so?...it's not about the weight it's about upgrading optical clarity and either going without 15x or going without 0x...talk about 1st world problems! LOL

At this point I'm pretty sure I'll go with a straight up scope because this DPMS has demonstrated that it's definitely worthy of such despite its 16" barrel and screw the 0x CQB aspect...I have a Glock for that but the decision I'm wrestling with now is US Optics makes some appealing options in their TS line of "Compact Scopes" (a sweet little 3-12X44) but I'm hearing they have very little eye relief.

 

[JINKSTER]

Guess if higher mags your thing for this setup it would be best. What's the longest range you shoot?

I'll typically fire a warm-up group at 100 then move out to 200 which is the normal week maximum but twice a month they shut down the skeet/trap which is when we have steel out to 500 available.

 

[bohica17]

Product Description

Product Description | Camera Land NY

cameralandny.com

These are known to have some stiff magnification rings and elevation but they tend to “break in” Iv owned the 5-30 and sold because of expenses and now have the 3-18 on my 16” 5.56. I really like this line of scopes and I love the scr2 reticle and you will not find a better scope for 1k. If you have wimpy hands don’t get it because you will just be grouped with the other guys that says the knurling hurts there fingers and remind me every time of happy Gilmore lol

Also mine is sitting in a JP mount fyi I like that as well

 

[Sincerd]

What ate you spending of these optics? Razor 1-6 E was 1000 for the past few months. Have no idea if the special still going or not.

 

[JINKSTER]

What ate you spending of these optics? Razor 1-6 E was 1000 for the past few months. Have no idea if the special still going or not.

I dropped about $800 on the Swarovski 3-10x42 AV 15 years or so ago which was/is the most expensive scope I've ever purchased and recent I spent $500 on a Burris 3-15X44 Signature HD that really impressed me and I actually liked better than a $1,000 Loopy 5VX HD 3-15X44 I was looking at as well at the time so I guess I have to admit to being a bargain shopper but the glass on the Burris looked every bit as good as the Loopy and the turrets on the Burris were tighter with crispier clicks where the Loopy turrets were actually kind of soft and mushy so?...you don't always get what you pay for these days.

As an aside?...I now feel kind of foolish for claiming the spitfire was like looking through fish scales as upon closer investigation?...I think my daughter thought the ocular lense cap was a screw-off and she had the ocular all out of focus...I pulled the lense cap and focused it in...it's much clearer now but still feel it lacks the appropriate magnification to do the DPMS 308 justice....I'm strongly considering a 2nd 3-15X44 $500 Burris Sig HD...the one on my FN PBR is shooting just under moa with Fed 150gr SP Power-Shock (the cheap blue box stuff and it likes it) and I'm sure that 1/2 of that "just under moa" is on me.

 

[Sincerd]

I dropped about $800 on the Swarovski 3-10x42 AV 15 years or so ago which was/is the most expensive scope I've ever purchased and recent I spent $500 on a Burris 3-15X44 Signature HD that really impressed me and I actually liked better than a $1,000 Loopy 5VX HD 3-15X44 I was looking at as well at the time so I guess I have to admit to being a bargain shopper but the glass on the Burris looked every bit as good as the Loopy and the turrets on the Burris were tighter with crispier clicks where the Loopy turrets were actually kind of soft and mushy so?...you don't always get what you pay for these days.

As an aside?...I now feel kind of foolish for claiming the spitfire was like looking through fish scales as upon closer investigation?...I think my daughter thought the ocular lense cap was a screw-off and she had the ocular all out of focus...I pulled the lense cap and focused it in...it's much clearer now but still feel it lacks the appropriate magnification to do the DPMS 308 justice....I'm strongly considering a 2nd 3-15X44 $500 Burris Sig HD...the one on my FN PBR is shooting just under moa with Fed 150gr SP Power-Shock (the cheap blue box stuff and it likes it) and I'm sure that 1/2 of that "just under moa" is on me.

I'd see if that razor is still on sale. You can probably use it for a couple years and still sell it for what you paid.

 

[JINKSTER]

I'd see if that razor is still on sale. You can probably use it for a couple years and still sell it for what you paid.

Thanks and I'm sure it has great glass but I'm simply not willing to drop high dollars on low power...if I went with something in the 1-6x range it would probably be more along the lines of the Meopta Optika6 1-6x24

 

[sboone]

I've very quickly started becoming a fan of 2-10,2.5-10 optics. Typically not very heavy and there's a few really good options that don't break the bank. Personally I have experience with the primary arms 2.5-10 and trijicon credo 2-10. Plenty of other options as well. I've started to find that I'm more handicapped on a rifle if the bottom end is 4-5x and higher. The higher end magnification matters less to me, until you start pushing out past thar 1K mark. If you binge for a better optic in that 2/2.5 - 10x range, the glass will let you see 308 holes on paper if theres good contrast and hits on steel. I've had good experience with my strike eagle 1-8 on my 16" 308 aero upper with criterion m118 barrel as well but glass quality leaves something to be desired on most of these $400 LPVO's.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

2nd 3-15X44 $500 Burris Sig HD...

You just missed the tax day sale at SWFA. The 3-15x42 was 500 or less and that's a solid scope. Athlon has some nice 2-12x models and 4-16x as well. Maybe figure out what you want your top end to be.

When I was younger I was happy with 18x to see holes in paper at 100, now it's more like 24x, lol. I would stick with something mil/mil if banging steel more often is in your future. Good luck on your choice.

 

[Ape_Factory]

I like the 3-18x range on a 308 which is still useful on the low end IMO and offers a number of affordable choices in that range from various makes. I've used a Primary Arms SLX series and I'm now on a Meopta Optika FFP with a 50mm front element. Really like it especially for the money, great clarity and reticle. If I could convince myself to spend another $1K on top of the Meopta's price, I might look at the Nightforce NX8 2.5-20.

For range stuff, I find 1-8X to be the minimum I like to use trying to produce groups 100 yards and out and don't skimp on the mount!

 

[samnev]

I have a NF NXS 3-15x50 on my LMT MKS. A NF NXS 5.5-22X50 only LaRue OBR and LaRue Predator and a ATACR 5-25X56 on my Les Baer Match Sniper. On some other 308's I have several Bushnell Tactical Elite's 3.5-21X50 DMR and a DMR II.

 

[Asiparks]

My LPVOs' are a Trijicon Accupower 1-8, a GRSC 1-6, and one of the cheap n cheerful Sig MSRs 1-6
All work very nicely, but I find myself shooting for tighter groups and that top doesn't quite do it for me, so I have a couple of 3-18s that I default to: Sig Tango6, which used to be a bargain at around $1K, now not so much, and the Hide's favorite, an IOR 3.5-18...
On the higher mag end, Eurooptic still have Vortex Viper PST2's on sale for $669, it's 5-25 so might be a bit more mag than you want, but still a good buy, I've only had it for a couple of months but so far so good, and Brownells has their MPO line- I've been very happy with my 5-30, Ilya rates their 3-18 very highly.

Or for a bit more, the Burris XTR3i should hopefully hit the shelves soon. The non illuminated version seem highly regarded, but I like the option of illumination.