Rifle Scopes Looking for a newbie scope upgrade

[mistergunner]

Hi,

I have been prowling for months and this is my first post to the hide. I am a rifle hunter looking to get into shooting targets out to 600 yards. I own many rifles and all of them wear a Leupold VX-1 3x9x40 scope. I liked Leupold's reliability and lifetime warranty. All of my hunting shots are from muzzle to 200 yards and I have not needed anything fancier until now. My trusty 3x9s do not have click adjustable turrets or fancy cross hairs. I have read enough on here to know I should upgrade my scope to play at 600. Reliability is most important to me so I would rather lean on the basic side for something I can trust than lots of bells and whistles that are finicky. Taking this in consideration, what scope would you recommend in the 500 dollar range to get me to 600 yards?

 

[ICU22250]

Get a Vortex PST gen 1 on sale or a SWFA in that price range.. Others will likely chime in soon...

 

[steve123]

Willing to try out first focal plane or staying with second focal plane?

 

[mistergunner]

I am willing to try FFP but reliability is paramount. This rifle will be used mostly for hunting and partially for long targets. I checked out the Vortex PST but could not find one for any less than 800 bucks. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Quarter Horse]

Here you go, FFP, 3-15x50, mil/mil, 30mm body, daylight illum., better glass than you could reasonably expect and most important made in Japan. Natchez SS has these for $589. Be sure you are ordering manufacturers product #800363.

https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-su...llum-enhanced-mil-dot-reticle-emdr-matte.html

 

[southerngolfer]

Check out camerlandny for their special on the vortex viper HS 6-24x50 bdc. I've purchased 4 of them and great for the money

 

[mistergunner]

Thanks for your input. I will check out the Weaver and Vortex.

 

[steve123]

After thinking about it I suggest saving a little more. SWFA's 3-15x42 has been pretty reliable but normally $700, they can be had for less used or on sale. Come in SFP or FFP.

From what I've read Sightron has been reliable.

Friend ready to send his HST back for the 2cnd time for repair.

Not needed to send a Athlon Optics scope back yet, so there's that, out of a dozen or so Argos 6-24's or Talos 4-14's which are nearly half your budget.

 

[pineoak]

1. you can shoot out to 1000 yards with your current scope/s. I think you should stick with what you currently have and have fun shooting to 600. If it's sighted in and the glass is clear, I can shoot a SFP 9x scope out to 600 all day long. Come to think of it, most people can... but like the marketing has convinced them... you need a giant $400 North Face jacket to face the harsh winters of Los Angeles and South Beach.

We often spend more than we need to... to do less than we should.

2. If you want to try the FFP scopes, which suck for hunting at low power (reticle is tiny), the Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x for $370 is a nice scope for the $, just don't expect too much. I had 3 and one had a very stiff mag ring. Athlon sent me a new scope, so CS was good IME.

3. I still think #1 is the best option. If shooting for a while you decide you need/want more... then try moving to a scope with more mag/FFP/etc. If you can make the jump to the Razor Gen2 4.5x at around $2200... it's worth the money.

 

[steve123]

It looks like the Athlon Ares BTR will be available next month for a couple hundred more than your budget and I'm thinking is the scope to have for 2017 in the sub $1000 price range. Definitely worth saving for!

Likely coming up for sale shortly are two SWFA 3-15's and one Bushnell LRHS.