Rifle Scopes Magnification choice.

[Sixpakastan]

I'm sure this one has been beat to death and I will get several do a search ya lazy B&$!@%D, which I have but I'm sure I'm using the wrong terms and my search FU is weak today.

But anyway here goes.

I have a Remmy .308 in an A.I.C.S stock that I plan on shooting at 1-300 yards for the most part but have the chance from another member here to occasionally be able to shoot out to 1000 yards which I want to take him up on later down the road.

I have been looking at the Falcon Menace line of scopes and will be picking one up as soon as possible (that's all my budget allows right now I would do immoral and and possibly illegal things to buy the S&B but that's not an option so the Falcon line it is)

The 4-14-44 FFP Mil/Mil scope is out now and a couple places have them in stock and I could order one right now but part of me thinks I should wait to save a little more cash and spend it on the 5-25-50/56 FFP Mil/Mil when it comes out.

No the actually question comes down to what should I do here?
They both have pros and cons in my line of thinking but I defer to the experts here.

Back ground:

First long range rifle in about 15 years (38 now)so this will be pretty much all new to me (reloading will be coming in to it soon but that's a whole nother topic)

The reason for thinking the 5-25 would better serve me it can act as a spotting scope as well (one less expense for now that I can pick up later)

It's better to have the magnification and not need it than to need it and not have it. More precise on ranging as well.

The downside to the bigger scope is the objective will place the scope farther above the bore obviously so that is a factor.

The biggest con is it's not out yet but should be this month and I wanna shoot this thing in a bad way.

So there it is with out ALL the pros and cons just the biggies so please be gentle with me or not I just need a decent answer or reason to favor on over the other.

Thanks
Six

Pic of the rifle included if that helps. Pardon the reconstruction of the basement.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: Magnification choice.

click advanced search, pick optics, enter magnification, check search subjects, enter newer than 2yrs.
Got me 127 results.......

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: Magnification choice.

Simple answer. Get the 4-14x. It will be more than enough for 100-300 and adequate for 1000 unless you are shooting F-Class.

 

[Dirknar]

Re: Magnification choice.

4-14 will be plenty.. 25x is a lot @ 300 yards.. plus the mirage you are able to see with the high powers deems them useless sometimes.

 

[Sixpakastan]

Re: Magnification choice.

I wouldn't be using 25x at 300 12-14 tops(if even that) the biggest reason for the extra power is more to use it as a spotting scope.

But reading a lot more on a few other places I'm starting to refine my thinking and lean towards the 4-14 the pros out weigh the cons by far and since it's not the best glass you can get the higher power will just muddy up the sight picture.

Alright well I guess Monday I order the 4-14.

Thanks all.

 

[Nocalphoenix]

Re: Magnification choice.

I really like my 4x14 but got caught at a match last month where it was not enough magnification to read some extremely small playing cards at about 100 yards. The only ones reading them and making the correct hits had at least 18x.

For field use I think the 15-18x range is about the most you can use. I shoot sage rats about the size of a red bull can with 16x and find that more magnification would not really be benificial.

 

[Supersubes]

Re: Magnification choice.

Rifle scopes make crappy spotting scopes. Just buy a proper spotter down the road and get the 4-14 now.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Magnification choice.

The problem with pressing a riflescope into double duty service is that the smaller objective diameters can limit brightness and sometimes sharpness of image. It takes superior optics to overcome this disadvantage and that is nearly always accompanied by bigger buckage.

That said, I favor variable scopes with higher upper magnification number.

True, mirage can limit the maximum practical magnification that can be utilized at LR with significant mirage, but at closer ranges where mirage is less prominent, those additional mags can be used to resolve to a sharper POA.

Waiting is not a viable strategy where the development of marksmanship skill is involved. Whatever it takes to get the process started soonest is preferable.

I do not subscribe to the 'buy once, cry once' philosophy. Newer shooters skills generally are no more aided by superior implements than by more mudane implements. It takes awhile for skills to advance to where the price premium makes a difference, and postponing the embarkation upon the process in order to begin with the soopah and the doopah may not be advantageous.

It's my experience that the cheaper implement will always find a home on a second rifle (maybe something like a .22LR trainer) when it becomes limiting and needs replacement with something more soopah and doopah.

Greg

 

[pinzmann]

Re: Magnification choice.

Another variable to consider is what kind of targets will you be shooting at. If its strictly steel then the 4-14 will be fine. If your going to be shooting paper targets with small bulls I would go with a higher mag. I have several 5.5X22 NF's that rarely go below 22 and I shoot in the desert with high temps. But like Greg said get the 4-14 now since its available. Afterwards you can upgrade if you want. The Falcon has a good resale if you don't want to keep it latewr.

 

[Sixpakastan]

Re: Magnification choice.

Thanks for the help guys.

Ordered the Falcon Menace 4-14-44 FFP Enhanced Mil-Dot with Mil/Mil adjustments today. Hopefully It comes in this week so I can grab some rings and hit the range this weekend.

 

[jager408]

Re: Magnification choice.

greg has the handle on this..i shoot tactical field stuff all the time from 25yds to 1200 yds and the best quality glass in a good range i.e. 10-30 is perfect..sometimes the cond will be bad then turn it down sometimes it will be perfect turn it up...simple rule on the one has aways served me well..if you carnt see it..you carnt shoot it!