New and looking for scope recommendations

[Maflynn06]

What’s up guys, looking at getting into long range precision shooting. My uncle in law bought me a 26” Daniel Defense Delta 5 Pro in 6.5 creedmore for my birthday. He also wants to gift me a scope.

I know very little about scopes other than what I’ve been researching these past few weeks. From what I’ve seen, for shooting out to 1000 yards, you want FFP, at least 15x-20x and MIL over MOA.

Now there are ALOT of scopes out there and since I don’t know who’s reputable, I’m not sure who to watch on YouTube or listen to online. What do you guys recommend? Do I buy a beginner scope and upgrade later? Do I buy once cry once? This will be recreational, I don’t ever plan on competing. Also I don’t want to just go after popular brands because you end up paying more for a name. I want a quality performing optic with a great warranty.

My budget out the door would be $2500 or less. I don’t have to spend $2500. I also need a mount and a bipod so some of that money can go towards those.

Ones that call my attention are the Nightforce NX8, Athlon Cronus, Leupold mark 5 HD and the Vortex Razor.

I appreciate any help to get me started on my journey properly.

 

[loveha]

Do you know what you want in a reticle? Can have a great scope, but a reticle you don't like, you will not be happy with it.
Can't go wrong with anything you listed. Can add the Steiner T6Xi to that list, as well as Burris XTR III or XTR Pro.
Do you currently shoot any other rifles, any of those scoped? Or will this be your first rifle?
MIL vs MOA is up to the shooter. You don't HAVE to shoot mils. It just makes math easier when shooting.
Creedmoor. Not Creedmore.

 

[Maflynn06]

Do you know what you want in a reticle? Can have a great scope, but a reticle you don't like, you will not be happy with it.
Can't go wrong with anything you listed. Can add the Steiner T6Xi to that list, as well as Burris XTR III or XTR Pro.
Do you currently shoot any other rifles, any of those scoped? Or will this be your first rifle?
MIL vs MOA is up to the shooter. You don't HAVE to shoot mils. It just makes math easier when shooting.
Creedmoor. Not Creedmore.

Woops, Thanks for the correction. This is my first scoped rifle. So I have no clue on reticles.

 

[ECK]

Ah, reticles…. Lots to discuss here and everyone have their favorites.

A lot of it depends on what kind of shooting you plan on doing and if you’re going to dial your elevation or do hold-overs, ditto for wind -dial or hold. Since you mention just recreational shooting and not competition, there’s probably no reason not to dial (turn the elevation turret to the correct mil/moa for the distance). When comp shooters talk about holding-over, the main reason is they are on the clock and don’t have the time to dial for each individual shot. Or I suppose the same could be true of shooting varmints when they are scurrying around (or bad guys) and you use hold-overs to get the shot off quicker. The same is true of wind, if you know your wind value you can dial it into the windage turret, or some people (myself included) just hold into the wind however much is needed (i.e. wind is blowing right to left @ 6 mph, so I move the crosshair to the right a few tenths of a mil if shooting at 300-ish, more if shooting further).

Unlike a simple older duplex reticle, a lot of reticles these days are designed to have sub-tension lines for holding elevation on the Y axis and holding wind on the X axis. The increment between the sub-tension lines varies with the manufacturer or model of reticle. Some scopes will have the increments in .5 mils (0, .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc…). Other scopes will do it in .25 mil increments (.25, .5, .75, 1.0, 1.25, etc.), some will be in .2 mil increments (.2, .4, .6, .8, 1.0, 1.2, etc). I’ve found that the smaller the increment the more precise you can be, but too much tends to clutter up the reticle more with all those extra lines. And I like simple and clean. But what what I like about .2 mil increments is when my ballistics calculator tells me to hold 1.7 mils of up, I can find it pretty easily on my scope by putting the target between the 1.6 and 1.8 sub-tension marks. Proponents on the .25 mil increment reticle will say that is close enough to using the 1.75 sub-tension mark, and they are probably right. But if your scope is limited to .5 mil increments, now you have to bracket the target with the 1.5 and 2.0 mil marks and guestimate where the 1.7 mark is.

Here’s a couple Youtube videos that may help:





Plenty of folks on here that know way more about reticles than I do, so keep asking your questions.

 

[FNG1001]

What’s up guys, looking at getting into long range precision shooting. My uncle in law bought me a 26” Daniel Defense Delta 5 Pro in 6.5 creedmore for my birthday. He also wants to gift me a scope.

I know very little about scopes other than what I’ve been researching these past few weeks. From what I’ve seen, for shooting out to 1000 yards, you want FFP, at least 15x-20x and MIL over MOA.

Now there are ALOT of scopes out there and since I don’t know who’s reputable, I’m not sure who to watch on YouTube or listen to online. What do you guys recommend? Do I buy a beginner scope and upgrade later? Do I buy once cry once? This will be recreational, I don’t ever plan on competing. Also I don’t want to just go after popular brands because you end up paying more for a name. I want a quality performing optic with a great warranty.

My budget out the door would be $2500 or less. I don’t have to spend $2500. I also need a mount and a bipod so some of that money can go towards those.

Ones that call my attention are the Nightforce NX8, Athlon Cronus, Leupold mark 5 HD and the Vortex Razor.

I appreciate any help to get me started on my journey properly.

Shop around in the PX. Lots of deals to be had.

 

[NewsShooter]

Mils or MOA doesn't matter as long as the reticle and turrets match. But if you're shooting with others their wind calls are in Mils or MOA it might matter. You can figure it out but it's easier if everyone is talking the same measurement. I've got a couple Cronus scopes and I really like them, also have a couple of the Burris XTRII's and for the price I think their a better buy now. Truthfully until you've shot and looked through a few different scopes it's hard to figure out what you like.

 

[Maflynn06]

Ah, reticles…. Lots to discuss here and everyone have their favorites.

A lot of it depends on what kind of shooting you plan on doing and if you’re going to dial your elevation or do hold-overs, ditto for wind -dial or hold. Since you mention just recreational shooting and not competition, there’s probably no reason not to dial (turn the elevation turret to the correct mil/moa for the distance). When comp shooters talk about holding-over, the main reason is they are on the clock and don’t have the time to dial for each individual shot. Or I suppose the same could be true of shooting varmints when they are scurrying around (or bad guys) and you use hold-overs to get the shot off quicker. The same is true of wind, if you know your wind value you can dial it into the windage turret, or some people (myself included) just hold into the wind however much is needed (i.e. wind is blowing right to left @ 6 mph, so I move the crosshair to the right a few tenths of a mil if shooting at 300-ish, more if shooting further).

Unlike a simple older duplex reticle, a lot of reticles these days are designed to have sub-tension lines for holding elevation on the Y axis and holding wind on the X axis. The increment between the sub-tension lines varies with the manufacturer or model of reticle. Some scopes will have the increments in .5 mils (0, .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc…). Other scopes will do it in .25 mil increments (.25, .5, .75, 1.0, 1.25, etc.), some will be in .2 mil increments (.2, .4, .6, .8, 1.0, 1.2, etc). I’ve found that the smaller the increment the more precise you can be, but too much tends to clutter up the reticle more with all those extra lines. And I like simple and clean. But what what I like about .2 mil increments is when my ballistics calculator tells me to hold 1.7 mils of up, I can find it pretty easily on my scope by putting the target between the 1.6 and 1.8 sub-tension marks. Proponents on the .25 mil increment reticle will say that is close enough to using the 1.75 sub-tension mark, and they are probably right. But if your scope is limited to .5 mil increments, now you have to bracket the target with the 1.5 and 2.0 mil marks and guestimate where the 1.7 mark is.

Here’s a couple Youtube videos that may help:





Plenty of folks on here that know way more about reticles than I do, so keep asking your questions.

Those were some great videos, Thank you!

 

[Milf Dots]

I'd be looking at brand new scopes and not used... Sometimes you can find a new-in-box scope in the PX.

Your budget will allow for a nice scope- Zeiss S3 models, Burris XTR III or XTR Pro, Leupold Mark 5. The Athlon Cronus BTR gen2 is a good scope for the money. Trijicon makes a nice scope too.

Good luck!

 

[FuhQ]

What’s up guys, looking at getting into long range precision shooting. My uncle in law bought me a 26” Daniel Defense Delta 5 Pro in 6.5 creedmore for my birthday. He also wants to gift me a scope.

I know very little about scopes other than what I’ve been researching these past few weeks. From what I’ve seen, for shooting out to 1000 yards, you want FFP, at least 15x-20x and MIL over MOA.

Now there are ALOT of scopes out there and since I don’t know who’s reputable, I’m not sure who to watch on YouTube or listen to online. What do you guys recommend? Do I buy a beginner scope and upgrade later? Do I buy once cry once? This will be recreational, I don’t ever plan on competing. Also I don’t want to just go after popular brands because you end up paying more for a name. I want a quality performing optic with a great warranty.

My budget out the door would be $2500 or less. I don’t have to spend $2500. I also need a mount and a bipod so some of that money can go towards those.

Ones that call my attention are the Nightforce NX8, Athlon Cronus, Leupold mark 5 HD and the Vortex Razor.

I appreciate any help to get me started on my journey properly.

Burris XTR-III 3.3-18x50 or Zeiss LRP S3 4-25x50. Both are amazing scopes.

I'd steer clear from Leupold. Not worth the money compared to others in their price ranges.

 

[mrtoyz]

1. Used Schmidt & Bender PM2
2. Zeiss S3
3. NX8 4-32

 

[ECK]

I know very little about scopes other than what I’ve been researching these past few weeks. From what I’ve seen, for shooting out to 1000 yards, you want FFP, at least 15x-20x and MIL over MOA.

Do I buy once cry once? This will be recreational, I don’t ever plan on competing. Also I don’t want to just go after popular brands because you end up paying more for a name. I want a quality performing optic with a great warranty.

My budget out the door would be $2500 or less. I don’t have to spend $2500. I also need a mount and a bipod so some of that money can go towards those.

Ones that call my attention are the Nightforce NX8, Athlon Cronus, Leupold mark 5 HD and the Vortex Razor.

In the last few years there have been some pretty good scopes come out in the ~$2K range, and if you shop around on the PX you can find some good deals.

I can’t really advise you on how much you need to spend, but IMO when it comes to scopes you get what you pay for. Case in point, for a few years I made do with a Vortex PST Gen 1 scope on one rifle and a US Optic scope on a rimfire rifle. Both were serviceable but there were some things about both that I felt were lacking. Both were <$1K scopes, and this is back in 2017.

Fast forward a number of years and based on what I learned about rifle shooting and what I wanted out of a scope, I came up with a list of features I wanted for centerfire as well as rimfire rifle shooting:
1. Front focal plane and MRAD (all my friends run MRAD, so I wanted to be on the same page).
2. At least 5-25x. Granted, majority of the time I’m mid-magnification for the wider FOV, but it’s nice to be able to crank it up now and then. 3-18x scopes are tempting since they are lighter and may be cheaper, but as mentioned it’s nice to have 25x or even 30x on the high end for checking something out or really zooming in for precision work.
3. A scope with zero stop. One of my scopes didn’t have a zero stop and on the other one setting the zero stop involved shims. Lack of a zero stop is a serious PITA and it’s easy to get lost in your scope’s elevation without one.
4. A reticle with a simple Christmas tree for holding wind when holding elevation, either .2 or .25 mil increments in the reticle.
5. At least 10 mils per rotation on the elevation turret. Easier to grab when the turret is bigger, and less likely to get lost in which revolution you’re on compared to a turret with only 6 mils per rotation.
6. Decent glass. I’m not a glass snob, but there is a difference between el cheapo glass and the glass quality in the $$$$ scopes, but fortunately for those of us on a beer budget the glass in the mid-$$ scopes is pretty decent. Look thru a few if you can to help decide. Trust your eye.
7. Scopes for rimfire rifles need more internal elevation travel since in the rimfire world you need something like 20 mils to get out to 400 yds but for centerfires 10-12 mils is usually as far as most of us, short of the ELR guys, will ever need. That said, scopes with a 34mm tube generally have more elevational travel than a 30mm tube, and scopes with 1” tubes aren’t really worth talking about here.
8. A capped wind turret, or one that locks. Not everyone wants this, but I don’t want my windage to accidentally get bumped on a barricade and throw my wind DOPE off. I rarely dial for wind, so for me having an exposed wind turret is not needed.

All that said, I ended up with a Burris XTR Pro w/ SCR-2 reticle for my comp rimfire rifle. I liked it so much I ended up getting a second one for my centerfire rifle to keep things the same. I bought both in the PX and saved a few $.

 

[Maflynn06]

In the last few years there have been some pretty good scopes come out in the ~$2K range, and if you shop around on the PX you can find some good deals.

I can’t really advise you on how much you need to spend, but IMO when it comes to scopes you get what you pay for. Case in point, for a few years I made do with a Vortex PST Gen 1 scope on one rifle and a US Optic scope on a rimfire rifle. Both were serviceable but there were some things about both that I felt were lacking. Both were <$1K scopes, and this is back in 2017.

Fast forward a number of years and based on what I learned about rifle shooting and what I wanted out of a scope, I came up with a list of features I wanted for centerfire as well as rimfire rifle shooting:
1. Front focal plane and MRAD (all my friends run MRAD, so I wanted to be on the same page).
2. At least 5-25x. Granted, majority of the time I’m mid-magnification for the wider FOV, but it’s nice to be able to crank it up now and then. 3-18x scopes are tempting since they are lighter and may be cheaper, but as mentioned it’s nice to have 25x or even 30x on the high end for checking something out or really zooming in for precision work.
3. A scope with zero stop. One of my scopes didn’t have a zero stop and on the other one setting the zero stop involved shims. Lack of a zero stop is a serious PITA and it’s easy to get lost in your scope’s elevation without one.
4. A reticle with a simple Christmas tree for holding wind when holding elevation, either .2 or .25 mil increments in the reticle.
5. At least 10 mils per rotation on the elevation turret. Easier to grab when the turret is bigger, and less likely to get lost in which revolution you’re on compared to a turret with only 6 mils per rotation.
6. Decent glass. I’m not a glass snob, but there is a difference between el cheapo glass and the glass quality in the $$$$ scopes, but fortunately for those of us on a beer budget the glass in the mid-$$ scopes is pretty decent. Look thru a few if you can to help decide. Trust your eye.
7. Scopes for rimfire rifles need more internal elevation travel since in the rimfire world you need something like 20 mils to get out to 400 yds but for centerfires 10-12 mils is usually as far as most of us, short of the ELR guys, will ever need. That said, scopes with a 34mm tube generally have more elevational travel than a 30mm tube, and scopes with 1” tubes aren’t really worth talking about here.
8. A capped wind turret, or one that locks. Not everyone wants this, but I don’t want my windage to accidentally get bumped on a barricade and throw my wind DOPE off. I rarely dial for wind, so for me having an exposed wind turret is not needed.

All that said, I ended up with a Burris XTR Pro w/ SCR-2 reticle for my comp rimfire rifle. I liked it so much I ended up getting a second one for my centerfire rifle to keep things the same. I bought both in the PX and saved a few $.

That’s some great information right there! Thank you!

 

[Gustav7]

It may also really help to look through a few scopes. I also do not compete, and just have fun. I take my rifles out to 500yds pretty regularly, and out to a mile 1-2x a year at range 90min away from me.

I used to only buy the Christmas tree type reticles, and to be honest, I may never buy another one again. I really like the more modern reticles that do not have the Christmas tree type setup. Reticles like the Nightforce MIL-C, Leupold PR-1, Burris SCR, or my new favorite, the Steiner MSR2. You may end up loving the big reticles or not, but it may be worth looking through a few and see what you like.

Primary arms had the Burris XTR3's on sale for $999 the other day. Thats an insane value for how good of a reputation that scope has. I ended up getting a Steiner T6xi 3-18 and couldn't be happier. A lot of value in the Steiner and very nice glass.

In the end man, I don't think you can go wrong with a well-liked scope from this site in the $1000-$2000 range. I don't think you should be afraid to buy used on here, just make sure the person has a good rep. Most the good scopes have great warranties. I also would not be afraid to buy a scope in the 3-18, 4-20 range as well. I love that range of magnification for my purposes, which sounds similar to yours.

I had narrowed my search down to the following:
Burris XTR3 3.3-18 Illuminated
Steiner T6xi 3-18
Nightforce NX8 4-32
Nightforce ATACR 4-16 or 4-20

 

[Maflynn06]

It may also really help to look through a few scopes. I also do not compete, and just have fun. I take my rifles out to 500yds pretty regularly, and out to a mile 1-2x a year at range 90min away from me.

I used to only buy the Christmas tree type reticles, and to be honest, I may never buy another one again. I really like the more modern reticles that do not have the Christmas tree type setup. Reticles like the Nightforce MIL-C, Leupold PR-1, Burris SCR, or my new favorite, the Steiner MSR2. You may end up loving the big reticles or not, but it may be worth looking through a few and see what you like.

Primary arms had the Burris XTR3's on sale for $999 the other day. Thats an insane value for how good of a reputation that scope has. I ended up getting a Steiner T6xi 3-18 and couldn't be happier. A lot of value in the Steiner and very nice glass.

In the end man, I don't think you can go wrong with a well-liked scope from this site in the $1000-$2000 range. I don't think you should be afraid to buy used on here, just make sure the person has a good rep. Most the good scopes have great warranties. I also would not be afraid to buy a scope in the 3-18, 4-20 range as well. I love that range of magnification for my purposes, which sounds similar to yours.

I had narrowed my search down to the following:
Burris XTR3 3.3-18 Illuminated
Steiner T6xi 3-18
Nightforce NX8 4-32
Nightforce ATACR 4-16 or 4-20

I really appreciate the input. I was thinking of going to bass pro by work and looking through some. I think I’m just really worried of spending so much money and maybe not being happy with it. Also, all solid choices you listed there. Thank you.

 

[FuhQ]

I really appreciate the input. I was thinking of going to bass pro by work and looking through some. I think I’m just really worried of spending so much money and maybe not being happy with it. Also, all solid choices you listed there. Thank you.

Definitely find someone who sells Zeiss and has an LRP S3 in stock so you can look through it. You will definitely be impressed.

 

[psharon78]

Mils vs MOA: both will get the job done. I prefer MOA, most here prefer MILS. At 2500 I can't think of many scopes in this price range that wouldn't be serviceable, usable, have great glass, and have a well thought out reticle. Find the reticle that you like and your scope selection will be made for you. Rings, I'd take a hard look at American Rifle Company rings.

 

[Aqua Mark]

Before spending $2500 on something you aren't familiar with, go to a rifle match and ask to look through some glass. Or at least a large gun store, GAOS, SHOT Show, etc. Everyone's eyes are different. I like simple tree reticle with thicker lines, not open in the center (like Bushnell G3). I also like the donut for field use and rapid target acquisition:

Bushnell LRHS-2 4.5-18 x 44 G2H reticle

<p>BACK IN STOCK!!</p>

www.gaprecision.net

Other people like a tiny floating dot in the center. I do recommend MIL.

 

[Scopeye]

Don't have to necessarily spend $2500 for optics. There are still some excellent optics out there such as the Athlon Cronus BTR G2 4.5--29x56 for around $1050 if you can shop at EV based on your job or business line of work and of not, $1299.99 for open box DEMOS at Cameraland.

The Meopta Optika 6 5-30x56 Illuminated MRAD FFP for $799.99 demo sale at Scopelist with free shipping or $849.97 with free shipping at Sportsman's are very close in quality compared to the Athlon Cronus BTR G2.

They both have a hassle free lifetime warranty including their electronics while many other brands don't have a real lifetime warranty on their electronics (illuminated reticles) which can range for only a few years depending on brand which is something to consider if actual warranty plays a factor in your scope buying decisions and quick turnaround time is another thing to consider as well.

If you really insist on paying for a scope closer to $2500 then I'd highly recommend the Vortex Razor Gen 3 6-36x56 more like $2000 delivered if you have time to wait (couple of months) from a vendor here. Maybe even find a new in box one from an honest seller who had bought it during the recent sale of $1800. With Vortex, their no questions asked VIP lifetime warranty is second to none including their electronics and they even pay for round trip shipping if you ever need to send it in under warranty which is probably the quickest cost free shipping turnaround time you can possibly get. If you have LE/Military discount then I'd buy their new black ones from EuroOptic.

I'd also buy a set of Burris Signature XTR rings to keep that scope in perfect condition since they never leave any witness marks or blemishes as if the scope was never mounted and never require any lapping either and optically center your scope onto your rifle or add additional MOAs without the need of an additional 20-40MOA base. They can be found for around $65-$75 when you shop around.

 

[Maurygold]

Leupold mark 5hd and Nightforce nx8 are great choices to look at. Please don’t buy a bushnell or Burris over those reputable choices.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

You’re on the right track with the options you mentioned in your original post, you can’t go wrong with any of those. Pick one with the reticle and magnification range you want and carry on.

I would flat out ignore the advice of those recommending Burris and Steiner, they’re straight up trash.

For $2500 you should have most any scope you desire at your disposal, the ATX 85/95 might be tougher to find right at that price point.

For that money I'd personally seek the Leica 82mm, for pure optical quality it is the best optic there is and I have had them all. No dog in the fight.It isn't a mountain pack scope however.

Tell me you’re a bot without telling me you’re a bot.

 

[Maurygold]

Don't have to necessarily spend $2500 for optics. There are still some excellent optics out there such as the Athlon Cronus BTR G2 4.5--29x56 for around $1050 if you can shop at EV based on your job or business line of work and of not, $1299.99 for open box DEMOS at Cameraland.

The Meopta Optika 6 5-30x56 Illuminated MRAD FFP for $799.99 demo sale at Scopelist with free shipping or $849.97 with free shipping at Sportsman's are very close in quality compared to the Athlon Cronus BTR G2.

They both have a hassle free lifetime warranty including their electronics while many other brands don't have a real lifetime warranty on their electronics (illuminated reticles) which can range for only a few years depending on brand which is something to consider if actual warranty plays a factor in your scope buying decisions and quick turnaround time is another thing to consider as well.

If you really insist on paying for a scope closer to $2500 then I'd highly recommend the Vortex Razor Gen 3 6-36x56 more like $2000 delivered if you have time to wait (couple of months) from a vendor here. Maybe even find a new in box one from an honest seller who had bought it during the recent sale of $1800. With Vortex, their no questions asked VIP lifetime warranty is second to none including their electronics and they even pay for round trip shipping if you ever need to send it in under warranty which is probably the quickest cost free shipping turnaround time you can possibly get. If you have LE/Military discount then I'd buy their new black ones from EuroOptic.

I'd also buy a set of Burris Signature XTR rings to keep that scope in perfect condition since they never leave any witness marks or blemishes as if the scope was never mounted and never require any lapping either and optically center your scope onto your rifle or add additional MOAs without the need of an additional 20-40MOA base. They can be found for around $65-$75 when you shop around.

The man has money to buy a quality scope and you suggest this garbage? How is that helpful?

If warranty is such a concern why would you pick brands that won’t be around in several years and have zero reputation or market stake?

How many rings have you lapped in the last 5 years?

Do you own or have you ever even shot the razor gen 3?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

The man has money to buy a quality scope and you suggest this garbage? How is that helpful?

If warranty is such a concern why would you pick brands that won’t be around in several years and have zero reputation or market stake?

How many rings have you lapped in the last 5 years?

Do you own or have you ever even shot the razor gen 3?

That dude is all about garbage optics. I’m truly surprised he didn’t come in here recommending $500 no name brand Chinesium POS’s like usual.

 

[Maflynn06]

I’m leaning towards a safe bet with the Vortex Razor HD Gen 3. I also love their warranty. They even cover accidents. Any other brands that have great warranties like that one?

 

[Maurygold]

I’m leaning towards a safe bet with the Vortex Razor HD Gen 3. I also love their warranty. They even cover accidents. Any other brands that have great warranties like that one?

Leupold and Nightforce have the same lifetime warranties. They’re more popular than the razor and I would suggest those over the razor but it’s a fine scope.

I own a few mark 5 and like them a lot. The glass is not as sharp as S&B but the functions are much better.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I’m leaning towards a safe bet with the Vortex Razor HD Gen 3. I also love their warranty. They even cover accidents. Any other brands that have great warranties like that one?

I would not buy a optic just because they’ll cover accidental damage. It’s nice but you’re paying for that in the price as well as for other peoples accidental damage. Everybody pays.

You can cover a high end optic for less than $20/yr on a valuable personal property that gives you the same coverage plus coverage for any theft or loss. Vortex doesn’t cover that.

With that said, the Razor G3’s are great scopes.

 

[Maflynn06]

I would not buy a optic just because they’ll cover accidental damage. It’s nice but you’re paying for that in the price as well as for other peoples accidental damage. Everybody pays.

You can cover a high end optic for less than $20/yr on a valuable personal property that gives you the same coverage plus coverage for any theft or loss. Vortex doesn’t cover that.

With that said, the Razor G3’s are great scopes.

Valid point.

 

[Gustav7]

I would flat out ignore the advice of those recommending Burris and Steiner, they’re straight up trash.

What exactly makes them trash?

If you personally don't like them, then hey that's valid, but I have yet to hear a bad thing about the XTR3's (for the price) or the Steiner T6x or for that matter, P4x line as well. The T5 line had issues, but no ones recommending that here.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

What exactly makes them trash?

If you personally don't like them, then hey that's valid, but I have yet to hear a bad thing about the XTR3's (for the price) or the Steiner T6x or for that matter, P4x line as well. The T5 line had issues, but no ones recommending that here.

There have been plenty of complaints about them but of course you’re not going to read what you don’t want to.

 

[Gustav7]

There have been plenty of complaints about them but of course you’re not going to read what you don’t want to.

I mean I've literally spent the last 2 months reading about them, probably 100 different threads/reviews from 5-6 different forums. Including reviews from @Glassaholic and/or @koshkin ... I've read/heard more complaints about the NF NX8 and MK5HD line than the XTR3(illuminated) or T6xi line, especially if you factor in price. I've looked through 2.5-20 and 4-32 NX8's as well as the 5-25 MK5HD and came to the same conclusion I ended on.

There's no such thing as a perfect scope and besides maybe the TT and ZCO line, there's not a single scope that doesn't have some knock against it in functionally or feature wise.

If you don't like them, you do you, but labeling them as "trash" in a thread about a good first scope is a little much. I didn't go with a T6xi because I'm loyal to Steiner. It's because after all that reading I've done, that scope had the best features for my use, for the money. My use case is very similar to @Maflynn06 so it makes sense. If he doesn't prefer the reticle or features, then so be it, but thats far from a trash optic.

 

[Fret]

I think there are a few refurbished Gen 3s left for $2100 with free shipping and no tax probably depending on the state. And no long wait.

Razor HD Gen III

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I mean I've literally spent the last 2 months reading about them, probably 100 different threads/reviews from 5-6 different forums. Including reviews from @Glassaholic and/or @koshkin ... I've read/heard more complaints about the NF NX8 and MK5HD line than the XTR3(illuminated) or T6xi line, especially if you factor in price. I've looked through 2.5-20 and 4-32 NX8's as well as the 5-25 MK5HD and came to the same conclusion I ended on.

There's no such thing as a perfect scope and besides maybe the TT and ZCO line, there's not a single scope that doesn't have some knock against it in functionally or feature wise.

If you don't like them, you do you, but labeling them as "trash" in a thread about a good first scope is a little much. I didn't go with a T6xi because I'm loyal to Steiner. It's because after all that reading I've done, that scope had the best features for my use, for the money. My use case is very similar to @Maflynn06 so it makes sense. If he doesn't prefer the reticle or features, then so be it, but thats far from a trash optic.

There's dozens of complaints where people have sent them back for bad glass quality, stiff parallax and mag rings, and even failures. You aren't looking very hard because there are complaints in the main threads about them on here, I have read them too.

As far as Steiner the 5's and 7's had a ton of praise when they came out and then turned out to be pieces of shit. I had one of those 5-25's that was a piece of shit. There are people that are having the 6's fail too, it's not a secret.

Again most people will see and hear only want they want to, it's called selective. I'm glad you're happy with your trash though.

 

[FuhQ]

The man has money to buy a quality scope and you suggest this garbage? How is that helpful?

And you suggested Leopold… The most overrated brand in the industry only bested by S&B.

 

[Maurygold]

And you suggested Leopold… The most overrated brand in the industry only bested by S&B.

This is probably the nail in the coffin for us.

 

[FuhQ]

This is probably the nail in the coffin for us.

View attachment 8245927

Don’t threaten me with a good time. That ignore button ain’t hard to find.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

And you suggested Leopold… The most overrated brand in the industry only bested by S&B.

Funny coming from someone who thinks Christensen makes good rifles and Burris and Kahles are great optics.

 

[Maurygold]

Funny coming from someone who thinks Christensen makes good rifles and Burris and Kahles are great optics.

Had no idea I could ignore someone. I can finally stop seeing those asinine recommendations.

 

[FuhQ]

Funny coming from someone who thinks Christensen makes good rifles and Burris and Kahles are great optics.

Funny you’re able to comment instead of blowing an ATF agent. Pro-NFA Fudd.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Had no idea I could ignore someone. I can finally stop seeing those asinine recommendations.

Yep he’s a retard. Most like him are already on my ignore list but he’s been somewhat fun to fuck with. He’s starting to get repetitive and boring though.

 

[loveha]

Well this thread is going well.

 

[Maflynn06]

Well this thread is going well.

It was for a while.

 

[acudaowner]

we just picked up our third

Edgun West | Delta Stryker HD 5-50x56 SFP

EDgun West Store - Leshiy 2 Edgun Fenix Epic Airguns Steyr Airguns Airmaks Airms Airgun Technology

www.edgunwest.com

and while it's not the cheapest scope we own it's my favorite by far seeing a nail head at 600 yards while not a must it's dang nice . personally I have not come off 40 mag in a few years now I have while spotting for others used 50x . I love the idea of having and not needing the extra mag instead of needing , but not having it is a sfp and there are only 3 options for recitals a free floating center dot for moa , and one in mills , and a solid cross I have a spotting scope but found little need to use it as the rifle scope does pretty much the same job (one less thing we need to carry) .
but which ever scope you decide to get I hope your happy with it and not needing to do what my friends do buy a new scope every other year .

the mil version

 

[Scopeye]

Nightforce only have a 5 year limited warranty on their electronics/ illuminated reticles while Leupold is lifetime for their scopes with electronics/ illuminated reticles. The lifetime warranty from Leupold doesn't apply to their rangefinders though.

Leupold and Nightforce have the same lifetime warranties. They’re more popular than the razor and I would suggest those over the razor but it’s a fine scope.

I own a few mark 5 and like them a lot. The glass is not as sharp as S&B but the functions are much better.

View attachment 8245691

 

[Scopeye]

The man has money to buy a quality scope and you suggest this garbage? How is that helpful?

If warranty is such a concern why would you pick brands that won’t be around in several years and have zero reputation or market stake?

How many rings have you lapped in the last 5 years?

Do you own or have you ever even shot the razor gen 3?

Actually haven't needed to lap any rings since switching over to Burris Signature XTR rings that don't need lapping anyway.

I've actually gotten a chance to directly compare the G3 Razor 6-36x56 to the Sightron SVIII 5-40x56. Both are phenomenal bang for the buck scopes at their lower sale prices. They are both very close to tier 1 scope quality IMHO. I prefer the Sightron over the Razor 3 and almost as much as my March scopes even though the Vortex warranty is superior to the Sightron and March.

 

[Scopeye]

That dude is all about garbage optics. I’m truly surprised he didn’t come in here recommending $500 no name brand Chinesium POS’s like usual.

The Athlon Ares BTR G2 4.5-27x50 currently on sale for $565.49 with free shipping and free returns at Walmart online isn't a no name brand. Chinesium yes sir but most wouldn't consider Athlons a POS.

The Meopta Optika 6 5-30x56 FFP illuminated RD MRAD just went cheaper at EuroOptic now $699.99 with free shipping and currently their DEMO models as well as brand new ones are this sale price. Few insist they're made in China but at least it's cheaper than the Athlon Ares ETR 4.5-30x56 which is the King of Chinesium scopes.

Not everyone can actually afford to avoid buying made in China scopes and optics. Many in fact still like buying overpriced inferior "Chinese junk" sold by other brands such as Bushnell and Riton and Monstrum Tactical for example that are indeed overpriced Chinese junk.

Bang for the buck "Chinesium junk" Arkens "at their current 25% off sale prices" can't be beat. At least they pay for your shipping whenever you need to send them in for warranty until you actually get a good one just like how Vortex does. The Arkens' less than stellar glass is what they should really improve on though and really give Japanese ED glass a really bad name.

 

[Fret]

Actually haven't needed to lap any rings since switching over to Burris Signature XTR rings that don't need lapping anyway.

I've actually gotten a chance to directly compare the G3 Razor 6-36x56 to the Sightron SVIII 5-40x56. Both are phenomenal bang for the buck scopes at their lower sale prices. They are both very close to tier 1 scope quality IMHO. I prefer the Sightron over the Razor 3 and almost as much as my March scopes even though the Vortex warranty is superior to the Sightron and March.

I spent a lot of time comparing my G3s and S8. The S8 has a bit better center resolution and I like the higher magnification but overall the G3 is probably a bit better scope and ILya (DLO) confirms this. I'm happy with both though.

 

[Maflynn06]

Gentlemen, Let’s get back on track. I can get a brand new Nightforce Atacr 5x25-56 for $2675 shipped. Don’t think I can go wrong. Wonder if I wait until Black Friday if I can get one cheaper. That’s already a great price considering most I see are $3100.

 

[Maurygold]

^ How do we ban someone?

Atacr is a great scope can’t go wrong. Reticle choice is important

 

[Maurygold]

Smokin Deal. No it’s not mine. View attachment 8246368

Have no idea why you came in here suggesting an f class/ benchrest scope??? Did you even read his original post? I hope not.

 

[StaveyIL]

Have no idea why you came in here suggesting an f class/ benchrest scope??? Did you even read his original post? I hope not.

Nope. Didn’t read original

 

[Maflynn06]

Have no idea why you came in here suggesting an f class/ benchrest scope??? Did you even read his original post? I hope not.

Tech me something. What the hell is an f class/bench rest scope? I thought scopes were scopes.