Rifle Scopes New to Distance Shooting - Scope Recommendations $1000 Budget

[Joemannnnn]

Hey Guys,
I'm new to the forum and somewhat new to rifle shooting in general. I've had a few AR's in the past, but never really worked them past 100 yards or anything with a scope. I'm building a 6.5 Grendel and looking to use that to do some scope work and longer range shooting. I'm putting together a decent build with a 18" barrel that's received great reviews on a Grendel FB group. It should be well capable of sub moa groups, now I need to get myself to that point.

I started off thinking I'd simply get a Athlon Argos BTR as they were well reviewed and fairly affordable. However, the more I read it, the more it seemed worth it to put some money into the optic as well. I'm not wanting to go too crazy, trying to stay around $1,000. At first, this will mainly be target shooting. 100-500 yards maybe. I'd love to reach out further if I find the space and push the limits near 1,000 yards. Eventually I may use the rig then for hunting.

I've read a lot of threads on the subject and find myself looking for a mil, ffp setup. Torn between a more basic mil cross hair vs a xmas tree type. I'm a bit unsure what to do regarding magnification. Is the 3-15ish range ok or should I look at the 4 to 20ish range? The scopes I'm leaning toward in no particular order are:
Viper PST Gen 2 (3-15 or 5-25) - I like the xmas tree reticle on these, I'm a little concerned about some of the feedback about needing to use that warranty and maybe not being up to par glass wise with some others in the range
Burris XTR II (4-20) - Seems well received. Not sure I love the Horus reticle, it's maybe too much
Nightforce SHV F1 (4-14) - Priciest I'm looking at. Seems well liked for the most part. Doesn't really have a xmas tree. Only 5 mil turrets and maybe under powered?
Athlon Ares BTR (2.5-15 or 4.5-27) - Budget friendly for a first scope, can be found well under budget. Xmas tree reticle. Maybe not as nice as the others mentioned

I know a few of these are above the $1k mark, but I'm in no rush and have no issues shopping the equipment exchange and finding a nice used option or black friday deal. I'm open to other options. Would appreciate any insight you have to offer regarding my new endeavor.

 

[308pirate]

Swfa ss 3-15x42

 

[BobinNC]

https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...s-bushnell-lrhs-4-5-18x44-now-950-shipped-obo

https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...hnell-3-12x44-lrtsi-like-new-w-wo-bobro-mount

 

[gr8fuldoug]

It would be our pleasure to discuss different options with you. If you have some time during the day please give us a call.

Thank you for your continued support.
If there is anything else we can assist you with please let me know.
Doug
Camera Land
720 Old Bethpage Rd
Old Bethpage NY 11804
516-217-1000
Please visit our website @ www.cameralandny.com

 

[patriot07]

Of the options you listed, the PST Gen 2 is what I would recommend. I would also consider a used SWFA SS 5-20 HD. They're right in your price range also. Simple but useful reticle, reliability you won't have to worry about, great glass quality, will hold its value.

 

[Joemannnnn]

Thanks for the input so far. I had not read into the Bushnell, that certainly seems to check many of my boxes. I did some more reading this morning, and I think I'm now between the Bushnell (LRHSi or LRTSi) and the Nightforce. Bushnell maybe has the better features, a bit more magnification, later turrets, xmas tree reticle, etc. But I'm hung up to some degree on Nightforce with all the positive reviews out there and just the name too I suppose

 

[snorkygunner]

If you aren't opposed to buying used, look for a Bushnell ERS 3.5-21x50 with the G2 reticle. They'll run you about $1100-1300. I had one on my .308 for a while and really liked it compared to the Vortex Viper PST 1st gen, but I can't compare it to any Nightforces or the Gen 2 Viper PST. My biggest gripe is how much the turrets protrude, but that's rather minor.

 

[GIXXER2000]

You may want to save a little more so you can get in the $1500 to $2000 range. That way you don't end up looking to up grade in 3 months and spending even more money.

 

[308pirate]

You may want to save a little more so you can get in the $1500 to $2000 range. That way you don't end up looking to up grade in 3 months and spending even more money.

A little presumptuous, aren't we?

No, not everyone who buys a sub $1000 scope ends up regretting it 3 (or even more) months later. When I can easily find and hit head sized targets, that have lost most of their paint, in the woods/brush, with an overcast sky at distances of 600+ yards using a $700 SWFA and get repeatable elevation and windage adjustments I tend to feel very little need or desire to spend more money

 

[TheGerman]

Stay away from Bushnell.

I'd look into either a Vortex Viper FFP (4-16 or whatever range youre wanting) or a used Nightforce 3-15 F1

 

[SubOptimal]

Don't become a magnification whore. All you really need is around 10x out to the distances you are going to shoot. You don't really need a variable power scope either. Removing those expensive options opens up a whole different spectrum of scopes to you.
You state you are new, or relatively so, to rifle shooting. Learning to shoot a rifle, never mind a gas gun, is going to take you long enough to get consistent with mounting the gun, learning trigger control and follow through and what, exactly is your natural shooting position.
Consistency is the key to accuracy and precision in shooting. Consistency in all aspects leads to predictability and that circles back to the ability to adjust for differing conditions. Also, it is not something you can buy, it requires work to get there.
Buy a good set of irons for your rifle and learn to shoot with them. When you are starting to get good groups with the irons you can start thinking about using a scope to reduce group size.
Yeah, I can bolt a $4000 scope on top of my rifle and shoot sub-moa all day long with it. I started shooting a 22 single shot at age 7, I'm 75 now. Probably 400K rounds down range by now, maybe more, and that doesn't include years of trap and skeet shooting.
It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian that makes a gun shoot.

 

[Mr. F]

Stay away from Bushnell.

I'd look into either a Vortex Viper FFP (4-16 or whatever range youre wanting) or a used Nightforce 3-15 F1

Reasons to stay away? I dont own one but im in the market and considering all options.

thanks

 

[TheGerman]

Reasons to stay away? I dont own one but im in the market and considering all options.

thanks

There's a long winded response to this somewhere when I initially wrote it up. I can probably rehash it all if needed but the basics were, I bought my first and only Bushnell optic a few years back. It had a few issues right out of the box but none really hindered function. This, ontop of their initial reply to a BNIB item that was shit being 'send it in on your own dime and we'll see if we want to do anything with it' I just said fuck it and trucked on.

Fast forward a year of barely using it and it now had catastrophic issues. The reticle literally rotated with the mag ring until it hit a stop at roughly 45 degrees and the focus ring basically seized. Ontop of the initial issues, I called and sent it in (on my own dime) for warranty work. From talking to someone there, I asked what the process was about replacing obviously broken equipment and was told that they either repaired or replaced it with something comparable. Not knowing WTF comparable meant, I specifically included a note saying I want the EXACT model back or if someone could call me if that was not possible so we could figure something out because I didn't just want some random junk sent to me.

After them 'losing' my box twice within their repair shop/offices and multiple phone calls asking about it a box magically arrives at my house 2 months later. It's some POS spotter that doesn't have a reticle in it (mine did and was the ENTIRE reason I bought it), angled instead of straight, different mag range (see:shittier), was not armored and funny enough, full blown MSRP of it compared to the now discontinued spotter I sent them was something like $250 less. I called and bitched and was basically told they'd give me a $100 gift certificate to spend on their site.

Wait, what? You already sent me this POS spotter I dont want. WTF am I supposed to do with $100 credit on your site?? Sold the spotter BNIB and told Bushnell to get fucked.

There's entirely too many optics manufacturers out there worth a shit these days to even bother with Bushnell.

 

[FireShooter]

I've had a very different experience with Bushnell and my current favorite scope would be my 3-12 LRTS. I've had 2 gen 1 HDMR starting in 2012 I bought my first one and then bought another the next year for my OBR. I had no problems with either. I still have one on the OBR. Next I bought an LRHS put it on my 223 AR and used it for about a year without trouble then traded it for a 1-6 razor. I should have held on to the LRHS as the razor never quite filled the niche I had hoped. I bought an LRTS off ebay after using it found that the reticle was meant for the 4.5-18 version and subtensions were not matched up appropriately. Called Bushnell got a return label and they replaced it within a month or so with my current scope. A buddy had the same problem with the same ebay sellers scope and had the same experience but he got a free rangefinder out of it. Both scopes have been working great on our coyote rifles and track great. The G2 reticle is my favorite I have used so far.

I also have a Steiner T5xi currently on my Creedmoor, and had a burris 3-15 xtr2. I think the SCR is a good reticle if you feel the Horus is too much you might find the SCR more to your liking. The XTR 2 is a good scope and from you initial list I would recommend that one.

​​​​​​No scope is perfect especially in the price range you are looking in. There's lots of small moving parts and all companies have turned out lemons. Finding the best optic for you is a journey and you'll make lots of stops along the way. Go to matches and try to look through as many as you can to find what you like or don't. Watch the classifieds for good deals and a lot of Hide sponsors will give you a good deal if you call and talk to them. There may be some black Friday deals coming up worth looking in to. Hope some of this helps.

 

[308pirate]

In the price bracket that you can afford, I would personally stay with either SWFA or Weaver variables.

Avoid Weaver Kaspa scopes. Those are a seriously budget line of unknown quality

Here are four options for you
https://swfa.com/swfa-ss-3-15x42-tactical-rifle-scope-3.html
https://swfa.com/weaver-3-15x50-tactical-30mm-rifle-scope-3.html
https://swfa.com/weaver-4-20x50-tactical-30mm-rifle-scope.html
https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-super-slam-tactical-rifle-scope-6-30x56mm-34mm.html

Yeah, more expensive glass is almost always better glass. I get it. I also get that not everyone can spend more than a set amount on discretionary items. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, there are intelligent lower cost options that will provide more than satisfactory performance on a budget.

 

[MosesTheTank]

Nightforce SHV F1.

I think this is the best buy for an entry level PRS scope. It is also a great hunting scope. I have one and several friends have them. There is more than one vendor on here that I am sure can give you a good deal.

For build quality and customer service, there is no firm out there better than NF. I have 10 NFs in total (4 SHVs, 4 NXS, and 2 ATACRs) and will soon be adding an 11th. The first was an NXS F1 bought about 11 years ago. They are heavily used for all kinds of shooting. A few of these are frequently borrowed and occasionally abused. They have been through airports in both hemispheres, dropped from tree stands, trucks, 4-wheelers, and a helicopter. After all of this, I have just two customer service experiences with NF. The first was when I stripped the head of a scope ring screw and called NF to get a few extras. The guy on the phone got my address and sent me a small box of them, for free. He included a handwritten note in the box telling me that this should last a lifetime of using the wrong bit and stripping screws. The second was when I thought I had a problem with the rheostat on an NXS. It was operator error and the NF rep would not end the call until he was sure that I fully understood how everything worked, and not just with the illumination.

Since that first NF 11 years ago I have also purchased a few other brands, usually because I got a screaming deal on it. Two of those were Khales, which I hold in high regard. One is a Swaro in a configuration that NF does not offer and it has breathtaking glass. One was a Bushnell Elite ERS that had an issue with the zero stop the first time I had it in a match. The guy who broke out his tools and helped me get it up and running, leaning over it out in a field in shitty weather and it took a good 30 minutes, turned out to be an NF rep, though I didn't know it at the time. I won't say his name but he used to contribute quite a bit to the pre-Scout Hide. The issue was poor machining on a very small area of the zero stop mechanism that caused it to get hung during rotation. I had three conversations with Bushy and they were sure that it was operator error. Twice they sent me a PDF of the instruction sheet that was already included in the scope box before telling me to send it in. A few months later I got back a scope that was fixed. All in all not too bad, but definitely not NF level. I sold it.

I do wish the SHV F1 had 10 mils per rotation and I wish NF offered a Christmas tree reticle. Sometimes I think that they don't offer one as it would compete with the Tremor 3 and/or the Horus reticles. I do not care for the Horus. The Tremor 3 is an abomination and I think Hodnett is a blowhard. I don't know if Shannon Kay is tethered to Khales but NF should call him to design a reticle (<- I really mean that). When the SHV F1 came out I called them immediately to see if I could get my other SHVs retrofitted with the zero stop turret. They said no such service was offered, and I was disappointed. While I was trying to think of an argument to compel him to see things my way he stayed a sentence or two ahead of me and I did not get my wish. Giving it my best effort, these things are the absolute worst I can say about NF.

If you can, get some time behind these scopes. You will like the SHV F1 and there is every reason to have confidence that it will work right every time, for a lifetime.

 

[steve123]

As one can see in this very thread, as well as others, it's obvious there is no perfect scope or scope Co considering what other scope Co's deem "in spec or acceptably wrong". I swear it's always something, no matter what scope you get, there's something about it you would prefer different! In light of that, it's a no brainer then to get the Ares, and Athlon customer service usually means you'll get a brand new scope for replacement if there is a serious problem.

Ares - close focus, the best tree reticles, great glass, lightweight, compact, ample travel, 10 mil knobs, zero stop, illumination. Saw one go used for $650 a while back and street price for a new one is such a bargain for what you get.

Helos is worth considering. It's step up from the Argos line. Locking turrets can save your ass sometimes!

The Cronus BTR is flat out worth saving up for! You've basically reached the top, (almost), without spending north of $3000. It's literally a hair less refined than scopes costing much more.

I've had 3 SWFA 3-15 FFP's, key word "had", but kept one. Been doing a lot of comparing lately between them and the Talos BTR, the Argos BTR and the Ares BTR. SWFA glass is milky and the focus stops when on infinity by 700Y so past that yardage the image isn't quite sharp as it should be, which is annoying. Well other than the old milquad reticle and those two complaints they've worked well. The glass falls way behind the Ares though.

Owned 3 HDMR's, a LRHS, and various other Bushnells. I had to use their customer service with a 4200 series 6-24x44 and a banner 6-18x50, both came back fixed. Just a few annoyances with the more expensive Bushnell's I mentioned but they held up well.

Had 5 NF NXS, one had a weird glitch with the elevation one time but was an anomaly.

 

[Hannibal Erector]

Be patient. There are going to be some very viable options in this price range at Shot Show 2018.

 

[Birddog6424]

I run a 4-20 XTR II with the SCR reticle on my Grendel. It's a perfect option.

I have several of the Burris scopes with the H591. And although I do really like it, I don't miss the grid reticle when I run something different. In reality, your needs for it are fairly rare, and always competition based. I have no use for a Horus outside of PRS. Nice to have if you enjoy playing with that sort of thing, but I've never needed it for shooting steel or hunting.

I love my Grendel, it's a fun cartridge. I wouldn't hesitate to run a 3-15 on it either. Plenty of scope for an 1100 yard weapon.

Good luck on your choice.

 

[Joemannnnn]

Thanks for all the input so far. I've certainly found, as mentioned a few times now, there is no perfect scope, especially in my price range. I think I'm leaning towards waiting out a nice PST 2 off of the for sale section, keeping me under budget. But this forum is a dangerous place for the bank account. I've seen an original Cronus come up today from the Cabela's sale and started reading about them and then the new BTR model. Then I wanted that. Then I read about the Razor Gen 2 and started thinking about finding the funds for that. But it's another example of not perfect. Has great reviews, the 3-18 seems perfect for me, but it's 50% heavier than many of the others I'm looking at. Also, I start to really be spending money that could be used towards the next endeavor, a precision rifle. And with that will come another scope hunt...

So for now, I'm leaning towards maybe trying to stay under budget. Still waiting to see what Black Friday brings. I do really wish the NF SHV F1 checked a few more boxes with a xmas tree reticle, a little more mag and larger turrets. I really want to like that one best right now. The PST2 checks all those boxes but may be giving up some quality. I'll keep ya posted

 

[BCP]

I would get the Nightforce SHV, a used Bushnell HDMR or wait until Black Friday and get the SWFA 5-20.

 

[SuperSneakySniper]

Ill throw a vote in there for the XTR2s. Especially if you can find a deal on one. They go on sale occasionally. I've owned a Cronus, and a PST Gen1, and used Razors, and SWFAs, and speaking purely from a bang for buck point of view, XTR2s still take the cake imo.
To me, it represents the sweet spot of glass, toughness/repeatability, and cost.
There's a good amount of people who don't like The XTR2 glass, but i never understood why. They may have got lemons or something because The glass in mine was nearly as good as the Cronus. Granted , sure, the Cronus BTR is a better scope, but only marginally so imo, and it's not a big enough difference to justify the cost difference to me given the budget.
So unless you don't mind paying for the Cronus, id say the XTR2 is a good choice that has minimal "diminishing return" for the money you pay.

 

[ajridgedell]

I've been a fan of the Vortex pst line. I've had several different models in that line and have been happy with them. I recently bought a Schmidt 5-25 and while yes it is nice and the glass is better at full magnification it has given me more respect for the pst line esp the gen 2.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Rocket6R]

I have a Viper PST Gen II 3-15x SFP. It sits on a custom 20" barrel AR right now that I use for long range shooting. It's a pretty good scope and I think it was worth the $855+tax I paid for it. I was able to shoot a five shot group at 575 yards that measured 3.18" (near .5 MOA).

I picked up an Athlon Cronus 4.5-29x last Friday from Cabela's (on sale). After the sale price, veteran's discount and tax, it cost me $983 OTD. I haven't had a chance yet to mount it to a rifle, but my initial impressions are outstanding. The Cronus should be a few notches about my Gen II Viper in performance. The scope is a steal for $983.

 

[redroan45]

I have really liked my bushnell 3.5-21x DMR on my GAP Gladius. Thats what I would recommend but my post count isn't high enough to know any better.

 

[Joemannnnn]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm looking to maybe pick something up this weekend. I've sort of landed at saving some funds and getting a gen 2 pst 3-15 on sale this weekend. The NF SHV F1 still hides in the back of my mind. This scope shopping is stressful, ha. I've even contemplated just buying a used gen 2 Razor. But even that creates some issues with it's weight. I'm ready to bust out a coin...

I've contacted a few dealers for Vortex pricing today. For peace of mind I may try to see if there are any Nightforce deals to be had. Any NF dealer recommendations?

 

[RBean]

I'm new to precision rifle shooting. Just got a Ruger Precision Rifle. I have a Weaver 3-12 Tactical Scope on my flat top AR. Used it at 100 to 600 yds and seems to be ok and adjusts correctly. Not new to long range shooting. Shot NRA long range and Palma for years. Used an old Fackler 14 power externally adjustable scope for the "any sight" matches. Never felt like I needed more that 14 power at 1,000 yds with NRA Longe Range Targets. How much power is really needed for "precision rifle"? Can't decide on a scope. I will probably take the Weaver off the AR and put on the Ruger until I decide otherwise. Haven't shot a match in about 3 years. I quite shooting "service rifle" years ago because could no longer really see with the service rifle iron sights no matter what kind of glasses or lenses I used. Now they have changed the rules I'll put a 1-4 scope on the AR and shoot as a service rifle again. Any suggestions for a scope on the Ruger for less than $1,000.00?