Optic choices for $3500 and less?

[Marv_2101]

I’m currently assembling a rifle for my daughter and I (she’s 9) it started off as a bergara b14r in a MPA BA comp chassis and I’ve been spotting her impacts more than I’ve been shooting lately lol. So the plan is to drop a 6.5 creedmoor barreled action into the chassis and extend our ranges a bit.

-Gun Details - Will be a competition contour 6.5 creed 26”, MPA BA chassis, big horn orgin action etc. I want it 20lbs+ so she is extremely comfortable behind it.

-Shooting style - We don’t compete we just shoot for fun. I want the 6.5 CM to be a 1000 yard and in gun for her and my plans is to later have a 7ss, 7saum barrel spun up and stretch out to a mile.

-Conditions - We shoot no matter rain or shine but the optic must be good in low light as this will serve as a deer hunting gun as well (we shoot from a bench and tripods) we rarely walk over 100 yards to a stand so a heavy gun will not be a problem.

-Specifications needed - Needs to be FFP and in mils other than that the heavier the better. Considering the 7-35 magnification range this go around.


My experience with good quality glass is a leupold Mark 5 5-25x56 and a few lower end Night force scopes. The mark 5 does everything well so I would like a scope at least on par with it or a slight step up.

 

[oldrifleman]

Glad you are teaching your daughter! My first concern is the weight. 20 pounds is likely more weight than a 9 yr old can comfortably lift/position. Yes it will deaden the recoil but she may be reluctant to use it. My own experience is with my daughter, I also started her at 8 on lighter rifles and we had a great time. She decided at 11 to start shooting the 3 position 22 competition with the 4H team our range sponsored. Long story is that she wanted her own rifle and after searching we settled on a used walther KK300 which she tried out and said was fine, it wasn’t. It was uncomfortable for her and she actually hurt herself. This dampened her enthusiasm. Start with a 223 or 22creed) ( minimal recoil) maybe get a light varmit contour barrel aim for a 12 pound rifle. She will be able to reach out 600-800 yard and do well. You can change barrels on the creed to other calibers later. On scopes find a used vortex gen 3 or ZCO in 5-27 ish off the PX. Cheaper would be Leopold mk4 or 5 same magnification. Let her shoot a lot at ranges she is comfortable with and can have fun with dad, that is the best prescription to get her to keep shooting as she gets older/stronger. Just my 2cents as a guy who has done this twice.

 

[Varmint-Hunter]

S&B 3-20x50 with horus, can't go wrong.

 

[Euro.Connor]

I’m currently assembling a rifle for my daughter and I (she’s 9) it started off as a bergara b14r in a MPA BA comp chassis and I’ve been spotting her impacts more than I’ve been shooting lately lol. So the plan is to drop a 6.5 creedmoor barreled action into the chassis and extend our ranges a bit.

-Gun Details - Will be a competition contour 6.5 creed 26”, MPA BA chassis, big horn orgin action etc. I want it 20lbs+ so she is extremely comfortable behind it.

-Shooting style - We don’t compete we just shoot for fun. I want the 6.5 CM to be a 1000 yard and in gun for her and my plans is to later have a 7ss, 7saum barrel spun up and stretch out to a mile.

-Conditions - We shoot no matter rain or shine but the optic must be good in low light as this will serve as a deer hunting gun as well (we shoot from a bench and tripods) we rarely walk over 100 yards to a stand so a heavy gun will not be a problem.

-Specifications needed - Needs to be FFP and in mils other than that the heavier the better. Considering the 7-35 magnification range this go around.


My experience with good quality glass is a leupold Mark 5 5-25x56 and a few lower end Night force scopes. The mark 5 does everything well so I would like a scope at least on par with it or a slight step up.

Hey,

Send me a message and I can send you a list of optics I would recommend with some pricing!

 

[Marv_2101]

Glad you are teaching your daughter! My first concern is the weight. 20 pounds is likely more weight than a 9 yr old can comfortably lift/position. Yes it will deaden the recoil but she may be reluctant to use it. My own experience is with my daughter, I also started her at 8 on lighter rifles and we had a great time. She decided at 11 to start shooting the 3 position 22 competition with the 4H team our range sponsored. Long story is that she wanted her own rifle and after searching we settled on a used walther KK300 which she tried out and said was fine, it wasn’t. It was uncomfortable for her and she actually hurt herself. This dampened her enthusiasm. Start with a 223 or 22creed) ( minimal recoil) maybe get a light varmit contour barrel aim for a 12 pound rifle. She will be able to reach out 600-800 yard and do well. You can change barrels on the creed to other calibers later. On scopes find a used vortex gen 3 or ZCO in 5-27 ish off the PX. Cheaper would be Leopold mk4 or 5 same magnification. Let her shoot a lot at ranges she is comfortable with and can have fun with dad, that is the best prescription to get her to keep shooting as she gets older/stronger. Just my 2cents as a guy who has done this twice.

Man she shoots a 20lb .22lr right now the weight won’t be an issue for her. I just ordered a proof 6.5 in competition contour so we are committed now lol.

 

[koshkin]

I just built a boltgun for my 13 year old daughter, but I went with a 6ARC. There is barely any recoil and she enjoys shooting it.
I ended up putting a Telson 3-18x50 on it. I was not looking for a lot of magnification the scope was here for testing anyway. It turned out to be a nice and easy to use scope.
Now, the MiniFix with a suppressor, scope and bipod worked out to be about 10lbs, so we are in a different weight category here. Same concept though.
Given that you like the 5-25x Mark5, why not just get another one? That gets you some commonality and it is a good scope.
If you want to step up and do not care about weight, the next logical progression is Vortex Razor Gen3 6-36x56.
RG3 has the advantage of a very forgiving eyebox. That will be helpful for a young shooter.
If you would rather stay in the Mark5 price range, but want something different, Burris XTR Pro 5.5-30x56 is a nice scope and gives you a nice FOV boost compared to Mark5. My kids seem to like it and do not have any issues with the reticle.

ILya

 

[tlsmith22]

Used ZCO or Tangent with the gen 3xr reticle, probably can’t get in the JTAC reticle that cheap

 

[fdkay]

On sale now.
Basically unbeatable at this price.

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www.eurooptic.com

 

[NHPiper]

I like the S&B PMII 5-25. There are newer scopes but the glass is on par with ZCO. They can be found used here in the mid $2000s depending on the reticle and such.

Tried to shoot you a PM, drop me one when you get a chance and I can send some more info.

 

[Rob01]

First that 6.5 Creed will make a mile. Have shot mine out there with factory 140 ELDs.

The Vortex Gen III 6-36 would be a good choice and under your budget. Very good glass and reticle. Also if your daughter accidentally drops the rifle out of a tree stand or off a tripod and the scope shatters you just send it in for a new one.

 

[TahoeDust]

First that 6.5 Creed will make a mile. Have shot mine out there with factory 140 ELDs.

The Vortex Gen III 6-36 would be a good choice and under your budget. Very good glass and reticle. Also if your daughter accidentally drops the rifle out of a tree stand or off a tripod and the scope shatters you just send it in for a new one.

This was honestly my first thought.

Good on you OP for teaching her young!

 

[oldrifleman]

Man she shoots a 20lb .22lr right now the weight won’t be an issue for her. I just ordered a proof 6.5 in competition contour so we are committed now lol.

That is impressive, mine now has a 20lb 6creed and wouldn’t mind me swapping it to a lighter stock ( manners TCS), and that’s at 20 yrs.

 

[Marv_2101]

First that 6.5 Creed will make a mile. Have shot mine out there with factory 140 ELDs.

The Vortex Gen III 6-36 would be a good choice and under your budget. Very good glass and reticle. Also if your daughter accidentally drops the rifle out of a tree stand or off a tripod and the scope shatters you just send it in for a new one.

No doubt the 6.5 will make a mile especially at 2800fps+ I’m just a big fan of the 7mm’s but who knows once I get to shooting it more I may decide on a 6.5 PRC or 6.5 saum. So far 1000 yards is as far as I’ve had a 6.5 creedmoor and that was out of a 22” barrel going about 2600fps with factory ammo. Hand loads in a 26” barrel should do much better.

 

[Marv_2101]

That is impressive, mine now has a 20lb 6creed and wouldn’t mind me swapping it to a lighter stock ( manners TCS), and that’s at 20 yrs.

We don’t do any positional shooting or anything it’s more of I set her up on a bench with a bag or locked down In a tripod and she has at it. If we were running tank traps etc we would have to take a step back and punt lol.

 

[oldrifleman]

We don’t do any positional shooting or anything it’s more of I set her up on a bench with a bag or locked down In a tripod and she has at it. If we were running tank traps etc we would have to take a step back and punt lol.

That works! Enjoy the time, best years of your life!

 

[JayOpticspecialist]

First that 6.5 Creed will make a mile. Have shot mine out there with factory 140 ELDs.

The Vortex Gen III 6-36 would be a good choice and under your budget. Very good glass and reticle. Also if your daughter accidentally drops the rifle out of a tree stand or off a tripod and the scope shatters you just send it in for a new one.

Another vote for this. I like the Vortex myself. https://cstactical.com/vortex-razor-gen-iii-6-36x56-ffp-ebr7-d-mrad-rzr-63602/, that said, if you like the Leupold, I wouldn't hesitate to go that route. since she's going to be the one shooting it, why not let her get behind the scopes and see what she likes. different eyes see and perceive things differently.

 

[K80/6.5]

I agree with above the 6 dasher or something small is ideal. I just finished up a build that will be for my daughter. I did he manners night stalker for the shortened lop. I got a 6cm barrel and wish I would have stuck with my original plan of dasher. The recoil is still a bit much for her at this point so I might throw a .22lr action in it. The Vortex Razor seems like a good choice to say like everyone else because of the warranty if dropped.

 

[Marv_2101]

How is the vortex razor in low light? I honestly didn’t even think about this optic but it seems to check all the boxes well.

Scopes I’m considering at the moment

Nightforce ATACR 7-35
Vortex razor 6-36
Leupold 7-35
Kahles 5-25

I think the Kahles 5-40 would be the better option but really want to keep it under that $3500-3800 mark.

 

[JayOpticspecialist]

How is the vortex razor in low light? I honestly didn’t even think about this optic but it seems to check all the boxes well.

Scopes I’m considering at the moment

Nightforce ATACR 7-35
Vortex razor 6-36
Leupold 7-35
Kahles 5-25

I think the Kahles 5-40 would be the better option but really want to keep it under that $3500-3800 mark.

Good morning,

I'd put her behind all of them and see what she likes if you can. she's a very lucky little lady to get access to top tier scopes at 9. I don't think any of the options would be terrible, but for the low light and hunting aspect, the Kahles and Vortex would be my top picks. I think with the kahles glass and 5x magnification, it's going to perform better when that buck steps out in poor light, but the vortex only gives a little at 6x magnification and you get the best higher end magnification of all the options listed, if only by a little. Any other criteria to be considered?

edit to add;

I haven't hunted a 6-36, just a 4-27 and I it did pretty well. I killed a couple of hogs a few years ago in Texas and a doe 2 seasons ago. I'm a little partial to having lower magnification when hunting for low light performance and wider field of view.

give me a shout or drop me a pm, maybe we can arrange to get you behind some of these depending on where you are located

 

[Rob01]

No doubt the 6.5 will make a mile especially at 2800fps+ I’m just a big fan of the 7mm’s but who knows once I get to shooting it more I may decide on a 6.5 PRC or 6.5 saum. So far 1000 yards is as far as I’ve had a 6.5 creedmoor and that was out of a 22” barrel going about 2600fps with factory ammo. Hand loads in a 26” barrel should do much better.

Understandable but I run 28” barrels on my match 6.5 Creed and with factory 140s at about 2775fps they got to a mile without issue. Just an option if you didn’t want to go magnum. 1000 yards is simple for the 6.5.

The Vortex Gen III Razor is very good in low light. You will be powered down anyways and with the illuminated reticle and excellent glass and eye box it should be pretty easy to get the shot off. Then you have the higher power when playing at the range.

 

[Marv_2101]

Understandable but I run 28” barrels on my match 6.5 Creed and with factory 140s at about 2775fps they got to a mile without issue. Just an option if you didn’t want to go magnum. 1000 yards is simple for the 6.5.

The Vortex Gen III Razor is very good in low light. You will be powered down anyways and with the illuminated reticle and excellent glass and eye box it should be pretty easy to get the shot off. Then you have the higher power when playing at the range.

Now your making me think I should have went 28” instead of 26” on the new barrel lol

 

[Rob01]

Now your making me think I should have went 28” instead of 26” on the new barrel lol

lol Nah don’t sweat it. The 26” will work well. You can get a 28” when you burn it out.