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Rifle Scopes Power of scope?

Ridgerunner60

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Full Member
Minuteman
May 13, 2017
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Pennsylvania
Guys, I recently got a custom bench rifle in 7mm Rem mag. I’m new to distance shooting, but since I retired I have really enjoyed the challenges of long range shooting. My question is this. What power scope is the best for 500-1000 yards. I have encountered a lot of movement from a 6x24 scope. Wouldn’t a 4.5 x14 be better? Would like to get your thoughts. Thanks in advance!
 
Most of the guys shooting target benchrest comps are using high mag scopes . In my neck of the woods ,
most of the guys winning everything are running March X or FX scopes , the 5 - 50 , 8 - 80 or FFP
5 - 40 models . There are cheaper alternatives availiable from Nightforce , Vortex etc , but there have
been failures locally of the cheaper models . Your budget will be the deciding factor .

I suggest you find a local range that runs F class or long range BR comps , and make some new
friends , and ask what folks are using to see what suits you and your budget . The 7 RM is a great
1000 yard option , particularly with the 180 Berger Hybrid if it’s windy where you shoot .
 
remember, you don't need to be zoomed to the max. 10x is plenty for 1000 yards.

but, when punching paper (benchrest or flclass) with a gun that doesnt have human inputs, more magnification wins all day

first or second focal plane is a huge part missing here
 
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remember, you don't need to be zoomed to the max. 10x is plenty for 1000 yards.

but, when punching paper (benchrest or flclass) with a gun that doesnt have human inputs, more magnification wins all day

first or second focal plane is a huge part missing here
Everyone I talked to from different groups all recommended first focal plane. That’s why I got my new atacr in f1 tremor3
 
Depending on what type of shooting you're doing will determine everything.

Like clearlight said,
benchrest guys are using 30+ power scopes.

If you're doing tactical/PRS style matches, realistically you can easily get away with 10-18x. I rarely shoot over 15-18x and 90% of the time am around 10-12x
 
Everyone I talked to from different groups all recommended first focal plane. That’s why I got my new atacr in f1 tremor3
go over to a benchrest or NRA forum and ask the same question. won't find much FFP

he said he's retired and going to use a bench. that leans towards SFP as he's not likely gonna be running around the woods shooting stages and needing FFP holdovers
 
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I eventually want to get into competitive shooting. I will probably use a bench rest. I trying to learn as much as possible.
It depends on the type of competitive shooting.
7mm Mag is pretty stout, no matter the game (unless extra long range)
Like has been said, it depends on your budget, but a quality 5-25 should cover most of the bases, though the F Class and bench rest guys really like at least 32x.
Are you shooting groups at distance, or steel?
If it is steel, 4-20 or 5-25. The Bushy 3.5-21 is a solid choice as well as the XTRII 4-20 or 5-25 for really good entry level stuff.
Don't eliminate the Sightron offerings, they do offer models with a zero stop now, which is required since they have 5 mil turrets.
They are excellent scopes with very good glass and excellent tracking.
 
For benchrest a 30x on up is nice to have. But if you have to look at multiple targets having that much mag can be a pain, narrows your field of view to much and makes it tough to acquire new targets quickly.

I doubt anyone would tell you that a scope in the 4-20, 5-25, 6-24 range is a bad choice for precision rifle shooting. The only reason to stay with a 4.5-14 or less is when the size and weight of it is more important than actually zooming in.

As for focal plane it really depends on what you want to do. Depending on your scope the reticle thickness plays a big part. If I were shooting benchrest @ 1k yards the bushnell g3 reticle is a tad heavy at .06 mils thick. The athlon cronus is way thinner at .03 mils thick. In that particular case the front focal isnt as detrimental with the athlon vs the bushnell. For steel I really dont mind the thickness of the bushnell and may actually prefer it though.
My deer rifle is a second focal 4.5-14, it has a heavy duplex so that I can always see it in low light situations where the thinner duplex would get lost. That said when I draw my own dots on paper my choice in heavy duplex does cover up most of my aim points at 100 yards, for paper shooting the thick second focal plane scope is a detriment.
I just recently bought a midas though as it is second focal and for my 100 yard 22 competition I like that the thin reticle and second focal plane, when zoomed in, it is half the thickness (amoutn of target covered up) of my current scope for it, that will help when trying to hold exactly on the 1/8" center white dot instead of trying to use the outer rings and none of it is unknown distance so the front focal wouldnt really be of too much benefit.



If you want to see a good example of first focal vs second the new revamped bushnell site actually has a realyl neat feature on each scope page where it allows you to zoom the scope and see how it changes the reticle. The last section before the bottom of the page is the interactive thing

Here is a front focal example, drag the orange bar down low and slide it to the right to zoom in.
http://www.bushnell.com/Products/Riflescopes/Elite-Tactical/DMRII-Pro-3-5-21x50/?sku=ET732150ED
Notice how when you zoom in on the scope you also zoom in on the target but that the target and reticle stay the exact same size in relation to one another. That means the what the reticle says is always what the reticle means.

This is a second focal example
http://www.bushnell.com/Products/Riflescopes/Engage/6-24X50/?sku=REN62450DG
When you zoom in the scope fills up the same amount of the image view but the target gets bigger. The reticle and target scale at different levels so depending on where you are at in your zoom range the reticle is actually showing a percentage of the true values. 1 mil at 10x is actually .5 mils at 20x and 2 mils at 5x. twice the zoom, half the value.

SO mull over exactly what youre wanting to accomplish and then we can more accurately guide you.
 
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I have always told my friends that gun owners are some of the best people you can meet! Once again I believe I’m correct. Thanks for all your thoughts and idea. Being a beginner your ideas are really helpful and I’m trying different types of long distance shooting. If you guys don’t mind I’ll be asking more questions in the future. Thanks again!
 
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Depending on what type of shooting you're doing will determine everything.

Like clearlight said,
benchrest guys are using 30+ power scopes.

If you're doing tactical/PRS style matches, realistically you can easily get away with 10-18x. I rarely shoot over 15-18x and 90% of the time am around 10-12x

I’m looking at a 3-18 scope but know that lots of people use 5-25 at matches. If most shooting is done at 10-18 power what would a guy be gaining by going up to 25x? Better spotting abilities and more precision on closer targets?
 
I’m looking at a 3-18 scope but know that lots of people use 5-25 at matches. If most shooting is done at 10-18 power what would a guy be gaining by going up to 25x? Better spotting abilities and more precision on closer targets?

Sometimes that 20+ power gets used. Not often, but its there in case you need it.
Also, most 3-18s are going to be 50mm. The extra FOV from a 56mm makes a huge difference in hunting for targets.
Shooting a 5-25 at 12-15x is going to be much better optically than a 3-18 at the same magnification.