Scope mag range for AR10 in 6.5 cm

M

mp0311

Private
Minuteman
Jun 19, 2023
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Rhode Island
#1
Currently figuring out which scope to buy for my DD5V5 (20" 6.5 creed). I am fairly sure itll be a NF ATACR (still subject to change as a can get some good deals on zeiss/steiner/LP) but the real question is what mag range should I be getting? My goal is to have a gun thats capable out to 1k but will primarily be used in the 3-700 yard range. Is something like a 4-16 not enough? I know NF makes the ATACRs in a 4-20 as well. What do you guys think?
 
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#4
More magnification for my old eyes is probably better for target acquisition and reading conditions, 25-27 power on the upper end helps me, if the mirage doesn't require you to dial back down. Mid 60's ... eyes with cataracts coming down the road.
 
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#5
Zeiss S3 4-25 gives you decent FOV on the low end and 25x on the top end... Wouldn't be a bad choice on an AR.

I've currently got S&B 3-20s on both my 6.5cm AR and a long barreled .223 varmint AR, and I'm considering selling the S&B 3-20s and swapping them for S3 4-25s to pick up more top end mag without giving up too much FOV on the low end. Haven't done it yet because the older full length S&B 3-20s that I have are really, really nice in the glass department, and most of the year here mirage is so bad after 10am I'm running about 12-14x max magnification anyways.
 
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#6
Kiba said:
Zeiss S3 4-25 gives you decent FOV on the low end and 25x on the top end... Wouldn't be a bad choice on an AR.

I've currently got S&B 3-20s on both my 6.5cm AR and a long barreled .223 varmint AR, and I'm considering selling the S&B 3-20s and swapping them for S3 4-25s to pick up more top end mag without giving up too much FOV on the low end. Haven't done it yet because the older full length S&B 3-20s that I have are really, really nice in the glass department, and most of the year here mirage is so bad after 10am I'm running about 12-14x max magnification anyways.
Click to expand...

do you know how well the s3 fairs against an atacr?
 
#7
mp0311 said:
do you know how well the s3 fairs against an atacr?
Click to expand...

Last atacr I owned was a 5-25 quite a few years ago. I remembered the glass being good enough but not spectacular, it tracked perfect, and I really didn't care for the only reticle that was offered at that time... I sold it after a couple of months.

I have not actually looked through an S3 yet but plan on picking one up soon for testing, but going by the reviews here they seem to be very well liked.

I'm sure there are others here who have used both and can offer a good comparison.
 
#8
4-16 is definitely, "enough," for those distances. But, as the above posters have stated, most seem to enjoy the added magnification, even if it's not needed.

The 4-20 ATACR is about 5 oz heavier, 1.3 inches longer, and $500.00 more expensive than than the 4-16. Just so you are aware of the trade-offs.
 
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#9
mp0311 said:
Currently figuring out which scope to buy for my DD5V5 (20" 6.5 creed). I am fairly sure itll be a NF ATACR (still subject to change as a can get some good deals on zeiss/steiner/LP) but the real question is what mag range should I be getting? My goal is to have a gun thats capable out to 1k but will primarily be used in the 3-700 yard range. Is something like a 4-16 not enough? I know NF makes the ATACRs in a 4-20 as well. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Zeiss LRP S3 4-25x50
 
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#13
You may want to look at the March 4.5-28x52 optic. It's got a wide angle lens system so that the FOV is competitive with anything else in the 4 power low range but has a very nice high range and is light. March also recently updated their model range so the old ones can be had for pretty good discounts.
 
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#14
mp0311 said:
any experience with it vs the atacr? I can get the zeiss for like $800 less so its definitely an option
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I have an LRP S3 6-36x56 and have spent a good deal of time behind it. It's a fantastic scope for the price. And I also have an ATACR F1 5-25x56. But it came in right before I had to leave to go out of town, and I just got back home today, and have not been able to mount the ATACR and shoot through it yet. But I will be this upcoming weekend.

And personally, at $800 less than the NF, the Zeiss is a no-brainer. You won't be disappointed.
 
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#15
Franko said:
You may want to look at the March 4.5-28x52 optic. It's got a wide angle lens system so that the FOV is competitive with anything else in the 4 power low range but has a very nice high range and is light. March also recently updated their model range so the old ones can be had for pretty good discounts.
Click to expand...
allegedly its been discontinued
 
#16
FuhQ said:
I have an LRP S3 6-36x56 and have spent a good deal of time behind it. It's a fantastic scope for the price. And I also have an ATACR F1 5-25x56. But it came in right before I had to leave to go out of town, and I just got back home today, and have not been able to mount the ATACR and shoot through it yet. But I will be this upcoming weekend.

And personally, at $800 less than the NF, the Zeiss is a no-brainer. You won't be disappointed.
Click to expand...
is there any major difference just looking between the two of them?
 
#18
Depends on what your intended use is (bench/range, field, etc) but I like keeping mine a bit lighter for field use. I'm using a 3-12 LRTSi but out of your choices I'd go 4-16 ATACR, save the weight and length vs the 4-20.
 
#25
Well, they are wrong. What a shock. As long as they are listed ate the MarchScopes.com website, they are available.

The March-FX 4.5-28X52 is now available with the shuriken locks on the knobs and the ones without these locks are still available.
 
#27
You could use a red dot out to 5-600 especially if it had a BDC. Magnification power isn't exceptionally important depending on what you're doing. Glass clarity and such is way more important.
 
#28
I too have a 20" 6.5 creedmoor but only paid just over $1K for it so I didn't want to break the bank on Scope but did want something that would allow me to see long distances and be reliable. Vortex ended up making a version of their high-end scope without the Reticle illumination and without locking adjustments at about 50% the cost so that is what I purchased. It's a 5-25 x 56mm scope with 34mm tube and I absolutely love it. I can tell you that I would never attempt to shoot out to 1,000 yards with anything less than 25x magnification unless you're shooting at a barn door or something.

Background: I had rotator cuff surgery last year so haven't been shooting much until lately and didn't want to spend a lot on a firearm or optics until I got my feet wet. You folks are light-years ahead of me but I'm happy with my setup right now. The fact that I can hit fairly small groups (~2 MOA) at 200 yards has me thrilled - you guys probably shoot the same size groups at 600 yards (sigh).
 
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#29
macandrac said:
I too have a 20" 6.5 creedmoor but only paid just over $1K for it so I didn't want to break the bank on Scope but did want something that would allow me to see long distances and be reliable. Vortex ended up making a version of their high-end scope without the Reticle illumination and without locking adjustments at about 50% the cost so that is what I purchased. It's a 5-25 x 56mm scope with 34mm tube and I absolutely love it. I can tell you that I would never attempt to shoot out to 1,000 yards with anything less than 25x magnification unless you're shooting at a barn door or something.
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To each his own but glass quality/clarity matters a lot more than magnification. You can resolve a target at 100 yards a lot better with an Atacr at 16x than a Vortex Venom at 25x... People (including myself) have shot out to 1000 yards (at things much smaller than a barn door) for years using far less magnification than 25x. 10x was what you got for many years (with the Leupold Mk4s). Hell, I was shooting (and hitting) a 2/3 IPSC (so 12" wide) at 830 yards the other day using my .223 carbine with a Vortex Razor 1-10. Again, glass quality will always trump magnification.
 
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#30
mp0311 said:
www.eurooptic.com

March FX Tactical 4.5x-28x52 FML-TR1 Reticle 0.1MIL Illuminated Riflescope D28HV52WFIML-FML-TR1

FREE SHIPPING on March FX Tactical 4.5x-28x52 FML-TR1 Reticle 0.1MIL Illuminated Riflescope D28HV52WFIML-FML-TR1
www.eurooptic.com www.eurooptic.com
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for providing that link. I contacted DEON through their website this weekend to confirm my understanding and they did confirm that the information provided at that link is incorrect. The March-FX 4.5-28X52 HM is a very recent design and has been upgraded with the very latest from DEON in adjustment knobs, the clever shuriken lock knobs. They are very proud of the 4.5-28X52 HM and for good reason. The FOV of this riflescope, along with the March Majesta 8-80X56, and the March Genesis 6-60X56, is second only to the March-FX 5-42X56 HM.
 
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