Rifle Scopes Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

T

Tayous1

Private
Minuteman
Mar 9, 2010
15
0
45
North/South Dakota
#1
So my police department has picked me to go to a police sniper school. Funny I was a machine gunner in the Marines! I was one of the highest rifle shooters in my department so I got picked to go. The rifles and caliber have been picked Savage bolt rifle in 338 Lapua. Scope that where bought for this rifle was not top of the line.

I have been looking at the Shepherd scopes for my personal rifle and read so much about it being a great scope and with me going to police sniper school I thought this is my chance to buy one! But I'd like to know what people say about items before I buy them and at $799 or $899 I'd like to hear all I can. Thanks
 
#3
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

http://snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2280694

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1691408


The general consensus is either A- It's crap, B- It's only good if your bullet matches the BDC reticle, or C- works well. There are a lot more comments of A and B than C.

Personally after reading their website and touting the dual reticle as the ONLY way to know if an adjustment has been made, I would steer clear of them. That sounds ridiculous to me. The purpose of dropping money on a high end Leupold, NF, USO, S&B, etc. is partially due to turret reliability. When I turn my NF elevation up 4 clicks (.125 moa) I am 100% sure the impact will go up a half an inch at 100yds before I pull the trigger. How? 1- Nightforce's reputation AND 2- My performing a tracking test on my scope.
 
#4
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

Do you know what a zero stop is? When someone turns the elevation turret way up past one turn--to shoot long range, then puts the rifle away without returning to the zero point. Someone else picks up the rifle and assumes the zero is the closest zero but it turns out he is one turn off. That is like 10 or 20 moa off! All it takes is once and without a zero stop it will happen.

Get a zero stop. You will be glad you did.

Even better is USO's EREK knob which has all the adjustment the socpe has in one turn. But a zero stop will do fine. To zero you just turn the elevation down until it stops.
 
#5
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

stay away from Shepard scopes, I saw one that short fall after being leaned up against a tree, it fell against a stump and had to go back, no updates on it yet, but it wouldn't track when it left. i would look hard at nightforce. there is a lot to be said for utter reliability. thats a big rifle for a police sniper.
 
#6
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

I can't tell you about the newer scopes but I was running the sniper program for the AK NG in the '80s.

A salesman from Shepherd tried to sell the guard some scopes. My boss (G2/3) sent me to the range to try them out. They were supposed to be the cat's meow as to range finding.

The Shepherd dude had one set up to work with M118 (what we were using). They didn't work worth a poop. I was better off using the sights on a NM M14 for ranging, which was much more consistant. No where close to the M21's ART we were using. Shoot the M84s on our M1C/Ds were more consistant when adjusting up and down.

If you get it set for one range, move to another, then back, you had to start the zero procedure all over again.

Like I said, that was a long time ago, I don't know what they are like now, but try before you buy.
 
#8
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

Thanks for the advice. I know nothing about scopes like I said I was a machine gunner in the military. Can anyone give me advice on a good type and model of scope to look into? I live and work in both North and South Dakota on a Indian reservation windy here most of the time can drop down to -40 degs in the winter.

A lot of open land around. I'm going to aim high and say a shot could be needed or taken up to 1,000 yards. Do I think I'm going to take a 1,000 yard shot? Nope but I have a rifle I have been told is able to do it so why not get a scope that can do the job also!Thanks for the help and sorry about so many questions. I know I'm going to have more because the school does not start until the end of the summer the order for the rifles was placed back in December so we should be getting the rifles soon.
 
#10
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

Shephards are dark and dim looking thru them inside a Cabelas and thats with full flourescent lights. Imagine that at dawn or dusk. Only scope as bad in my view is the old variables that Springfield Armory used to sell. A 299.00 super sniper is a better and clearer scope.
 
#11
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

You must be working on standing rock if in both north and south dakota. I have access to vortex pst and a few differnt bushnells and some leupys if wanting to look.
 
#13
Re: Shepherd scopes are they as good as they say?

There isn't anything that says you can't call the school, or email, and talk to one of the instructors. Ask them what you should expect to learn from the school, and what to bring. Ask him what most other people use going thru the school and if they have any general recommendations.
 
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