Rifle Scopes SWFA 10x42; 12x42; 16x42 & similar priced optics

[Forgetful Coyote]

So Im on a college student budget. Hence: I'm looking to getting into a solid quality yet simple.. inexpensive optic. I been lookin heavy into the SWFA fixed mag. 10x, 12x, and 16x offerings very heavily!

- Of those, they have side focus and rear focus options... any pros/cons between the two?

-Is there any other brand's offerings I need to look into? Ie Bushnell, Burris, Vortex, Nikon, Leupold, PA, PH, etc? As said I'm looking to keep it simple - ie fixed power or possibly variable if priced low enough w/out a loss of quality too terribly. So yall got any other recommendations(new/used don't matter to me if fully functioning..) ??

Eg : would I be better off with a fixed power(or vari if it can be afforded) Vortex/Bushnell/etc or possibly another brand close to SWFA's price range? Realistic aint gone be able to drop more than $350.. possibly $400-425 max.

- Whatever optic I end up with'll be going on MOST likely a Howa 1500 .308 Varminter Hvy Bbl(Brownells has em for like 590$); or possibly(!?!?!?) a used Tikka CTR .308 if I can find it @ right price. But the CTR IMO is so light(for a unbraked .308.. yessir I'm a recoil wimp) I'm gone really only want the heaviest CTR I can get; which I'd reckon is the 24" Bbl model ( Correct me if wrong that they make a 24" .308 CTR(??) ). This is mainly gone be used for 300-450yd MAX, South GA whitetail huntin + range time/target practice/working on fundamentals out to 600yd(closest good outdoor range near me goes out to 600).

So lastly, Howa 1500 Varminter .308 vs Tikka CTR .308 24"(again, if I can find the Tikka @ right price?!!!!!!??!!!) - would the CTR be truly worth the increased price over the Howa for what my needs/wants/intended purposes are? The CTR's have such a good rep, but so do the Howas!! Not to mention the Howa will leave me more money to more easily afford decent-good rings/etc + likely end up the heavier/more forgiving rifle(right?). So I'm really leaning toward the Howa .308 Varminter...

Apologies for the encyclopedia of a post!! Thanks for any/all help & recommendations yall!!!!!!

 

[spife7980]

For the budget I would go howa and there are currently lots of them in sale for wayyyy less than 590. And they might get better tomorrow for Memorial Day sales.
https://www.brownells.com/manufactu...s|Special-Filters_1=Salezz1zzClearance&r_o=-1

And call cameralandny tomorrow and see what they can do for you on an Athlon Midas scope to price match midway. It’s second focal plane but at only 600 yards for your uses it packs in wayyyy more for the price.

 

[Hondo64d]

I’ve had the 6x rear focus, 10x rear focus, 10x side focus, the 10x HD, the 16x rear focus. I would discount the 16x immediately. The eye box is very critical and with the sun low on the horizon the glare is pretty bad. The 10x models, all of them, are great. The side focus is handy, but probably not worth the extra $. The 10x HD glass is noticeably better than the regular 10x, but not worth the extra $, unless you can find a pre-owned one cheap.

All the SS scopes I have had track superbly, retain zero, and return to zero reliably, all of which are THE most important attributes in a scope. There are simply the most scope for the $ out there.

John

 

[Bender]

SWFA 10x will get you to 1000 easy. They are indestructible and have a no bs warranty just like Vortex. NOTHING is close to value at $299. I will always have a 10x.

 

[Sharpened Graphite]

At this price range. Get an Argos and never dial after zeroing. Just use the reticle to hold all your shots.
If you're okay with SFP, Sightron S-Tac is unbeatable at less than $400.

 

[PBWalsh]

The SS 10x42 is stupid good for $300. Don’t waste the money on a side focus. The rear focus is ambidextrous anyways and works great. Get the Mil-Quad reticle, its basic, but all you need.

Look at SWFA’s samplelist or on the PX here, and you’ll be able to find these used for $260 almost any day.

If you can’t tell I love my 10x42....

Had an Athlos Talos BTR 4-14x44mm. Good scope, turrets were meh... GREAT reticle if you like doing holdovers. I sold it because I did not like using hold overs and wanted something with a bit better track record for tracking. $300 from www.dr-optics.com

I think Brownells is selling an 18.5” .308 Howa 1500 barreled action right now for <$300. I’d jump on that if I were in your shoes. Throw it in a KRG Xray or Bravo (if they are out), put on a used Harris and go burn out the barrel.

 

[patriot07]

Get a 10x42 or 12x42 and be done with it. The SWFA scopes are rock solid. Athlons are Chinese-made scopes built at lower quality, which is why you see suggestions like "don't dial your corrections", something I dare to say that you will never hear said about any SWFA scope. They do offer a lot of features for the money, but you give up build quality to get those features, which isn't a great trade-off IMHO.

Don't spend money on side focus or HD when you're in college. Plenty of time to upgrade features later on. Start out with a solid scope and go from there.

And I definitely would not start with an SFP scope if you're just getting into long range shooting. Not only does it introduce another variable into the equation of calculating your corrections, but SFP scopes have an inherent POI shift when adjusting magnification that you just don't want to be dealing with when you're new to the game.

Regarding rifles, I think the Howa suggestion above is a good one. Tikka CTR is a great rifle (my only bolt action is a CTR and I love it), but if I was on a budget, I'd probably go with a $300-$400 Howa and upgrade to the Tikka when the budget was more generous.

 

[PAYDIRT]

SWFA for the win.

 

[supercorndogs]

Get a 10x42 or 12x42 and be done with it. The SWFA scopes are rock solid. Athlons are Chinese-made scopes built at lower quality, which is why you see suggestions like "don't dial your corrections", something I dare to say that you will never hear said about any SWFA scope. They do offer a lot of features for the money, but you give up build quality to get those features, which isn't a great trade-off IMHO.

, but SFP scopes have an inherent POI shift when adjusting magnification that you just don't want to be dealing with when you're new to the game.

No there isn't. If you are having POI change when adjusting magnification on a SFP, you have a problem.

 

[patriot07]

No there isn't. If you are having POI change when adjusting magnification on a SFP, you have a problem.

I've owned a few and they all did it, and I read somewhere that it was inherent in the SFP design. Maybe that was incorrect?

Either way, I wouldn't buy an SFP for his first LR scope even without the zero shift.

 

[spife7980]

No there isn't. If you are having POI change when adjusting magnification on a SFP, you have a problem.

Agreed, just like the not dialing the turrets. My low end athlons track fine, if you find that they dont then send it back on a warranty thats just as good as swfas thats being touted and just as good as vortex for that comparison made above. SWFAs get sent back all the time too. And they dont say you dont have to dial an swfa because the reticle is shit. And so far my chinese stuff seems to be just as good of a build quality as anything else in the price range.

 

[supercorndogs]

I've owned a few and they all did it, and I read somewhere that it was inherent in the SFP design. Maybe that was incorrect?

Either way, I wouldn't buy an SFP for his first LR scope even without the zero shift.

If you had to change your zero every time you went to the rang, how could you tell? Sometimes inexperience makes us draw the wrong conclusions.

 

[steve123]

One cannot honestly say all SWFA's track perfectly nor worship at the alter of perfect reliability, plus the glass in the SS series isn't but mediocre. I've owned 6 of them so I'm not ill informed of their faults and have seen plenty of mentions of failures right here in the optics section over the years. Heck the parallax knob fell off on the shooting bench which was attached to my friends SWFA 3-15 about 6 months ago. That said they are a good old stand by, there is no perfect scope, they all can and do break.

My S&B is in the mail back to the service center for the 2nd time as I write this. I personally have not needed to send a Athlon back yet but one of my friends needed to.

As I keep mentioning, to point out that Athlon scopes for the most part do track well and also hold together decently over time, I won our AZ state FT match in 2016 and won my division last year using a Argos BTR 6-24. That can't happen with out having good tracking and yes I did dial.

 

[g3ninfinite]

Skip the 16x and 12x. Go for the 10x rear. Even smarter would be to go for the 6x.

 

[patriot07]

If you had to change your zero every time you went to the rang, how could you tell? Sometimes inexperience makes us draw the wrong conclusions.

I was shooting at 100 yards. Dialed in at one magnification, shoot a small group dead center. Dial to max mag, shoot another small group a half inch away. Dial back to original mag, shoot small group back in the same location as the first group. This happened with multiple SFP scopes.

 

[supercorndogs]

Agreed, just like the not dialing the turrets. My low end athlons track fine, if you find that they dont then send it back on a warranty thats just as good as swfas thats being touted and just as good as vortex for that comparison made above. SWFAs get sent back all the time too. And they dont say you dont have to dial an swfa because the reticle is shit. And so far my chinese stuff seems to be just as good of a build quality as anything else in the price range.

I had a 4-14 Athlon whatever for a while. I can't speak on the tracking because all I did was sight it in on my PCP air rifle and hold off. It held zero. I like their reticle. The other Athlons I have owned are on the other end of the cost spectrum, but what I came to expect from them is good glass for money spent. I was trying to decide between buying another 4-14 Athlon or an SWFA 10x for my 10/22. I hate to be married to 10x. The SWFA is not a magical 300 dollar scope. There are others in the price range of the same quality. 10 years ago not so much.

 

[supercorndogs]

I was shooting at 100 yards. Dialed in at one magnification, shoot a small group dead center. Dial to max mag, shoot another small group a half inch away. Dial back to original mag, shoot small group back in the same location as the first group. This happened with multiple SFP scopes.

If you had to change your zero every time you went to the rang, how could you tell? I am not trying to be a dick, but think on that. You are the one that posted it. If you are not addressing the gun the same, your zero changes. If it changes from one trip to the next, Why should I be surprised if it changes one group to the next?

 

[CharlieNC]

I have the SS in 12X, decent scope without any problems for the three years I've owned it. About two years ago I acquired the Argos BTR 6-24 FFP which I normally shoot on 15X, and steel at 1000yd is more clear than the SS; I'm not talking about the snob-type image version where you can read numbers, but in the basic ability to sufficiently focus on the target and spot misses. Frequent dialing from 100-1000yd and stops in between the Argos has been flawless; yes the turrets are a little more mushy than the SS but realistically the performance has not been affected at all. For $50 more I would suggest the Argos over the SS for the many advantages you gain at little cost. I own higher price scopes with superior optical quality, but it is hard to beat the value for the money of the Argos.

 

[Nik S]

SWFA fixed is solid at that price point. I'd echo favoring 10x as flexible at shorter ranges, and you can still reach out. Note: rear focus is stiff, and I much prefer side focus...but is side focus worth +$100 on a $299 scope?

CAUTION: Be wary of mixing Mil reticles with MOA dials. If you look at the SWFA site, most of their fixed scopes say "Mil-Quad, Mil clicks" or "MOA-Quad, MOA clicks" on the product summary, and they're going for $299 (rear focus) or $399 (side focus).

However, two of them only list "Mil-Dot," with no reference to dials, and they are going for $249. It's not stated anywhere that I can find, but I suspect these were part of SWFA's older line that did mix Mil/MOA, which I cannot recommend. The extra $50 for reticle/dial sanity is well worth it.

Nik

 

[patriot07]

If you had to change your zero every time you went to the rang, how could you tell? I am not trying to be a dick, but think on that. You are the one that posted it. If you are not addressing the gun the same, your zero changes. If it changes from one trip to the next, Why should I be surprised if it changes one group to the next?

When I changed scopes (same rings), my zero did not move during the range session. I stated that repeatedly during that other thread. All of these issues were repeatedly consistent, and are represented by my statements regarding zero shift with SFP and no zero shift with FFP.

But once again, even if my perception and that of others who have posted on here wasn't that this issue was inherent to the SFP design, I still would not recommend an SFP to a beginner LR shooter because it's another thing to think about when they've already got plenty going on in their brain.

 

[ThunderRun]

Hit up Doug at Cameraland. Pick up the Midas BTR. He's got them on sale right in line with your budget! Heck of a scope for the money.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Ok so Im really really leaning toward SWFA 10x42 rear focus.
Im not a novice at all(compared to a true beginner), I grew up with a rifle in my hands. Though I reckon compared to most here, absolutely I'd be considered a novice. But all the nice rigs belong to my pap(custom R700 .22-250 w/ Nightforce, .308 700P w/ HS-Precision & Rock Creek tube, etc.. not to mention our huntin buddies that we lease 160 acres of our land to... Eg: Mr Eds gotta pre-64 M70 .30-06!!!!). Its way past time I got my OWN firearms.

So my plan is to get the Howa + SWFA 10x42, and then ASAP after that pick up a decent all around general purpose AR(thinking PSA's Premium 16" CHF carbine or similar). But I'll definitely be scouring the FS Section here for whatever may pop up, and once I get around to the AR, scour here as well as the EE on barfcom. I wanna get a decent and solidly reliable chrome lined AR to begin with in case things dont go our way in the next elections and just to have a nice durable carbine. On down the line from there obviously I'll be picking up either a good 18" SS precision upper or a 6.8 SPC upper for hogs. But one thing at a time, I'm shooting for some point in July to have enough $$$$ for the Howa/SWFA/bipod/etc. And as said a decent quality hard use reliable AR carbine by/before November.

Thanks for the help yall! But yeah I don't wanna go all the way down to 6x. I want 10x minimum or 3-9x but I'd rather stay away from variables simply due to the price range Im stuck in, I feel way more confident in going with the simplicity of a fixed mag optic - less potential issues, ain't gotta worry about SFP, etc.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Also, if I was to go with a Howa barreled action, are there quality bolt-in stock/chassis options(that don't require bedding for decent accuracy) out there that would keep me in the 500-600$ range all told for BA + stock? Cause if I can get a .308 Hvy Bbl Howa BA and a no-bedding-required stock that'd likely most certainly be much stiffer than the factory Hogue on the 1500 Varminter...(?) I'd go that direction certainly.


ETA: I aint kept up with the particulars of this stuff. But would it be possible to purchase the rifle, or atleast the optic, with a credit card without being super heavily penalized or outright denied due to them being firearms-related purchases..?????

 

[bulldozer3]

Ok so Im really really leaning toward SWFA 10x42 rear focus.
Im not a novice at all(compared to a true beginner), I grew up with a rifle in my hands. Though I reckon compared to most here, absolutely I'd be considered a novice. But all the nice rigs belong to my pap(custom R700 .22-250 w/ Nightforce, .308 700P w/ HS-Precision & Rock Creek tube, etc.. not to mention our huntin buddies that we lease 160 acres of our land to... Eg: Mr Eds gotta pre-64 M70 .30-06!!!!). Its way past time I got my OWN firearms.

So my plan is to get the Howa + SWFA 10x42, and then ASAP after that pick up a decent all around general purpose AR(thinking PSA's Premium 16" CHF carbine or similar). But I'll definitely be scouring the FS Section here for whatever may pop up, and once I get around to the AR, scour here as well as the EE on barfcom. I wanna get a decent and solidly reliable chrome lined AR to begin with in case things dont go our way in the next elections and just to have a nice durable carbine. On down the line from there obviously I'll be picking up either a good 18" SS precision upper or a 6.8 SPC upper for hogs. But one thing at a time, I'm shooting for some point in July to have enough $$$$ for the Howa/SWFA/bipod/etc. And as said a decent quality hard use reliable AR carbine by/before November.

Thanks for the help yall! But yeah I don't wanna go all the way down to 6x. I want 10x minimum or 3-9x but I'd rather stay away from variables simply due to the price range Im stuck in, I feel way more confident in going with the simplicity of a fixed mag optic - less potential issues, ain't gotta worry about SFP, etc.

For your AR.... BCM, Sionics, colt, Sons of liberty gunworks, LMT

 

[patriot07]

Honestly, if you’re thinking of spending $500-$600, just get a CTR and be done with it.

 

[PBWalsh]

A new CTR starts at $900 though, which is out of his budget. A Howa 1500 barreled action and stock will cost him $600 maybe. Now $300 may not seem like a lot for some, but I can definitely understand where it’d be a killer.

Btw, check out Mk Machining for a throw lever for the rear parallax (I need to get one myself) if you want a bit more leverage.

For a no BS reliable AR, look at BCM’s offerings. Personally I’m running a PSA mid-length freedom kit and have had about a 1% failure rate over about 1500 - 2000 rounds. Rifle cost me $550 to build. That said, with BCM you are buying quality control and customer service. Aero Precision is also a good company from what I hear, my wife bought one of their lowers and its nice.

 

[Sharpened Graphite]

Lightweight hunting = Tikka
Anything else = Howa

The Tikka, with its thin diameter action was built for being light and hiked around. It's a purpose-driven design. Don't corrupt the engineers' hard work by trying to make it into a target gun.

 

[PBWalsh]

Uhm, do you have any factual evidence to support that claim about Tikka rifles not being good target/precision rifles?

You know, considering they seem to be the new standard for an entry/full custom precision rifle. Oh, and I don’t hear of any meaningful problems with their reliability either.

 

[Sharpened Graphite]

Due to the 1.15" breech face. That means you have to turn down the barrel for thicker contours near the shank OR machine the action. Is it a smooth gun? Absolutely. Is it an accurate gun? You bet. BUT, it's not a good foundation for target guns because you're hamstringing yourself with contour choices. I never mentioned anything about reliability. A smooth action does not a target gun make. I know SH has a real hard-on for Tikkas.

There's a reason why all the top PRS guys are running something 700-based. Unless you have your own lathe, you would come out ahead just by starting with something purpose-built.

 

[PBWalsh]

Not to derail the thread, but everything is 700 because it has the most aftermarket support. With the advent of quality pre-fit Tikka barrels and barrel nuts, one can easily replace a barrel at home.

Will it ever be a bench rest action? Nope, but I’d rather not shoot field matches with a BR action. I completely agree there may be stiffer actions, but the point of what I’m saying is that it is more than strong enough to run in this game. Besides with the action nearly being enclosed, that will help receiver strength compared to a basic Rem. 700 action with an open top.

But hey, a Howa 1500 is a good action too, and more economical to boot. I think it is an excellent (if not the best) way to get into this game on a tight budget.

 

[wareagle700]

Lightweight hunting = Tikka
Anything else = Howa

The Tikka, with its thin diameter action was built for being light and hiked around. It's a purpose-driven design. Don't corrupt the engineers' hard work by trying to make it into a target gun.

That may be your opinion but Tikka rifles have proved themselves to be more than capable of hanging with some custom guns out of the box. With a rebarrel, they give up nothing in terms of accuracy to other actions.

 

[patriot07]

A new CTR starts at $900 though, which is out of his budget. A Howa 1500 barreled action and stock will cost him $600 maybe. Now $300 may not seem like a lot for some, but I can definitely understand where it’d be a killer.

You could get CTR's at $800 at Whittakers for a long time.

That $200 will be nothing in the long run. I agreed with the Howa suggestion if his budget was $300-$400, that's great. If you're willing to spend $600, just get the CTR. I like both rifles, but the Tikka is definitely a step up worth taking if you're already that close. JMHO

edit: just looked - they're $970 plus 10% off plus free shipping, so $870. I'd still get the CTR if $600 is even an option. But if you can't make that leap, the Howa is still a fine option. But I would treat the Howa the same as I'd treat a Savage - no add-ons unless you're ok with that being throwaway money. You won't get your money back on stuff like a stock upgrade. The gun is already so cheap that people will just buy a new one and do what they want rather than pay for an upgrade you made.

 

[patriot07]

Lightweight hunting = Tikka
Anything else = Howa

The Tikka, with its thin diameter action was built for being light and hiked around. It's a purpose-driven design. Don't corrupt the engineers' hard work by trying to make it into a target gun.

Have you ever seen a CTR?

 

[patriot07]

Not to derail the thread, but everything is 700 because it has the most aftermarket support. With the advent of quality pre-fit Tikka barrels and barrel nuts, one can easily replace a barrel at home.

Will it ever be a bench rest action? Nope, but I’d rather not shoot field matches with a BR action. I completely agree there may be stiffer actions, but the point of what I’m saying is that it is more than strong enough to run in this game. Besides with the action nearly being enclosed, that will help receiver strength compared to a basic Rem. 700 action with an open top.

But hey, a Howa 1500 is a good action too, and more economical to boot. I think it is an excellent (if not the best) way to get into this game on a tight budget.

Agreed. Load testing on a factory Tikka CTR is below. All are 3 shot groups, including "sight", which was my 41.5 load so I didn't bother shooting it again. If the PRS guys aren't using the Tikka, then I don't think it's because of lack of performance, but that's JMO.

It was actually barrel heat that got me on the 42.8 load. Tried that load again later and it shot much better when it wasn't shots 10, 11, and 12 in a string. None of this is uncommon for any Tikka, especially the CTR.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a CTR. If I can find one I can afford, I'm jumpin on it. My concern though is weight. For a unbraked .308, I feel like the heavier Howa Varminter is gone be a lot more comfortable to shoot than the CTR..?? And how much better can a factory stock CTR be than a 1500 + KRG Bravo, etc?
I wish Tikka would make it easy and sell their Varminter in .308 here stateside..

ETA: looks like Tikka only offers 24" in 6.5 Creed. JMO but the 20" CTR in .308 is gonna be just a bit lighter than I'm shooting for. Obviously these aint my only options, who knows maybe I'll find a smokin deal on a older Mike Walker trigger R700 5R or some such.

 

[spife7980]

Patriot- if you’re wanting to make an argument that a Tikka is capable of amazing accuracy then that’s not the way to do it. None of those groups would be all that good in benchrest level paper accuracy comparisons... which I think was the guys point. Claiming that the barrel shifted as it heated up with a string of 12 is exactly the point he was making. Compared to a bat or borden which you can stick a truck axle on and run your flight of 20 super fast without your group shifting a Tikka absolutely is at a disadvantage. Those big guns are also not portable like a small tikka is for running and gunning and the tikka has great accuracy for what it is. The pure accuracy buffs cart stuff to the firing line for a reason.

So yall are talking at cross purposes.
Honestly for the op the howa is the way to go imo if his budget is really that tight. Throw it in a Boyd’s and bed it in jb weld and it would be a great platform to learn on. The tikka is a nice choice, just up a rung in price.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

I should be able to pick up a 1500 .308 BA + KRG Bravo for around $650 all told right? Provided I find the right deals?

Also, is there any credit card companies out there that are good wit firearm purchases? It'd be alot easier to pay in installments

 

[spife7980]

I should be able to pick up a 1500 .308 BA + KRG Bravo for around $650 all told right? Provided I find the right deals?

Also, is there any credit card companies out there that are good wit firearm purchases? It'd be alot easier to pay in installments

Howa can be had for 289 sale price, take off 20 because you’d be a fool to not google a coupon code first gets it to you for 269 but 35 for the transfer fees is 304. If you get a mag for 37 take off 30 for over 300 makes it 311.
Krg bravo, assuming it follows the same price structure as the tikka would be 389 plus shipping so 409.
That totals 720.

Save up cash until you can pay for it in full, don’t throw a gun on a card because you can’t wait to have it. Russia isn’t invading tomorrow and maybe it will come down in price or you have a change of heart about what exactly you want.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

T

Howa can be had for 289 sale price, take off 20 because you’d be a fool to not google a coupon code first gets it to you for 269 but 35 for the transfer fees is 304. If you get a mag for 37 take off 30 for over 300 makes it 311.
Krg bravo, assuming it follows the same price structure as the tikka would be 389 plus shipping so 409.
That totals 720.

Save up cash until you can pay for it in full, don’t throw a gun on a card because you can’t wait to have it. Russia isn’t invading tomorrow and maybe it will come down in price or you have a change of heart about what exactly you want.

Thank you sir. Thinking this is the exact route I'm gonna go.

 

[patriot07]

Patriot- if you’re wanting to make an argument that a Tikka is capable of amazing accuracy then that’s not the way to do it. None of those groups would be all that good in benchrest level paper accuracy comparisons... which I think was the guys point. Claiming that the barrel shifted as it heated up with a string of 12 is exactly the point he was making. Compared to a bat or borden which you can stick a truck axle on and run your flight of 20 super fast without your group shifting a Tikka absolutely is at a disadvantage. Those big guns are also not portable like a small tikka is for running and gunning and the tikka has great accuracy for what it is. The pure accuracy buffs cart stuff to the firing line for a reason.

So yall are talking at cross purposes.
Honestly for the op the howa is the way to go imo if his budget is really that tight. Throw it in a Boyd’s and bed it in jb weld and it would be a great platform to learn on. The tikka is a nice choice, just up a rung in price.

I never heard the OP say he was looking for BR-level accuracy. If he is, I don't think any of these actions are what he's looking for. He said he was looking to use it as a hunting gun at a beginner target shooting at 300-400 primarily on out to 600 max. The answer to that question is the Tikka CTR 10 times out of 10.

Tikka is not built to be a BR gun. It's built to be a good LR precision gun capable of about 1/2 MOA, which is as good as most custom rifles. It won't shoot for 20+ shots without starting to throw them, but most folks, the OP included, aren't interested in that, especially if they're also looking for something that could be used hunting.

edit: I still think it seems very silly to spend $720 on a Howa 1500 when you can have a Tikka for $150 more. Better trigger, better action, better barrel, better rifle. you can add a KRG to it later if you want. Recoil is very tame on a heavy 308 or 6.5. But it's your $ - spend it how youw ant.

 

[supercorndogs]

T

Thank you sir. Thinking this is the exact route I'm gonna go.

That looks like a very capable setup for dollars spent.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Recoil is very tame on a heavy 308 or 6.5. But it's your $ - spend it how youw ant.

But thats the thing, the CTR comes in at like a little over 7 lbs unscoped? The 1500 Varminter comes in over 9 lb which is closer to what I'd prefer... I ain't gone be trekking up mountains and shit, any huntin action is in South GA. Aint gotta walk real far, I want something with some heft to it. Basically, I'll be shooting a lot more than I'll be walking.

 

[Will Fennell]

Get the TIKKA with the longer barrel, and put it in a KRG Bravo. You will be happier.

 

[patriot07]

But thats the thing, the CTR comes in at like a little over 7 lbs unscoped? The 1500 Varminter comes in over 9 lb which is closer to what I'd prefer... I ain't gone be trekking up mountains and shit, any huntin action is in South GA. Aint gotta walk real far, I want something with some heft to it. Basically, I'll be shooting a lot more than I'll be walking.

The 24” Tikka CTR is 8 lbs. I have one. With scope, bipod, and stock pack, it’s a heavy rifle. 1 lb difference is indiscernible for recoil. Add a brake if recoil is an issue.

The Howa is a fine rifle. But if you’re talking about spending that much, I would get the Tikka. It’s an upgrade in every possible way.

 

[MarinePMI]

How much are you looking to spend on glass?

Either Howa or Tikka are good actions IME, each with their own pros/cons. Both have a reputation for shooting well, right out of the box (at least the four Howas and three Tikkas I have do). Tikkas are picking up more of the aftermarket accessories, but I think Howa is going to also be close behind as they too grow in popularity. I always liked the flat bottomed, integral recoil lug of the Howa action. It just seemed...elegant.

 

[supercorndogs]

I am guessing 250-300 bucks.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

The 24” Tikka CTR is 8 lbs. I have one. With scope, bipod, and stock pack, it’s a heavy rifle. 1 lb difference is indiscernible for recoil. Add a brake if recoil is an issue.

The Howa is a fine rifle. But if you’re talking about spending that much, I would get the Tikka. It’s an upgrade in every possible way.

Last I checked, they don't do a 24" .308. They only do up to a 20" for .308, right?
And yessir about 300$ for the optic. I've mostly settled on the SWFA 10x...

 

[PBWalsh]

Good optic, make sure you get with TimK and pick up his zero stop kit for it. Really makes it a more functional optic.

 

[Marksman_92]

I have the 10x and I love it. Great optic that gets it done. As for the paralax knob I dont think it really makes a difference, mostly shooter preference.