Rifle Scopes Vortex Sightron or SWFA what would you get

[5R Milspec]

Ok I hvae just found out that my scope ( Burris signature old style ) dosn't have enough elevation for my needs.So now I am in a tight place for a scope.Here are my three picks so far.
1) Sightron III 8-32x50 with a 1/8 dot for the ret Has all that I want for target shooting only

2) Vortex viper PST 6-24x50 with a EBR ret ( illuminated ) will do just right for target and hunting

3) SWFA 10-42 with a mildot ret good for target but not sure for hunting

So I ask the question to you guys to which one would you rather buy for my needs.I am getting into FT/R match shooting and I love to use my 308 for hunting.The range will be from 500-1000 for either type of shot target/hunting.So will you guys help me to make a really costly buy,that I thought I didn't have to make in the first place.Not to forget the Burris scope is for sale.

thanks John

 

[nfoley]

I have tried all 3 of the scopes you mention. For your needs the Sightron would be my first pick. Excellent glass, tracking is spot on, and I personally love the dot reticle. I have used the 6-24 LRMOA dot Sightron for hunting as well (as have my kids), and no complaints at all. There is a Sightron 6-24 in the for sale section right now with some quality rings that you might look at.

 

[5R Milspec]

thanks but I am still in a hudge fix to which one.I too was told that the 1/8 dot was really hard on the eye for hunting.It might not be the same ret though,for I have only been looking at the 1/8 dot along with the ret that comes with the vortex.

thanks John

 

[JGorski]

Would a 20MOA base help like this one on my 308? Note old style Signature.

 

[JGorski]

Oh yeah, I got the Sightron, too. Um, thats a 8-32x56mm, btw.

 

[JMGlasgow]

I personally like the Vortex. Very good scope for the money, unbeatable warranty.

 

[5R Milspec]

I have a 20moa base and its only allowing me 29moa and I need 36moa.I'm not running a fast 168/175gn bullet,my load is with a 200gn hybrid at 2500fps.

Would you like another Signature,then you would have an old style and new one

I'll have to say that I am leaning really hard at the Vortex,the illuminated ret will help out with the hunting I think.I too like the Sightron something bad,just not sure about the 1/8 dot for hunting use.

you have some nice setups for your rifles though

 

[Crosshair]

In my opinion you'd be better served to get 2 scopes, a target scope and a hunting scope, both on QD rings. I myself wont hunt with an optic higher than 4x on the low end. For a combo scope, to me it's about magnification range... The ones you listed are wildly different from one another. I wouldnt hunt with a fixed 10x... I like field of view too much. Maybe look at the Weaver tactical 3-15, the zeiss conquest hd5 3-15, bushnell 4-30, IOR 3-18, swfa ss 5-20. For the ultimate in versatility, the bushnell tactical 2.5-16 is cool. The trijicon accupoint series would be a good combo scope too, I think. If you really want the sightron 8-30 for target, I'd slam on a quality 3-9 or 4-12 for hunting, maybe with a German #4 reticle for lowlight. Just throwing that out there, food for thought.

 

[pinkhair]

Out of those 3, I'd go vortex. Nice scope and great warranty.

 

[svons7]

I also vote on the Sightron - the model you want with the 1/8 click has 70 moa of elevation available so that should be more than enough - the 1/4 click version has 100 in case you don't think 70 will cut it.
The object lens is nice and everything comes through very clear. I also recently found out Sightron cuts the glass for Leupold scopes so i thought that was pretty interesting.


here is a pic through the scope of a target at 500m with the power set to 24. Its my phone camera so its nothing great but you can get a general idea

also if you order from optics planet you can use the code opiv5of and get 5% off the order which always helps

hope you find one you like

here is where that scope was looking

 

[Jmbrown458]

I went with the vortex and absolutely love it. It's got great clarity great accurate adjustments and unbeatable warranty at a very reasonable price. I actually get better clarity out of it than I do my nightforce.

 

[Jason7698]

I am looking at similar scopes and the Vortex is getting great reviews and more than any of the rest in my list?

 

[5R Milspec]

wooooow thanks guys for the great feed back.I have to say as of right now there is a 75% Vortex and 25% Sightron vote.The only thing that keeps leading me to the Vortex is that its a illuminated ret.

Crosshair- I feel ya 100% but my funds can only support one scope,really no scope for I have to sale two or three to get the one.

thanks,John

 

[jsthntn247]

I like my Vortex, I've had two, but the damn illuminated reticle is useless because it hasn't worked on either one.

 

[lennyo3034]

I would recommend the Sightron unless you're going to be doing a lot of ranging and holdovers at multiple magnifications. If that's the case, then I would recommend the FFP PST. I've used multiple models of both the SIII and the PST and the glass in the sightron wins every time. Tracking on both were perfect. I would however, recommend the 6-24X50 model Sightron SIII instead of the 8-32X56. You get 107 MOA of travel and 6X is better suited for hunting.

 

[priler]

i think your going to end up being master of nothing. what type/game hunting are you planning to do where the range will always be at least/minimum 500? for most type hunting,i would want a minimum of 4x with less possibly better. this goes against f-class type shooting where most prefer really high mag,somewhere around 30x but adjusting down to maybe 24x for any mirage. there's also the question of which reticle,many f-class shooters like a simple crosshair or dot and just hold off or use the target itself to hold off but if there's lots of wind where you shoot,you may prefer a different reticle with wind holds.

to me,what your asking for needs a really wide mag range with a minimum 6x erector,more being better. add to that,that you want illumination and i can't think of a scope you would truely find totally useful in the price range your're talking about. you can get away with SFP. the cheapest i can think of is a IOR MX-7 4-28 or a leupold mark 8 3.5-25(there're more but also cost more). or,you can make due with a bushnell elite tactical 3.5-21/4.5-30(or elite 6500) or weaver tactical 4-20(or super slam or super slam euro) and maybe give up some of what your asking for. do you currently hunt with 6x mag? depending on what your "hunting" and the ranges,a 6-24 may be ok. or,you may end up being totally unsatisfied. if it's varmint in open,flat terrain,you should be ok with that.

 

[priler]

i would definately give up FFP and ill and get one of the sightron Slll 6-24 instead of a vortex PST. the Slll are higher quality imo than the PST line. don't let anyone tell you otherwise,extra features be damned.

 

[Flying Goose]

I have nothing but good things to say about the Vortex, as for the Sightron I can't speak of but the SWFA 10x I think you find quickly that its too much magnification for many hunting applications in your area. I know from growing up in the Midwest and the South that many of our hunting opportunities were in the woods and the shot was only 50-100 yards. Target Acquisition is a little tough with that mag.

 

[pawprint2]

Regarding the warranty of the three scopes: I looked up Sightron's:
All SI riflescopes feature multi-coated objective and ocular lenses for superior performance. Finger adjustable windage and elevation knobs provide precise click adjustments normally found in more expensive models. All SI models feature precision reticles and true one piece main body tube design. All SI series riflescopes are waterproof, shockproof, fogproof, nitrogen filled and backed by Sightron's Lifetime Warranty.
This is a very good warranty, but Votex has taken it to another level-
Vortex warranty:

Our warranty is about you, not us. It's about taking care of you after the sale.

The VIP stands for a Very Important Promise to you, our customers. We will repair or replace your Vortex product in the event it becomes damaged or defective—at no charge to you. It doesn't matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it. You can count on the VIP Warranty for all riflescopes, red dots, rangefinders, binoculars, spotting scopes and monoculars.
•Unlimited Lifetime Warranty
•Fully transferable
•No warranty card to fill out
•No receipt needed to hang on to
------Needless to say, your hope with any scope is that is never needs any repair. Buy the one that your eye like the best-no one else can tell you this is clearer or that is clearer (unless there is a big difference) you really need to look through both.

 

[5R Milspec]

OK in my case the one place I love to hunt has shots from zero to 1000,but most of the time the deer come out at 300 -1000 yards away,mostly in low light.Even adding that they mostly come out at around 700 or more yards away.So this is why I have picked the illumanated scope,so that I can light up the ret for a shot.Or do you think that I have made a poor choice,I am always up for opinions to help me make the right choice.I see your thoughts on the Sightron line of scopes,but they don't offer a illumanated scope.I really don't have to have a ret that offers hold offs,but want a ret that will offer me a low light shot.

So with all that said to what would you think would be a better choice for me.As long as the ret will allow me to make the shot I may need to take I will be happy.I don't see myself useing a small dot for a hunting longrange shot,in low light.Or am I missing someting to all that I have gone through with finding the one scope for my needs.I may have asked the queston in the wrong way,not sure for I have been at it since I found out that the scope I have want work for both worlds.To this is why I am takeing the chance to ask you fine people to what I may want to get.I am lost and now that I am lost,I will not argue this to anyone.

So I ask what would you do in my case for a scope that will be good for both hunting and target shooting.

 

[JGorski]

This Sightron is Illuminated.
Sightron Riflescopes SIII Series SIIISS1050X60LRIRSIL

 

[priler]

hunting deer at 1000?..and with .308? the humane kill zone on a deer is about the size of a paper plate(not the very large type either). this is not like making a COM hit on an enemy soldier. at 1000 yards,even with 300 WM,a 1 mph wind will move the bullet almost 9". what about several crosswinds at different directions and mph? even the biggest monster cartridges are dropping about 1 foot every 25 yards way out there. you could easily miss or worst make a gut shot or just injure the animal and never see it again. the whole point of hunting is to do it humanely and bring the animal down for sure right there. i'm not saying it can't be done,what i'm saying is you need to do alot of development work,including rifle,load and tons of practise,including being extremely precise at wind calling. i'm not seeing this here.

sure,you hear about people doing it but what you don't hear is when they fail,..and those that do that successfully do alot of work beforehand. again,i'm not seeing this here.

how about just doing some paper punching at 1000 first. a 1000 yard X-10 ring target is about 20". when all your shots are always in the X ring consistently and do it on different days and weather,your ready for that deer.

 

[3DHUSKER]

I consistently shoot 6 inch groups at 750 yards on a 12 inch steel plate. No problem taking deer at that range with the 308. But I practice out to that range. Wish I had more ground so I could stretch it out more.

 

[coWSMasher]

I had to make the same decision not that long ago i went with the vortex and i am very very pleased. Glass is better than a mark 4 in my opinion and the only thing i have had the chance to look through that was clearer was a nightforce. I can also say that after using a ffp retical I will never buy anything without it. The cross hairs do get a little bit on the thin side on the lower magnifications, but that being said I haven't had any issues finding the cross hairs in a hurry. I had a bit of an issue with my illumination at first too but when i switched batteries it worked, so i think they just give you a really crappy battery with it.

hope this helps and good luck with your decision.

 

[Crosshair]

1000 is really pushing it for a 308 hunting setup, imo. You are trying to balance the best bullet composition for maximum tissue damage (reliable kill) and higher ballistic coefficient ( retained energy, wind deflection). Most match bullets are not great hunting bullets. Something like a 7mm mag or 7mm-08 with the higher BC and higher velocity (flatter trajectory) for a given bullet would be my choice. I think most of the other 308-based cartridges offer advantages over their parent for long range shooting. I think the 300 win mag is a well rounded cartridge for 1000 yard shooting at something alive. IMO, 308 hunting should be kept inside of 600 yards, beyond that move up to a magnum. As far as scopes, any listed in this thread so far will work, just watch the low mag range from getting to high... For me its 4x, maybe 5x. Just thinkin out loud.

 

[5R Milspec]

guys I can say that at the least I willl be useing 12x even for a 100 yard shot on a deer.My eyes have to have it that way,been that way for some time now.I too plan on a lot of trigger time before I take a shot thats never been done ( for me anyways ) I was taught to make a kill shot and what ever you kill you eat it.I will all so add that the load I am useing shouldn't have a problem at killing a deer with a long shot.The 200gn hybrid at 1000 is running well over 1300fps with enough energy to Jack slap anything ino the next day.I too have always been on the say side of hunting skills,( shooting ) and will never take a shot I think will end up being a bad one.

I thank ya for your ideas and the fact that you are willing to help me in all ways that ya'll can.As of now till someone can change my mind, I am pretty sure that I will be getting the Vortex.So please keep up the thoughts ( opinions ) on to what and why I should get,the more the better say.........John

 

[ArmyJerry]

I have all three, my order is Vortex, Sightron, SS, I would not rule out the Bushnell Elite Tactical, between the 4 I would go with the Bushy.

 

[mws2000]

Another vote for Sightron. The glass on my Slll is far superior to the Vortex PST i owned. Tracking has been spot on.

 

[5R Milspec]

OK I see just as many Sightron votes as the Vortex,but none of the Sightron owners have been able to say the ret is OK for hunting.Maybe one gent has posted,yes there was one guy that posted it was OK for hunting.The two I like for a ret is the one posted on this thread and the fine line with a dot.I first picked the 1/8 dot,but I think the 1/4 dot is more to what I'll need.I would like real world info on this subject.As of now the illumanated ret seems to be the pick of my choice.If Sightron offered it in the model I want I would go Sightron,no questions asked.

I wish Sightron had their custom shop up and running,then this wouldn't be so hard to for me.I would just order the scope to fit the bill for my needs.

 

[moparguy]

I would choose the Vortex. Love the ones I have.

 

[JGorski]

OK I see just as many Sightron votes as the Vortex,but none of the Sightron owners have been able to say the ret is OK for hunting.Maybe one gent has posted,yes there was one guy that posted it was OK for hunting.The two I like for a ret is the one posted on this thread and the fine line with a dot.I first picked the 1/8 dot,but I think the 1/4 dot is more to what I'll need.I would like real world info on this subject.As of now the illumanated ret seems to be the pick of my choice.If Sightron offered it in the model I want I would go Sightron,no questions asked.

I wish Sightron had their custom shop up and running,then this wouldn't be so hard to for me.I would just order the scope to fit the bill for my needs.

id have no problems using the MOA-2 reticle on my Sightron for hunting purposes.
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[5R Milspec]

Ok I just wanted to thank all that gave their opinion to what and why I should buy for a scope.I want to add that a Vortex is on its way.Your kind words has helped me to make a cal,that best fits my needs.I am sure sooner than later I will be getting another scope to go on another rifle of mine.It just might be a Sightron,who knows,maybe by the time I am able to buy their custom shop will be up and running.Now I just need to get the scope on and sighted in.I am needing some trigger time to get ready for the match.

thanks,John