Rifle Scopes What scope to buy for a Ruger precision? First time buyer.

Bridgeport13b

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Minuteman
Jun 12, 2020
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Hi as the title states, I recently bought a Ruger precision rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. This is my first bolt action gun and not really sure where to start as far as scopes go. I’m 22 years old and money doesn’t grow on trees for me but I do want to buy a decent scope that doesn’t kill my bank account. Any suggestions? Also what bipod time buy? How do you figure out the proper bipod height?
 
Bushnell HDMR 3-21
Buris XTR2 4-20
Vortex Razor Gen1 5-20
SWFA 5-20 HD

Pick whichever has the retic you prefer. Can get them for $1k or less.

Bipod I would recommend for you Atlas or Harris 6-9

Nothing fancy on set up. Adjust height depends on target height/shooting angle/rear bag size. That's why you want adjustable height.

GL!
DT
 
For the budget conscious, it is hard to beat an Athlon Argos BTR 6-24x50. Give Doug at CameralandNY a call or send him a message here. He goes by @gr8fuldoug and he will walk you through your options.

For a bipod, a 6-9" notch leg Harris will serve you well until you can afford a $300 plus bipod.
 
My favorite mid-tier scope is the Burris XTR2 4-20 which retails in the $900-1000 range, (but I may or may not have said scope for sale in the post exchange for a dope price o_O)

If you're looking for something less expensive than that, I turn to the Athlon Midas Tac, and the Nikon Black FX1000. I'm currently looking at getting one of those for my next build. Those are in the $450-550 range and check all the boxes. Good glass, tracking, good warranty, tough enough for the job etc...

For the least expensive options, you can either go with the Primary Arms 4-14 FFP for like $250, or the Athlon Argos for around $400. I've used both, optically I can't actually tell the difference between these two, but the Argos probably tracks better. I never tested the tracking on the Primary Arms. My friend's Primary Arms just broke though, so I can't say they're very tough.

Just make sure whatever you get it's First Focal Plane. Everyone I know who started on second focal plane/rear focal plane has switched over to first focal plane. And lastly, don't base a purchase on whether or not a scope has an illuminated reticle. Glass/quality should come first! Illumination is just a cherry on top, personally I never use it.
 
If budget is a concern then check out the Bushnell Nitro scopes. You can get them in FFP or SFP and MOA or Mill. 30mm tubes with side parallax adjustment. I have a 50-20 on my 6.5. I also put one on my Ruger Precision Rimfire.
 
Of those four I'd get the bushnell, but If it were me I'd get an Athlon Ares or Cronus. I like the reticles better and I think the glass is better too. SWFA is a nice solid scope as well. Wouldn't buy a an XTR2, the glass wasn't very good on mine and the factory said it was fine when I sent it back.
 
So I’m probably going to buy a Nikon fx1000 not sure if I should go with Moa vs mrad. Thinking I should go with moa
I bought one on a 6.5 PRC and then bought another for my .308 if that tells you anything. 6-24x50 FFP w/ illumination (which I never use). I have the mil/mil turrets and reticle. Be careful because my buddy bought an older model SFP on sale and I believe it's mil turret and MOA reticle 🤪.
One consideration is Nikon is getting out of the scope business but they assured me they will continue to warranty their scopes, which is a no fault, lifetime warranty. They track awesome and the glass is very good. Zero stop as well. Made in Phillipines. I paid $479 a piece. They are now $640-$700. I would possibly consider other brands like Athlon for that money or a little more for other reticle options. I suggest FFP and getting used to mils but they have MOA also.

This is what I have.

This would be great to 1000+ yrds. No illumination saves some $ but still FFP.
 
So I’m probably going to buy a Nikon fx1000 not sure if I should go with Moa vs mrad. Thinking I should go with moa

They discontinued them because of what epic piles of shit they are. If money is tight then buying something that will ultimately have to be replaced isn’t a very smart move.

For under $1K your can get into a LRHS or HDMR2, that would be your best bet on a budget. Fuck cheap Chinese and Phillipino junk.
 
They discontinued them because of what epic piles of shit they are. If money is tight then buying something that will ultimately have to be replaced isn’t a very smart move.

For under $1K your can get into a LRHS or HDMR2, that would be your best bet on a budget. Fuck cheap Chinese and Phillipino junk.
I actually feel this is good advice.
Scopes in the HDMR class can grow with you and hold resale value well
 
If you are 20 and on a limited budget: 12x42 SWFA fixed power ($300 or less if on sale) and a UTG Recon Flex bipod ($50 shipped from amazon).
Great scope and great bipod. Neither is top of the line, but both are excellent and best buys. That bipod is more stable than my Atlas bipods (but without cant and pan features). I've seen people shoot that scope out to a mile (never done it myself with that one). Save the rest of your money and buy reloading equipment or ammo. BTW, it would help to know your budget and purpose for rig. I'm assuming this is for long/medium range.
 
They discontinued them because of what epic piles of shit they are. If money is tight then buying something that will ultimately have to be replaced isn’t a very smart move.

For under $1K your can get into a LRHS or HDMR2, that would be your best bet on a budget. Fuck cheap Chinese and Phillipino junk.
"Epic piles of shit". Interesting. I'd love to see all the negative reviews you must have read since you are always talking shit about these scopes...or are you basing this off an anecdotal experience N=1 or 2. Or maybe your the CEO of NikonUS and know more than I do.
My experience, as well as all the others leaving great reviews of the glass and tracking ability, has been excellent. I can't seem to find all those negative reviews. I'm not comparing apples to oranges, just offering a recommendation, potentially in the < $500 price range.
 
Here ya go. $1K in MOA (if your set on that). Not sure if this is Gen 1 or 2. Probably should clarify with OP.
 
Hi as the title states, I recently bought a Ruger precision rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. This is my first bolt action gun and not really sure where to start as far as scopes go. I’m 22 years old and money doesn’t grow on trees for me but I do want to buy a decent scope that doesn’t kill my bank account. Any suggestions? Also what bipod time buy? How do you figure out the proper bipod height?
I just listed this one for sale ... it would be an awesome scope to 1,000 yards and beyond.
 
Here ya go. $1K in MOA (if your set on that). Not sure if this is Gen 1 or 2. Probably should clarify with OP.
HA ... couldn't agree more !!!
 
Here ya go. $1K in MOA (if your set on that). Not sure if this is Gen 1 or 2. Probably should clarify with OP.
Gen-2 !!! The new one that does NOT have the funky alternating reticle hash-marks.
 
I can speak personally to the Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2. Hard to beat for the money. But you didn't give us a budget. If you don't mind waiting bit, you can pick up an Arken for $600. They are just getting their stock issues fixed and build a nice scope for the price. They were having trouble keeping up with demand during the pandemic but that's just about sorted.
 
"Epic piles of shit". Interesting. I'd love to see all the negative reviews you must have read since you are always talking shit about these scopes...or are you basing this off an anecdotal experience N=1 or 2. Or maybe your the CEO of NikonUS and know more than I do.
My experience, as well as all the others leaving great reviews of the glass and tracking ability, has been excellent. I can't seem to find all those negative reviews. I'm not comparing apples to oranges, just offering a recommendation, potentially in the < $500 price range.

If they’re so great, why did Nikon discontinue them? There’s literally a giant fucking thread of people having them fail and many getting them tits up out of the box.

Not long after they discontinued them, Nikon dissolved the riflescope line entirely. You are smart enough to realize why buying one isn’t a good idea right?
 
Any reason not to buy a used vortex viper scope?

Nope. I have the RPR 6.5CM with a Vortex Viper HST and a Harris Bipod. Works great! Didn't cost an arm and a leg.

I regularly shoot 100 - 300 yards (due to what's available locally), occaisionally I get to 600 yards, and once at 1,000 yards. Successful at all those distances. At the 100 - 300 yard ranges, I'm consistently sub-MOA and often in the 1/2-MOA zone... occasionally 1/3-MOA.

Ultimately, it depends on your budget. But, you can definitely wring out some good performance from the RPR with a Vortex Viper level scope.
 
Hi guys, so I bought a Nikon fx1000 mrad scope. I got it brand new for under $500. Anyways gunshop is basically sold out and they didn’t have any scope mounts and or rings. Any suggestions of what to buy? I was looking at a vortex cm-202.
Thanks
Richard
 
I use this with my FX1000:

I prefer the 20 MOA bias as I shoot LR. Rock solid and you can use the scope on another rifle if need be. The return to zero after removing is excellent.

It's cheaper here and free shipping but may take a little longer to receive and definitely worse CS during the pandemic. Samson is awesome. Call them and get 10% law or first responder discount.
 
Hi as the title states, I recently bought a Ruger precision rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. This is my first bolt action gun and not really sure where to start as far as scopes go. I’m 22 years old and money doesn’t grow on trees for me but I do want to buy a decent scope that doesn’t kill my bank account. Any suggestions? Also what bipod time buy? How do you figure out the proper bipod height?
Obviously, you're getting all kinds of recommendations. But reticle choice is very personal. So, look up the reticles for some or all of these recommendations and choose the one that appeals to you. You've set a budget, which is good.

Then, especially as a beginner, you will be well served to call - on the phone - @gr8fuldoug at CameralandNY or Scott at @LibertyOptics. These guys look after Snipers Hide members.

There is a gold mine of information here on Snipers Hide, which can be overwhelming to newbies. There is also no shortage of "internet expert information" which you'll have to learn to recognize. That's why Doug and Scott are so valuable; they can be trusted to help you make a good decision based on your budget and interests. I'm not saying "best decision." Things will change. You make the best decision you can for the present situation.

SInce you're young and presumably without physical limitations, a 6-9" bipod is pretty much the staple. While people will tell you to buy an Atlas, that's a $300 investment. Granted, it's a great investment; you won't need to upgrade unless you have $$ to burn and just want to. But Harris bipods can be almost as good with a couple of upgrades. You can read about bipods on SH. Use the search function and bring a lunch. You'll be at it awhile.

And I'm going to advise something based on what I saw the last young man who asked me for advice do while we were both at the range. He too had an RPR in 6.5CM. He had two or three magazines. He would load them all up and empty them at big targets close in as fast as he could run the bolt and change magazines. He made no effort whatsoever to learn anything from his shots. That rifle was so hot it was smoking. If he shot it that way all the time, he probably burned that barrel to a cinder in 1500 rounds or less. So - shoot no more than ten rounds between barrel-cooling pauses, and try to learn something with each round you fire. If the barrel is too hot to touch hold in your hand, let it cool a bit. You'll get more life out of it.

Good luck.