Precision Rifle Optics *updated 12/10/17*

[jgbryant]

When we look at optics options which yield high power zooms (north of 14X) there are tons of choices in a endless amount of price ranges.

Lets be honest,  14X or greater commands at least $500 and up if you want to see down range clearly.

There are many things to consider when buying optics but here are the three highlights to think about.

Objective size
-30mm - 56mm there are tons of objective ranges.  Rule of thumb, more objective collects more light which supports higher zoom ranges.  Find the biggest objective you are able to fit is usually the best option when you don't know what to do.

Tube diameter
-1 inch - 35mm, again tons of choices.  Larger scope tube diameters allow for larger mechanical adjustments range in the scope.  Bigger body, more scope "clicks."

Turret and reticle matching
-Often times on inexpensive optics, turrets and reticles are miss matched.  I highly recommend to have MOA turrets and reticle or MIL turrets and reticle.  A mismatch makes it hard to translate measurements made in the reticle to the turret clicks.


Here are some interesting scope options I have found for reasonable prices.  I have observed high level of clarity on the dollar with these scopes

Bushnell Elite LHRS and LRTS 4.5-18x 44mm
This scope is feature loaded with a 30mm tube, matches turret / reticle, FFP and illuminated.  You really can't ask for anything more from a scope that weighs less than 30 ounces.
bushnell.com/tactical/riflescopes/elite-tactical/lrts-4-5-18x-44mm
bushnell.com/hunting/rifle-scopes/elite-long-range-hunter/lrhsi-4-5-18x-44mm

Trijicon Accupower 4-16x 50mm Green MOA
This scope comes in at just about $800 and is an insane value. Anything cheaper makes no sense at all. This is everything the accupoint has but the turrets and fiber.
www.trijicon.com/na_en/products/product2.php?id=AccuPower&mid=4-16x50

Bushnell DMR II or ERS
This scope is feature loaded with a 34mm tube, matches turret / reticle, FFP and illuminated.  Can't find a better scope in the $1500 range, I promise
bushnell.com/tactical/riflescopes/elite-tactical/dmr-ii-3-5-21x-50mm
bushnell.com/tactical/riflescopes/elite-tactical/ers-3-5-21x-50mm

Nikon M-308 4-16x 42mm BDC 800
Priced just over $500 this is the most inexpensive scope I would buy. No illum, target turrets and a 308 BDC all in a 1” tube.
www.nikonsportoptics.com/en/About-Nikon/Search.page?q=m-308%204-16x42%20bdc%20800

Bushnell Elite LRS 3-12x 44mm
First Focal Plane with matching turrets and reticle.  Best feature set under $1K.  
bushnell.com/tactical/riflescopes/elite-tactical/lrs-3-12x-44mm-illuminated-mil-dot

Sig Tango 6 Gen 2 4-24X50MM
This scope has clarity that rivals the Night Force ATACR.  34mm tube, matches turret / reticle, FFP and illuminated.  It also has an electro-level which lights up when the gun is level.  If you are looking for top shelf with a fair price go with Sig.
www.sigsauer.com/store/tango6-4-24x50mm.html

[stokes]

Aloha Jason, thanks for the optics thread, it was very helpful. I had a couple questions I hope you can help with. I have it narrowed down to the Accupoint and the leopold Mark AR MOD you had listed.
1. what is the minimum power you would use if you wanted to shoot an 8" target at 500 yards?
2 . how helpfull is an illuminated reticle in low light situations? Or is it worth paying for?
3. If you had two identical scopes laying next to each other and one was mil dot and the other was MOA, which one would you use?
4. for short range tactical use of 100 yrds or less what color dot type scope would you prefer red vs. green and what dot size?

Thanks for your help, Stokes.

[Preston]

Nov 30, 2016 17:10:00 GMT -10 stokes said:

Aloha Jason, thanks for the optics thread, it was very helpful. I had a couple questions I hope you can help with. I have it narrowed down to the Accupoint and the leopold Mark AR MOD you had listed.
1. what is the minimum power you would use if you wanted to shoot an 8" target at 500 yards?
2 . how helpfull is an illuminated reticle in low light situations? Or is it worth paying for?
3. If you had two identical scopes laying next to each other and one was mil dot and the other was MOA, which one would you use?
4. for short range tactical use of 100 yrds or less what color dot type scope would you prefer red vs. green and what dot size?

Thanks for your help, Stokes.

You may have to sacrifice one use case for another. You want to see at an 8" target at 500 yards, yet have a tactical use at 100 yards. The scopes for both use cases are high dollar scopes. If you are willing to relax your 100 yard tactical use, there is a very good Leupold Mark 4 in the shop 6.5-20 power 50mm objective. This scope will be clear enough to see at the longer distances you want. Stop by the shop and take a look at it.  

[stokes]

Thank you for the reply. I did look at the leupold in the shop, MarK IV has been an industry standard for years. I was not trying to accomplish all those things listed with one system or on one riffle. each question is stand alone. I have two different riffles. One, I'm setting up for long range and the other close range with different optics. I just wanted to know if I should get illuminated, mil dot or MOA reticle, and what is the minimum power that could be used to shoot accurately out about 500 yards. I also wanted to know what size dot and color red/ green dot scope you would recomend for the close range tactical riffle. Any advice on these questions would help me make a decision. What power and type scope do you have on your long distance riffle? I have a Leupold 4x12 golden ring on my 300 mag and for hunting it works well for me, but I usually only shoot 300 yrds or less because I hunt for meat and try to head shot my deer. Mahalo, Stokes.

[Preston]

Dec 1, 2016 13:53:31 GMT -10 stokes said:

Thank you for the reply. I did look at the leupold in the shop, MarK IV has been an industry standard for years. I was not trying to accomplish all those things listed with one system or on one riffle. each question is stand alone. I have two different riffles. One, I'm setting up for long range and the other close range with different optics. I just wanted to know if I should get illuminated, mil dot or MOA reticle, and what is the minimum power that could be used to shoot accurately out about 500 yards. I also wanted to know what size dot and color red/ green dot scope you would recomend for the close range tactical riffle. Any advice on these questions would help me make a decision. What power and type scope do you have on your long distance riffle? I have a Leupold 4x12 golden ring on my 300 mag and for hunting it works well for me, but I usually only shoot 300 yrds or less because I hunt for meat and try to head shot my deer. Mahalo, Stokes.

I have a 5.5-22 x 56mm NightForce NXS on my target rifle. It has illumination but I do not use it for target shooting. As far as your reticle I only recommend matching it to your click values (i.e. Mil reticle with mil click adjustments or Moa reticle with Moa clicks).

A good option is the Bushnell ERS FFP or the Vortex Razor HD Gen 2 which are now both over $2k. If you're on a budget the Leupold Mark 4 in the shop will work for you, good deal on a upper middle class optic.

For a red dot 2-4 Moa is common, I have both an Aimpoint T1 and Comp M2 for my close range. Both are higher priced red dots. But numerous companies have released red dots in the mid price range like Holosun, Primary Arms, etc... You could spend a little more and get an Eotech XPS or Aimpoint H1, H2, which have been battle proven.

From what I have learned with optics is there is no short cut, you get what you pay for. Once you reach the high dollar optics your clarity across brands are pretty similar, at that point you're paying for specific features ( FFP, zero stop, durability, weight)

On red dots your paying for durability, battery life (with Aimpoint) and how rugged you can get and still hold zero.

[stokes]

Wow! Thank you for the reply. I am looking at the leupold with illuminated reticle and its very expensive but like you said, you get what you pay for. I think it runs about $1800 then mounts.
I will try to save a little money on the red dot. Thanks for the leads, I'll look at the red dots you mentioned, Mahalo, Stokes.

[jgbryant]

Made an update to the main post on 12/10/17

[johnyblaze]

Vortex Razor HD Gen 2 is nice!!! but I can recommend you CVLife 4x 32 coz he has very high light transmission and resolution, magnification is pre-set, adjusted for 100 yards, and it is beneficial for fast scope adjustment, making it user-friendly and convenient. I use it always because it is a worthy choice for both price and quality
if interested and want to know more go to this thetacticalscopes.com/best-scope-for-100-yards/ I can find it very very useful!!!)

[KelUploat]

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