Riflescopes for range shooting ...

Alan Rushing

Hello folks. I'd appreciate feedback and information regarding good quality scopes for target/range shooting.

(I have some shooting and hunting experience with open-sights and various hunting-scopes only.)

I have never been into competitive shooting ... but am interested in finding out about shooting mid range distances. ie.~ 300-600 yards.

Just about anything on subject would be new info to me. In other words ... don't know a darn thing about the optics for that entire area of shooting. Knowledge, information and opinions welcome.

Pearyw

What game and at what distances?
CMP 22 rimfire competition has a 6x limit. I shoot USBR 22 rimfire benchrest and use 36x scopes at 50 yds.

cbyerly

Mid range NRA competitions are shot at 600 yards. A scope of at least 10 power is normally used.

tskry

there is no substatute for a good quality scope. as previously mentioned if you plan on shooting over 300yds a minimum of 10 power is needed, I prefer a Burris or Nikon but thats just my preference any quality brand will serve you well as long as you are comfortable with it. My personal favorite is a Burris fulfield II 4.5x14x42. I have these on my 204 and on a 22-250 and I can consistantly hit clay pigeons at 400yds with both.

NO the clays aren't flying I hang them on a post.

375H&H

Two years ago I went Groundhog hunting with a friend for the 1st time . Never had a desire to shoot the little buggers , I would just glass the fields looking for them and watch him do all the shooting .

Most shots were around 250 out to over 400 yards . The worst thing I did was try a shot at one around 200 or so , that was it , I was hooked [:p]

Started out with a Weatherby VanGaurd in 223 rem. with a 3x9x40 Vx I scope on it . Missed alot more then I hit .

Last year I got a Rem 700 VTR in 223 on the auction side and when it came time to scope it I looked at a bunch of scopes, I settled on a Weaver V series 6x24x42 with the mil dot reticle

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=218182160

and love the scope , I did look at the fulfield II " tactical " but that was a little out of my price range , anyway thought I'd let ya know .

I have it sighted in with the 1st dot above center hitting right on @ 100 yd's , have yet to get out to see how it will do at longer ranges ( 250 , 300 , and so on out to 400 ) but those little buggers will be out and about in another month or so [:)], and the farmer's love when you clean those guys out of their fields for em , gained access to a few good farms for hunting hogs and deer , just by getting to know them .

Mk 19

You used the phrase "good quality", so my question to you would be "what is your budget?". Scopes come in several different levels of price, depending on your budget and the general usage of the scope it would be easy to find what works properly for you. One of the biggest things to remember about optics of any sort is that you get what you pay for. The levels of price can be discribed as:
50-200 = toys
200-600 = entry level
600-1500 = mid level
1500-up = high end

People always ask me why a quality optic cost so much, the answer to that is that precision optics provide much clearer, sharper images along with a degree of mechanical perfection for repeatability, all of that becomes very expensive to produce. Due to the fact that you'll never be able to hit what you can not see it is far better to have a $1500 scope on a $500 rifle than it is to have a $500 scope on a $1500 rifle.

bpost

If you are competing go to a match and see what others are using, copy the top shooters! I learned a lot of ideas from the old coot Perry Shooter, why re-invent the wheel? [:D]

If I had the $$$$ Night Force, since I don't I use Burris and never worry.