Help me buy a scope

[Crow Terminator]

I'm thinking about doing some trading around.

I've got that SPS Varmint .308 that I tried selling a few months ago, that I'm thinking about trading off for another rifle. Looking at getting the SPS Tactical .308. Same basic gun but has a 20" heavy barrel instead of the 26". That equals out to a pound less weight.

This is going to be my deer rifle. I've already got the aluminum bedded stock in olive drab/spiderweb. I just need a good scope for it.

Since this is going to be going on a deer rifle, I'm looking for good FOV and low light capability. I don't like high power optics so I'm looking to keep this around a 3-9 or 3-15. At the most I would take a 4-12. I don't want to get into the mm size tubes either; prefer the 1".

I just spent about an hour looking at different ones at OpticsPlanet and am more clueless than when I started. LOL. Ahhh yes, the budget factor. Looking to keep this sub $500. Hopefully in the $300-$400 range.


I'm going to go look at another rifle tomorrow that will be used primarily for target shooting and long range deer/varmint. If I buy it, it wont be used for lugging into the woods, that's for sure! So for a scope for it, I'm actually looking into the 4-12 power scopes. This time around I'm looking more for a different style reticle than the standard plex or duplex. I shot a friend of mines cheap scope; was a $99 Tasco that had a 1/8 mildot and I liked it for target shooting. So that's sort of the style I'm looking for; something small and fine like that, but that still has a decent FOV at high power. Once again...price wise, we'll go $550 or less for this one. I was looking hard at the Leupold Mark 2s and Burris FullField II B-Plex 4.5-14. But I've never owned a Burris before; nor even seen one in person.

 

[redblood]

I am not much in tactical stuff. Prbably can't be much help. But I would check bear basin outfitters. That is where I buy all mine.

 

[Model70Man]

For the 308....Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40. You can get them for $369.

For the other, Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44.

 

[Kimberman]

Minox 3-15x42
Sightron SII Big Sky 3-12x42
Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10x44
Nikon Monarch 4-12x42
Vortex Viper 4-12

All should be at or less than $500 with the exception of the Zeiss, but if you keep your eyes peeled you may find one around that price.

 

[JimFromTN]

Are you trading the one rifle for the other? If so, how much are they going to give you for it? Also, have you looked into just shortening the barrel of the rifle you go?

 

[mr.big]

For the 308....Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40. You can get them for $369.

For the other, Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44.

be hard to beat,,

 

[Crow Terminator]

I've heard a lot about the Zeiss Conquest models. You can catch the 3-9x40s on sale quite a bit or as demo models. I guess that would be a pretty good one for the hunting rifle. So that takes care of that one.

I don't know for sure if I'm going to buy the target rifle or not. Going to look at it here in a few hours.

As for the trade on the .308s (Varmint to the Tactical) I haven't even looked into how much they might give me on the trade. Since the two are the same rifle except one has a 6" shorter barrel, I would hope they'd make a good deal with me on the trade. I've just been toying with that idea.

 

[Whelen Man]

If you decide to go the route of the SPS Tactical it would probably save you money to just have the barrel of the rifle you have now shortened and recrowned. You'd be money ahead and still have the same rifle barring any problems with your barrel's accuracy. I've got one of the 308 SPS Tacticals and just love it. Accuracy is all you could ask for in a factory rifle. I've left mine in the factory stock and use it to shoot factory class shoots. Mine has two scopes in the Leupold QD rings. One is a Nikon 4.5-14 Buckmasters in mildot configuration and the other is a 6-24x Weaver Classic that I've used for the shoots. The short barrel gives up some velocity, but no accuracy and sure makes a nice little carbine with a little heft. Have fun!

 

[jaybird62]

I've got a Bushnell 3200 Elite 5-15X Mil Dot scope. I've got it on my bull-barrel .260 Remington. Love it. I think you can find them for about $350.

 

[RUGER]

Zeiss

 

[Crow Terminator]

Whelen Man -- Who around here would do a barrel shortening job and be trustworthy? Since John & Teresa shut down at EWA, I don't even trust anybody with my bows anymore and I'm REAL untrustworthy when it comes to folks tinkering with my stuff. Especially a rifle! A bow can beat you and make you wish you were dead if it explodes but a rifle can kill you fast if it does.

 

[Whelen Man]

Since Sonny Pierce retired I've not really had anyone locally to do anything except myself. If my health were better right now I could cut it and crown it but right now I'm not up to it. There's a guy down around Riceville near the interstate that has a really good lathe and could probably do it. I just found his card and will PM you with his name and phone #.

 

[fastbs]

I got a nikon monarch 4-16x44 mil dot reticle off ebay for less than 400. Put it on a rem varmint barrel/action in bell n carlson a3 stock. I like it a lot. A buddy has a nikon buckmaster which normally runs in the 350ish range. Both of these nikons give you a lot of scope for the money.

 

[infoman jr.]

Crow, John still does bow work out of his garage. At least he did last fall. He did quite a bit of work on my Mathews. If you're interested, I can PM you his contact info.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I was thinking about posting a thread about John and Teresa the other day; just asking how they were doing and such. I've not seen them post in a while. When John had Bobby working for him, those two were the only two guys I've trusted to do my bow work. I bought a Mission X3 from John the year Mission first came out. It was a cheap bow too; and John set that thing up for me. My first 2 weeks with it, I had robin hooded 4 times. He is "da man" for setting up bows.

Back to the scope topic:

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I'm going to give a fella a call about cutting down the barrel and recrowning it. Maybe then I can save a little and put that towards the scope.

I ended up buying the target/varmint gun. I got the 700 Sendero .270 from the classifieds. I wanted it as soon as I saw it posted and that has been over a month ago. I figured it had been sold but to my surprise it hadn't. Right now I have a Redfield 6-18x40 on it. Dad had it laying around and said I could put it on there until I got a scope for it.

 

[Mountian Man_TN]

for the budget minded, Redfield is back on the market. With the
Redfield Revolution Scopes
Prices range from $150 - $250 3x9x40 4x12x40
Nikon, Leopould, Zeiss all fine choices.

 

[Boone 58]

The least and best for the money that i would buy is the Buckmasters 3x9x40 in BDC for around 219...if i were buying up any higher than that it would prob be a leupold in vxII Or vxIII
For the money the 219 bm is an outstanding scope!