He can get more glass without going FFP. unless he's milling/engaging targets on variable powers its not necessary.
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Long Range scope 1200 yard max shot
- Thread starter Marcos Feliciano
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Skip the FFP-- greatly increased cost, and ZERO benefit unless you are going to shoot at lower than max power. If you're a target shooter-- when would you ever do that? (OK, unless you have maybe a 30+ power scope and mirage is bad.... but that's speculative, and we're not on the Great Plains.)
Forget FFP, forget illumination-- get GOOD GLASS, GOOD MECHANICS and PARALLAX CORRECTION. Buy a good scope level (bubble level you use while shooting). The other stuff is merely "nice to have". A good Vortex will serve you well. Don't know the other brand you mentioned. But good glass, in variable powers, start about $600 with very few exceptions. Around $900, you can get a tactical Weaver that punches outside its class in all the relevant categories, plus illuminated for what little that's worth (if you're a target shooter, I mean). The Weavers are under-appreciated, and the price reflects it.
Find a Nightforce and look through it. Or don't-- it'll ruin you. Mine is better than the 60X $800 spotting scopes for seeing bullet holes at distance though-- and that's the difference between good glass (Nightforce, only 22X) and poor glass ($800 spotting scope, 60X). I'm an amateur astronomer, and the NF glass is astronomy grade. Ought to be; it costs more than a nice 8" telescope!
There's been on offer on here for a 20-something power illuminated, FFP scope for $300, from some brand you've never heard of. That's Mall Ninja stuff... ignore. The cheapest good scope is the Weaver 3-10, with Japanese glass, that's a Midway exclusive. And the SWFA fixed-power scopes. But I think you may already have better than that.
Practicing your shooting, with a scope level, and learning the wind, will help more than fancy optics. Though I guess you have reached the point where you realize 600 is easy if the wind isn't blowing... and the challenge (the fun!) lies well beyond. And you're fortunate enough to have access to such ranges! I'm jealous. : )
Good luck.
Afterthought: Here's the Midway scope. Great optics and mechanics, no parallax, but often on sale (4 times a year) for $299.95. If you need another adjustable scope on the cheap.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/5...mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte
Forget FFP, forget illumination-- get GOOD GLASS, GOOD MECHANICS and PARALLAX CORRECTION. Buy a good scope level (bubble level you use while shooting). The other stuff is merely "nice to have". A good Vortex will serve you well. Don't know the other brand you mentioned. But good glass, in variable powers, start about $600 with very few exceptions. Around $900, you can get a tactical Weaver that punches outside its class in all the relevant categories, plus illuminated for what little that's worth (if you're a target shooter, I mean). The Weavers are under-appreciated, and the price reflects it.
Find a Nightforce and look through it. Or don't-- it'll ruin you. Mine is better than the 60X $800 spotting scopes for seeing bullet holes at distance though-- and that's the difference between good glass (Nightforce, only 22X) and poor glass ($800 spotting scope, 60X). I'm an amateur astronomer, and the NF glass is astronomy grade. Ought to be; it costs more than a nice 8" telescope!
There's been on offer on here for a 20-something power illuminated, FFP scope for $300, from some brand you've never heard of. That's Mall Ninja stuff... ignore. The cheapest good scope is the Weaver 3-10, with Japanese glass, that's a Midway exclusive. And the SWFA fixed-power scopes. But I think you may already have better than that.
Practicing your shooting, with a scope level, and learning the wind, will help more than fancy optics. Though I guess you have reached the point where you realize 600 is easy if the wind isn't blowing... and the challenge (the fun!) lies well beyond. And you're fortunate enough to have access to such ranges! I'm jealous. : )
Good luck.
Afterthought: Here's the Midway scope. Great optics and mechanics, no parallax, but often on sale (4 times a year) for $299.95. If you need another adjustable scope on the cheap.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/5...mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte
Yeah, for radically varying distance (point blank to several hundred yards in the same stage), the FFP is useful. I have the SWFA 1-6X FFP scope, and it's the bomb on an AR-10, from kissing distance to 600 yards. Not perfect for any, but plenty good for all. But my target guns don't need that. Check out that SWFA 1-6X with the doughnut reticle to see one of the few reitcles done right. Cranked up, the red doughnut is outside the field of view, and you just have nice hash marks in the middle. Up close, you have a big red aiming circle at 1X. At 6X, you have the hash marks as the circle has been expanded out of the field of view. But I repeat myself.
If that's what you need, it's dynamite-- but for target shooting from a stationary position, it's overcomplicated and overexpensive. In my opinion. Great for 3-gun though, even out west. (Around here, the 3-gun targets don't exceed 100 yards.)
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Bushnell DMR or HDMR, Burris XTR II, Sig Tango 4. I would choose any of the 3 above a lower line Athlon or Viper PST.
Should have no need for a 40moa rail at the distance you mentioned with standard calibers for that distance.
Should have no need for a 40moa rail at the distance you mentioned with standard calibers for that distance.
I've griped about this before, and I'll do it again-- for us Atlanta folks, there _is_ one case where you might want to dial down the magnification. Anniston. The CMP range uses a 36" black circle on a white background at 600 yards, and this is annoying with a high-power scope. It's set up for open sights. I hear if you call ahead, they'll put a smaller aiming mark out there, but I didn't know about that when I've been. 22X and a 36" target? Yeah, try shooting a super-small group on an apparent 132 MOA wide dot. I can see flies out there... It's hard to center that thing unless you dial the power down. But I digress...
One of these days I'm going to write an article about "aim small, miss small". For my scopes, I want 8 MOA apparent through the scope. So at at 600, with a 10X scope, I want a 5" dot (4.8"). Maybe 6", but not bigger. Any smaller, and my crosshairs cover too much. If it's a lot bigger than 6", it's hard to stay centered. In my limited experience, anyway. With my equipment, I really want a 3" dot at 600.
One of these days I'm going to write an article about "aim small, miss small". For my scopes, I want 8 MOA apparent through the scope. So at at 600, with a 10X scope, I want a 5" dot (4.8"). Maybe 6", but not bigger. Any smaller, and my crosshairs cover too much. If it's a lot bigger than 6", it's hard to stay centered. In my limited experience, anyway. With my equipment, I really want a 3" dot at 600.
Buy a Nightforce and be done. You do not need a FFP for target or even PRS match shooting. On a FFP the reticle gets bigger as the magnification goes up, if the target is small, the reticle may cover the entire target. It is hard to hit if it is hiding behind the reticle.
The most important feature on a long range scope is how much elevation adjustment you have. If you have a scope with only 50 moa of elevation adjustment, you will not be able to reach your distance with the adjustment in the scope. You may have enough reticle to do hold over, but you will lose field of view because you are not looking through the center of the scope.
The Nightforce ATACR scopes have 100 to 120 moa of elevation adjustment. When you mount these on a 20 to 40 moa scope base you have enough adjustment to reach out past a mile while still looking through the middle of the scope. If you have any other questions please let me know and I will answer the best I can.
The most important feature on a long range scope is how much elevation adjustment you have. If you have a scope with only 50 moa of elevation adjustment, you will not be able to reach your distance with the adjustment in the scope. You may have enough reticle to do hold over, but you will lose field of view because you are not looking through the center of the scope.
The Nightforce ATACR scopes have 100 to 120 moa of elevation adjustment. When you mount these on a 20 to 40 moa scope base you have enough adjustment to reach out past a mile while still looking through the middle of the scope. If you have any other questions please let me know and I will answer the best I can.
if you want to get serious about long distance shooting I have a Vortex Viper HST 4-16 x55 Brand New in the box with Vortex rings.
Here are the specs:
Magnification 6-24 x
Objective Lens Diameter 50 mm
Eye Relief 4.0 inches
Field of View 17.8-5.1 feet/100 yards
Tube Size 30 mm
Turret Style Tactical
CRS Zero Stop
Adjustment Graduation 1/4 MOA
Travel per Rotation 12 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment 65 MOA
Max Windage Adjustment 65 MOA
Parallax Setting 50 yards to infinity
Length 15.5 inches
Weight 22.6 ounces
this is my second rifle scope by Vortex and they are excellent scopes. This one was made for shooting at 1900 yards or better and you can look up an ants ass a mile away quickly. I paid $750 so if your interest make me an offer. The rings were over a hundred bucks and I might just give them to you. Unlike a few others I am not asking new or better prices. This is too good to miss.
Here are the specs:
Magnification 6-24 x
Objective Lens Diameter 50 mm
Eye Relief 4.0 inches
Field of View 17.8-5.1 feet/100 yards
Tube Size 30 mm
Turret Style Tactical
CRS Zero Stop
Adjustment Graduation 1/4 MOA
Travel per Rotation 12 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment 65 MOA
Max Windage Adjustment 65 MOA
Parallax Setting 50 yards to infinity
Length 15.5 inches
Weight 22.6 ounces
this is my second rifle scope by Vortex and they are excellent scopes. This one was made for shooting at 1900 yards or better and you can look up an ants ass a mile away quickly. I paid $750 so if your interest make me an offer. The rings were over a hundred bucks and I might just give them to you. Unlike a few others I am not asking new or better prices. This is too good to miss.
If you don't need FFP then the sightron s3 line is in your price bracket and offer way better mechanics and glass than the pst or athlons.
IMO, You DO need a FFP for PRS shooting especially on hold over only stages.
The ATACR is WAYYYYYYY above the OP's Price point
