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I am getting ready to build by first AR15 in 6.8spc. I am looking for recommendations for budget scope and scope mount. I would appreciate if y'all would post black Friday deals on scopes and mounts that you come across.
I am looking to use the scope for both 5.56 and 6.8.
I am getting ready to build by first AR15 in 6.8spc. I am looking for recommendations for budget scope and scope mount. I would appreciate if y'all would post black Friday deals on scopes and mounts that you come across.
I am looking to use the scope for both 5.56 and 6.8.
Thanks,
-Raj
Whats budget, what upper are you going to use? flat top?
I am getting ready to build by first AR15 in 6.8spc. I am looking for recommendations for budget scope and scope mount. I would appreciate if y'all would post black Friday deals on scopes and mounts that you come across.
I am looking to use the scope for both 5.56 and 6.8.
Thanks,
-Raj
You've gotta define "budget", and what the scope is going to be used for... and swapping one scope back and forth between uppers and re-zeroing each time sucks, don't do it. Especially when so many decent scopes are pretty cheap. For example...
Cabelas currently has the Vortex Crossfire II 4-12x50 on sale for $129.
When they arrive, go to Cabelas and use your $250 worth of gift cards and put the extra $10+shipping on your CC... 2 scopes that will serve you well for around $220.
If those Crossfires aren't on sale anymore, just wait... Cabelas always has huge deals on Vortex closeouts and models that don't sell well... usually models with less-popular reticles.
For mounts, do not skimp... budget mounts I have experience with and highly recommend are Aero Precision or SWFA... $70'ish.
Originally Posted by Monk
I just ordered a Ruger American Predator in 243.
Eventually, I will plop it into this chassis:
I will also eventually top it with a Vortex Viper PST 6-24 first focal plane scope.
Very sexy, but I don't understand that scope on that gun... .243 is not a precision round, and that scope is not money well spent for hunting. 6.5 Creedmoor in the same gun gets you deer to 500yds and precision to 1000yds where that scope might be more appropriate. Why .243?
Finally have all the pieces to finish off my twin beaters... will assemble this weekend and get them out for a break-in next Friday. In the end, I should have just bought a couple PTAC blem uppers when they go on sale for $200, but whatever.
6.5 isn't a legal hunting round in my state.
The chassis and the glass are the big investments.
I think the round has plenty of potential at 1000 yds, which is my maximum range at the moment.
My plan is to shoot the rifle as is with a lower power vortex crossfire and become proficient within it's limitations.
Then, I will add the chassis (and probably a can for funzies), and then I will add the viper and see how well I do at 1000yds.
I was a light machine gunner in the Navy, and I have been the typical rifle, pistol, shotgun guy since I got out.
This is a way to develop longer range shooting cheaply, while still having a useful hunting rig.
P.S. the vortex viper scopes in second focal plane are around $400 right now!
That is a hell of a deal if you don't have to have the latest tacticool trend
6.5 isn't a legal hunting round in my state.
The chassis and the glass are the big investments.
I think the round has plenty of potential at 1000 yds, which is my maximum range at the moment.
My plan is to shoot the rifle as is with a lower power vortex crossfire and become proficient within it's limitations.
Then, I will add the chassis (and probably a can for funzies), and then I will add the viper and see how well I do at 1000yds.
I was a light machine gunner in the Navy, and I have been the typical rifle, pistol, shotgun guy since I got out.
This is a way to develop longer range shooting cheaply, while still having a useful hunting rig.
P.S. the vortex viper scopes in second focal plane are around $400 right now!
That is a hell of a deal if you don't have to have the latest tacticool trend
Makes more sense... you've got a reasonable plan. I had no idea about Indiana's cartridge limitations. .243 and .30cal only for now.
And yes, you can definitely shoot .243 at range if that's what you've got, I've just never known anybody to start from scratch with the .243 in mind. But if this gun needs to hunt too, it's gonna be fun figuring it out. I just looked and Berger makes 105gr VLD's, and there's always factory Hornady AMAX to baseline. The .22" barrel in the Predator is a bonus... a lot of the modern factor threaded bolt-actions are running 20" barrels.
I've got the 3-12x56 Crossfire on my 6.8 Hunting rig and I have no complaints about the glass, but it's too heavy and the illuminated reticle is useless. I've looked hard at the 6.5-20x Vipers lately because they're so cheap, but at 6.5x, I'd miss a few opportunities during a spot&stalk where I just couldn't line up a shot quick enough, plus they're not small. A 4-16x Diamondback HP w/BDC reticle for about $250 would be great... they're $300 now, but maybe some Black Friday deal will pop. Those Diamondback HP's are a smoking deal for optical quality, plus the Vortex warranty is ****.
Another advantage of the 243 to me, is the potential to be a decent varmint round. I love coyote hunting, and the shotgun and 22 mag are great for closer work, but...
I have a bell-tower with a completely clear 700 yd line of sight to the woods. Coyotes very frequently visit the ditch for water.
Does the crossfire II have an illuminated reticle? I'm finding them for less than $150, and I'm sure they would be just fine for hunting purposes.
Another advantage of the 243 to me, is the potential to be a decent varmint round. I love coyote hunting, and the shotgun and 22 mag are great for closer work, but...
I have a bell-tower with a completely clear 700 yd line of sight to the woods. Coyotes very frequently visit the ditch for water.
Does the crossfire II have an illuminated reticle? I'm finding them for less than $150, and I'm sure they would be just fine for hunting purposes.
Great spot there. I don't know if all Crossfires have the illum reticle. My model is branded as the "Hog Hunter" and with 56mm obj is geared towards more low-light... which is all relative because the quality of the glass is more important to light transmission than the obj diameter. I'm not an illuminated reticle fan to start with... but I chose that scope before I knew more about scopes and it came with one.
With 700yds to glass over, don't skimp on a decent pair of bino's... make sure they will trip-pod mount. I just spent a few days looking past 1500yds with my 10x42 Diamondback bino's and they were spectacular. As it got darker, my buddies Swaro's were brighter and had no edge distortion, but in the eyebox, it was just as clear and usable at that distance. At 1000yds in daylight, my DB's could pick up .223cal paint splatter on steel... about 2" diameter black marks on white background. I couldn't discern the edges, but I could break out the black cirle where the steel was showing vs. the white paint backround. The Swaro's were no better where it counted (in bright daylight). If you don't have to hump them anywhere, the 12x50 DB binos are just about the best you'll find for the money. I like them so much, I'm saving for a Diamondback spotting scope.
For my AR I've been looking at the Primary Arms PAC5X.
I will mostly be shooting 100-300 yards, and this seems like a no-fuss/reliable option.
Some reviews call this the poor-man's ACOG.
Whats budget, what upper are you going to use? flat top?
Originally Posted by samnavy
You've gotta define "budget", and what the scope is going to be used for... and swapping one scope back and forth between uppers and re-zeroing each time sucks, don't do it. Especially when so many decent scopes are pretty cheap. For example...
Cabelas currently has the Vortex Crossfire II 4-12x50 on sale for $129.
When they arrive, go to Cabelas and use your $250 worth of gift cards and put the extra $10+shipping on your CC... 2 scopes that will serve you well for around $220.
If those Crossfires aren't on sale anymore, just wait... Cabelas always has huge deals on Vortex closeouts and models that don't sell well... usually models with less-popular reticles.
For mounts, do not skimp... budget mounts I have experience with and highly recommend are Aero Precision or SWFA... $70'ish.
My idea of budget was around $150-$200 for the scope. The main use for the scope would be target shooting, hunting and plinking.
I bought this Bushnell AR Optics 1-4x 24mm Riflescope w/ Throw Down PCL AR91424I a while ago when PSA had them on sale. I would probably mount this on the 5.56.
I like your Cabelas suggestion. I am going to buy some gift cards now.
For my AR I've been looking at the Primary Arms PAC5X.
I will mostly be shooting 100-300 yards, and this seems like a no-fuss/reliable option.
Some reviews call this the poor-man's ACOG.
I think reticles like that are a marketing gimmick for wannabes. I've watched hours and hours of YT videos on reticle design and philosophy... kiss. For sub 300yd shots and under $300, a there are quite a few 1-6x scopes now with superior optics and a very simple reticles. I've hunted a ton of deer in all kind of weather between 100-300yds knowing my drop and just using holdover and best guess for wind... zero'd at 200yds, there is really no holdover on a human-sized target for any centerfire rifle round unless you're taking headshots. For drift, the only number an instructor told me to remember is 10-10-300... 10kts=10"@300yds... aim for the shoulder. Most guys I know can't tell the difference between 5kts and 15kts of wind, and 200yds or 400yds... so fancy lines in the reticle will just be confusing in a crunch. Lots of training to be able to use the reticle under pressure, judge wind, judge actual distances... just not for the average guy with no training.
In short, for sub 300yds, get the best glass you can with the simplest reticle you can and practice getting shots off quickly in varying situations by feeling it. The Vortex Strike Eagle is unbeatable for the price right now... well under $300 a few places.
I think reticles like that are a marketing gimmick for wannabes. I've watched hours and hours of YT videos on reticle design and philosophy... kiss. For sub 300yd shots and under $300, a there are quite a few 1-6x scopes now with superior optics and a very simple reticles. I've hunted a ton of deer in all kind of weather between 100-300yds knowing my drop and just using holdover and best guess for wind... zero'd at 200yds, there is really no holdover on a human-sized target for any centerfire rifle round unless you're taking headshots. For drift, the only number an instructor told me to remember is 10-10-300... 10kts=10"@300yds... aim for the shoulder. Most guys I know can't tell the difference between 5kts and 15kts of wind, and 200yds or 400yds... so fancy lines in the reticle will just be confusing in a crunch. Lots of training to be able to use the reticle under pressure, judge wind, judge actual distances... just not for the average guy with no training.
I think in a self defense situation, you're unlikely to take shots where an Aimpoint doesn't offer enough magnification. I've found that magnification is a huge help for hitting one inch bullseye targets (especially when you can clearly see where your rounds are landing) but I just don't feel comfortable explaining to the cops how that 500 yard shot against someone you can barely see was clear self defense. Anything under 100 (which is pretty far as self defense distances go) is a point blank shot for anything you can shoulder except subsonic rounds.
I think reticles like that are a marketing gimmick for wannabes. I've watched hours and hours of YT videos on reticle design and philosophy... kiss. For sub 300yd shots and under $300, a there are quite a few 1-6x scopes now with superior optics and a very simple reticles. I've hunted a ton of deer in all kind of weather between 100-300yds knowing my drop and just using holdover and best guess for wind... zero'd at 200yds, there is really no holdover on a human-sized target for any centerfire rifle round unless you're taking headshots. For drift, the only number an instructor told me to remember is 10-10-300... 10kts=10"@300yds... aim for the shoulder. Most guys I know can't tell the difference between 5kts and 15kts of wind, and 200yds or 400yds... so fancy lines in the reticle will just be confusing in a crunch. Lots of training to be able to use the reticle under pressure, judge wind, judge actual distances... just not for the average guy with no training.
In short, for sub 300yds, get the best glass you can with the simplest reticle you can and practice getting shots off quickly in varying situations by feeling it. The Vortex Strike Eagle is unbeatable for the price right now... well under $300 a few places.
Agreed on all points. That looks like a copy of the leatherwood 1-6x AK specific reticle, which makes a certain amount of sense (very little) for that platform. In a 5X fixed power scope, it seems like a gimmick.
Remember that WW2 snipers used low powered, simplistic reticles to good success.
Unless we are target shooting or are experienced long-range hunters, most of us are using more reticle/magnification than we need.
Originally Posted by AlwaysBroken
I think in a self defense situation, you're unlikely to take shots where an Aimpoint doesn't offer enough magnification. I've found that magnification is a huge help for hitting one inch bullseye targets (especially when you can clearly see where your rounds are landing) but I just don't feel comfortable explaining to the cops how that 500 yard shot against someone you can barely see was clear self defense. Anything under 100 (which is pretty far as self defense distances go) is a point blank shot for anything you can shoulder except subsonic rounds.
For self defense, I don't see any sort of magnified optic to be justifiable. At the moment, none of us are doing counter sniper operations on our home turf.
I would scoff at the glass snobs years ago until I bought my Razor 1-6. I didnt think high dollar scopes would make that much of a difference. Boy was I wrong.
The Razor is mounted on my comp gun. I tried several options and could never find the right compromise. The most annoying trait I have found in a run and gun scope is eye relief and an unforgiving eye box. The Razor is the honey badger of scopes. It gives no fks if you grabbed a poor check weld after the buzzer went off. It is hard to explain the view through the scope but the best description is that it looks like you are viewing through a ring, not a tube.
Anyways, I also have a strike eagle and it is great at that price point. I am looking to upgrade the scope on my Rem 700 at some point. Cabelas has some black friday scope deals I might check out.
For self defense, I don't see any sort of magnified optic to be justifiable. At the moment, none of us are doing counter sniper operations on our home turf.
This can't be stated enough... if you shoot a person with a magnified optic on the gun, it will become a focal point for the prosecution in your murder case, regardless of the type of gun used or whether you actually used the optic.
Originally Posted by stratosteve
I would scoff at the glass snobs years ago until I bought my Razor 1-6. I didnt think high dollar scopes would make that much of a difference. Boy was I wrong... The Razor is the honey badger of scopes. It gives no fks if you grabbed a poor check weld after the buzzer went off. It is hard to explain the view through the scope but the best description is that it looks like you are viewing through a ring, not a tube.
Anyways, I also have a strike eagle and it is great at that price point. I am looking to upgrade the scope on my Rem 700 at some point. Cabelas has some black friday scope deals I might check out.
I think all of the Vortex models have that huge sweet spot... big eyebox with lots of relief... the whole eyepiece kinda lines up by itself if by the Force. My Crossfire is a breeze to set up behind, and with the big cheek rest on my Magpul STR stock, I can get comfortable no matter what position I'm forced into and still have a great sight picture. Looking forward to some better glass by stepping up to a Diamondback HP.
On a recent hunt, in addition to comparing my DB binos against some Swaro's, a buddy brought both his Razor and Swaro 60x spotting scopes. The Razor was noticeable brighter, had a tighter picture across the same magnification (almost like it was a 70x compared to the Swaro 60x), and was crystal out to the edges of the field of view on this hillside... could clearly pick out individual stained glass window pieces at 2 miles... the Swaro could do that too, but the Razor was brighter and tighter... and well under half the price.
Originally Posted by AlwaysBroken
I think in a self defense situation, you're unlikely to take shots where an Aimpoint doesn't offer enough magnification. I've found that magnification is a huge help for hitting one inch bullseye targets (especially when you can clearly see where your rounds are landing) but I just don't feel comfortable explaining to the cops how that 500 yard shot against someone you can barely see was clear self defense. Anything under 100 (which is pretty far as self defense distances go) is a point blank shot for anything you can shoulder except subsonic rounds.
Right on the money. Unless they were shooting at you, or it was a clear case of collective self defense or defense of others (which is a lot harder to put before a jury); If you shoot somebody farther away than you could throw the gun, you're probably going to prison.
So, I've been trying to get some AR500 targets made here locally. I can buy steel from a steel-yard and pay an exorbitant amount for somebody else to cut it the way I want. Or, I can pay a quadruple markup for the steel at a place that will also cut it for me very cheap. In the end, the cheapest prices I can find is literally 3x as much as just ordering it from Amazon. I was basically looking at buying a 4'x4' plate, having it cut in half so I had a huge single 4'x2' plate, 2x 20'x12' IPSC's, and the rest in 6" and 8" rounds or whatever maximized the material. One guy said $2000 and it would take 2 weeks. Instead, I ordered a a single 20"x12" torso and a pair of 8" rounds (3/8") for $105 shipped from MagnumTarget.com... will be here Tuesday.
After a test session, I'll be ordering some more... these guys actually answered the phone when I called to ask a few questions.
I have been EDCing that BLF edition 18650 torch for almost a year. Foursevens just introduced their new mini mk2 and that led me to the Olight S1R Turbo. Slightly longer and bigger than a duralope, it is barely noticeable in my pocket. It packs 900 lumen (limited due to heat/size) and several other levels. It is powered by an included RCR123A. The USB cord in the pic is to charge it without taking the batt out via a magnet and a connection at the base. This thing redefines pocket rocket.
ETA #2 the pocket clip is reversible to attach to a ball cap and use it as a headlamp.
11-17-2016, 12:53 PM
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