Scope for a new shooter

[AndyE]

Hi all

I am new to F class and need some advice on a scope.
Unfortuantly I have a very tight budget but the club that I shoot at has kitted me out with an Omark 44!
I am looking at 6-24X or 10-32X- how does the lower magnification go at 600+ yards?
Also, How would a Tasco hold up on a 7.62? would it last me 2 years whilst I can save for better equipment?

Cheers

[bruce moulds]

for good value, look no further than sightron.
they have one that goes up to 50 power and are ceasing to become the best kept secret in fclass.
bruce moulds.

[Quinny]

The Sightron 10-50x60 is about $1500... hardly meets the "tight budget" criteria, and given that Tasco was mentioned, my guess is the budget is closer to $500.

The Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40 is a very good scope for the money, at around $320 for the scope, another $100 for mounts, that should get you started. It will have no problems on the .308 - I used one on my Tikka .308 for a while, mine now sits on my Howa .223.

[Seddo]

i shot 600y with a 6.5-18 vortex viper on the weekend and it was fine but i wouldnt want to go any lower than 18.

i bought a 6-24x44 tascoo target scope with a moa dot reticle to try last year but never got around to it. It was on special for $150 so i didnt think i had much to loose. I mounted it on a rifle and it looked pretty clear but never took it to the range to see how it looked at aa long distance.

[johnk]

Andy,

Inexpensive scopes can be a real can of worms these days. The Chinese have purchased a number of formerly respectable brands & are "copying" others without necessary approvals. Many of these have less than robust construction & some are said to have adjustments that don't correspond to the minute of angle movemnet that we expect. I'm not saying that all of them are crap, but I would recommend you keep a roll of Sorbent with you while you're checking them out.

You could try looking for second hand quality units on Ebay, though they are few & far between or alternatively consider a fixed power unit for a time. I was quite happy shooting an old Leupold 24x until quite recently, & several friends still are using Lynx & Nikko 16xs.

Remember that it's not only what you can afford. One of the issues with F class is that you could be shooting from 300 to 1000 yards distance (or metric equivalents) & that necessitates a scope with sufficient adjustment (say 30 moa) plus a safety margin either end to ensure that your windage adjustments still have room to move. That really means your scope should have at least 50 moa of available travel, more if possible.

Desirably, you should hold out until you can manage one of the proven brands that your clubmates or other credible shooters you can talk to use. It's not easy when you are new to the game analysing if those stray shots are yours or the scope's.

John

[M12LRPV]

You've mentioned tasco so your budget is likely below $500

The best scope you can get under $500 from a reliable manufacturer is the Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x as mentioned you can get them for about $320 now which is a bargain.

Most importantly for the new F-Class shooter is that the graduations are clear and easy to read and unique. They have full 50 MOA of adjustment each way in 1/8 clicks and the adjustments are precise and repeatable.

Having been burnt a couple of times buying cheap high mag variable scopes I gave up trying to get the magnification and just stuck with the Nikon for F-Class.

The weaver T-Series are not good because they have screwy turrets which go from 0 to 4 and back to 0 which is stupid when you want say a 2 you have to figure out which 2 is the right one.
I have a T-36 on my rimfire and would not consider it on my F-Class rifle because of the turrets.

[AlanF]

The weaver T-Series are not good because they have screwy turrets which go from 0 to 4 and back to 0 which is stupid when you want say a 2 you have to figure out which 2 is the right one...

Your T-Series may be like that, but not all are. However I know Andy and I think new Weavers or Nikons will be above his price range - probably looking at something round the $200. I think a quality used scope is a better option for him than a new one at that figure.

[M12LRPV]

The weaver T-Series are not good because they have screwy turrets which go from 0 to 4 and back to 0 which is stupid when you want say a 2 you have to figure out which 2 is the right one...

Your T-Series may be like that, but not all are. However I know Andy and I think new Weavers or Nikons will be above his price range - probably looking at something round the $200. I think a quality used scope is a better option for him than a new one at that figure.

Well I've highlighted a potential issue that a beginning buyer must be aware of. Certainly I've never seen or heard of a T-Series coming with anything other than the screwy turrets and I did a lot of research looking for alternate turrets before I bought mine in case I decided I wanted to try it on the F-Class rifle. Just couldn't find any and no mention in the doco.

Anyway.

For a $200 budget a second-hand fixed 24x tasco is an option if you can find one.

[AndyE]

I have just been given a BSA Platinum 6-24x44. It has used on a 22LR for approx. 500 rounds with no issues (been dropped a couple of times and still holds zero!). Barring any major issues this will have to do me for now but it will give me time to save for a more respectfull brand and will also allow me to put what I would have spent towards it.
So now I'm going to up my budget to $800-$1000. and get myself a christmas presssie. Your advice is still welcome

[TOM]

You should be able to pick up a second hand Leupold 8.5-25 within that price range. I think with any less power you will be at a disadvantage. If the BSA can serve it's purpose for a further 12 months after Xmas, save some more cash and buy a Nightforce 32X Benchrest or NXS. You wont regret it.

[johnk]

Like this one: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Near-New-Leu ... 3a684cf47f

[Razer]

Word of warning re; Leupold.

There are a lot of 'fake' made in China scopes that are branded 'Leupold' , look similar but are crap. Make sure it is the genuine article before parting with your cash!!!

[Quinny]

With a budget of $800-1000, there is a great range of scopes available - Leupold VX3 6.5-20x40 is probably your best bet. The Leupold 8.5-25x50 and Sightron SIII 6-24x50 might still be a little too expensive (around $1200), but you might find one second hand. The Bushnell 6500 Elite 4.5-30x50 is another one to consider.