I’ve had a few scopes but not too many, nothing serious. I’ve been shooting red dots mostly for the past 5 years. I’m looking into a DMR for my collection, and have settled on a LMT MWS in 308. I have read a bit about the necessity of investing in a quality scope. I’ll need to wait a while before I have real $ to spend on a high quality optic. So I’m looking for one that will do while I’m saving over the next year or so.
Most of my shooting will be from the bench at 100 - 200 yards, but there will be times now and then when I’d like to shoot a little further. A guy at the range let me shoot his MWS , his optic was 12x and I shot very well with it. One thing I didn’t like was that the eye box was really small.
I have an idea of what I want, but think that I might want too much. I’d like a tactical reticle, a constant eye relief, a good eye box/exit pupil at higher magnification, and not too heavy. How’s that for a tall order?:fie:
What is a good eye box at higher magnification (obviously the exit pupil reduces at magnification)? I see 2.8mm to 3.3mm a lot.
Exit pupil is the objective lens diameter divided by magnification. So if you like a 12x scope and you want at least a 3mm exit pupil then the objective needs to be at least 36mm. My experience at the bench with my AR is I can shoot great groups with a 6x but I can’t see where I’m hitting without another higher mag optic. If you have a spotting scope for this purpose then maybe a lower mag solution is okay with the added benefit of being able to use it for hunting. I do however enjoy shooting with 18-20x at the top end where I can easily see bullet holes in paper without breaking my cheek weld. So a lot of it depends on what you want. If you’re at the bench shooting paper a 2.5mm exit pupil is just fine. If you look at some of the 40x benchrest scopes they have exit pupils far smaller than that.
Before you decide on the features you want to drop hard earned cash on, you really need to understand and quantify as exactly as possible what you want to do with the rifle. There has yet to be a scope invented that is a master of all trades. Each discipline requires some sacrifice that will impact another. A light 2-10x scope will be great in the field, but it’s unlikely you’ll will bench rest with it. A 20-40x would be great for shooting groups, but tits on a boar in the field.
Great point, TAZ. The reality is that I will be shooting this gun from the bench most of the time. While I won’t be using the ten pound beast that is the LMT in any shoot and move courses, I don’t want to be entirely limited in mobility. So, I’m trying to find a good compromise between the 2-10x and the 40x, with a max around 15x. If I and the rifle are capable, I’d like an optic that would allow me to shoot MOA or better at 200 yards.
I’m looking at Leupold’s Mark4 4.5-14, Bushnell Elite Tactical 2.5-16, the SWFA
Super Sniper 12x or HD 10x.
If I’m looking in the “mid range” priced optics around +/- $700, my picks are the Vortex PST 2.5-10x32 or the SWFA 3-15.
If you’ve got more to spend, then the suggestions above are great.
Edit to add:
Most of the ones above are in the $2K range. If you are looking in the mid $1k, I’ve always been intrigued by the Bushnell HDMR. They have it with the Horus H59 reticle as well. There is also a 3-12 that looks good as well.
What about the Nightforce Scopes. They are expensive but not prohibitive. Their 2.5-10x42 and 3-15x50 have great exit pupil and can be had for a little more than $1500.
They have a good rep. Are they that good or overrated?