Hey just asking if anyone has any feed back on a good AR scope that I don’t have to sell one of my children for. I went cheap on the first one and hate it, but was looking at the Nikon P-223 3-9x40.
The Bushnell Tactical Elite line has some nice ARish variable scopes. What are your shooting habits/distances?
Burris Mtac 1-4 illuminated. I have several burris scopes. They’re all tough and don’t give a problem.
Sounds good I’ll check those out. I shoot more medium to long range (200M-400M). I don’t do much CQB anymore, lol, about to retire out of the OKNG MP’s.
Yeah… one of the 1-4s will get you nice hits at those ranges. We shoot some of the ACOGs with fixed 4x and they’re plenty of Magnification out to 500 yards and more.
Yeah I really like the ACOG’s I was stuck with a CCO in Asscrackistan and it was terrible. I was thinking about the Nikon P-223 3-9 since my eyes aren’t what they used to be lol.
There really is no sub $300 scope worth owning, other than a handfull. Even then, I would save up for something with better quality and features.
The PA microdots are decent as is the Bushnell Dot, but for magnification… nothing will hold up to actual use, have accurate tracking, and clear enough glass to be usefull.
For low power viarbles the Burris are decent, but I am not a fan of the reticle (MTAC). I owned one for a year and sold it.
The only 3 cheap ones worth owning are the SWFA SS, the Weaver Tactical 3-10x and the Bushnell 3200 ET 10x mil/mil.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/950843/bushnell-elite-3200-tactical-rifle-scope-10x-40mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/598484/weaver-tactical-grand-slam-rifle-scope-3-10x-40mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte
Spending as much or more on optics than the rifle is sound advice. A cheap rifle with quality optics is preferable to a high end rifle with junk optics. You can also keep the optic as you move on to better weapon systems.
Burris MTAC is a good scope but you may find it a bit lacking in precision past 100 yards. It has a pretty robust reticle and the center dot is probably about 2.5 moa. Great reticle for CQB and combat style shooting but no so much precision target shooting
Are you looking to shoot the smallest groups possible at 400 yards or just get good hits on target? For small groups I would look at the Leupold Mk-AR line. For good hits on target I would go with a 1-4.
I went cheap with the P-223 3-9x. I Also went cheap a second time with the M-223 1-4x. I didn’t go cheap the third time with an Aimpoint PRO, but that’s for a different use.
The Nikon’s aren’t horrible scopes, they just don’t fit what I want to do with my rifles, which is 300-400yds +. I would look at the Vortex Viper PST line. Those are what I most likely will be going with to replace the Nikon’s.
I wish I would have saved up a little more and bought something better from the beginning.
I’ve got two of the Vortex Crossfires (a 4-12 and a 2-7) that have been pretty decent without breaking the bank. Depending on the amount of rounds you will be shooting, it might be something to look at.
Is this going to be a long range SPR type AR, or do you want something pretty portable? How precise do you want to be on your shots? Are you shooting for groups out to 400 yards, or just wanting to make hits on big steeL?
If you want to be really precise, with more magnification than a 1-x scope but want to stay in a smaller budget, I would look at the Falcon Menace 4-14 FFP Mil/Mil scope for $359. http://swfa.com/Falcon-Menace-4-14x44-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P47408.aspx
I have one on my Rem700 PSS .308, and I have put over 400 rounds through it and it has held zero perfectly. I got it based on good review on Snipershide and from other shooters, and for a FFP mil/mil scope under $400, I haven’t been disappointed at all. It might be more scope than you are looking for on an AR, but if you want the ability to dial for shots and make accurate hits at distance, it’s a great scope that won’t break the bank. We regularly shoot at 400+ yards, and have shot out to 1,200 yards with it with great results (on a .308, not .223).
Good luck!
The Leupold 3-gun is a beast for half the price of the MK6. But a genuine budget scope is probably the Burris. The reticle isn’t perfection, but it’s workable to 400-500. The glass isn’t the best, but it’s not half bad. I’d honestly rather them have kept the illumination and give me better glass or a better price. Illumination doesn’t seem to be worth it to me until you get into nicer optics with much bigger price tags.
Vortex has some budget minded offerings that aren’t too bad for the price as well…and I was shocked at how nice the Razor HD lines were.
Trijicon accupoints are a great optic and as more and more folks are starting to pick up 1-6’s more and more will be available on the secondary market at good prices.
What country is the Falcon Menace mfg. in?
I have the Vortex PST 1X4 and its very good. Better yet at twicw the money is Razor HD 1X6. You might get more info checking the Optics sub forum.
Thanks for all the help everyone! You have given me some great feed back. I just hope I can blend the cammo job in with the new scope. Cammo’ed it myself, hope y’all like it. I hope this all helps others with the same questions so keep posting if you have more to add. The more info the better.
For the money its hard to beat Bushnell elites. If you can find a 3200 or 4200 floating around I would jump on it. Especally the 4200. Some cheap 3-9s out there. Have shot Elites for years and cant find more bang for the buck. The 6500 is most likey a little spendy for what your looking for. Played with the nikon 223 series and I dont care for the BDC on them. Find a mil-dot and make your own BDC chart for the ammo you are using and the conditions. Just my .02
I purchased a Mueller Speed Shot 1-4x24 as a range toy a little over a year ago. Simplistic, well made, sturdy and good glass for the money. It has a simple 4 MOA dot that can be illuminated (I believe it has 11 brightness settings).
All in all a damn good scope for its price range. Since I prefer the simplicity of the 1x red dot/holographic sights offered by Aimpoint and Eotech, having a red dot 1-4x24 suits me fine.
I would second the Leupold mk ar. Also you can find good deals on the Leupold vx-r patrol line.
I had this same question a while back, I was debating the mtac vs. a Vortex Viper pst. I got to shoot the mtac and I didn’t care for the reticle size past 200m for my purposes, I got to look through the viper and I made my decision. I primarily wanted this optic for longer rangish shooting and hunting coyotes. The fine reticle is easier for me to see through if that makes sense, when scanning treelines for a hard to see target. I don’t care for bdc’s either and my scope is the mrad version. To me it is more versatile than the mtacs’ super simple reticle, but for someone else, simplicity may be a desirable attribute. Glass clarity seemed about the same to me under the lighting conditions I viewed them in. I purchased mine in a dealer demo deal for the same price as the mtac.