I’m considering selling my stock AR10 carbine to finance a Savage 10FP and scope. I’d like to do this because I don’t have the money to put a longer barrel and scope on the AR 10 but I have a lot of 308 ammo around and I’d like to have a gun that can reach out farther than my BCM AR 15. The run would mainly be a range/ hunting gun, but I always purchase most firearms with the mindset I may need to use them to protect myself against 2 or 4 legged animals or provide food at some point. This would be my first precision bolt gun setup and I have zero experience with long range shooting.
I’m currently trying to price out a scope and that leads me to my question. With the above criteria in mind and a budget of about $400 what would you recommend? As this would be the first time I’ve had a riffle capable of shooting longer distances I don’t have a specific range I want to be able to shoot, so all I can say is that I’d like something capable of utilizing the performance of the 308 cartridge and reaching further than my AR15.
My personal opinion is your scope should cost more than your rifle to start with. Keep saving your money for a better optic. Tripling your optics budget would be a good start.
Savage builds a great rifle, with that in mind depending on what the ar pattern 308 you have now is, your not gaining much if you intend to stick with the 308 Winchester. apples to apples the a 308 is still a 308 and the energy it produces, whether fired from a gas gun or a bolt gun is not going to vary that much (energy wise) to make a difference in a hunting situation.
Even if the rifle you currently have has a 16" barrel your still going to be able to get to 800+ meters with the right bullet.
Now to the question, I don’t have an answer for you, you cant get much for 400$ to operate in the manner in which you would like. Sure there is stuff out there but your just going to end up wasting money, cause you will find out you should have just saved a bit longer.
Icanhithiman has it right. I too suggest you stick with your AR10 and save for better glass. With little experience doing long range, there isn’t much point in setting up a heavy bolt gun only to become discouraged with your performance. Not saying you can’t shoot or won’t learn to shoot at long range, but I suggest starting closer in at ranges under 500 yards and work on your skills from there.
Glass that is somewhat suitable for distance work under the $400 mark is a tall order. Double that figure and the options open up.
That’s really interesting. The riffle I have is a 16" with a fixed muzzle brake like the one pictured here; http://www.cabelas.com/gonzales-gun-library-armalite-model-ar-10a4-308-win.shtml I thought (from my inexperienced perspective) I’d be gaining a lot in regards to accuracy and energy with a barrel that was 6 inches longer with the 10FP while losing about 3/4 of a pound and gaining $400-$500 bucks to put towards a scope. If that’s not the case, I’ll hold on the the Armalite and see where the market goes and either add an optic to that when I have the money or see if I can get a higher premium and get more money to put towards a scope on a bolt gun.
So going forward, if I do double or triple my budget, what are some good options? I’ve read a few articles on selecting a tactical scope and have read 2.5-10x is a good magnification range for quicker target acquisition under 200 yds while still giving the capacity to make shots at over 800. Is that correct or would you all recommend a higher magnification? From what I’ve read, mil dot seems to be the most common recticle for this application so I think I’d look for that.
I’m partial to Trijicon optics, specifically their Accupoint line. A 2.5-10x56 ($870)with dual illuminated mildot would work well. Perhaps an IOR 2.5-10 illuminated FFP mildot($1200) or a Sightron 3.5-10 illuminated FFP mildot ($1100). On the lower end there’s a Burris Mtac 4.5-14 ($550) or a Zeiss 3.5-10 Rapid Z600 reticle ($660).
Thanks for the reply! So let me ask you this; aside from the trijicon being illuminated with tritium/ fiber optics, what makes it so much more desirable than the Burris? I’ve read several reviews on both (all of which seemed very positive), but can’t find anything comparing the two.
No worries. I don’t know it all but I offer what advice and experience I do have in hopes it helps. It can be frustrating buying some gear, only to find out it doesn’t fit the role you wanted it for. Only to sell it for a loss and start again. With the knowledge from others I find it reduces the frequency of such costly mistakes.