Rifle Scope Question

[Ynot0323]

Are Leapers scopes any good ?!?!

I am looking at the Mark III Series 6-24x50mm-AO..

The catalog i have claims that the scopes have 30mm tubes and multi-coated lenses to maximize the light gathering..Shockproof, Waterproof, Fogproof, and come complete with 30mm steel rings with one inch inserts..

I would be mounting this on a Remington 700 SPS SS in 308 Winchester


Guys let me know your thoughts ( good and bad )..

Feel free to e-mail me at Ynot0323@aol.com, that would be the best way to reach me..

THANKS,
Tony

[foreman1]

What's the price of that scope ? Compare it to some of the brands listed below.

I favor Leopold scopes over most with Burris a very close second.
Other brands i like are Zeiss ,Kahles, Schmitt & Bender and Weaver.
Most factory hunting rifles have good accuracy out of the box and are rarely the cause of a missed shot , but bad scopes have ruined many  hunts .
One brand i would use for a paper weight is Tasco followed by your low buck Simmons.
When it comes to optics , buy the best you can afford

[digginfool]

I don't know where you plan to hunt but you absolutely don't need a 24x scope in Florida.  I agree with foreman in regards to Leopold, Burris and Tasco.  I personally use a Burris 3.5-10x 50mm and rarely change the power off of 6x.  It works great at the power for any hunting I've done in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.  When it comes to scopes, think three words; aperture, optics and coatings, in that order.  I say that because you can't always afford the best optics so you want to make the best of what you can afford by making sure you can gather the most light you possibly can.  I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than 50mm.  I've used smaller and the light gathering capability of a larger aperture can't be beat.  Next, choose the best optics you can afford.  Leopold, Burris, and Nikon are using the finest glass out there.  They cost more because they do the job better.  Of the three, Burris is probably the best value.  A really good Burris scope can be as much as $100.00 cheaper than a Leopold or Nikon (there were quite a few rumors about Nikon not standing up to the shock of magnum rifle loads several years ago but haven't heard anything since).  BTW, my scope is mounted on a Remington Model 700 in 7mm Rem. Mag.  I've shot deer in the head from 200 yards with this setup several times.

[Ynot0323]

I want to set the gun up for LONG RANGE tactical police sniping also, that is the reason for the 24x scope..

I shoot my AR-10 at the Police Range i work at, and on 12 zoom at 100 yrds on a human silhouette target, its TINY.. I want to be able to make precision shots, and DEFINATELY at more the 100 yards..

Tony

[foreman1]

I want to set the gun up for LONG RANGE tactical police sniping also, that is the reason for the 24x scope..

I shoot my AR-10 at the Police Range i work at, and on 12 zoom at 100 yrds on a human silhouette target, its TINY.. I want to be able to make precision shots, and DEFINATELY at more the 100 yards..

Tony

I was thinking about a hunting scope when i initialy replied.
 For tactical , Leoupold Mark4 then if the $$$$ are available Nightforce or Schmitt&Bender which will be too much scope for your rifle.
Those scopes  range from 12x to 32x , not useful at all for hunting but if you have access to a 600yd range then go with the high magnification.
Accuracy takes lots of work, time and money to fine tune a load to a specific rifle .
Good luck.

[Fox17]

sorry to hijack this a lil but are red head scopes any good? i was lookin at one that is regularly 90 bucks but is on sale. i dont have lots of money to spend on one. it will be goin on a .308 or a .270. it is 4-9x40. i dont need top of the line, just somethin to get the job done.

[digginfool]

As a rule of thumb, you should budget the same amount you spend for your scope as you spend for your rifle.  When it comes to optics, at the bottom end of the scale, you get what you pay for.  At the upper end, you do start paying for a name but, nevertheless, you still get an excellent scope.  BTW, foreman1, he did ask about a scope for a hunting rifle.  Probably more correct than saying he was looking for a sniper scope.  Hey ynot, you're not looking for any book towers, are you?

[Anoriginal]

You really need to consider the gun and the distance you intend to shoot. If you're shooting a .308 your effective distance is limited.  A .308 with a 150gr bullet has a muzzle velocity of 2800 and 2200fps +/- at 200. At 500 yrds you're down to 1700 fps +/-. If you zero at 200yrds, youre drop with a 150 gr bullet at 500 yrds is right around 50" depending on the bullet design. Realistically, you're talking about an effective under 500yrd gun. Beyond that distance, tumble and stability are compromised. I'm not saying you can't shoot beyond that distance with it, only that the numbers make it hap-hazzard

So, at 500yrds and under the 24x scope will really allow you to zoom in probably closer than you can effectively hold it. Even on a bench you'll likley see your heart beat in the cross hairs unless on a really solid rest. The cheapest scope I'd ever consider is a Leupold VX-III. Most of my rifles are equipped with Ziess (not the conquest series), Swarovski or Kahles. Another good option is Valdota. However all of these have their barriers in the form of price. But, you get what you pay for in terms of durability and longevity.

I have a Bryant Custom in 6mmBR Norma with an old Swarovski Habicht 3.5x12x50 that is over 15  years old. The thing has never been off the rifle and still drives tacks at distances well over 600yrds.

Foreman 1 makes great points and his selections are good in my humble opinion. If you're going to buy a scope for tactical police situations where a person's life may depend on it, I'd buy the best. Start at the highest end Leupold and look up from there.

Finally, be sure to choose good scope rings. They are just as important as the scope if not more. Leupold scopes are fine but (IMO) their rings/mounts are junk and a poor design. Talley and Ken Farrell are two of my personal favorites.

Fox 17 - The Redhead scope is (IMO) junk and makes a great paperweight like the tasco or simmons. You can buy a decent 3x9x40 Leupold VX-I from
around $200.00. A Nikon Pro-staff (mediocre but much better than a the Redhead) can be purchased for around $150.00.

Not trying to be a "know it all" but I shoot distance LOTS. If I can help out I am happy to do so. I've tried just about all the scopes and mounts and maybe I can help someone out who needs it. Hope this was helpful.

Cheers

[Ynot0323]

I found some Burris Scopes ( Fulfield II and Black Diamond Series ) that i am going to look into..

I have a Fulfield II on my 30-06, that i am wanting to sell, but it is not high enough magnification for the 308..

I do not ONLY hunt in Florida, i hunt in Georgia, South Carolina and my dad has property in Montana that i plan to hunt soon..

THANKS,
Tony

[Ynot0323]

Does anyone know anything about American Technologies Network, Corp. scopes ?!?!

They dont seem like a bad deal, i am going to ask some of the Police Officers that i work with, what there thought is on these scopes..

They run about $400-700..

THANKS,
Tony

[digginfool]

In the context of the original question, the scopes Anoriginal refers to is not the type I would consider climbing a tree stand with after slugging through several miles of Alabama clay on the front of my Prairie.  Yes, there are finer scopes than Burris and Leupold but at some point, the return on investment diminishes rapidly for the majority of hunting purposes.  A Burris will run you under $500.00 and a upper level Leupold in the $500-$800 range.  The scopes he refers to can run several thousand dollars.  If you are shooting competition or using your rifle in a tactical police situation then I agree with Anoriginal.  The higher magnification will certainly come in handy when hunting Big Sky country but, outside of that, I stand by my earlier recommendations for hunting scopes.   

[Fox17]

is pretty much any leupold or burris good?

[foreman1]

Diggin ,
Remember its buy the best you can afford for the application intended , not the most expensive.
I own many rifles , but for example I wont mount a high end Zeiss on my old Marlin 336 in 35 remington when I decent Leupold will do . On the other hand I wont mount Cabelas name brand or some other cheap spin off on my Dakota.

 My Tasco paper weight was removed on site one night and thrown as far as i could throw it with out disslocating my shoulder , due to a missed opportunity. My better senses took over because  I was going to smash rifle and scope together.

 Buy what you feel comfortable with I  guess ,not trying to force my position on any one .
Its just that I've been there and done that with cheap scopes and have lost a couple nice bucks in low light condition and if my experiences can save someone money and a headache  ,learn from it .

[digginfool]

That was exactly my point. 

[Anoriginal]

I agree with you guys. Bottom line, buy the best you can afford and don't skimp on the mounts. Nothing worse than a junk scope or a good scope on junk mounts.

Robert:

Have you been to the glades lately? We went to camp last weekend and had a great time. I saw swampbuggy man in the woods up near Mud Lake east of Concho Billy.

[foreman1]

I agree with you guys. Bottom line, buy the best you can afford and don't skimp on the mounts. Nothing worse than a junk scope or a good scope on junk mounts.

Robert:

Have you been to the glades lately? We went to camp last weekend and had a great time. I saw swampbuggy man in the woods up near Mud Lake east of Concho Billy.

I was out in the Stairsteps last weekend due the quotas .
Yep ,they were going to Mud Lake for the weekend , check out the pics when you get a chance .
 I'm headin out tommorow( Saturday) to Burns Strand, then might run up Concho Billie aways and hunt Monday and Tuesday .
Tell ya what there wasnt a deer one south of the trail ,just west of Skillet. I walked that camp owners buggy trail for what seemed like and eternity to a stand i have at the end of a strand , got there well before daylight and nothing . All deer tracks are going south almost to the park boundary I bet.

Forget the prairies , ruts over and all the deer i seen the second weekend  of the opeining week(when we had the cold snap) were walking in the strands and stayin in the water at all times.
Good Luck if your out this weekend.

[JayDawg]

What's the price of that scope ? Compare it to some of the brands listed below.

I favor Leopold scopes over most with Burris a very close second.
Other brands i like are Zeiss ,Kahles, Schmitt & Bender and Weaver.
Most factory hunting rifles have good accuracy out of the box and are rarely the cause of a missed shot , but bad scopes have ruined many  hunts .
One brand i would use for a paper weight is Tasco followed by your low buck Simmons.
When it comes to optics , buy the best you can afford

Dang, Iwish I would have known this last year. I bought an AR-15 and purchased with it a Tasco lazer dot scope. I took the gun out shooting a few months back and the scope sucked. It was way off. I was more accurate with the stock sighting things from 100 yards to 300 yards away than I was with the Tasco. The Tasco had it firing to high and to the left even though the guy at Cabelas said he dialed everything in for me. I will look for the Leopolds and Burris when I buy another gun and/or scope.

[Ynot0323]

JayDawg, is your AR-15 a carry handle model or flat top ?!?!

if it is a carry handle, any optic mounted on the handle, will not work for anything past bout 50-75 yards.. The carry handle is too HIGH and there is no real way to get the optic dot that low, to the bore line, other then making some type of shims for the mounts.. Or you could mount it forward of the carry handle...

However if it is a flat top model, you should have no problem, just make sure you get good mounts.. I have been using a Bass Pro Red Dot for the past year or so, and have no problems on a 223..

also make sure you are using loc-tite and torquing the bolts down..

Tony

[JayDawg]

Tony,

 Thanks for the advice. Mine has a carry handle on it. So what you are saying makes sense. I was shooting at other targets within that range and with the scope, it was not 100% accurate but it was close. I bought the gun for home defense and close quarters combat should someone ever try and break into my house. My wifes ex husband is a deadbeat Dad who is also an alcoholic and women abuser. He somehow got a hold of our number and started calling my wife threatning her and our kids a few months before I bought the gun. The guy at Cabelas recommended the scope because he said it was set up for close quarters but could also be used for long range shooting too. I guess he was only half right.


Here is a pic of my gun

[Fox17]

is it full auto?

[JayDawg]

is it full auto?

I wish! It's semi auto. It would be illegal if it was fully auto but it is my understanding that all I would need to do to make it fully auto is remove a clip. My friend knows how to do it but I have no desire to break the law so I am leaving the gun how it is. 

[xr100racer]

if i was a dead beat husband and saw that gun i would defiantly stay away

[digginfool]

AR15 is nice but for in-home defense, give me a pump shotgun with an 18" barrel loaded with 3" magnum #4. 

[Fox17]

AR15 is nice but for in-home defense, give me a pump shotgun with an 18" barrel loaded with 3" magnum #4. 

that is exactly what my dad has. mossberg 500, 18", and 3" 3 or 4 shot. kicks like a mule though. yea it will kill someone but it might go through a wall and kill others too. a 12ga with 4 shot aint gonna. or like xr100racer said in another post, use a 44 mag. ar-15.........not really necessary but sweet gun though. i'd take one.

[JayDawg]

AR15 is nice but for in-home defense, give me a pump shotgun with an 18" barrel loaded with 3" magnum #4. 

I have one of those here too in addition to a few other guns. When I lived in California, AR-15's were a gun I could not own thanks to liberals who think people who break the laws will get rid of their guns if they become illegal. When we moved out here to Colorado one of the first things I wanted to do was buy this type of gun because I have always liked them. With the threats my wifes ex was making to her and us, it just made me speed up the process of getting one. The 12 guage has to much kick for my wife to shoot but this thing doesn't kick at all. Plus if he or someone else were to ever break into our house, I have 1 clip with 50 rounds in it, and another with 40 rounds so I'm not going to be running out of ammo any time soon. But, I hope I never have to use the gun for that purpose. I'm content with shooting homemade targets for practice.


So I'm not hijacking this thread, what would be a good long distance scope for this gun?