What Power for Long Range
- Thread starter jmar
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The Vortex 30mm Tube 6.5-20x 50mm Side Focus Mil-Dot will serve you very well, especially for a starter scope. Shop around and you might find it cheaper than $470 shipped from Midway.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/24...-scope-30mm-tube-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-matte
https://sniperrifles.net/vortex-viper-review/
20X can be a bit much some days under bad mirage. Sometimes more is usable.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/24...-scope-30mm-tube-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-matte
https://sniperrifles.net/vortex-viper-review/
20X can be a bit much some days under bad mirage. Sometimes more is usable.
A couple of other possibilities. These were recently reduced drastically in price. I bought a 3X16-42 and like it a lot. A buddy bought the 4X20-50, but hasn't used it yet.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...be-3-16x-42mm-target-turrets-side-focus-matte
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...be-4-20x-50mm-target-turrets-side-focus-matte
http://mysticprecision.com/2016/04/...and-3-16x42-performancevalue-out-of-the-park/
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...be-3-16x-42mm-target-turrets-side-focus-matte
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...be-4-20x-50mm-target-turrets-side-focus-matte
http://mysticprecision.com/2016/04/...and-3-16x42-performancevalue-out-of-the-park/
burrhead
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1500 yrds is tough. To stay super-sonic I suppose you're shooting a 338 Lapua, a Cheytac, 50 BMG or some other high BC, high powder capacity round. Factoring in the recoil associated with any cartridge capable of that range, you'll need to go to a high end, strong scope. Get ready to spend $3,000+. If you limit your range to 1,200 yrds or so you'll be able to dial back to something a bit more reasonable. 260 Rem, the Creedmoor, 6.5X47 Lapua; something like that. If you're young with good eyesight, you'll be able to go with something cheaper on the order of what Walkalong suggested.
Be aware, accurate long range shooting ain't cheap. I'm shooting a 260 at 1,000 yds and, with the cost of Lapua brass and quality bullets, my ammo cost is about $1.20 per shot. I don't even know what I've spent on specialty measuring and reloading tools. I routinely shoot sub MOA 10 round groups prone off a bipod with my 65 year old eyes and it cost a lot of dough and shooting twice a week to get there. This is the scope that's worked for me. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/2...hdPqFze6mkEQfYHBFQplux6CBQgznysk-EaAvsb8P8HAQ I realize that's way out of your price range and you don't need that much scope but successful LR shooting is time consuming and expensive. If you just want to play, that's OK too.
Go out and shoot some rounds at 1,000 and see what you're getting into.
Be aware, accurate long range shooting ain't cheap. I'm shooting a 260 at 1,000 yds and, with the cost of Lapua brass and quality bullets, my ammo cost is about $1.20 per shot. I don't even know what I've spent on specialty measuring and reloading tools. I routinely shoot sub MOA 10 round groups prone off a bipod with my 65 year old eyes and it cost a lot of dough and shooting twice a week to get there. This is the scope that's worked for me. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/2...hdPqFze6mkEQfYHBFQplux6CBQgznysk-EaAvsb8P8HAQ I realize that's way out of your price range and you don't need that much scope but successful LR shooting is time consuming and expensive. If you just want to play, that's OK too.
Go out and shoot some rounds at 1,000 and see what you're getting into.
ColtPythonElite
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I would guess he was asking what are you shooting at...
Thanks for the replies that Vortex does look very nice and it's variable which would help turn down that 20x when there's lots of mirage. However i was strictly told i really need a scope with mildots for the turrets and reticle. And definitely not to get a mildot reticle with MOA turrets or vice versa. Hmm i wonder why companies do that... I looked around at the rest of the vortex scopes and i didn't see any mi-mils sadly. Maybe they have it in the more pricey ones.
Yea I will be shooting a Mosin Nagant, so the point at which it hits the transonic barrier is probably around 1100 or so. But I plan on eventually upgrading to a 6.5 CM, 300 WM, or some other mid-range caliber eventually that can hit the 1500 mark then I'd transplant the scope from the Mosin onto it. But sadly i'm just to poor to be buying a $2500 scope, some day i will. But for now i need to save that money for an actual gun. And as I said in my previous comment I need a mildot measurement system scope. I'm not trying to get sub MOA groups this will just be my learning rifle and scope. Thanks for the comment
Sadly I'm no badass commando sniper or anything so it'll just be the usual, plinking steel, learning the game.
Too bad this one isn't still available. I picked one up back when they were.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/18...us-1-10-mil-adjustments-mil-dot-reticle-matte
Maybe someone else out there has a budget priced one with what yo are looking for. Good luck. 1500 with a Mosin is going to be a challenge, but it can certainly get you shooting and learning.
cdb1
Member
At what distances are you currently shooting jmar?
I've been practicing with my .22 at around 80 yards.
cdb1
Member
You don't go from 80 to 800+ yards without a huge amount of practice time and doing it in incremental distances. Your Mosin is also not a 800 yard rifle. I'd get a scope in the $200-$300 price range, practice like crazy and start saving money. You need a much nicer rifle and an even nicer scope to shoot at the distances you want.
Understood as I said this is my practice gun, the scope I mentioned is $300. I'm just curious if a 16x or 20x power is to much for that distance. And don't doubt a Mosin some are .5 MOA guns. At 1000 yards they are still going super sonic, so there's really no reason it shouldn't be sufficient.
cdb1
Member
Good luck.
redneck2
Member
I use at least 10x on my CZ .22 at 50 and 100 yards. I expect to shoot sub .4 at 50 yards. I can only hit what I can see
Jim Watson
Member
If you are shooting from a steady position, a rest or even a good bipod, go 20X. After I got my 8.5-25X, I did not turn it below 20 a handful of times. And when I did, it didn't help the mirage much.
Varminterror
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I like to be over 20x any time I'm shooting 1,000+.
1,000+ with a Mosin, even the best of them, is asking a lot. Half moa Mosins don't happen everyday, and as many as I've seen, I've never actually even heard of one except the internet...
80 yrds with a 22lr with goals out to 800 with a mosin, then 1,000yrds and beyond... A long road lieth before you.
Pick up a First Focal Plane scope with a milling reticle, 0.1mrad adjustments, max mag over 20x, 30mm tube. That'll be a start. I can really only think of one or two scopes under $700 which suit these needs, but if you want to get past 1,000, these criteria will certainly be of help getting you there.
1,000+ with a Mosin, even the best of them, is asking a lot. Half moa Mosins don't happen everyday, and as many as I've seen, I've never actually even heard of one except the internet...
80 yrds with a 22lr with goals out to 800 with a mosin, then 1,000yrds and beyond... A long road lieth before you.
Pick up a First Focal Plane scope with a milling reticle, 0.1mrad adjustments, max mag over 20x, 30mm tube. That'll be a start. I can really only think of one or two scopes under $700 which suit these needs, but if you want to get past 1,000, these criteria will certainly be of help getting you there.
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cdb1
Member
Thanks, you stated what I wanted to say much more tactfully than I could.
Sunray
Member
"...when there's lots of mirage..." That's got nothing to do with magnification. Higher magnification just lets you see the heat coming off the ground better. Also lets you read the mirage better. Even though that takes some artsy talent.
800 to 1500 yards is optimistic for a 7.62 x 54R out of a surplus rifle with a stock trigger and a stock factory barrel. Winchester factory ammo with a 180 grain bullet, sighted in at 200, drops 54.6" at 500. This is about Wolf steel cased 148 grain stuff out of milsurp rifles.
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo017.htm
The amount of magnification won't make the thing shoot better at any distance either. However, you can have a 6X -18X Vortex Crossfire II from Cabela's for as little as $219.99 plus the cost of the rings and probably installation.
800 to 1500 yards is optimistic for a 7.62 x 54R out of a surplus rifle with a stock trigger and a stock factory barrel. Winchester factory ammo with a 180 grain bullet, sighted in at 200, drops 54.6" at 500. This is about Wolf steel cased 148 grain stuff out of milsurp rifles.
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo017.htm
The amount of magnification won't make the thing shoot better at any distance either. However, you can have a 6X -18X Vortex Crossfire II from Cabela's for as little as $219.99 plus the cost of the rings and probably installation.
When the mirage gets bad too much magnification makes it impossible to see well enough to shoot well. Plain and simple. More is only good until it is too much and the sight picture washes out.
Yes, reading mirage is part art and part science.
Jim Watson
Member
While I agree that the MN is marginal for target shooting, you will find big scary "drop" numbers for any caliber if you stretch the range.
That is what the knob on the top of the scope is for.
browningguy
Member
I don't personally think a mil-mil scope is required. I've shot a Zeiss 4.5-14 with their proprietary system in my 6.5 Grendel out to 800 and it works fine. My long range rifle previously had a 6.5-20 Weaver Super Slam and that worked fine out to 1000. But as I got older more seemed better and it wears an 8-32 Weaver Classic Extreme with illuminated dual x and I have no problems with known distance targets. And it's only around $350 at Natchez Shooting.
Jim Watson
Member
With known distance targets the adjustment graduation does not matter much.
I am not much in favor of reticle features for known distance shooting, for that matter.
Now if you are using reticle features to range on known size targets and either hold or adjust, then they should certainly match.
I am not much in favor of reticle features for known distance shooting, for that matter.
Now if you are using reticle features to range on known size targets and either hold or adjust, then they should certainly match.
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