i need your opinion on a optic sir, anyone else that has solid info please free to add. i'm working a deal on a LWRC REPR 308 20" rifle and i was wondering what glass you would recommend for a working class guy. right now i have a scope that is made in the Weaver tactical shop that is 2.5x12x42 and for a hobbyist it's descent glass and built like a tank. that said, i'm investing in this rifle as a long term thing and would like to learn to shoot distance at some point. to be honest after this REPR deal i'm going to be absolutely tapped on on items i can sell to fund this project as far as the rifle. so for now i'll have to use the optic i have until i can save and buy something better. you are well spoken of on distance shooting so i wanted o ask your opinion, is 1500 a reasonable number to find quality glass like the HD Super Sniper, Bushnell Elite tactical, etc........i'm not dead set on any one brand, but have behind both of these and to my untrained eye, the glass was excellent. sorry if this was long winded. just stoked that after years of trading, selling, etc........a LWRC REPR is headed my way

http://swfa.com/Bushnell-35-21x50-Elite-Tactical-34mm-Rifle-Scope-P51676.aspx
http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-5-20x50-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P51642.aspx
http://www.clearidgeoptics.com/product-p/3820.htm

the last scope is what i have now but with Mil Dot, sorry, i don't know how to hot link

The BURRIS XTR IIs are getting wrung out at this time.

Shep probably has detailed intel on them.  Frank {lowlight of SH}
thinks very highly of them.

Metric is so easy to deal with BUTT!!! I'll probably get
the 3-15x50 with the SCR-MOA reticle for under a $1K
for my ARMALITE AR-10A4 20" C-L'd pipe.

EDIT:  I bought every one of the SWFA SS HD scopes during each of the Group Buys.
Sold every da-da-damn one of them.  Didn't even waste my time mounting one of them.

Thanks for the heads up on Burris

The Bushnell Elite is a very good scope for the money.  There are better reticle options nowadays than plain dots.......not that they can't be used effectively.

Nowadays, I tend to recommend 2 different scope lines to folks: Nightforce to folks that an afford/justify it, and Vortex Viper PST to folks that can't.

You can easily get a brand new Vortex Viper PST in either 6-24x50mm or 4-16x50mm, MOA or MRAD, SFP or FFP, for $650-$950 depending on what you get. There is a 6-24x50mm MOA FFP for sale in the EE right now for $800.  If you want a new one, I send all my students to Scott Berish at Liberty Optics for Vortex optics.

$1500 isn't very far outta range for a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50mm. I see them used for about $1650 or so. Get a price on a new one......that will help you judge the value on a used one. I send my students to Mike Cecil at CS Tactical for NF Optics.

The Burris 4-20x50mm and 5-25x50mm XTR II scopes are good ones, with decent Gen2 mil dot reticles.

Thank you for your input, it's much appreciated

CMSHOOT : What about the Burris XTR 6x24x50 that is no longer in production - I see those for sale sometimes.

Lightning8, I don't have a lot of experience with them. I've always found Burris scopes to be rugged and reliable........not always the best glass, but rock solid optics.

What are they selling for?

Guy at work has one for sale - I need to pin him down on price. As always, thanks!

I appreciate that there are multiple HTF members with extensive experience in shooting and how freely they share/support the other members. Thanks to all of you!

Lightning8, is the reticle like the current Gen2 mil dot (dots with dashes in between) or just mil dots?

Hey votefromrooftops,
best thing about trying the bushnell is if you dont like it within a year they will refund your price as long as you buy it from one of there dealers I know that for a fact as I sent one back 5 weeks ago and got the refund last week.
Now dont get me wrong the 4.5 x30 x50 was a good scope i just liked the vortex 6x24x50 better.

Hope that helps.

Vortex 6-24x50 SFP are $625.00 Total shipped to your front door{work or home} just like pizza.

I have a vague recollection of Shep recommending FFP at some time in the past.  I have a general understanding of FFP vs. SFP, but not a good understanding of WHY you would want one over the other, aside from personal preference.

I don't really prefer one over the other, except for certain tasks. I own both.

Hold overs / Positional are where FFP comes into its prime.

I.E.  If you were to shoot something like the Precision Rifle Series........you'd want a FFP scope.

Thanks. Bought a M&P 10 on sale, but nothing "precision" to speak of yet.

My Bushnell Trophy has served me well. Similar in price to the Elite.

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poison123 nailed it.

The main disadvantage of the SFP comes with the use of range estimation and hold-offs when using an MOA or MRAD reticle.  These reticles will only work properly at one magnification, usually being the middle or highest power.  For range estimation there is an easy way around this, a way to compensate mathematically and enable you to range at any power.  Easy to do, but still an extra step over using an FFP.

While the FFPs are not susceptible to magnification-induced errors, they have their own disadvantages. It’s challenging to design a reticle that is visible through the entire range of magnification e.g. a reticle that looks fine and crisp at 24X may be very difficult to see at 6X magnification. Conversely, a scope with a reticle that is fairly easy to see at a 6 magnification may become thick enough at a 22-24 magnification to make a precision shot difficult.  What many find is that, with the FFP scope, when they want a fine reticle the scope gives them a thick reticle, and vice versa.

So, whether to go with SFP or FFP really depends on what you will be using the scope for.

the Bushnell ETS i looked through was super nice, at this point i'm leaning to the Vortex PST as suggested, thanks for the input. swinging 2 trades this week my safe and wallet are looking thin

Where are you finding Viper PST's for this price?

Scott Berish of Liberty Optics sells them to my students for $629 shipped.

wow, that's an awesome price

Shep, does he offer similar prices on other models? I've been holding out for a 4-16x50 FFP on sale somewhere.

D_J, I priced that the other day. I wanna say it was $775 shipped for the 4-16x50MM FFP.  Ya missed out, I picked up one in the EE last week for $700 shipped......box, papers, all accessories, like new!  I got it for a student and am mounting it on her rifle.

Call or email Scott Berish at Liberty Optics, tell him I sent ya and you're a student of mine.

Caveat:  I am not in any way, personally or professionally, affiliated with Liberty Optics or Scott Berish.  He's just a good guy, with a small, family-run business who knows his stuff.

There is a VV PST 6-24x50mm FFP MRAD on The Outdoors Trader right now for $800.  Dang good deal.  I actually talked to the guy on the phone about something else he had for sale, seemed like a decent fellow.

You're lucky - I never find deals in the EE, and my last foray into that area earned me a 3-day timeout.

I'll give Scott a call first. I generally prefer buying new unless I can save 20-25% or more, and I like giving local folks the business.

Liberty Optics isn't local.  He's from Florida, but lives in Montana now.

Either way, friend of a friend and all that.