A friend of mine sent me this for my opinion and I thought this would be a great place to find some info:

I'm looking to buy a very good quality tactical scope. Looking for something with either 1" or 30mm tube, Has to have great low light usability, superior glass, and of course be very durable. Looking to spend up to $1500. Will be used for mostly target/long range but will go hunting from time to time, so if the adjustments have no caps, I would like to have them lockable or something. Have had target scopes in the past where you reach over the rifle and spin a knob on accident with your forearm. Also would like to have the left side focus/parallax adjustment.

What would you buy / have you bought with in this price range and why????

Thanks for all the input!! I have done allot of shopping around but have this feeling that there is a brand or model that I have missed and don't want to spend the cash then realize i could have gotten something more desirable.

Thanks again,
Diesel

For $1500 I would go with Nightforce

You can pick up a new Nightforce NXS 3-15, 5-22 or 8-32 NXS with a set of Badger Ordnance Rings for right around $1500

Good luck

Chris

Agreed, Nightforce is a fantastic scope.

Leupold Mark 4 scopes come in at a very close 2nd,  plus they are a little cheaper.  

Either one would be a great scope.  

US Optics SN3

Schmidt and Bender PMII

Have you read the scope recommendations by zak smith?

he has good points even if you are not going to use it in competition

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=5&t=186971

I'd go with a 30 mm if you want a "tactical"  
leupold, nightforce, uso, s & b, pretty much covers it.

I personally prefer 30mm tubes. Better light transfer.

I actually have a Super Sniper that's awesome mounted first on my M1A and now on my Rem 700 .308. Never had a problem, zeroes quickly, awesome lifetime warranty.

Nightforce scopes are awesome also though.

Quoted: For $1500 I would go with Nightforce You can pick up a new Nightforce NXS 3-15, 5-22 or 8-32 NXS with a set of Badger Ordnance Rings for right around $1500 Good luck Chris

I have a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 in Badger Ordnance rings atop a HS Precision Pro-series 2000 tactical rifle. Good scope, but I can't seem to get groups smaller than 2-3 MOA

Quoted: I have a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 in Badger Ordnance rings atop a HS Precision Pro-series 2000 tactical rifle. Good scope, but I can't seem to get groups smaller than 2-3 MOA

I'm not that impressed with the hs rifles.   have you had someone else shoot through it?   used black hills, lapua, or fed gmm?   had a gunsmith trouble shoot it?   cleaned it?   dinged the crown?    checked the action bolts for proper tension?

Nightforce....... Thats it what I told him.... just wanted to hear it from someone else I guess. I have looked at them allot and want one for my AR.

Quoted: Nightforce....... Thats it what I told him.... just wanted to hear it from someone else I guess. I have looked at them allot and want one for my AR.

nightforce on the AR

you don't think that might be overkill?

except for the 1-4 or 2.5- 10, i suppose

I've gota DPMS PANTHER™ BULL 24 SPECIAL, 24" SS flutted BB, Adjustable hand grip and stock. I shoot it the most out of all my guns, cheep ammo.......

Would like to put the 5.5-22x56 on it.

it's the most expensive gun I have, feel kinda bad I gota a cheep scope on it.

Quoted: Quoted: I have a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 in Badger Ordnance rings atop a HS Precision Pro-series 2000 tactical rifle. Good scope, but I can't seem to get groups smaller than 2-3 MOA I'm not that impressed with the hs rifles.   have you had someone else shoot through it?   used black hills, lapua, or fed gmm?   had a gunsmith trouble shoot it?   cleaned it?   dinged the crown?    checked the action bolts for proper tension?

Well, I haven't fired it for several years now. It has sat in the back of the safe.  

It is .300 Win Mag. I used Black Hills 190 gr red box ammo. I recently acquired an in/lb torque wrench, so I am going to reset the action screws. I broke in the barrel by firing 5 shots, cleaning after every shot, then shooting 5 shots and cleaning until 50 rounds had gone through the barrel.

Quoted: I personally prefer 30mm tubes. Better light transfer. I actually have a Super Sniper that's awesome mounted first on my M1A and now on my Rem 700 .308. Never had a problem, zeroes quickly, awesome lifetime warranty. Nightforce scopes are awesome also though.

It may seem a little cheap considering your budget, but I will second the 30mm Tasco Super Sniper series.

I've had one on my Rem 700 for a few years.  Love the lifetime warranty, and of course it will accept sunshades, anti-glare devices, butler creek lens covers, etc.  I used to hump around with the rifle all the time in heavy underbrush and dense thickets, and the rifle always kept its zero.  I was using an inexpensive Leupold hunting mount at the time, and never had more than a quarter inch of deviance from the zero.  I have since moved to Badger Ord rings and mounts, and admittedly I shoot that rifle much less nowadays, but the consistency of this scope was very tolerable for the price, which is about $300 from SWFA (riflescopes.com), or $400 if you get the side-focus model.  I use a 10X.

I have had a couple nightforces , 1 S&B, 2 ziess and a slew of various Mark4s

I still prefer the Leupolds  of course YMMV