Scope recommendations for Match Rifle

[JohnE]

I'm considering starting to do some match rifle competitions. Initially I will probably use my AI target rifle but, with the HUGE range of scopes available I was wondering if there were any recommendations.

 

I'd also appreciate some suggestions on mountings. The AI has a dove tail conveniently on the action already which would seem sensible to use especially as I will have to be able to remove the scope to put my TR sights back on...

 

Thanks in advance

 

JohnE

[ds1]

It's hard to go wrong with a Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 or 12-42x56, the major decision is which reticule - Personal preference, I like NP-R2. Mounts - AI 30mm one piece mount with 20moa is good. There may be a 34mm AI mount on the for sales section - you can get reducer rings to 30mm from Sporting Services that are excellent.

 

The NXS scopes are very good and repeatable, with decent glass, 32x or 42x seems to be personal preference, the 32x offers more elevation - a consideration if you want to shoot 1200 yards.

 

David.

[OSOK]

Hi , I've shot F Class you some years now and have tried different ret's but if you use an NXS then it has to be the CH-3 for exact shot placement . The R2 ladder would be a good choice for calling the MOA changes but it ranges on 22x and you would be shooting on either 32x or 42x so that's not much use . The March 10-60 or 5-50 with an MTR-1 is a better option for a ladder style ret as on 40x the horizontal lines equate to 1 MOA which is finer and more useful than the NSX ladder .

The March ret has a progressive scale so at 20x the divides then equate to 2 MOA etc .

Good luck with your choice .

 

Regards

 

OSOK

[ds1]

OSOK,

 

Have you tried the 8-80x52 March? if so very interested in your impressions.

 

The 42x NXS is usable for me at 42x to range with - half the scale moa vale,42x is close enough for me to 44x......may not be accurate enough for other people.

 

David.

[OSOK]

Hi David , I have a new F Class rifle now which i had to use both in competition and for some extreme range fun so changing my usual 12-42 NXS with the CH-3 to a 10-60 with an MTR-1 was helpful in different ways . The March has 15 moa more built into the elevation and 1/8 moa clicks and to be able to range at the power setting you want to shoot at is ideal . Shooting F Class at 1000 yards on 40x is perfect with each divide being 1 moa and shooting in the field at 20x gives 2 moa where as the NXS R2 ladder as 5 moa divides at 22x which in F Class would mean you had missed the board let alone the 'v' and for field shooting if anyone is missing the quarry by one division then perhaps they shouldn't be shooting at it .

I have not looked through a 8-80x56mm March but i have a 5-50x56mm coming within the next couple of weeks . My other two March scopes are both 10-60 x 52mm's and after 40/50x they are losing brightness so at 80x i would need to be convinced that the extra light from the 34mm tube and the extra 4mm on the front objective was going to make the difference !

I have used the 12-50x56mm S&B and its brighter at 50x than my 10-60 March is at 50x but that's where the advantages stop in my opinion .

 

Regards

 

Greg .

[foxing2night]

As above all the scopes are fantastic ,, But at a price???

 

I have just bought the S&B 12-50x56 with 1/8 elevation and 1/4 windage,,

What a scope, light gathering is top notch

 

Not done a f/class shot, But i have done plenty varmint and gong shooting

and i have won 2 100 yrd benchrest comps at the diggle,,,

 

The only thing is with the big scmidt is that it is heavy

 

Another scope to look at would be the big sighttron at half the price, circa 960 pounds

Very nice indeed

 

All the best Darrel

[ds1]

Hi Greg,

 

Thank you for the information on the March scopes. From what you are saying March scopes seem to be the best optic for the job. My application is a bit different but I would get a clear advantage in some comps if I had an optic that I could reliably see 308 holes past 300m. The NXS struggles to do this reliably and quickly, however I am aware that my application is different than UK shooting. The best resolution and image I have seen so far has been through my USO sn9 scopes - but they do not meet other size and weight criteria.

 

The R2 reticule (I may have the reticule name wrong has 1 moa vertical hash marks and 2 moa horizontal marks @ 22x. Typicaly I need 10 moa (3.4mil) of hold on our moving targets at 300m - just a different application.

 

Again thank you for the information,

 

David.

[OSOK]

Hi David , The R2 ladder on the NSX is 2moa in the vertical giving a maximum 20moa holdover and 5moa on the horizontal at 22x . I think that to say anyone scope is the best would be wrong as we all have different criteria , mine for instance would put the quality of the glass way down my list even though its nice to have . My want's start with tracking , reticule , able to range on the power i shoot at , positive clicks , plenty of moa , able to take knocks etc . As long as i can see what i'm shooting at the clarity is not so important .

I also believe that when any scope goes much past 25 - 30x , quality of even the so called best drops off rapidly and our eyes get fooled into thinking that brighter images have greater resolution so even if that's not the case if our eyes see it that way we will think it !

So on that basis a top brand with a 34mm main tube and at least 56mm objective is going to make you feel that it's the clearest .

Don't know if that's exactly true but it's my take on the scope issue .

 

Regards

 

Greg .

[Ronin]

Just like to say guys that the info exchange in this thread is first class.

 

 

Some very good points made.

 

 

[Laurie]

Have a think about the Sightron Series III Long-Range scopes too. John Dean (Aim Field Sports, the importer) is getting the new 10-50X in. His demo' model has impressed everybody who's had a squint through it and it's cheaper than the Nightforce or Schmidt - about £1,000 I believe. (I have an 8-32X56 SIII that I like a lot.) I did have a look through Jack Gibbs' new 10-60X March the other week too and it has unbelievable resolution on maximum power. £2,000 though!

[ds1]

Hi Greg,

 

I checked the reticule number R1 (not R2) for 1moa Vertical and 2moa horizontal.

 

No question tracking and holding POI come first over clarity. From your experience would you recommend the March scopes over the NXS scopes on heavy cals, 338 lapua and 50BMG? for robustness and eye relief - I am seriously considering one but the 5 year warranty does not give one a warm fuzzy feeling.

 

I understand clarity and resolution are not the same, it is just a specific application, needing to see bullet holes in black targets more than 300m away quickly. It is the quickly bit that makes things hard - magnification by itself, at least in the range we have does not seem to help much - using a 42x NXS with a 3x booster on it did not make seeing holes in targets easier - if anything, harder. On the other hand as much as a nice optic as my Optolyth TBS100 was with a 70x eye piece, I could see better resolution and quicker with a 400 quid 350x astro type scope at 500m on most ocassions.

 

I think Dawes? had a mathmatical calculation for resolution limits but does not seem always to work out in practice. If a 80x March has better resolution than a 42x NXS or 42x USO in practice then it would be worth it to me and worth the trade off against a smaller exit pupil....the warranty still sucks though.

 

David.

[OSOK]

Hi David , I have the belief that the weakest part of a top class rifle / shooter / reloader is the scope ! I had an issue with an NXS on a 6.5x47 Lapua that when i dialled on 30 moa and returned back to zero it was was always 0.25 - 0.50 moa high which at range is a miss . I must also say that it's the only problem i had with NXS's and there is so many things about them that suits my needs . I feel that both the NXS and the March would cope with heavy recoil as would the S&B but if spotting bullet holes is one of your issues then my advice would be to go for the March or the S&B . I still think that all said your ability to see the holes will be dependant upon the conditions on the day and usually when a black kill zone is put on a target , one of the reasons is that they don't want you to see your bullet holes so a correction can be made .

With regards to boosters , I have one that can go on a fixed 24x Leupold MK4 but it changes the eye relief so much that your eye is very close and the thought of being behind a 338 with it would concern me . I don't know if you get over to the UK but your welcome to compare my 10-60 and 5-50 March with the NXS before making your mind up and i could get the 8-80x for you to see as a best friend is now the UK March dealer . Call me a sceptic but any scope offering 80x seems to good to be true but we'll see .

 

Regards

 

Greg .

[ds1]

Hi Greg,

 

Wow. Thank you very much for the kind offer, I'm not sure when or if I will be in the UK again. I would have liked to have made the Phoenix to meet up with some old friends but it is the time as the international plod comp here - got 6 brits coming over tomorrow. Anyway should you ever fancy a crack at the plod comps here it is no problem.

 

I'm guessing our opinion on scopes is very similar, just skewed to our different competitions. The 8-80x March I guess is the scope that interest me the most.

 

David.