4-16x40 or a 6-24x50 for my 308 LTR?

R

Rustle in the Bushes

New member
Have a pretty tactical looking 700 LTR in the mail so I figure I should get a tactical ish high power optic. Cant spend much over 500 so Im looking at vortex vipers.

I like the idea of having a 6-24x so I can crank up the magnification and see whats going on at the target- whether i spotting for a pal or just trying to see 308 holes in paper. But I hear most folks saying the lower mag will have better optical quality. shrug. what you folks think?
 
In that price range I would look at Vortex vipers, I have a 6.5-20X50 and I'm pleased with the performance oer dollar. Another lower cost high power scope is the Alpen Apex XP, it's a 6-24X50 and a equal to my Vortex. The 10X fixed power SWFA or new Burris, or is it Bushnell, 10X with mil/mil are good scopes.
 
I'd buy quality first over a lot of X's. A 9X or 10X scope is adequate and 50mm scopes are generally lower quality than 40mm scopes in the same price range. I cannot think of a good reason to use a 50mm scope.

There are a lot of very good 3-9X40 and 2.5-10X40 scopes out there under $500 that will be far better optically than what you are considering. Of course they don't have the tactical look.

http://swfa.com/Zeiss-3-9x42-Terra-Rifle-Scope-P61667.aspx

Zeiss recently replaced the Conquest with this model. You might still be able to find a Conquest for around $300

http://swfa.com/Leupold-35-10x40-VX-3-Riflescope-P12647.aspx
 
I've got scopes of both magnification ranges, and have had them for years, so I've got some earned opinions on what's most useful. If you are just going to shoot paper, go with the 6-24 or 6.5-20. If you are going to hunt deer or pigs, go with the 4-16 or 4.5-14. If you like Nikon, their 5-20 might be a good choice for 'one scope fits all uses'.

I don't believe that you need a 50mm obj bell. Go with the 40mm, which is plenty good for hunting or target shooting, and will sit a bit lower on the rifle.
 
You cannot beat the Vortex Viper 6.5-20 for the $$.

Buy it and you'll never look back...

But if you do, you can always sell it for only a few bucks less than you paid for it. Check their resale values online...
 
I have a bushnell 6 x 24 x 40 on my 308 LTR, It's a nice scope for the price.I only target shoot. I changed the LTR stock to the 700P stock, filled the butt of the hollow stock with self leveling caulk from home deput to ballance the weight. Installed a jewell Trigger. Roll my own rounds, the LTR is a tack driver.Good luck with your rifle ,Be safe Chris
 
I have a Nikon Monarch 5-20x50 on my Weatherby Vanguard, the 50mm objective lens provides a larger, brighter field of view. (takes in more light).
 
I brought a 4-16x42 Nikon Monarch for my 223, hopefully to use out to around 400yards, the reason I choose this as it is the rifle I use for goats and at close range fast shooting I didn't want more than 4x on the bottom end of the range.

I did consider the Vipers others have mentioned but I choose the Nikon over it as I liked the 4x magnificication range and I didn't want a 30mm tube.

If you could push out to get a Viper PST then you can get a great scope for the price, the 6-24 is generally considered better glass than the 4-16 by all the reviews I've read.

I was also looking for under $500 scopes and found either the Vortex Viper or Nikon Monarch scopes to be the best you could get in that range.
If you could stretch the budget to around 700 I think you could find a few more options from Vortex and Bushnell that would do well.

Also depends on what reticle, parallax and turrets you are wanting to get, if you want a more "Tactical" looking scope there doesn't seem to be too many for that price, you can find lots of cheap and nasty ones for less or spend more and get great low end "Tactical" scopes, but for that price your sort of stuck in the higher quality hunting scope range, and may not have the features you are hoping for.
I really wanted a side focus scope, which was only mainly to be found on the Vortex or the Nikon, which is another reason why I suggested these two scopes.
 
http://www.4scopes.com/nikon/riflescopes/nik-8423.html

Is what I brought and from that website.
It didn't mention that it comes with scope caps, so I ended up buying some butler creeks that I didn't need, but I prefered them to the Nikon ones anyway.

A mate of mine brought a Viper PST form liberty optics which is a great scope that has a very nice etched reticle, which could be a huge plus for wee little targets.
Had to wait forever to get it though.
 
I don't do the "tacticool" thing. My choices of accessories are based on practicality rather than looks. The long range rifle I use most often has a 4-16x40 target type with 1/8" clicks mounted to just clear the bolt handle. Quite suitable for use on the targets I shoot at the distance I want to shoot them.
 
Tacticool isn't something I like to buy into either but more often than not the Tactical scopes have practical features that most people like/want/need.
 
I have a Nikon Monarch 5-20x50 on my Weatherby Vanguard, the 50mm objective lens provides a larger, brighter field of view. (takes in more light).
Click to expand...

This. Objective size is not about tacticool, it's about light gathering ability. I get a extra 30-45 minutes of useable daylight with a 50mm vs 40-44mm objective. This is a non issue for punching paper in the afternoon, but if you hunt then you know some of the best hunting is at sunrise and sunset.
 
What will you be shooting? I started with a 6-24X44 scope for .22LR "benchrest" type shooting with my CZ452 and found myself buying a 2-7X when I started rabbit hunting with it because the 6-24X was just too powerful, even at the low end, for the sort of close-range hunting I was doing. It went to live on an SMLE I was using for target work at up to 600 yards and I had no complaints with it.

If I'd been doing my hunting with a centrefire rifle at over 100 yards, I might have been happy to stick with what I had. If you do take your new rifle hunting, you might not need a lower power; if your targets are out past a few hundred yards, you might find yourself needful of the extra magnification at the high end.

My 2c worth.
 
what a coincidence- the viper 6.5-20x will be riding the cz 452 as well as the m14, and remmy 700 LTR. For benchrest type 22lr stuff and long range fun with the others. All rifles have picatinny on top and will share a lightweight 1.5-8x hunting optic as well as this big fat monster of a scope. I think its gonna work pretty great.

Glad to hear this scope is so loved- ordered it last week!
 
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