Scope for .223 Rifle

B

Big Tom

New member
Hey guys, I was thinking about picking up one of those Savage AXIS rifles in .223 to plink around with at the range as more and more I am loving bolt action over semi auto and lever. I wanted to know of some good scopes for this gun just to shoot out to 200 yards maybe 250. Generally I'll be shooting it at 125 yards as my local range maxes out at that distance (sadly). But I didnt want anything super fancy for it, I like my Bushnell that came with my Savage MK II classic. I have zeroed it in and my groups are usually one hole out to 100 yards so I am not complaining. I also don't want anything super bulky or heavy, the smaller the better. I wanted the prices to remain reasonable, thanks again.
 
If you like the Bushnell that came with your other Savage, it might be a safe bet that you'd be happy with the Savage Axis XP combo that's available.
 
I didnt know they still had the combos. I know almost nothing about optics. Do you know which scope comes with the rifle?
 
The USAMU use to put on a counter sniper school for Civilian LE.

The put out a Guide, that covers choosing rifles and scopes. The idea was that LE normally would never be required to shoot past 300 yards. They figured you could sight in at 250 yards and would be able to make head shots up to 300 yards without holdovers or sight adjustments.

Their recommendations was for a 223 bolt gun type rifle with a 6 - 8 fixed power scopes.

I set up a Remington BDL Varmint per their guidelines, using a Redfield 6X Widefield scope and it worked quite well, that was in 1978 and it still works today.

For a good reasonable prices scope I'd recommend the Weaver K series, either in 4 or 6 fixed power. That will more then cover the type shooting you addressed. (That's what I put on my hunting rifles).
 
Big Tom,

I wouldn't skimp on a scope. Get the best one that you can afford. Optical clairity (resolution), brightnes (quality of the glass and its coating), accuracy of adjustment and the repeatablity of the adjustments are all factors in selecting a good scope.

For your needs, you probably don't need the paralex adjustment, 30mm tube or target turrets of the more pricey scopes, but the scope you select should be of the same quality level as your rifle. The higher the power, the more critical the quality of light transmission and resolution becomes.

As an aside, don't forget to get good mounts too. The rifle, scope and the mounts all make for a single system. A weak link in the system will negate any advantage that you enjoy from the rest of the system.

Kraigwy,

I too was involved in teaching rifle marksmanship to a police unit in the vicinity of Fort Lewis several years ago. Their Sheriff prohibited target engagement beyond 100 yards. Made making my POI rather easy as wind and trajectory didn't really matter at that range. If my memory serves, they used .223s on the Remington 700 too. They spent a day observing our training and they were flabergasted at the ranges our snipers used the M-24 SWS at. They'd really be impressed with what we can now do with the newer Mk 13 system.
 
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@Big Tom - the Bushnell Banner would work for the range you would shoot at. For a few more dollars, there are plenty of other scopes that would greatly expand your choices. There are Nikon, Redfield, Weaver, Pentax, and bunch others that are under $200. Also look around at other sites like for the closeout deals for the best price.

Also, if you get a chance, look through the scope before you buy it.
 
I didnt know they still had the combos. I know almost nothing about optics. Do you know which scope comes with the rifle?
Click to expand...

Not sure exactly what comes with the combo, but everything I have read says it is absolute bottom of the barrel. You would probably be better off with the non-combo in a price range like this:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/70942-1.html

as opposed to adding $50:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/.../products_id/70937/Savage+AXIS+XP+223+PACKAGE

You will probably want to replace the scope in fairly short order anyway, so why not put that $50 toward the price of a better optic to begin with and save money in the long run?
 
I use a bushnell banner 3-9x40 for night hunting pigs and coyotes.

Rattles around in the truck, gets whacked by tree branches and get fired several times a week. I has held zero since installation.
 
Scharfschuetzer, $130 is the most I really can spend for a scope to be honest. Yeah I need to get some good mounts too, without those I'd be in a serious pickle. I like Bushnell (although I havent tried anything else yet) it seems like they make good quality scopes.

Marquezj16, I wish I could look through the scopes but where I live the only place that has scopes is wal-mart and they have stuff like tapco, etc which I heard were crap. So I am stuck buying online.

rickyrick, thanks for letting me know that. It will come in handy for when I make my choice.
 
Wow. That's quite a price for a scope with target turrets, mil dot reticle and adjustable objective lense (paralex). It has alll the bells and whistles as they say.

What power do you use in order to use the mil dot function? Do you go to maxmum power or do you use it at 10X or some other magnification. Very few variable power scopes will read millradians at all powers accurately. It depends on where the cross hairs focus at within the scope and most are clalibrated to read properly at just one power within the scopes range.

Scopes like the old ART 1 (3 X 9 Redfield) the army used back in the day or its civilian range finder equivalent actually used the scopes power to magnify or shrink the target size into a pair of stadia for range finding.

If you don't want to do the math for mil dots (size / mils X 1000 = range), there are a few apps for the iPod and iPhone that will do it for you. I got one of the apps at the App Store for .99 cents. It is fast and you can vary the input and output from yards to meters or back again.
 
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check out a sightron 3-9x40 milldot made in usa
mounted on a .223 they might as well give you your first dead coyote free with purchase, think i payed around 129 a few years ago
crisp optics
 
The most clear glass I've seen in that price range is the Mueller APV 4-14x40,
plus it has enough power to see 223 bullet holes at 100 yards and more.;)
 
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