Scopes

[azsugarbear]

You state your max distance will be 700 yards. Wind (not gravity) will become your biggest challenge in hitting your intended target. Most shooters will dial up for elevation, but 'hold-off' for windage through the scope. That is because wind is a constantly changing variable. Holding off allows you to make last minute corrections. In order to be precise in your hold-off, you will need a reticle that has good sub-tenons in either MOA or Mils. Whatever you get, make sure the reticle matches the turret. If the turret is in 1/4 MOA clicks then your reticle needs to be MOA as well. Believe it or not, there are scopes out there with MOA turret clicks and mildot reticles.

 

It's been a while since I looked at Leupold, but I believe you will pay extra to get a reticle with MOA sub-tenons. Just one more reason why I went with the Sightron SIII. I have owned a couple of Vortex Viper scopes. Great glass, but I had to use their warranty on each scope. I also own a couple of Nightforce NXS scopes. I have never had to use the warranty on the Nightforce. For me (and a lot of other shooters), the glass and clarity are superb. When it comes to perceived quality in glass, each shooter needs to make up his own mind and not rely on others. Many say the coatings that Nikon uses result in more blue/green hues. I have never found that to be true, but I have no doubt that it does for others.

 

IMO, the Nighforce NXS is a heavy scope and made my lightweight rigs feel out of balance and very top heavy.

 

A final thought on magnification: I have found that a minimum of 8x magnification is just too much for me. Not only does it make it difficult to locate animals in your scope at close range, but in AZ heat mirage becomes a real problem. The only way to escape it is to dial down your magnification. For my afternoon shooting, 8x is still too high to get rid of the mirage at 700 yards. Just my two cents.

[Mike S]

Subtension - FWIW