HNTNGUY Report post Posted February 5, 2016 Ok guys! I need some help/info on which scope to buy. I recently bought a Sako A7 7mm long range and want to put a good piece of glass on it. Looking to eventually shoot out to 800-1000 yards. With that being said there are soooo many scopes available. Zeiss, Leupold, Vortex, Nightforce etc. I am new into the long range shooting and would value any input that you have. What is the difference in FFP, MRAD, MOA etc? I was looking at the Zeiss HD5 5-25x50 but am open to all input. Thanks again! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pwrguy Report post Posted February 5, 2016 This is along the lines of what is the best caliber, you are going to get a lot of answers. I personally think the Leopold mark 4 are decent 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cactusjack Report post Posted February 5, 2016 such a great question. The answers are going to be fun to see. I would say, buy the best you can afford, or even sell a kidney and buy better then you can afford. I was at the Shot Show and held, finger-banged, drooled on, and downright had dirty thoughts about some of the glass I looked through. The one that left me with the sickness the worst is the Zeiss V8 2.8-20x56. It was silly clear, and the 2.8 is small enough not to lose out on close shots, and the 20 far enough for my needs shooting out to 800+. Would more magnification be better? Not for me, but if you were looking for more, the next size up, the 4.8-35x60 should answer your call for seeing the color of your targets eyes. If you can hold it still enough. MOA or MRAD are purely personal preference, IMO. Choose one, get to know it and go with it. FFP is nice, if you are using a BDC (bullet drop comp). It will be accurate at all magnification levels. SFP will need to be at the MAX mag to be accurate or a set mag, depends on the scope. Everybody has their favorites and hates others. I have or have had, Nightforce, Leupold, Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica, Vortex and even, wait for it.... Nikon and Bushnell. I have likes and dislikes about most of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oz31p Report post Posted February 5, 2016 I'm on the west side and I have the Zeiss conquest HD5 5-25x50 and a Leupold mk4 LR/T 4.5-14x40. But with fine reticles if you wanted to look through them side by side Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HNTNGUY Report post Posted February 5, 2016 OZ31P Thank you for the offer and I might have to take you up on that! Which scope do you like better? If you were going to put a scope on another gun, which would you do? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted February 5, 2016 Biggest question. Price range? This will greatly change people's answers you will get. Second biggest question. Usage? Hunting, LR shooting, both? I have a couple decent to high quality scopes you could look through as well, and I am not to far from Oz31p. SWFA 5-20x50 MIL FFP. ($1300-1500 new) Steiner T5Xi 5-25x56 MIL FFP ($1600-1900 new) Kahles K624i 6-24x56 MIL FFP (my favorite, $2700-3000 new) For hunting, I like a FFP (first focal plane) scope. Meaning the reticle is not dependent on magnification, and the reticle grows or shrinks dependent on magnification setting, and the subtensions always stay constant. a 5 mil hold is a 5 mil hold on 3, 5, 9, 14, 17.5 or 24X. A SFP (second focal plane) scope is ONLY true on max magnification, or double on half magnification. Anything else is off. I prefer MIL to MOA. It is just easier for me to dial 5.1mil vs. something like 16.75moa. Just personal preference. My preferences also lean towards a good reticle that is not a BDC, but a true MIL or MOA subtension. If you know what your DC is subtensioned at, it is OK, but harder to think about (0, 1.5, 4.5, 7.5, 11.5 moa) rather than marks at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc. MRAD is in Milradians, or pretty much .1cm @ 100 meters. Or .34" @ 100 yards. Most scopes are in .1MIL turret adjustment, or 3 clicks @ 100 yards is 1" more or less. MOA is Minute of Angle. Close to 1.047" @ 100 yards. Most scopes are 1/4MOA turret adjustment, or .25" @ 100 yards. Usually, a larger tube diameter gets more vertical adjustment range. Probably not needed for shooting to 1000 yards. Stretch it out to 1500-1700+, and more adjustment is needed than most 1" tubes can dial. They also allow a bit more light transmission. Larger objectives allow more light transfer as well. You should be able to shoot steel and game sized animals out to 1000+ easily with 15or 16X high end magnification. If you want to shoot prairie dogs at 1K, you will probably need more. But remember, hunting sometimes throws a close moving shot at us, so a good low end of 3-4X is nice in those cases. Best optic for all of these would be the Schmidt & Bender PMII 3-27x56 FFP CCW MTC with a good reticle not too cluttered, like the P4F, or a Hensoldt ZF 3.5-26x56 . So break out $7000 and have the bet scope money can buy. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oz31p Report post Posted February 5, 2016 OZ31P Thank you for the offer and I might have to take you up on that! Which scope do you like better? If you were going to put a scope on another gun, which would you do? I really like the zeiss the zero stop turrets are nice but with the zero stop installed your limited to 16moa. In my case it's 750y. Which is plenty and but it's very heavy. So it work on my heavy gun The mk4 is just as capable exempt it has a Lower magnification and no zero stop but no limit on turret adjust ment But it weighs half what the Ziess weighs. . It works great on my light weight rifle. So much so that I have my light rifle and scope for sale right now but the more I think about it I may just keep the mk4 for my next ultra light weight build. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cactusjack Report post Posted February 5, 2016 The Leupold Vx6 4-24x52 is pretty nice. Side focus, illuminated, not super heavy, 24oz. If Im not mistaken, the Mark 4 4.5-14 weighs in a 21oz. The price tag is heavier on the VX6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted February 5, 2016 If I have the money I would choose Nightforce. If I'm on a budget I would go with the Vortex PST. I personally use MOA. For what I do the 2nd focal plane works fine for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oz31p Report post Posted February 5, 2016 The Leupold Vx6 4-24x52 is pretty nice. Side focus, illuminated, not super heavy, 24oz. If Im not mistaken, the Mark 4 4.5-14 weighs in a 21oz. The price tag is heavier on the VX6 The mark 4 4.5-14x40 30mm tube is listed on at 16oz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cactusjack Report post Posted February 5, 2016 https://www.leupold.com/hunting-shooting/scopes/mark-4-lrt-riflescopes/mark-4-lrt-4-5-14x50mm-30mm-m1/ Is the one I was referring to Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HNTNGUY Report post Posted February 5, 2016 ok, another question guys. Looking at the Zeiss in HD5 what is the difference in the Z Plex, RZ1000, and the RZ800? Which would you recommend? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted February 5, 2016 I like the Sightron SIII but want to get a Nightforce SHV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Titanium700 Report post Posted February 5, 2016 I've been hung up on Leupold Mark 4's lately 3.5-10's to be exact, been putting them on just about every long range rifle I have recently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted February 5, 2016 Buy all the scopes 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
