FFP long range hunting recommendations/opinions

Macintosh

WKR
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
1,934
I’m shooting a 6.5 prc so pretty flat. My first scope I mounted supposedly had 85 moa elevation travel and a 20 moa rail and I ended up with just enough travel to reach 900 yards after zeroing. The scope I have right now is mrad same scope but has enough to get me over a mile. So maybe the first scopes QC sucked and had less travel. I’d like to be able to shoot out to 1500 or a mile for fun every once in a while with it.
Something odd with the setup you had a problem with—my 6.5cm is at about 28moa to hit 900 yards, if you had a 20min rail and could only dial to 900yds with a prc theres something very wrong. It almost sounds like the rail was mounted backwards, THAT would do exactly that.
Regardless, 75 or 80 moa total travel will get you out a LOOOOONG way with an elevated rail.
 
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Davisjj8

Davisjj8

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 14, 2023
Messages
155
Something odd with the setup you had a problem with—my 6.5cm is at about 28moa to hit 900 yards, if you had a 20min rail and could only dial to 900yds with a prc theres something very wrong. It almost sounds like the rail was mounted backwards, THAT would do exactly that.
Regardless, 75 or 80 moa total travel will get you out a LOOOOONG way with an elevated rail.
I thought it was odd as well. The rail was mounted correct and everything, the scope I have now is on the same exact rail that I didn’t switch at all and I’m left with over 18 mils of elevation after zeroing.
 

Rob5589

WKR
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
6,243
Location
N CA
SWFA 3-15 or something used that is solid. IMO, keep using what you have and keep saving your money for a true upgrade, not a lateral move.
 

turbo406

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2023
Messages
22
Bought my first FFP scope this year and settles for a midas tac, I couldn't be happier with it thus far. Love the capped windage for hunting, the elevation turret has super positive clicks that I'm not worried about accidentally bumping in the field. The zero stop is miles ahead of my vortex HSLR shim system, the gears are metal internally and its not super heavy. Never shot "distance" aside from just screwing around out backroading shooting rocks until the other day and the midas tac made taking my 300 win mag out to just shy of 600 unbelievably simple even in the wind without dialing just using the reticle hold. Will not hesitate to buy another as of right now, really looking into the helos btr with the locking turrets for my coyote rig as I run a lo drag pack with the scabbard packing in and out of sets i like the idea of a locking turret.
 

ChrisAU

WKR
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
6,053
Location
SE Alabama
I thought it was odd as well. The rail was mounted correct and everything, the scope I have now is on the same exact rail that I didn’t switch at all and I’m left with over 18 mils of elevation after zeroing.

Check out the Zeiss LRP S3 if travel is what you want. I just put one on a 6.5 PRC with a 20 MOA rail and a 20 MOA mount and I have 32.2 MILs of elevation left to dial. This is a 6-36 model. Specs call for 32 MILs but mine has over 37. Read where guys get well over 50 MILs on the 4-25.
 
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Davisjj8

Davisjj8

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 14, 2023
Messages
155
Check out the Zeiss LRP S3 if travel is what you want. I just put one on a 6.5 PRC with a 20 MOA rail and a 20 MOA mount and I have 32.2 MILs of elevation left to dial. This is a 6-36 model. Specs call for 32 MILs but mine has over 37. Read where guys get well over 50 MILs on the 4-25.
I wouldn’t mind one those for certain things. Zeiss makes great stuff. It’s way out of the budget right now and super heavy though. I’m blown away by the 160 moa though!!
 

ChrisAU

WKR
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
6,053
Location
SE Alabama
I wouldn’t mind one those for certain things. Zeiss makes great stuff. It’s way out of the budget right now and super heavy though. I’m blown away by the 160 moa though!!

The new Primary Arms 3-18x44 is boasting 180 MOA of travel under 30 oz:

 

SloppyJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
681
Strike eagle 4x24 on eurooptic right now in the sale section for $300 right now.....
 
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Davisjj8

Davisjj8

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 14, 2023
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Strike eagle 4x24 on eurooptic right now in the sale section for $300 right now.....
That’s a steal, it’s second focal plane though… I’m still tempted for that price though.
 
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Messages
663
I saw that, I’m wondering how it compares to the new vortex strike eagle.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's better only because it's made in the Philippines like the viper line of scopes. Maybe I'm wrong on the new strike eagle but they were made in China last I knew.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2023
Messages
4
Something I haven't seen mentioned yet is reticle thickness at low power. Because the reticle subtends the same throughout the magnification range, it's very thin at the low end of the power range. Not an issue on bright sunny days or on higher power, but making a close distance shot in low light can be extremely difficult if not impossible.

I was hunting blacktail this last fall with a Leupold Mark 6 3-18 with an H59 (entirely too much scope for this application) and I was sitting watching a doe. It was only a few minutes until last light and I was just waiting to see if there was a buck around. I thought I'd aim the scope at her to get a look at what making a shot would be like. I was probably 80 yards away or so and 3x was perfect, but I couldn't make out my reticle. If a buck came in I'd have to bump magnification up to 6 or so to see the crosshairs.

I think if the reticle could illuminate this would have solved the problem and there may also be some FFP reticles that subtend thick enough on low power to work without illumination. For a strictly hunting application, I think 2FP scopes may be better for most people. You can always dial wind at long range or estimate your wind hold at closer distances.

I like to shoot long range with this gun and shoot matches occasionally so I'm keeping a FFP scope on it but I thought I'd bring this up.
 
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Davisjj8

Davisjj8

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 14, 2023
Messages
155
Something I haven't seen mentioned yet is reticle thickness at low power. Because the reticle subtends the same throughout the magnification range, it's very thin at the low end of the power range. Not an issue on bright sunny days or on higher power, but making a close distance shot in low light can be extremely difficult if not impossible.

I was hunting blacktail this last fall with a Leupold Mark 6 3-18 with an H59 (entirely too much scope for this application) and I was sitting watching a doe. It was only a few minutes until last light and I was just waiting to see if there was a buck around. I thought I'd aim the scope at her to get a look at what making a shot would be like. I was probably 80 yards away or so and 3x was perfect, but I couldn't make out my reticle. If a buck came in I'd have to bump magnification up to 6 or so to see the crosshairs.

I think if the reticle could illuminate this would have solved the problem and there may also be some FFP reticles that subtend thick enough on low power to work without illumination. For a strictly hunting application, I think 2FP scopes may be better for most people. You can always dial wind at long range or estimate your wind hold at closer distances.

I like to shoot long range with this gun and shoot matches occasionally so I'm keeping a FFP scope on it but I thought I'd bring this up.
I’ve thought of this as well. I feel that for my purposes and type of hunting I normally am ok with the thin non illuminated reticle. I do mostly western hunting and find myself with decent distanced shots fairly often. I also enjoy shooting long range for fun on targets.

I also started looking at the athlon Ares btr gen2 4.5-27x50. Found one for 600 that checks all the boxes

100 moa travel, 27 oz, locking and zero stop turrets, and has an IR just to top it off.
 
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