FFP Scope choice for 7PRC Elk Rifle?

[Ludo]

I’ve been on the SFP scope train for my entire life, but recently I attended a 3 day “Long Range Rifle” course, and now I’m all-in on the FFP’s. With that said, I now need one for my 7PRC which will be primarily used on Colorado Elk. My Rifle is still being built, but it will weigh somewhere close to 6.5lbs, so I’m not “too” concerned about adding a 2lb FFP scope. Just trying to keep it under 9lbs total.

Anyway, I’m trying to go high end with this scope choice (buy once cry once).
My finalists are (in order):
Kahles K318i
ZCO ZC420
Zeiss S5 LRP (although these turrets are tall)

Also considering:
March 3-24x52 (heard about eyebox issues)
Nightforce NX8 F1 2.5-20x50

For you more experienced folks, any input on these scopes? First hand experience would be great.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

the Zeiss and Nightforce were both evaluated here:

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

the results were wildly different. Kahles also has a reuptation for literally coming apart in shock/vibe environments.

 

[Ludo]

the Zeiss and Nightforce were both evaluated here:

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

the results were wildly different. Kahles also has a reuptation for literally coming apart in shock/vibe environments.

Thanks for the link. I just read through the Zeiss review and immediately ruled that one out. I’m sure it’s fine for a bench gun, but my instincts were correct… those turrets wouldn’t bode well in the woods.

 

[madcalfe]

iv went through 2 kahles k318i, there junk.
amazing glass, very good tracking, but 1 bump she's going back to Austria to get fixed.
I switched to a 4-16x42 ATACR.
if ZCO is in your budget id grab one.
could also look at the new S&B PM2 ultrashort

 

[ChrisAU]

If ZCO is in the budget, then the search is over IMO. Doubt we ever see one in the drop tests. But for a hunting rifle, I agree on the 4-16x42 ATACR suggestion over the NX8.

 

[zacko]

Iv not long sold my March the eye box really is terrible at high zoom great glass very robust amazing positive clicks nice low profile turrets made it an easy choice for my hunting rifle but the eye box out weighed the good and off it went the parallax is also a pain in hunting situations

 

[rileybassman]

SHV 4-14 F1 is also a great scope.


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[MaraviaDave]

4-16x42 ATACR gets my vote.

 

[BigNate]

My first recommendation is Nightforce, then a Steiner or S&B PMII.

 

[huntnful]

One precaution I will mention, is that you built a very light baseline rifle. Putting a 2+ pound set of scope and rings on top of it is going to feel very unbalanced and top heavy. Just keep that in mind. ZCO 420 is awesome. It’s a little tank. I use the March FX 4.5-28’s and they’re a very solid scope. I also have a March F 3-24X52 and it has one of the best FFP hunting reticles out there IMO. And it is not that hard to get behind. Has a better eyebox than an NX8. Those little ATACR’s are good too. I sold my 4-20 ATACR, ZCO 527 and ZCO 420 and ended up going with the March FX’s. For their size and weight, they are unmatched IMO.

 

[zacko]

One precaution I will mention, is that you built a very light baseline rifle. Putting a 2+ pound set of scope and rings on top of it is going to feel very unbalanced and top heavy. Just keep that in mind. ZCO 420 is awesome. It’s a little tank. I use the March FX 4.5-28’s and they’re a very solid scope. I also have a March F 3-24X52 and it has one of the best FFP hunting reticles out there IMO. And it is not that hard to get behind. Has a better eyebox than an NX8. Those little ATACR’s are good too. I sold my 4-20 ATACR, ZCO 527 and ZCO 420 and ended up going with the March FX’s. For their size and weight, they are unmatched IMO.

On a bench I'd agree add an awkward angle and that was the undoing of mine beautiful scopes other than that itd be my first choice for prs

 

[Big338]

I have 7 ZCO 4-20. 2 ZCO 5-27. Have owned everything from vortex, nightforce, s&b, kahles, hensoldt, and looked thru and played with Tangent but couldn’t justify cost.

They might be a little on heavier side but for everything from glass quality to turrets to ergonomics and pure ruggedness I don’t think you can beat the 4-20.

It is currently going on 2 7 prcs I am building.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[6.5x284]

If you have the cash and don’t mind the weight ZCO 4-20. Second would be ATACR 4-16. That ZCO 4-20 is out of this world.


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[LightFoot]

I have a 7 PRC being built for elk this fall and I’m going with the NF ATACR 4-16x42. That’s because I already have the scope. If I were buying one, the ZCO 4-20 would be my first choice if I wasn’t on a budget. Then the ATACR for under $3K, and the NX8 or and NXS for under $2K.


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[Ludo]

Iv not long sold my March the eye box really is terrible at high zoom great glass very robust amazing positive clicks nice low profile turrets made it an easy choice for my hunting rifle but the eye box out weighed the good and off it went the parallax is also a pain in hunting situations

Thanks for that feedback. Yeah I agree the size, weight and performance are everything I’m looking for, but poor eyebox forgiveness trumps almost anything else for me.

 

[28bang]

The March 4.5-28x52 will be a pain on a long action. I wonder if the 4-20 zco would be too? The Steiner t6xi’s have been good to me so far. I have a 2.5-15 and the 3-18. I compared them with a kahles 2 k318i and kept the steiners. Eye box is awesome on the steiners.

 

[Ludo]

The March 4.5-28x52 will be a pain on a long action. I wonder if the 4-20 zco would be too? The Steiner t6xi’s have been good to me so far. I have a 2.5-15 and the 3-18. I compared them with a kahles 2 k318i and kept the steiners. Eye box is awesome on the steiners.

Yeah, that’s been on my mind as well. Not sure if I’ll be able to get the ZC420 far enough back for proper eye relief. Hopefully someone can weigh in on that subject. Outside of its 36mm tube, the dimensions look similar to a 3-18 Mark 5 or Kahles…

 

[huntnful]

The March 4.5-28x52 will be a pain on a long action. I wonder if the 4-20 zco would be too? The Steiner t6xi’s have been good to me so far. I have a 2.5-15 and the 3-18. I compared them with a kahles 2 k318i and kept the steiners. Eye box is awesome on the steiners.

Yep! Totally forgot about that! I shaved the front lugs on my rails to use the March with .92” rings. The lowest 36mm/ZCO rings you can get at .94 and the ZCO seemed to have a little more forgiveness with mounting than the March.

 

[28bang]

Yeah, that’s been on my mind as well. Not sure if I’ll be able to get the ZC420 far enough back for proper eye relief. Hopefully someone can weigh in on that subject. Outside of its 36mm tube, the dimensions look similar to a 3-18 Mark 5 or Kahles…

I’m building a 7 prc improved and have an integral rail with the gap over the ejection port. 4” between back and front rail. Hard to mount the short scopes on a set up like that.

 

[28bang]

Yep! Totally forgot about that! I shaved the front lugs on my rails to use the March with .92” rings. The lowest 36mm/ZCO rings you can get at .94 and the ZCO seemed to have a little more forgiveness with mounting than the March.

Had the same problem with TT 3-15 H. It was workable but the reticle just killed it for me.