Reasonable Practice rifle scope

[DFWshooter]

So I’m setting up a practice rifle in 6.5CM. What’s a decent/good scope I can use to shoot steel out past 500 yds? Ideally out to 1,000. I prefer a more precision reticle in mils. Budget around $500. Thanks.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Swfa 3-9 or 10x or 3-15 if you bump your budget some

 

[DFWshooter]

Thanks. My buddy is steering me towards those too. He suggested the 12x. I think the 3x15 is $750 new. Is that a good deal?

 

[Ajsomp]

Don’t get the 12x. I’d suggest a second hand 3-15 or a 10x Milquad if you want something available now and works great. I have two of them

 

[DFWshooter]

Why not the 12x

 

[Ajsomp]

Why not the 12x

Above 10x is pretty much only useful on the range. So if you never plan to use it off the range, 12 could be fine. 10x for range and hunting use is what I would recommend.

Also, if you’re setting up a dedicated practice gun, 223 is going to be a better option. But that’s a whole other thread.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Thanks. My buddy is steering me towards those too. He suggested the 12x. I think the 3x15 is $750 new. Is that a good deal?

The 10x is the best deal that is currently available. It will also do everything you need it to do.

I had the 12x mounted on a varmint rifle and it was great in that role. But the more magnification you have, the less well-suited the scope becomes for “general use.” I can hunt in the woods with a 10x without ever feeling like I have too much magnification and too small a FOV, but that gets harder the more you go up.

I don’t own the SWFA 3-15x, but I have handled it and think it’s a great scope.

The SWFA 3-9x are currently sold out, but come up on the classifieds here about once a week. If you watch like a hawk, you can snag one.

No one else has suggested another brand of scope that I would even look at twice in this thread. There’s a lot of scopes in the $800 and below range that don’t compare favorably with an SWFA (and some scopes above that price point too). But if you stretch your budget a lot, the Trijicon AccuPoint 4-16x, Trijicon TenMile, and Nightforce options start to take over.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

For exactly what you are trying to do, swfa 10x. If you'll ever hunt with it, the swfa 6x or 3-9 are better. The 3-15 also works.

To the chat gpt fng who posted, don't let the door hit you on the way out.