Scope for 300 PRC

[PMB]

Long time lurker, new member here looking for advice. I have been an avid archer for many years but recently purchased a rifle in 300 PRC am overwhelming confused by the selection of scopes out there. The rifle will be used for target shooting and some hunting, deer, goats, maybe bear in SE AK . I am thinking that 2.5-15 X 44-50 would be a good choice but what reticle? Last time I bought a scope almost 40 years ago there weren’t all these choices. Brands? Looking at Maven, GPO, Swarovski, Leupold or Meopta and how big a factor is lighted reticle vs non-lighted?

 

[CorbLand]

Lots of information on scopes in the optics section

Optics

Glass them up!

www.rokslide.com

 

[zog]

If you're like me you're in for a lot of buying and trying. My local sporting goods has been great about letting me buy 3-4 scopes to take the to the range to look through and compare, and return for full price, but as soon as you put them in scope rings they are "used" (understandably).

I was about to get or make some rubber mounts and put them on a used rifle stock just to be able to hold scopes at the range and compare eye relief, etc without making ring marks. Then I decided I was just spending too much time trying to make a perfect decision. But it's a lot of coin and the used market is really difficult unless you're willing to take quite a loss.

So to narrow my decision making and to stop spending all day on the forums, I decided to look at the scoped rifle packages that Fierce sells. I figured they must know the best value for the dollar since they shoot a lot and have tried so many of them. I used their offerings to narrow my decision and went with Zeiss V6 3-18 x 50. Still not a perfect decision though. I like the light through the 50mm but it's really too much bell.

For me, another newbie who has recently been through this -

1) Illuminated reticle is very cool but not make-or-break. It's one more thing to put a %^#@! battery in!

2) I definitely wanted some form of bullet drop reticle for hunts when I didn't want to stop and adjust the scope. I love BDC and have shot many animals at 400+ yds using the stadia once I learned it for my loads. For me, any of the BDC reticles work, you just have to learn them for your loads.

3) Still not sure about front focal (F1) vs second focal (F2). For more percentage of long range shooting - front focal. More percentage of 200-400 yd hunting - second focal. My Zeiss is second focal but I like the F1's.

4) MOA vs Mils - ignore; does not matter. Get the right scope for you in either . They are the same thing, especially with all the conversion and ballistic apps. If you are down to two scopes that have everything you want , their price is close, and one is MOA and the other mils - Then maybe go MOA only cuz we're so accustomed to inches per 100 yds and MOA is close enough to that at hunting distances.

5) Max power - several long range target shooters told me they didn't think they wanted 20x until they tried it, and now consider 20x a minimum. Mind you they're not hunting. 20x is too much for me. Of course you don't have to turn the scope all the way up, but for an F2 that messes with the BDC advantage if you're not at full power. You have to learn the stadia for whatever power you are using in F2, and most of the apps and cards assume full zoom for their data.

Reading back through this post I see I didn't help all that much and might have added confusion. Good luck. Choice is not always a blessing. I think I was better off back when I knew there wasn't much choice (with things in general, not just optics), and just had to make whatever I got work.

 

[1shotgear]

Lighted reticles are definitely not a must in our opinion. You should take a look at the Nightforce NX8 2.5x20x50 F1! We would recommend going with the MOAR reticle; it has enough features to hold for wind, but it is still a simple reticle. The glass in the NX8 is top notch, the scope is built like a tank, and it is very lightweight for it's class!

 

[scott_co]

Lighted reticles are definitely not a must in our opinion. You should take a look at the Nightforce NX8 2.5x20x50 F1! We would recommend going with the MOAR reticle; it has enough features to hold for wind, but it is still a simple reticle. The glass in the NX8 is top notch, the scope is built like a tank, and it is very lightweight for it's class!

I have seen some YT videos for the Nightforce NX8 4-32x50 F1 where the reticle almost looked unusable at the lower magnification settings. Does the 2.5-20x50 have this issue?

Also, what are your thoughts on the Vortex Razor HD AMG 6-24x50?

For the OP. You might find some useful info in a similar thread that I have going: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/thr...ightforce-nx8-4-32x50-f1.192839/#post-1871988

 

[Marble]

For me, what i look for in a modern scope, using it similar to how you do is the following:

30mm tube (strength and field of view)
50 objective (field of view and light)
Somewhere around 4x on the low and 15ish on the high.
Adjustable paralux/focusing
Top adjustable turret with a zero reset. Preferably 1/4 moa clicks
Windage cap, not a turret.

Leopold (my go to) and Vortex both have these. But the difference in glass and clarity is amazing in Leopold, for me.


The nightforce is amazing, but my dad is older and is having a hard time seeing the fine crosshairs. Might switch it out for heavy crosshairs.



Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[MallardAddict]

I was in the same boat recently and bought a NF Atacr 4-16x50 and couldn’t be happier

 

[zog]

Lighted reticles are definitely not a must in our opinion. You should take a look at the Nightforce NX8 2.5x20x50 F1! We would recommend going with the MOAR reticle; it has enough features to hold for wind, but it is still a simple reticle. The glass in the NX8 is top notch, the scope is built like a tank, and it is very lightweight for it's class!

.
1shot could you tell me . . . is this the same quality as ATACR? Or is ATACR another grade up?

 

[MallardAddict]

@zog, in my opinion the Atacr is a level above the NX8 line. To my eyes the nx8 falls between the nxs and Atacr more towards the Atacr end. It is a great scope and this coming from a guy who gets a significant NF discount and owns NF, March and S&B among others so I’m not brand loyal.

 

[PMB]

Thank you all for the input. I have to say this is super confusing to sort thru and with budget constraints to consider even harder. Think I am leaning towards the Leupold VX5 at this point. Best glass I have looked thru with a reticle I like. The GPO is amazingly bright but I can’t find the right reticle. Biggest problem I have is being able to compare a few scopes side by side and especially within the same power range.

 

[1shotgear]

.
1shot could you tell me . . . is this the same quality as ATACR? Or is ATACR another grade up?

The NX8 and ATACR are both great scopes, but they are designed for different purposes. The ATACR is built for more tactical use, so it is a bit heavier and has a lower magnification range. The NX8 was designed to be a light weight option which makes it perfect for a hunting rifle. The glass quality between the two scopes is very similar.

 

[zog]

The NX8 and ATACR are both great scopes, but they are designed for different purposes. The ATACR is built for more tactical use, so it is a bit heavier and has a lower magnification range. The NX8 was designed to be a light weight option which makes it perfect for a hunting rifle. The glass quality between the two scopes is very similar.

Thanks 1Shot. Leads to one more question - can we get a NF with less than 8 magnification range but has all the same quality, and save on price? 8 seems like a lot of range that most wouldn't ever use.

 

[1shotgear]

Thanks 1Shot. Leads to one more question - can we get a NF with less than 8 magnification range but has all the same quality, and save on price? 8 seems like a lot of range that most wouldn't ever use.

You could always go with the SHV series! The turrets and zero stop system on the SHV series are not on the same level as the NX8 or the ATACR series, but they are still very nice! In our opinion, it is hard to tell a difference in glass quality between the SHV, NX8, and ATACR unless you are in very low light, in which case the ATACR and NX8 outperform the SHV.

 

[LBuchser]

A lot of great info out there! I really like FFP scopes but it is true, when you're at the low end of the magnification, those hairs end up almost unusable! I wouldnt knock any of the scopes mentioned, most are top quality glass.

For me, I went with a Leupold VX6hd 3-18x50mm for my 300 PRC. It met all my criteria for my ultralight mountain rifle. The VX6HD is very lightweight for its class (half pound lighter in a lot of cases), HD glass, 50mm, illuminated, perfect reticle for me (T-MOA) since I use advanced ballistics for turret adjustment holdovers, also has Zero stop and locks for Elevation and Windage!, solid throw lever, not bulky, integrated flip caps, great warranty and customer service (from my experiences........ the list goes on and on. But that's just me and what I picked for a very specific purpose! If I was using that scope for more range time or competition or mostly hunting flats then I would have gone with something else.

 

[Doc Holliday]

The Meopta 2.5-15x44 would be a great first scope for you.....and the kdot reticle is very clean.

Product Description

Product Description | Camera Land NY

cameralandny.com

I am shooting a 160 gr accubond at 3100 fps out of my 7 mag:

Main dot - 100 yard
2nd dot - 200 yards to 300 yards
3rd dot - 350 yards
4th dot - 400 yards
5th dot - 12 inches low at 530 yards

 

[HuntnPack]

I’d highly recommend the Nightforce.
I have the 2.5-20x50 F2. Great all around
hunting optic. 2.5 on the low end for close shots in the dark timber, & 20 on the high end for the open country. Great crisp, clear, glass. Nice weight & size. Positive controls.
Clean un cluttered moar reticle, with floating dot. Illumination of dots.
Precise click adjustments, tracks perfectly, returns to zero. Capped windage, zero stop, power lever, Tennebraex flip up lens caps. Rugged, Reliable, Dependable.

 

[SomeJackassOnAForum]

Part of the allure of the 300 PRC is having a high-energy cartridge available with factory target and hunting loads for longer distance shooting.

Haven't seen anyone ask yet, but what are you doing with the rifle? Is it purely a hunting rig with occasional target shooting? How much of a factor is weight for you? How far are you willing to take a shot? If you have no desire to ever take a shot beyond 500 yds and this is a light weight hunting rig, you'll probably see some different recommendations than you would for a combination ELR/Hunting rifle that you want to fill Cow Elk tags at 1000 yds as well as ring steel at 2000 with.

That NX8 above is a good option if you're trying to have the rifle be both, but a budget and a use profile are really helpful for people trying to give scope recommendations.

 

[section8mainiac]

A lot of great info out there! I really like FFP scopes but it is true, when you're at the low end of the magnification, those hairs end up almost unusable! I wouldnt knock any of the scopes mentioned, most are top quality glass.

For me, I went with a Leupold VX6hd 3-18x50mm for my 300 PRC. It met all my criteria for my ultralight mountain rifle. The VX6HD is very lightweight for its class (half pound lighter in a lot of cases), HD glass, 50mm, illuminated, perfect reticle for me (T-MOA) since I use advanced ballistics for turret adjustment holdovers, also has Zero stop and locks for Elevation and Windage!, solid throw lever, not bulky, integrated flip caps, great warranty and customer service (from my experiences........ the list goes on and on. But that's just me and what I picked for a very specific purpose! If I was using that scope for more range time or competition or mostly hunting flats then I would have gone with something else.

+1 for the Leupold 3-18x50 VX6 I have this same one on my 300 win mag and love it! TMOA as well

 

[Kenn]

30mm tube (strength and field of view)
50 objective (field of view and light)

I believe that the larger tube only gives you more latitude for dialing and doesn't have any effect on field of view. I also think the larger objective helps with light, but again, not field of view. (Full disclosure - I'm often wrong.)

 

[PMB]

Part of the allure of the 300 PRC is having a high-energy cartridge available with factory target and hunting loads for longer distance shooting.

Haven't seen anyone ask yet, but what are you doing with the rifle? Is it purely a hunting rig with occasional target shooting? How much of a factor is weight for you? How far are you willing to take a shot? If you have no desire to ever take a shot beyond 500 yds and this is a light weight hunting rig, you'll probably see some different recommendations than you would for a combination ELR/Hunting rifle that you want to fill Cow Elk tags at 1000 yds as well as ring steel at 2000 with.

That NX8 above is a good option if you're trying to have the rifle be both, but a budget and a use profile are really helpful for people trying to give scope recommendations.

This will primarily be a hunting rifle. I would like to minimize the overall wt because it will be carried in tough steep terrain (rifle is about 7# no scope, Probably 8-9#, I find I don’t shoot well with a 6.5# rifle.) I would however like the ability to shoot 5-700 yards and have done so in the past with my 7mm rem mag and am really intrigued by some of the long range stuff.

I definitely have a budget limit want to stay under $1500.00. I don’t understand Mils as well as I do MOA so I know I want something in MOA.

As I said earlier I haven’t spent much time with rifles in at least 25 years but am finding more time to do it now. I have always been an accuracy fanatic both with firearms and archery equipment and like to shoot distances far longer than I would for hunting when spending range time. Not into competition shooting anymore however.