Starter optic for up to 400 yards and sub$500

[LonghairDontcare]

SWFA 3-15

Little hesitant about switching to FFP

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Little hesitant about switching to FFP

With that reticle, it won’t be a big deal.

 

[Axlrod]

Agreed but I have a million other toys I’d rather save the $500 for and I bet in five years a $1000 scope will have Wi-Fi, cook me a steak and do my taxes. I’d rather keep this rig a budget setup for now.

Your budget is what it is. The only sub $500 scope that works, will be a SWFA. Why spend $500 on a variable that won't do the one thing you are buying it to do? I would hunt with the cheapest pawn shop rifle I could find as long as the scope would do it's job.

 

[Reed104R]

Find a nice used USA Leupold Vari-X III (Multicoat 4) or Zeiss Conquest. Either can be found in your price range and both carry a lifetime warranty.

 

[Braaap]

SWFA 3-9 or 3-15. They should be getting more 3-9 scopes in this month or next last time I asked them.

 

[KenLee]

Find a nice used USA Leupold Vari-X III (Multicoat 4) or Zeiss Conquest. Either can be found in your price range and both carry a lifetime warranty.

For practicing dialing?
I have both and would say no on both.

Find a nice used USA Leupold Vari-X III (Multicoat 4) or Zeiss Conquest. Either can be found in your price range and both carry a lifetime warranty.

Good luck dialing that 25 year old Leupold

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Meopta, Element, Sightron, GPO, Arken, Athlon and Hawke all offer good options. It's our pleasure, as a long standing supporting vendor here, to discuss the different available options and special opportunities with you. Please give a call, 516-217-1000, when you have the time. Thanks

 

[Reed104R]

For practicing dialing?
I have both and would say no on both.
Good luck dialing that 25 year old Leupold

Dialing is certainly possible but probably unnecessary for 400 yard shooting. In almost 50 years of eastern hunting, I have never needed to do so. I am more concerned about having a reliable scope. That seems to be an issue with many folks. I had no idea so many modern scopes were so unreliable.

 

[KenLee]

Dialing is certainly possible but probably unnecessary for 400 yard shooting. In almost 50 years of eastern hunting, I have never needed to do so. I am more concerned about having a reliable scope. That seems to be an issue with many folks. I had no idea so many modern scopes were so unreliable.

OP said he wanted to practice dialing.
I don't dial at 400 either

 

[LonghairDontcare]

Yes dialing at the beginner stage is my priority.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

The swfa 3-15 is actually so in stock and marked down to 490 right now

 

[Doc Holliday]

The swfa 3-15 is actually so in stock and marked down to 490 right now

Fake news. If you add it to your cart and then look in your cart it will say they are out of stock

 

[BjornF16]

There are SWFA 3-9’s showing up in classified’s now that a bunch were recently shipped out.

I put a fixed 6X on my .223 and practice to 550 yards…until I did this I was convinced I needed 16X.

Check out the scope evaluation threads in Long Range Hunting section

Rifle Scope Field Evaluations

rokslide.com

 

[Davidson51]

You can find good prices on like new or well cared for optics in the classifieds here.

 

[dneaster3]

For your stated objective and price range, you might look at a Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14x40 or 4.5-14x50.

That’s more than enough magnification for 400 yds, it comes with CDS turrets so you can click up and down to your hearts content, and Leupolds hold their value on the used market fairly well. Bass Pro lists them for $499, and coupons or discounted gift cards can be found online.

That suggestion won’t satisfy a lot of the 1,000 yards or else crowd, but for what you’re trying to do with the budget you have it should definitely work.

 

[LonghairDontcare]

For your stated objective and price range, you might look at a Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14x40 or 4.5-14x50.

That’s more than enough magnification for 400 yds, it comes with CDS turrets so you can click up and down to your hearts content, and Leupolds hold their value on the used market fairly well. Bass Pro lists them for $499, and coupons or discounted gift cards can be found online.

That suggestion won’t satisfy a lot of the 1,000 yards or else crowd, but for what you’re trying to do with the budget you have it should definitely work.

That’s what I was initially looking at. What is the general consensus on vx3 glass? Touch above average?

 

[BjornF16]

What is the consensus on VX3 reliability?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

the ones I had Leupold dialed - which is a quite a bit different than accurately dialing.

 

[f16jack]

This Leupold fits your bill just fine.

https://www.leupold.com/vx-3hd-3-5-10x40-cds-zl-duplex#/product.features.

You don't need more than 10x mag. The MOA adjustments with zero lock are great. I've used Leupolds like this for sheep, goats, tahr, elk, plains game,,, you get the idea. They have never failed me worldwide.
Stay with a smaller lightweight scope. 40 to 44 on the Objective. I've hunted with larger and especially when mountain hunting the larger scopes are heavy and cumbersome.

 

[EdP]

I don't dial but use BDC reticles instead. From what I have read your biggest challenge is going to be getting a scope that will dial accurately with repeatability in the specified price range. I will note also that you won't get much practice dialing until you step out beyond 400.