Best scopes in the $200-$400 range?

[SKINDOG]

I'm looking for a scope for my Weatherby Vanguard in .308 win. I've done a little research and I'm having trouble deciding. I'm planning on buying a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40 right now, but I don't have much experience with scopes. Any suggestions or advice? I use my rifle for hunting, but I want it to be versatile so I can use it for anything. Anything with a lifetime warranty is a huge plus and I like having a BDC reticle. I would also like to have an adjustable parallax. Any advice or suggestions would be great. I want to get the best scope possible for the money.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I'm looking for a scope for my Weatherby Vanguard in .308 win. I've done a little research and I'm having trouble deciding. I'm planning on buying a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40 right now, but I don't have much experience with scopes. Any suggestions or advice? I use my rifle for hunting, but I want it to be versatile so I can use it for anything. Anything with a lifetime warranty is a huge plus and I like having a BDC reticle. I would also like to have an adjustable parallax. Any advice or suggestions would be great. I want to get the best scope possible for the money.

I would avoid a BDC reticle. If you need a reticle for holdover get a mildot. They are easier to use and can serve as a rangefinder as well. BDC reticles rarely match ANY ammunition out there. Get a mildot and shoot your most accurate load across a chronograph. That will give you all the information you need for reaching out.

To use a mildot for ranging do this:

Height of target multiplied times 1,000. Divide by the number of dots it covers in the scope. The output is the distance in whatever measurement the weight was. If it was yards in it will be yards out, meters in, meters out, works for feet or any measurement.

Example:

A man in 2 yards tall, he covers 5 dots in the scope. 2 yardsx1,000=2,000/5=400 yards.

As far as brands go Vortex is a decent one in your price range and has a lifetime warranty. Mueller is also another one that has a good warranty. Hawke is another as is Falcon line of scopes.

Avoid Barska, BSA, Osprey, NcStar and Leapers as they tend to be junk and getting waranty work can be a bit rough.

You could probably get a low end Leupold, which has excellent customer service. It won't be the same quality as a Vortex for the same price but you also have the backing of a company that has been around for decades. Nikons are decent but not worth the asking price IMHO, and yes I have had several and all went back. Bushnell makes some decent scoeps in that price range as well.

Dolomite

[SKINDOG]

I don't want to start a big debate or anything, but is there any major difference between the 30mm and 1 inch scopes that I should worry about? It seems like the 1 inch scopes are much more affordable.

[Patrick Henry]

Bushnell 3200 scopes are considered very good, on par with some of the Leopolds, and they are being discontinued so you should be able to find a deal. Look on Amazon.

[Dolomite_supafly]

30mm tubes are stronger and generally have more elevation and windage adjustment. For most the difference comes down to cost a you mentioned.

Dolomite

[SKINDOG]

Ok right now I'm deciding between the Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 AO and a Mueller 3-10x44 Tac II. Any experience with these or is one obviously better than the other? Also I was curious about the newer Redfield scopes. How are they?

[Dolomite_supafly]

Are you looking at the daimondback in a mildot?

Like I said a mildot is like the multitool of the reticle world. I never thought I wanted one until I started using one. Now I can't imagine being without one.

Dolomite

[RobertNashville]

Funny you should ask...I just ordered (as in minutes ago) a Leupold Riflemen 4-12X40mm rifle scope that's going to go on a Browning A-bold White Gold Medallion (300 Win Mag) - it took me a while to decide on it but for my use, it seemed like the best for the $. ($260 and free shipping).

I don't know if it will suite your purposes or not but it might be worth looking at!

Edited May 10, 2011 by RobertNashville

[SKINDOG]

Unfortunately it doesn't look like they have the diamondback in mildot. They do have the crossfire or the viper in mildot, but the crossfire has had terrible reviews and seems to be a big step down. The viper is a little too expensive for me and only offers mildot in a 6.5-20x44 or 50 which seems like too much zoom for hunting.

Thanks for the advice Robert. I've considered the Leupold Rifleman or the VX series and I really like the lifetime warranty and customer service, but I feel like I might be getting something that better suites my needs with these other brands.

Basically it looks like the only scopes that meets all of my specifications are the Mueller 4-16x50AO Tactical and the Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40. I'm not sure how clear the optics are on the Mueller though. What kind of problems did you have with Nikons in the past?

Edited May 10, 2011 by SKINDOG

[Shorty]

I've got a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 (Vortex Tactical - Viper 6.5-20x44 PA Mil Dot Reticle) on my Rem 700 and have been very pleased with it. Its clear, easily adjusted (including parallax), feels/looks well made and, as stated, has a good warranty. I got mine online for about $400.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Unfortunately it doesn't look like they have the diamondback in mildot. They do have the crossfire or the viper in mildot, but the crossfire has had terrible reviews and seems to be a big step down. The viper is a little too expensive for me and only offers mildot in a 6.5-20x44 or 50 which seems like too much zoom for hunting.

Thanks for the advice Robert. I've considered the Leupold Rifleman or the VX series and I really like the lifetime warranty and customer service, but I feel like I might be getting something that better suites my needs with these other brands.

Basically it looks like the only scopes that meets all of my specifications are the Mueller 4-16x50AO Tactical and the Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40. I'm not sure how clear the optics are on the Mueller though. What kind of problems did you have with Nikons in the past?

My Eradicator was easily as clear as a VX-II and probably nudging close to VX-III territory.

Another Mueller to look at is the APT. It is a 4.5-14 mildot with target turrets. It is the tactical version of their really popular APV.

Dolomite

[mikegideon]

Funny you should ask...I just ordered (as in minutes ago) a Leupold Riflemen 4-12X40mm rifle scope that's going to go on a Browning A-bold White Gold Medallion (300 Win Mag) - it took me a while to decide on it but for my use, it seemed like the best for the $. ($260 and free shipping).

I don't know if it will suite your purposes or not but it might be worth looking at!

I have Leupold hunting scopes on all my hunting rifles. They're great for their intended purpose. They're not suitable for precision shooting, but neither are the rifles they live on.

[RobertNashville]

I have Leupold hunting scopes on all my hunting rifles. They're great for their intended purpose. They're not suitable for precision shooting, but neither are the rifles they live on.

I hope mine will work well for me...I don't know that I'll ever do any serious hunting with my A-Bolt...I bought it mostly for the joy of owning it and shooting it.

[mikegideon]

I hope mine will work well for me...I don't know that I'll ever do any serious hunting with my A-Bolt...I bought it mostly for the joy of owning it and shooting it.

I have a 3-9 Rifleman on my Marlin 30/30. It will be fine. The way I look at it, my X Bolt shoots a little over 1 MOA, so I'll run ot of accuracy before I need any scope dope. I have a more expensive scope on it, but it's still a hunting scope. I don't know if I'll go out and shoot any big critters either, but that's what those rifles are designed for.

I have a Mil Dot scope with turrets on my accurate rifle, but I won't be kicking through the brush with it. It weighs 14 lbs with the optic.

[JoeBobOutfitters]

We sell both Mueller Opticsand Vortex Optics. IMO, Mueller offers better bang for your buck for optical clarity/$ versus Vortex. HOWEVER, generally speaking, Vortex's are built a little "tougher" with a better water rating, and VIP warranty. You normally pay a smidgen more for this, IMO, but for some they would prefer to pay a little extra for that. They also have more variety, than Mueller, of course.

The Mueller TACII is in a different league than the average $175 mueller scope, and it should be, as it has Japanese glass and is a bit more $$$. We don't sell very many of them in comparison, but everyone that does buy them is very satisfied. It would be a good fit for your purpose, budget, and clarity. We've had customers thrown them on M1 carbines, AR's, etc. This was Mueller's kind of "reaching out" into a newer higher end market, and so far they seem to have been a very good scope.

If you wanted to save a little $, the Mueller APT is our second best selling scope and has mil dot's, and 30MM tube.

The Vortex's may not have exactly what you want, if you want mil-dot's, as you noticed. The new Vortex Viper HD's will be a good addition once they hit the market for lower powered higher quality optics.

[Dolomite_supafly]

We sell both Mueller Opticsand Vortex Optics. IMO, Mueller offers better bang for your buck for optical clarity/$ versus Vortex. HOWEVER, generally speaking, Vortex's are built a little "tougher" with a better water rating, and VIP warranty. You normally pay a smidgen more for this, IMO, but for some they would prefer to pay a little extra for that. They also have more variety, than Mueller, of course.

The Mueller TACII is in a different league than the average $175 mueller scope, and it should be, as it has Japanese glass and is a bit more $$$. We don't sell very many of them in comparison, but everyone that does buy them is very satisfied. It would be a good fit for your purpose, budget, and clarity. We've had customers thrown them on M1 carbines, AR's, etc. This was Mueller's kind of "reaching out" into a newer higher end market, and so far they seem to have been a very good scope.

If you wanted to save a little $, the Mueller APT is our second best selling scope and has mil dot's, and 30MM tube.

The Vortex's may not have exactly what you want, if you want mil-dot's, as you noticed. The new Vortex Viper HD's will be a good addition once they hit the market for lower powered higher quality optics.

What he said.

Dolomite

[2006Blackpearl931]

Redfield. 100% american made by machinist like me. Owned by Leupold. Excellent optics. And a 4-12x40 mil dot is only $219