1-6x scope suggestions

[Sidecarist]

I'm looking for a 1-6x scope to use on my AR15 in 5.56. I'm considering either the Vortex Strike Eagle, or the Primary Arms 1-6X ACSS.

While I wish I had 1K+ to spend, my real budget is $500 including the mount.

Does anyone here have either optic and what are your opinions? Are there other options I've overlooked?

Thanks

[BBdown]

I went with the strike eagle. I didn't care for the PA reticle, a little too busy for my likes. You can not beat vortex's warranty. Without stepping way up in price those two are pretty much it. I have been happy with the strike eagle. I use it on a SBR 300blk and it's more than adequate for punching paper. I've also hunted with it and it's done the job well on two deer and a coyote. I made a card with the reticle yardage for super and subs. The glass is decent in low light but mine has some very slight distortion around the periphery @6X. Good luck.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I hate, with a capital H, BDC reticles. The reason is they rarely match YOUR setup. Yes, they might get you close but you can get close with a much better reticle. I prefer mildot over any BDC reticle. I also prefer turrets that make "on the fly" changes easy to compensate for weather conditions.

 

Unless the target is inside of 100 yards, and you do need to make adjustments anyways, you have time to make adjustments on your turret. I normally make up a cheat sheet with my drop and stick it under the scope cap or tape it to the side of the gun for quick reference. I have also taken adhesive labels and put them on the turrets then mark my distances on it for a true BDC turret.

 

You zero at your chosen zero range. I prefer 25 yards because it gives you more on the top end without affecting close range, I do this is regardless of caliber. Then go to the range and figure out your hold over on the knobs. The alternative is to know your bullet, know your velocity and zero condition so you can use a ballistic calculator. I prefer Ballistic AE but it only works on Apple products. You can also use the mildot reticle as a BDC reticle. The best part of using a mildot is you can accurately range your target, something you cannot do with a BDC reticle, without a calculator and do it all in your head.

 

To figure out distance to a target using mils do this. Start with a known measurement, 18" for the width of an average American male's shoulders. To make things easier we will call it .5 yards. Multiply that by 1000. That gives us 500 yards. Next you use the mildot reticle to see how many mils the width of the shoulder it, I will use 2. So you divide the 500 by 2 giving you 250 yards.

 

Another example. A typical door in the United States is exactly two meters high. So we will divide 2 times 1,000. Next hold the mildot reticle over the door to see how many mils it takes to cover the door. Lets say 2.5 mils. Divide 2,000 by three and the distance to the door is 800 meters. A door is the most reliable method of measuring distance as doors are made to a standard height here.

 

The best part about using mils is whatever measurement you start with that is the measurement you end with. So if you wanted to use mils to measure feet it works exactly the same.

 

As far as a scope there are not too many mildot scopes in the 1-6 range.

[Sidecarist]

I'm not stuck on the idea of a bdc reticle. I've never even used one. I have used a mil dot in a 10x leupold.

I do want a ring or horse shoe reticle for use at 1x.

My ideal scope would be 1-8x first focal plain with a mil dot and a 30moa ring for close work. I've never seen such a thing but there is hope if I had a bigger budget.

Thanks for the comments on the Vortex. Hopefully someone has feedback on the PA scope as well. I've never owned either brand so any real world feedback is appreciated.

[Major Kong]

I have a SWFA 1-6x24 FFP scope and have found it to be very good quality. While it is closer to the $1000 price range they can be found on sale for several hundred dollars off occasionally.

 

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-1-6x24-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P53845.aspx

[Slappy]

There is a 1-3x Weaver with rings in the gear section of classifieds.

[Sidecarist]

I have a SWFA 1-6x24 FFP scope and have found it to be very good quality. While it is closer to the $1000 price range they can be found on sale for several hundred dollars off occasionally.
 
http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-1-6x24-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P53845.aspx

Thanks. I didn't know about this scope the reticle looks like something I could use. How does the ring portion of the reticle look at mid power say 3 or 4x?

[Jct1911]

There are other options. The Burris XTR II 1-5 mil/mil. I use it on my 3gun rifle. I also despise BDC reticles. Also runs cheaper than the SWFA, which was in the running when I got the Burris, the 1x was so much crisper and clearer and eye relief at 5x was better(for me, I don't run NTCH).
I paid $740 shipped from EuroOptic

http://www.burrisoptics.com/scopes/xtr-ii-riflescopes-series/xtr-ii-riflescope-1-5x24mm

[Major Kong]

Thanks. I didn't know about this scope the reticle looks like something I could use. How does the ring portion of the reticle look at mid power say 3 or 4x?

I'd call it very clear with no washout. If you're around Knoxville you're welcome to take a look at mine. I don't currently have it mounted on anything, it's just sitting around wasting space like a Bernie voter.

[Danger Rane]

While I don't have those particular scopes you asked about I do own other Vortex and Primary Arms products and I can say that I personally like the Vortex quality better in every way. Their warranty and customer service is also reported to be excellent.

[btq96r]

If you're willing to go from 1-6x down to 1-4x, you'll be able to expand the search to a lot more options.  I've read some good things about this model for a budget friendly scope:

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-1-4x24-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P78365.aspx

 

If you're set on 1-6x, then I'd chose the Vortex over the PA model.

Edited May 2, 2016 by btq96r

[Urse]

I would suggest Vortex Viper PST 1x4x24 for your budget range. I have had one for a couple years and moved it around to various rifles and it has been rock solid. Unless you are running an SPR build I do not see the need for the extra magnification. Your carnage may vary.

 

 

http://www.opticsplanet.com/vortex-viper-pst-1-4x24-riflescope.html?_iv_code=VX-RS-VPR1-PST-14ST-M

[Dolomite_supafly]

I picked up one of the Bushnell 1-4 MIL FFP scopes and for the money it is a nice scope. You are more than welcome to take a look at it if you ever are in the Knoxville area.

http://bushnell.com/tactical/rifle-scopes/ar-optics/1-4x-24mm-throw-down-pcl

 

I picked mine up for $150 when PSA had them on sale and at that price it is a deal. Still a good price at $200 but not worth much more than that. I still need to get a lot more rounds down range before I declare it a great scope but it is a good scope for the money.

 

My only wish is rather than BDC I would prefer a mil reticle so I can also range using it.

[my82cam]

I have 2 of the strike eagles, one on an ar10 and the other on my SBR 300blk, For the price it is hard to beat them, I agree and do not like BDC reticles for the most art as they do not line up, but i'm not trying to shoot past 100-150 with either weapon.