Everyone has their own ideas on how to choose a scope. For example, my husband was told when he was younger that you want to spend twice as much on your scope than you rifle. He says his grandfather told him this. Which is great, but that is not totally accurate. If you think about it, that is like saying when you buy a computer you should buy a monitor twice the price. NO, NO, NO.
One of the first things you need to do is determine what your tool (rifle) is capable of and what your goal is. If your goal is to take down an Elk or hit a clay target at a mile and your tool is not capable of doing it. You need to either re-evaluate your goal or re-evaluate your tool. If your goal is to go rock crawling but you have a car, probably not going to happen. At least not with the car. This is probably why many people have different tools to go shooting. All rifles are not made equal, so having different types gives you many options. You don’t want to limit yourself to 1 tool.
Now that you have determined that your tool is capable of meeting your goal, you need to find the right scope to see the distance you want. There are a few things you want to look at when it comes to scopes.
- Is the scope dimensions large enough to reduce eye strain? Most shooters close an eye when they are shooting a rifle. It can be difficult to leave one eye open for a certain amount of time, not to mention looking through a very small hole at your target. Look for a scope that will reduce eye strain.
This can be difficult for me since I am right handed but left eye dominant. I have had to train myself to shoot with my right eye. I can leave my left eye open for longer than my right. It takes some training to get used to it. But you don’t want to miss out on your target because your eye hurts.
- Is the magnification large enough to see your target? Is the image the size of an ant or is it the size of the entire lens? You want to make sure you can see the image. If you are shooting a mile you want to look at getting 50mm or larger. These scopes can get pricey, but remember price should be one of the last things to look at. Sightron has some great options ranging from $1,000 to $1,700.
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| SIGHTRON SIII 30MM RIFLESCOPE 10-50X60MM LONG RANGE MOA RETICLE |
You don’t want to buy a high power rifle and not be able to use it to it’s full potential. You wouldn’t buy a 4x4 truck just drive on the road. If you do this we need to have a serious talk. But think about it, you are not using that truck to it’s full potential so why would you do that with your rifle?
- What is your target goal? Are you looking to hit a target a mile away you need a scope that can see a mile away. That is plain logic. Would you buy a scope that can see half a mile away and hope you make the mile shot? No, you wouldn’t. Buy the tool that will get the job done!
- How much are you willing to spend on the right tool for the right job? Really think about this. Lets face it price can be a huge factor. Price can be a factor that makes or breaks your decision. If you spent $1,200 on a rifle, do you really want to pay $2,400 on a scope if you don’t have to. No. This is why you don’t buy a scope twice the price of your gun. You can get a really good scope for about the same price or cheaper than your rifle.
No matter what look for a scope that is right for you. There are many different ways to look for the right scope, but you first must determine what your goal is. Having a goal helps you narrow down what you are looking for. If you don't have a goal in mind that it doesn't really matter what you get. I suggest buying a scope with a great warranty if you do nothing else.
Sightron is not the only brand out there. Leupold, Burris, and Weaver all have great options for scopes of many different types. The good thing too is they all have GREAT warranties. Leupold for instance has a LIFETIME warranty for anyone that owns a Leupold scope. You don’t have to be the original owner either. They stand behind their product. Burris has a FOREVER warranty with a few limitations. Weaver has a very similar warranty as well. If you spend $1,200 on a scope you shouldn’t have to worry about how long you will have it for. That $1,200 will last you a long time and you will never have to buy a replacement scope.
There are so many great scopes in the market. However, the best, most effective, and most convenient model is one that offers you more than long range and target shooting capabilities. Like you have said, warranty is very important. You never know what kind of flaws a scope may present after a few hunting trips. Do you have any additional buying tips apart from the lifetime warranty that you can share? You can check out the following post, if you need more info on rifle scope: http://survival-mastery.com/diy/weapons/best-rifle-scope.html
ReplyDeleteWhen I purchase any kind of firearm I first think about comfort. I use a very similar tactic when looking at scopes. You are going to be looking down the barrel of your rifle and scope for so I look for the eye relief of the scope. I am a right handed shooter, but left eye dominant, and I wear glasses. At the end of a shoot or hunt my right eye is very sore. It has gotten better over the years but I prefer to shoot right so I have to learn to see with my right eye. I keep both eyes open when I shoot and still have to concentrate to use my right eye. Anything that will help take the relief off my eye is a big plus to me and something I look for specifically. Another is a use of the adjustments. Is it easy to adjust for distance, elevation or windage? Can I use my fingers or do I need to get out a screw driver to make the adjustments? I had a Leupold scope on my 30-06 that you had to have either a screw driver or a coin to make the adjustment. We zeroed in at 100 yards and left it because it was a pain to adjust it. It was a great scope and still under warranty, but not something that I specifically wanted. It was one passed down in our family, so I used it until I got a new scope. Thanks for commenting and providing the link.
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