Remington 700 SPS Tactical.308 scope
I have a remington 700 sps tactical.308 and need help choosing a scope. I'm new to bolt action rifles. I have been shooting most of my life (pistols, semi auto rifles, shotguns, ARs) and this will be a first at attempting distance shots with a rifle of this kind. I plan to make this a project, as i learn more invest more. So far all i have is a Weaver 1 piece rail base. I plan to use this rifle durring deer hunting season as well as at the range eventually up to 500 yrds. I have narrowed my scope options down to Bushnell 3-9x50 Elite 3200 and Nikon 4-12x50 buckmaster. Also if you could assist me with the mounts as well.
Weaver makes a nice line up of rings and bases.
So does Leupold.
Myself, I prefer Leupold's unwavering warranty. They are pretty hard to beat in terms of price versus performance. The last scope I bought was not a Leupold and I've been kicking myself ever since.
I like Nikon glass and the Niko-Plex reticle;4-12 isn't too much magnification for hunting, and I have a 50mm objective on my 30-06-gets lots of light early and late to extend hunting at the best times!
I do suggest keeping the reticle simple and learning your performance envelope instead of gimmicks.
You might want to even up-scale and look at the Monarch if you can afford the differential.
I prefer the Leupold base/ring system over Weaver;they just feel good when they lock into place. Warne also makes great mounting hardware. If you do retain the Weaver base I would seriously look at the Warne rings to get a cleaner look and good lateral torque for the base/ring interface.
Those sound like decent scopes. My son has the Varmint in.308 with hopes of using it for long range. He got the following scope mount: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/199560/burris-ar-pepr-1-piece-extended-scope-mount-picatinny-style-with-integral-30mm-rings-flattop-ar-15-matte
You probably need the 1" rings. It is a good solid scope mount. He did get a 20 MOA base for longer range shooting.
Do yourself a big favor - go with a Leupold, and stay away from the 50mm objective. I run an older Vari-X III 4.5-14x40 on my M700 30-06, in low Leupold STD rings and base. Much nicer cheek weld than is possible with the 50mm objective. If you can afford a few extra bucks, get a parallax adjustable model, it will help with long-range accuracy.
SWFA has the VX-2 4-12x40 AO for $450. Excellent choice.
If you need to economize on the scope, Look at the Redfield Revolution 2-7x33 or the same scope in the Leupold Rifleman or VX-1 product lines. All three are still excellent choices, which would also do well if moved to a different rifle when you're ready to add better optics to the SPS.
Don't skimp on the mount - hopefully you got a brand-name Weaver rail. Redfield, Weaver, Leupold, etc. Avoid the bargain-basement mounts. For rings I'm partial to Leupold or Redfield, regardless of the mount type. Never did me wrong.
I have a 700 ADL in.308, i put a BSA Platinum scope on it and i got to say i'm pretty happy with it. After hearing people say BSA is junk and all that stuff i said screw it and just bought one. I got the 6-24x44 and its a really good scope. It got me 3.5" groups at 300 yards and i've got sub MOA at 100 yards with it. I got mine at natchezss.com and it was under $100.id buy it again.plus they have a lifetime warranty. I have a bushnell scope on my 10/22 and its not to bad. I have no experience with Nikon tho.
SWFA scope, not weaver rings--heavy rings, 6 bolt--or spend $2000 + for a nightforce