Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics best scope with a turret?

Hey All,

I am looking for a scope for my 7mm mag that has turret capabilities. I would like to be able to "dial in" on exact distances, especially in the 500-600+ yard range, as well as be able to adjust for side wind. Any suggestions on good scopes that are under $700? I have briefly looked at the Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50 PA with the Dead-Hold BDC. I heard you could get some kind of a custom turret for these to be able to dial into yardages. Any thoughts on the vortex or any others would be great!

Thanks,

copple2

For $50 more you can get a NIkon Monarch X Tactical 2.5-10-44 SF. The scope is heavy (30MM tube - 23 oz.), but it's built like a tank.

Adjustments on mine have been precise and it comes with an etched reticle. The optics are as good as the VX3 IMO.

Eye relief is fairly constant @ 3.5-3.7". It has 80 MOA of adjustment. Once I had chronographed my ammo and worked out the drops of the load I was using, I got a custom dial made (Kenton Industries) that takes me out to 600 yds.

For 500-600 yds, you really don't need anything over 10X IMO.

Just one of many to consider that's around your price range. I've had this scope going on 2 years and I've been really pleased with it.

JM

I'm just a turret beginner but if you have a current Leupold (non-Rifleman) that you are fond of you could send it in and have it fitted with the style turret you'd like.

May save you some coin getting started.


Travis

Zeiss 4.5-14x44 with turrets would be nice

Copple,

Can you memorize 10 numbers? If not, can you write 10 numbers (5 elevation and 5 windage) on paper and tape it to your stock, or inside your BC scope cover? And can you interpolate between two numbers, quickly?

If you answered yes to all the above, then you don't need a custom scope to "dial in" on exact distances.

Scopes with turrets come with clicks in only two flavors: MIL based or MOA based. Either will work, which you choose is a personal thing.

Taking a 7mm Rem Mag with a 162 gr Hornady A-max started @ 3000 FPS, here's your drop table in both MILS and MOA. Windage is calculated as full value in a 10 mph wind.

Source: JBM Ballistics Trajectory Simplified
Calculated Table
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage
(yd) (mil) (MOA) (mil) (MOA)
0 *** *** *** ***
100 -0.0 -0.0 0.1 0.5
200 -0.3 -1.1 0.3 0.9
300 -0.9 -3.1 0.4 1.5
400 -1.5 -5.3 0.6 2.0
500 -2.3 -7.8 0.7 2.6
600 -3.1 -10.6 0.9 3.2

In case you did not know, 1 MIL is equal to 3.6" @ 100 Yds. 1 MOA is equal to 1.047" @ 100 yds.

So a scope with 0.1 MIL clicks moves the reticle 0.36" @ 100 yds per click. A scope with .25 MOA clicks moves the reticle 0.26175" @ 100 yds per click.

Regardless of whether you select a scope with MIL adjustments, MOA adjustments, or some sort of BDC, too actually hit anything @ 600 yds or more, you must:

Really know your exact velocity; and you must test your dope or BDC; by actually shooting it at your intended ranges.

And the further you shoot the more important these factors become.

Bob

Yep. That would be a good one for sure. I believe they are around $850 with turrets though.

Dang Shadow,

The guy simply asked for some scope recommendations, although I'm sure he'll be impressed with your thesis on Mil-Dot vs. MOA.

Laffin'.

John Moses,

With due respect to the original OP, the man was asking for a magic scope that merely allows one to dial 600 yds and fire and forget it like some sort of missile.

You recommended a Nikon scope (which is good one BTW) that would actually require him: to use MOA adjustments, be able to develop and learn to use a drop table, and then test his dope at range.

The distance between magic scopes, which is his current skill level, and actually using the scope you recommended, which require somewhat more practice than magic, is a vast. I tried to assist him in bridging that gap.

Laffin back at you......

Copple,

The simplest path forward is a ranging reticle. They work well; at least the ones I've used do.

But you didn't ask that <g>... While you have many options in that price range, what I can recommend from personal experience in that size and price range is the Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50mm, $750 shipped with duplex reticle and both elevation and windage target turrets from Doug at Cameraland. I've been very very pleased with mine on all levels, from the optics to the mechanical repeatability and tracking (crucial with turrets).

On a general-purpose hunting rig, I think that's a bit too much scope BUT, that's your business and you did mention a 6.5-20 so...

Frankly, since all you ask is for is 500-600 yds. plus range, a 6.5-20 is way too much scope unless you like to try for ground squirrels that only show their heads at those ranges.
What I've found that works well is a simple elevation turret and holding into any wind. You don't even need much adjustment range. My '06, for instance, is good to almost 600 yds with 200 gr. handloads with only 15 mins. of adjustment.
Off hand, a CDS dial, or dials, on a Leupold VX3 should work well. At least it is very simple to use. I've managed to kill several animals at such ranges with basic 4-6X scopes even w/o such things. A good reticle that allows some holdover or hold off is also a good idea.
But, no matter what you get, plan on shooting alot at those ranges if you want to reliabily hit anything. Ranging, dialing a new zero for that range is pretty simple to do these days. But learning wind is not. That must be learned with lots of practice. E

to me a turreted scope is a dime a dozen, what you really want to look for is what features come with the turret scope, does it have any sort of zero stop?? how many MOA does it have in one turn, etc.

Don't you laugh at me!

Thanks for everyone's posts!

Shadow, I'm glad you assume I'm looking for a "majic scope" and that I don't shoot very much. I know my exact drop, muzzle velocity, etc and have a chart in 50 yard increments with my 7mm mag, shooting my hornady interbond 154grains. I only shoot hand loads and send a lot of lead down the range, year round. I shoot an old bushnell 3x9 and think it would be fun to dial it in a little, instead of using just my hold over charts. I do appreciate the detailed response, however.

If anyone has other turret scopes they would recommend, that would be awesome. I'll have to check out the Zeiss, Nikon and Leupold's that were recommended.

Thanks again for the input, guys!

copple2

I've never used a Leupold CDS turret like E mentioned but really like the concept.

Terry

This chart will help. The Zeiss that Jeff O suggested is listed on the chart, and seems to be a very good value.

http://www.6mmbr.com/optics.html

Sorry guys but I just got back from DSC and and a little full of the Greybull Hucksterisms.

If you want to dial the a range and hit the critter there is no better answer than the

www.greybullprecision.com

This simply works at a very high level.

Hey, thanks. I ran into that chart while researching target scopes. Nice article. Here's what they say about the 6.5-20x50mm Conquest:

"Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x Zoom
Pros: Tracking is outstanding with great "box test" repeatability. Clarity and resolution is slightly better than the average Leupold LRT, though we prefer the Leupold's color rendition and contrast. Knobs are large and easy to adjust. Lash-free side-focus, and when you dial out parallax the target stays sharp.
Cons: With a�1" tube, the scope only offers 45 moa of elevation. To reach 1000 yards, you may need an angled scope base.
OVERALL: BEST 1" SCOPE reviewed. A great scope, with better controls than the Leupold 6-20x LRT. This is our first choice in a 6-20x variable. One of our testers sold his Leupold 6-20x LRT and replaced it with the Zeiss. He has been very happy with the decision. However,�keep in mind you can get a Leupold boosted by Ackerman. There is no such upgrade path for the Zeiss."

Here's a tracking test I shot with that scope on my Sendero. I was shooting at a lasered 100 yards, from a sandbag, across the hood of my truck.

The method was: shoot one shot, then dial the scope 4 MOA. Then shoot one shot, then dial 4 MOA. Repeat 4 times for a total of 16 MOA "up" (top group on the target).... then repeat the procedure back downward. One shot, dial 4 MOA, one shot.... Finally, do it one more time going back up in 4 MOA increments, for a final result of (4) 3-shot groups each shot of which was seperated by 32 MOA of dialing.

In other words, I didn't simply shoot a 3-shot group, then dial it up 4 MOA and shoot another 3-shot group.

Considering it was from the hood of my truck, with this lunk behind the trigger, and the methodology above, I think it did well. I've put a lot of rounds through the system since then and it's been very stable and repeatable.

It's also a very bright scope in low light- a bonus for hunting!

Hey John Burns- have you shot a similar test with your scope?

Jeff,

Yes I have but the usual test is to simply dial the range and shoot at that range.

Ultimatly, yes, though I did enjoy testing this in more controlled conditions. My main LR spot has confounding winds, at least to the underpowered, overworked, outdated, worn out, little ballistics computer between my ears!

To critique my scope, one of the groups appears to have an MOA-ish offset to the left... Which would speak to an erector not tracking perfectly vertically. On the other hand, repeatability appears to be excellent; honestly better than I had expected.

It'd be fun to try this sort of test with hyper-accurate rifles off actual solid benches. My truck is not the ideal bench, though I will say it smokes most other benchrests in the quarter mile..........

Hey Jeff,
You need to be fair and state the $750 price is for a refurb. They are a great value but not everyones cup of tea. A non "Demo/refurb" is closer to $1000.

With the right connections you can pick up a brand new Leupold 6.5-20x50LRT model 66575 for $775 delivered brand new sealed in the hologram/foil sealed box. They have 94MOA elevation travel available. More than enough to get all but a flint lock out to 1000 yards without a sloped base.

One other important consideration is the Leupold has the option of covering the turrets with the included covers. The eliminates the chance of your turret inadvertently getting rotated without your knowledge and maybe missing the shot of a lifetime. I recently witnessed that exact problem on a televised hunt. The hunter was using a super tricked out custom with a Night Force on it and he shot over his once in a lifetime ram by 10MOA.

For our original poster I think the Leupold #59270 VX-3 4.5-14x40 CDS is the ideal hunting scope for up to 600 yards on his 7mag. Only $500 delivered.

If he wanted a BDC knob custom built for the LRT series scopes Kenton builds them for $110. I suggest just printing and taping a MOA drop chart on the stock for the load and hunt conditions expected and retain the MOA knob as they come.

Happy Hunting.