Parameters:
* Ruger American Rifle
* .308 Win.
* 53.715% / 46.285% split between offhand stalking shots, & stand shots
* 99.27431% of all shots < 200 yards.

A Nightforce is obviously out of place, given the price of the rifle.
A Hubble is equally out of place, given the dimensions of the rifle.
A blister-pack offering is out of place, given the expected accuracy of the rifle.
A turret-twister is out of place, given the purpose & platform of the rifle.

My only spare scopes at the moment are 3-9x40 Conquests and a M8 3X Leupold, and those just seem mismatched for this rifle.

I've got some notions, but what says the peanut gallery?

FC

Weaver K4.

2.5-8 would be perfect. Although i dont see why the Conquest wouldnt work. I have a 243 RAR and put a 4-12x40 on it. Works great

A Leupold VX1-2 or Redfield Revolution 2-7x33.
A Leupold or Weaver 4X.
The Conquest would be fine though...

My wife has a Ruger American Compact in 7-08

It's topped off with a V3 2.5x8 in Tally LW's

Just about perfect for that rifle.

You can hardly go wrong when you pick a Leupold 2-7x33 and you can pick how much you want to spend because they are made in the Rifleman, VX-1, and VX-2 lines.

leupold vx 1 or Redfield revolution 3-9

Burris FF II 3-9

weaver K6


any of those would serve you well enough

This statement makes no sense to me. When I thought Swarovski was really as good as everyone else thought they were I put a z5 5-25X52 on Savage I rebarreled with a $130 Midway barrel. I had the rifle I wanted and used the scope I wanted.

By the way my Ruger American has a Bushnell 4200 4-16X40.

Keep it cheap and reliable, just like the rifle


Burris FFII

+2

Cheap and ugly you mean. .....:= Nikon Prostaff...

Now +3

If I had a Conquest 3-9 laying around I'd use that.

I guess I must be in the minority here of guys who have had 2-3 Of the Phillipines Fullfield 2s fail. I still own 2 of the LRS versions, but don't plan on buying more......

I agree. What would replacing with a different 3-9x40 do?

For said requirements, I may like a 2-7x33 better, or a fixed 4X, but if I already had a Conquest 3-9x40 or 2, why not?

I was thinking of svelte-ness. While a Conquest on this rifle might not quite approach the, "Monkey ridin' a football" look, it'd be getting there. On the other hand, 2-7's in Leupold, Redfield, or Weaver V7 guise would be all sleek-lookin' atop this rifle. Then again, I've had to put Conquests on budget rifles before: the X7's shot far better than the cheap glass I tried to mate to them.

Really, I'm just looking to play with rifles & glass that I haven't before, and price of this rifle is allowing me to do so.

Keep the ideas comin'.

FC

6x36 Leupold or K6 Weaver... both are aweful tough, and pretty svelte...

For svelte-ness you can't beat a Leupy IMO.

Make it 4 they're great.

Leupold 2-7x33mm is great also.

I'll agree with that.

Of course, how you mount it has a lot to do with that too, and these RARs have the comb a little too low for me, so they need the scope mounted as low as possible.

I have a 20 moa base on mine that raised up the scope a little, but I can't get it any lower without machining the base. The factory rail sat a little lower. 3-9x40 Mark AR, basically a VX-2 with turrets. I'm pretty happy with it for a quality/budget rifle.

What 20 moa base do you have on it?

I have a RAR in 308 and it currently has a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 on it. It is a nice compliment to the rifle.
My RAR Predator in 6.5CM has a Bushnell Elite 3500 3-9x40 on it I picked up on sale at Cabelas for $120. It is a really nice scope and works well on the rifle.
At one time I had a Redfield Revolution 2-7x? and really liked it. It would be right at home on a RAR.

Oh wait, check this out:
http://www.samplelist.com/Nikon-2-7x32-ProStaff-Riflescope-DEMO-A-P96829.aspx

Same. Mount the Conquest.

EGW

It's the only one I know of. My only complaint is that it should have clearance in the middle of the rail for the center of the scope; I had to mill mine down to be able to mount my scope in extra low Weaver rings, and I'd still prefer it a little lower on this rifle.

I'd use one of the Conquests.

I recently switched out an EGW with a Weaver 20 moa rail because the Weaver sits much lower. But that was on a 700 Varmint. Not sure if they make one for the American, but worth a look....

200 yards and in - the SS 1-4x24 with the illuminated MQ would interest me but I'm guessing I'm rare on that.

I've been real impressed with my 6 SS and would be willing to give others in their line a go.

Compact RAR with a 2-7 Revolution.

Iron sights.

I have a RAR compact stainless in 7mm-08. For the moment I put a Bass Pro Nikon Buckmasters 3-9x40 with BDC on it until I can find something better. Price was right.

I pick up a Tikka T3X lite ss tomorrow in 270 Win, and I'm sticking a Nikon Monarch 5 on that.

Were I you I'd consider that SWFA SS 1-4x24 illuminated alluded to earlier. For 200 and under it might be the berries.

Burris FF II 3-9 or 2x7 tough as nails

This here is about perfect IMO for what OP stated.....

Yup my thoughts too, could substitute a weaver or Burris 2-7

I found that Warne bases and low rings will drop the scope down quite a bit more than the Weavers. With a 40mm bell, there is just enough room to get a scope cap on above the barrel, with no contact.

It's been posted before, but here is a picture of my Howa Lightweight with a Leupold VX-2. The rifle is fairly compact, only 39 inches long, and a 3-9 looked huge on it.

I have a Leupold VXIII 1.5-5x20 on a Marlin XS7 .243. It works well on deer and antelope. It isn't the best low light scope I have but that isn't an issue 99% of the time.

YES!!! I have 4 mounted right now, absolutely perfect for your application. Hard to beat a good 4x, and hard to touch a K4 for anywhere close to the same price.

First response strikes again! It's the best advice 90% of the time.

I have a 2-7 Vx-II on my ranch rifle. Just about perfect for that gun in 300 BO. If we are talking the full size I would go 3-9, and prostaff was the first I thought of when I read your question. A Vx-1 or Vx-2 would work too. But I agree with those that say use the conquest that you have. I have those on all my serious hunting rifles.

Leupold VX III. 3x10 is what I have on my Rock River 308 Varmint. It's the CDS model.

Dont sell your RAR short with too cheap of a scope.

Mine has a Weaver 3-10x40 with mildot reticle and mildot knobs.

Was pounding a football size rock at 700yds yesterday.

223 with 75gr Amax, good cheap fun and practice.

My RA left-hand stainless is wearing a SS6x. It gives the rifle a bit of weight, which is good. I REALLY like it, but the deer sure don't! On my range, I can keep it MODC out to 550.

The plan is to check out the rifle using a Conquest that's known to be good. Once I find a load that works, I'll check out a Weaver V9 and a Leupold VX1 2-7 that are inbound, and we'll see if one of them seems right on top.

Pics will be forthcoming, naturally.

Thanks,

FC

Last week I bought a Burris Fullfield E1 at Sportsman's Warehouse for $150 plus tax. That is about $70 below normal price. They had three more at the time. This was a 3-9x40 with duplex reticle.

Yup! Seems about perfect for that rifle.