I just picked up a very low mileage Rock River RRAGE 2G from a friend who is shrinking his collection. He had a overly expensive Nightforce 4-16 scope on it which I politely declined. Not spending $2,200 for a scope on a $700 toy.

I am leaning towards a Leupold MARK 3 4-12X40 scope. Any other suggestions in the $500 - $700 range?

Thanks

Rifle scopes are totally a personal choice. You are going to get suggestions for low powered variables, like primary arms 1-6, 1-8's, or other similar scopes like Sigs BDX line ore fixed super chickens. Then you got the guys running slightly higher powered scopes like the venerable 3-9x40 and 4-12's. Then you have guys that step it up a notch and use 4.5-14x42" and 4-16's or 3-15's. The first question is always going to be "what are you going to be using it for?". Then in the end you are going to settle for your first choice, while most of us kick back and use our favorites... My favorite is actually a Burris and in the same basic power range as your scope in question. Hell, I even use it on my 10-22. I've dialed them a lot and they work. I'd trust it far more than any Leupold, but that's just me. So, with that being said, what do you intend to use yours for?

It depends on your use. I have a 1.25x4 Leupold VX-R that I really like for hunting or target shooting. My wife has some kind of Laser on hers and my other 2 have no sights as they are for in my shop or home to just point and empty the magazine.

Mostly target 100 - 300 yards and light varmint. I have two hog guns already set up, but figured, a range gun would be something to play with. The 3-9 and 4-12 power range is more than enough. Just was curious if there is something that I am missing by sticking with Leupold and not breaking the bank in the process.

I'd just keep using the leupold, until it goes belly up. Or if you get tired of chasing your tail when you try to adjust it and want something else, there are much better options out there for less money..

That was what I was asking for... what are the options to consider?

I have a Swampfox Tomahawk 1-8 power lpvo that I haven't shot with much yet, but it seems very nice so far. Really clear glass, nice illumination, not overly bulky or heavy, decent eyebox on high power, and the 1x seems like a true 1x to me. I am impressed so far and may pick up another one eventually. My eyesight is terrible but I don't think I would have any trouble using it out to 300 (have only used it to 150 so far).

It might be one to take a look at.

Burris 2.5-10 should cover you on the cheap.
It would be plenty for Your range time and varmint.

If you can find one. The Burris AR556 4.5-14x42 is a damn good rifle scope:




I have a few AR's with them^^^^. I also use Nightforce rifle scopes and I like the Burris just as much as a NXS 3.5-15x56:


Of course, rifle scope choice is very subjective. YMMV...


I'll be running a 10-22 tomorrow with one on top as well:

The Athlon line Doug from CameralandNY hawks around here are pretty good scopes. I have the 3-12 on my AR and it is a very nice scope with a great reticle for longer range shooting. Side focus works very well and they are pretty inexpensive...

Thanks for all the suggestion! Will go hunting now.

It's a little beyond your budget, but the Nightforce SHV 3-10 in the non-illuminated version, is a much, much better scope that the Leupold that you are looking at, especially if you are going to be dialing much,

And it's size balances very nicely on an AR.

MM

For quick target acquisition I have used an Eotech 3 EXPS with great results. I recently added a G34 magnifier for slightly longer shots than 100 yards - seems to work great.

I would of said Nikon but they are no longer in the game. Burris is a good choice.

kwg

Nikon's are disposable now. That doesn't mean one won't work. Just when it goes tits up, you are sol..

Right now mine has a Leupold 3-9X40 with some sort of ranging crosshair. I'm not that fond of it but it gets me by for now. Previously I had a VX-3 4.5-14X CDS .. better choice for my use but that scope is busy on another rifle for now.

It is likely that a lower powered scope has additional tactical utility, however, I have trouble downgrading when I was getting groups under 0.75" for 5 shots at 100 yards.

Tom

This is where I think most get sidetracked when picking a scope. We think we need high magnification and sub MOA to have a useful rifle. I shot this plate with a Colt pencil barreled carbine with a Leupold VX6 1-6 if I remember right. It might have been my Noveske with the Trijicon 1-4 but either way, it was at 400 yards.

I’ll take the utility of a LPVO over a Hubble telescope any day.

The 1-4 Trijicon Accupower, I sent the 1-6 Leupold down the road and purchased another one of these. I’d buy a third if they hadn’t doubled in price.

You are lucky you have pretty good eyesight. I'd be straining to see anything at 400 yards with a 4 power scope, so I do know how far it is. And yes, I shoot 400+ yards on a regular basis. Its not with that power range of scope though. It would be absolutely worthless to me, the reason rifle scopes are highly subjective.. Hell, I was shooting golf balls yesterday with a 14x and 16x scope. And those were only 50 yards away. What works for you is not going to work for others.

Slick rifle TWR.

Thanks Raferman.

BSA, you never know what you can do until you try it. That target is a full size silhouette with a black flapper about 5x7 for the A zone. If you can see a man sized target, you can hit it with the scope. I’ve actually hit out to 700 yards with it. Here’s a 600 yard silhouette.




And then the plate on the left (17”) was shot with a 6X super chicken at 1000 yards. The right was my 10x super chicken both 6.5 needmoor.



Golf balls on the other hand aren’t quite as easy.

I’ve slowly been putting SWfA 3-9x’s on a few guns and really like them. Sighted in a .308 and a .30-06 today with new ones mounted. Have another waiting on rings to go on my Montana .223. If they actually have them in the Black Friday sale I’ll grab 3 more.

Update - I picked up a Trijicon Huron 3-12x40mm in 30mm. Will have a chance to mount and shoot this week to assess.

It's more important to have a reticle that pairs well with your target than to have magnification. Not saying magnifications doesn't help, but in HP I use a reticle that allows me to fit within some sort of frame of reference, even though it's only a 4.5x scope. For example, a reticle that fits in the X ring is about perfect with just a little excess around it so the white line is clearly visible. Wouldn't matter if the reticle was so big it just fit inside the 10 or even 9 ring, the same centering principle applies.

Yes. The Leupold 1-6 I had was the Firedot reticle and too thick to do any precise shooting. The eye box and FOV were amazing but it sucked for precision shooting.

The 1-4 Accupowers I have , have the segmented circle dot and the segmented circle gives you a reticle to pick up. While the small dot allows precise aiming.

I agree. I have 4 of them. They all work right now but some day Doug is going to hit the jackpot.

kwg

TWR, are tha 1-4 Accupowers FFP?

No second but I’m not gonna shoot past 100 yards on 1x anyway so I crank it up to 4x and the BDC is on out to 700 yards.

Cool. Thanks.

One of their new models is FFP but I think it’s on a 1-6

I threw an impulse bid out on GB at a P-223 3-9x40 that’s never been mounted. And dang if I didn’t git it for $116 shipped. Has tall turrets and the BDC 600 reticle. Are they worth having other than being orphaned? Sorry to hijack the thread but there’s some pretty good deals around on Nikons.

I'm not sure how they are going to hold up. I've heard good things about the Nikons, but not from anyone who has twisted the knobs long term.
For the money, they are hard to beat. I'd trust a Nikon long before I'd trust something like an Athlon, and damn sure long before I'd trust a Bushnell, Leapers, NcStar or UTG!

are those burris quick mounts?
I like the forward cantilever..
boy would that have saved me a headache!

Sorry I didn't see your question until now. Those are Burris PEPR cantilever mounts. They work great. I have never used a Burris quick detach, but have tried the AD recon and it is a very good mount with good return to zero and very solid.




If I had to choose a quick detach, it would be the AD Recon. And yes, the cantilever mount is the only way to go. IMHO..

I think you will like the Huron. I have a 1-4 on a Ruger MPR. Out to 300yards it does really well for me and doesn't leave me wanting magnification. I liked it so well I just picked up it's twin in the Ascent line and put it on my Colt 6920.

for some reason whenever I read cantilever mounts my brain was registering "cam lever" mounts and I thought well the thumb screw seems to work well enough, until I mounted that floating front end...
oh well. nothing like learning the hard way to really drive a point home...

The AR I use for coyote hunting wears a Konus Pro 1.5-6x42mm w/illuminated circle dot. It is a very nice scope for the small price tag. The glass is surprisingly clear and the adjustments precise when sighting it in. All in all it is a great coyote calling scope with lightning fast target acquisition and enough X's to make a 300 yard shot easily.

I like this scope enough that I put one on my custom Rem 600 in 6x45 also.

I think you will like that scope. I picked up one back in July, at a LGS I hardly go in and was looking at it, I really liked it and I told the wife I wanted it for our anniversary gift, but it was gone when that day rolled around. I've gone the LPVO route on my 5.56 and a .223 Wylde AR's. I only shoot out to 300 currently with both of them on a regular basis, but they get the job done. I think I may upgrade one to a 1-6 instead of the 1-4x24 I have on both of them currently.

I agree but just a small FYI. Leapers is the company name and one of their brands is UTG. They are only 4 miles from my house. I used to pick up orders there for my employer before I retired. I wouldn't own anything they make.

I just picked up a Riton 1-8. Haven’t done anything with it other than mounting it on my AR. I’ll post more when i can get out

Interesting.

I had no idea that Leapers was Michigan based. Mostly absolute trash products but I did put some USA made UTG Pro rings on an inexpensive rifle and have been completely happy with them. The US made Pro line isn’t bad quality, but yeah everything else that they market is mostly junk of the first order.

I have an Athlon Midas 1-6 that I really like. I’ve had it for 3-4 years, it’s been durable and glass quality is excellent compared to any of my other scopes in the same price range $500ish.

Yeah, they're in Livonia. Between Plymouth and I96 and Merriman and Farmington.

What I thought when I saw BSA's show and tell..

I shoot 2" targets at 400 yards too. A little difference there. I wouldn't be able to see a 2" dot with a 4 power scope at that distance. Like I've said before, If I were just shooting man sized silhouettes or 2'x2' steel plates, I would maybe have a change in heart (likely not though). As it is, I can also use the 4.5-14x42 or 3.5-15 scope up close and personal too. Not everyone's eyes are the same. No wrong answer here really, just answering the op with what works for us. If the op wants to shoot small groups at 100 yards, I still stand by my first post. That's not saying you can't shoot small groups with irons either. A lot of it has to do with target size and how it matches up to the power range and reticle of your scope. The irons on my Noveske are a prime example of that: I use an 8" bullseye that matches up with the front sight. Works great that way. I'll be using a 4.5-14x42 scope on my 10-22 tomorrow in a know your limits shoot. That's only 50 yards from the bench to the targets. No one even uses a 4x scope in that event. A 3-9x40 is considered a low powered scope, in fact. My single shot wears a 6-18x40. I run max power in this event. Most of us use scopes with a 14 power minimum. Go back and read my first post, where I say everyone is different. Especially when it comes to our eyes.

I have 3.5x10 Leupolds on my Rock River varmints

Everyone is different… Truth.

I know a guy that obsesses over small groups at 25 yards with a pistol, while my obsession is a shot in the A zone from 7 yards under 1 second from the draw. Consistently.

I like carbines and versatility. Some like rifles and Hubble telescopes. No real right or wrong choice just different. Pick the right tool for the job. That’s why you don’t see carbines and LPVO’s at long range tactical matches and a 24” rifle wearing a NF Beast at a 2 gun match.

Had no idea. Are you sure they don't just import from China?

Since I wrote that, someone told me about an old Highmaster who still shoots HM scores using a Nikon M-223 1-4X with the 3MOA dot. So, apparently at least his example is standing up to some knob twisting. Sample of 1, YMMV, offers void where prohibited.

I’ve had a Leupold VX-R 4-12x40 Ballistic FireDot Illuminated Reticle Scope on my heavy barreled AR in 223 / 556 I use for hogs and culling deer at the Ranch for quite a while.
I’ve been very pleased with it and it’s never failed me.

I just put a bn Vortex Diamondback 4x12x40 on my Mini14, at 12"long it's perfect fit, crystal clear optics. Everything I own is Vortexed except wife's MP 15-22, has an old Nikon 4x12 on it.

When do Nikons go tits up? Never had a scope failure Nikons or Leupolds.

There are places that specialize in repairing optics.