Re: Silhouette scope requirements
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 9:36 pm
Mutstng,
If I were you I'd get a 24x scope with at least a 3/8 dot, mount it on your rifle and start shooting. Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot and get better. Ask lots of questions when you have them. Someone knows the answer you're looking for or has tried what you're doing. If you get lots of OPINIONS on a question you ask then take that for what it's worth. I started shooting two years ago and I asked a TON of questions and got some great advice that saved me a lot if headache trying things that don't work - that has allowed me to focus on getting better, not on what equipment to use.
Take my advice on this: buy one of these scopes:
1. Leupold (fx-iii is great, as is the BR series and the vx-3)
2. Weaver T-series
3. Sightron Big Sky silhouette
4. Bushnell Elite 4200
That is not in the order recommended or anything but you won't go wrong with any of those. Don't buy anything else, just spend the money on one of those.
Also, take my advice on this: shoot at least a 3/8 min dot reticle (1/2 min is good too)
If you get a new Weaver or Bushnell, you'll have to pay about $100 to get a bigger dot installed. The Leupolds and Sightrons can be bought new with nice dots. You might find an older Weaver with a 1/2 min dot if you look around.
Those are absolutes, the rest of this post is opinion.
My advice is to get either a fixed 24x scope or a variable that goes up to 24x. You'll get used to the 24x in no time and, if anything, you'll want to go up in mag, not down. I shoot all 24x but know several shooters that like 36x and 40x. My spotter shoots 60x. I suggest you start at 24x.
I have at least one of every scope I listed. My favorite is a Weaver T-24 because I believe (just my opinion) that they track the best of any of those scopes. Reliable tracking is the most important thing in this game. I have the older Weaver T-24s on both of my smallbore rifles and my Target air rifle. Those older ones have 1/2 min dot reticles and 1/4 min adjustment clicks. I like the 1/4 min adjustment because it keeps all of my adjustment from chickens to rams within one revolution on the knob.
On my Open air rifle, I have a new Weaver t-24 that I had the reticle changed from a 1/8 min dot to a 1/2 min dot. That scope has 1/8 min adjustments but I don't adjust any more than 2 min total from chickens to rams so it doesn't matter.
On my Sporter air rifle I have a Bushnell 6-24 with a 1/4 min dot reticle. I don't mind a small dot for air rifle because all of the air rifle targets at our local matches, the national championship, Winnsboro and the Texas Nationals have nice backstops that make it easy not to lose the dot. If I were shooting that scope with a berm or no backstop, I'd want a bigger dot. That scope has 1/8 min adjustment but this rifle, like my Open rifle, requires very little adjustment from chickens to rams.
On my Highpower rifle I have a Leupold with a 1/2 min dot and 1/4 min adjustments. I shoot this scope over a weaver because it has longer eye relief and that is good for a rifle with a little recoil. Also, the Leupold scopes are incredibly clear and that's nice shooting out to 500m.
The easiest thing you could do is just jump on the Leupold that has been mentioned above. That's a great deal in a great scope that you can always send in to have repairs done at the factory and it will hold its value should you decide to sell it. In fact, if you get any one of the scopes that I listed above and decide that you want to sell it, just let me know.
Good luck.
Dustin
If I were you I'd get a 24x scope with at least a 3/8 dot, mount it on your rifle and start shooting. Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot and get better. Ask lots of questions when you have them. Someone knows the answer you're looking for or has tried what you're doing. If you get lots of OPINIONS on a question you ask then take that for what it's worth. I started shooting two years ago and I asked a TON of questions and got some great advice that saved me a lot if headache trying things that don't work - that has allowed me to focus on getting better, not on what equipment to use.
Take my advice on this: buy one of these scopes:
1. Leupold (fx-iii is great, as is the BR series and the vx-3)
2. Weaver T-series
3. Sightron Big Sky silhouette
4. Bushnell Elite 4200
That is not in the order recommended or anything but you won't go wrong with any of those. Don't buy anything else, just spend the money on one of those.
Also, take my advice on this: shoot at least a 3/8 min dot reticle (1/2 min is good too)
If you get a new Weaver or Bushnell, you'll have to pay about $100 to get a bigger dot installed. The Leupolds and Sightrons can be bought new with nice dots. You might find an older Weaver with a 1/2 min dot if you look around.
Those are absolutes, the rest of this post is opinion.
My advice is to get either a fixed 24x scope or a variable that goes up to 24x. You'll get used to the 24x in no time and, if anything, you'll want to go up in mag, not down. I shoot all 24x but know several shooters that like 36x and 40x. My spotter shoots 60x. I suggest you start at 24x.
I have at least one of every scope I listed. My favorite is a Weaver T-24 because I believe (just my opinion) that they track the best of any of those scopes. Reliable tracking is the most important thing in this game. I have the older Weaver T-24s on both of my smallbore rifles and my Target air rifle. Those older ones have 1/2 min dot reticles and 1/4 min adjustment clicks. I like the 1/4 min adjustment because it keeps all of my adjustment from chickens to rams within one revolution on the knob.
On my Open air rifle, I have a new Weaver t-24 that I had the reticle changed from a 1/8 min dot to a 1/2 min dot. That scope has 1/8 min adjustments but I don't adjust any more than 2 min total from chickens to rams so it doesn't matter.
On my Sporter air rifle I have a Bushnell 6-24 with a 1/4 min dot reticle. I don't mind a small dot for air rifle because all of the air rifle targets at our local matches, the national championship, Winnsboro and the Texas Nationals have nice backstops that make it easy not to lose the dot. If I were shooting that scope with a berm or no backstop, I'd want a bigger dot. That scope has 1/8 min adjustment but this rifle, like my Open rifle, requires very little adjustment from chickens to rams.
On my Highpower rifle I have a Leupold with a 1/2 min dot and 1/4 min adjustments. I shoot this scope over a weaver because it has longer eye relief and that is good for a rifle with a little recoil. Also, the Leupold scopes are incredibly clear and that's nice shooting out to 500m.
The easiest thing you could do is just jump on the Leupold that has been mentioned above. That's a great deal in a great scope that you can always send in to have repairs done at the factory and it will hold its value should you decide to sell it. In fact, if you get any one of the scopes that I listed above and decide that you want to sell it, just let me know.
Good luck.
Dustin
