scope time!

so i just scrounged up the funds for my first ever actual rifle! now its time for some glass. will be a week or two before i can get it. but much like my rifle, im on a tight budget. that said, i had a brief discussion with some of the awesome people here. but felt i should post in the proper place for going more into detail. i think my limit on the scope will be roughly $120 done and done out the door.i don't really want to go above that, because then the scope will be worth more than the rifle itself. so i did some looking, and im down to these:

Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 Illuminated CF500 Reticle

Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 Riflescope Matte Multi-X

Hawke Sport Optics Sport HD IR 2-7x32 AO Rifle Scope

Sightron SI Hunter 3-9X40 Riflescope

Weaver Kaspa 3-9X40 Dual-X

and the Sniper 3-9x32mm MilDot Compact Riflescope 3-9X32MAOL
or it larger variant Sniper 4-16x50mm MilDot Riflescope 4-16X50ML

for hunting im positive i wont need that much magnification (4-16). but its affordable, and i like the name.
anyways. ideas? suggestions? thoughts? advice? has somebody tried the sniper products? really digging the sniper 3-9x32mm
but since this is my first purchase i would really appreciate input, once again. im sure everybody answers posts like this every day,
atleast 10,000 times. but im not much for youtube reviews. rather get info from actual hunters, instead of some kid with daddies money who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if he was in it. bushnell seems okay for the price and weaver seems good as well. i realize you get what you pay for. but i would really like to keep this practical. my buddy hunts in a peculiar fashion (golf cart and beers) so i dont need anything to crazy. thanks everyone!

Sightron S1 gets my vote.

Not judging but a golf cart and cold beer sounds like something that happens much later in a hunting lifetime. Not the true ethics and values needed to get started. Good luck with search.

sightron is definitely up there for me. how is the low light vision on it? is it actually visible in low light?
and yeah, hes an older gentleman. but wear a hunters hat with a raccoon sewn on it, for "extra warmth". so golf cart and beers is his thing haha

Why not a Pentax Gameseeker?

sightron

I'd look for something with less bells and whistles so that the cost of production is focused more on better glass and mechanicals.

so its come down to the sightron s1, the sniper 4-16x50, and the Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 multi x
so heres a few questions i got.

on the variable zoom scopes. would zooming in throw off the zero alot? obviously it will go back to being zeroed in once i go back to the original magnification. but will it throw it off much? or does it not affect it?
as for the hairs, which would you guys consider good to learn with? HHR? mill dot?
the nearest place that sells anything gun related is a 56 minute drive...so i cant quite go just to look through some scopes.
is FFP mil dot better? or is a single magnification scope best? how can i tell if a scope is FFP?
and is it better to use single point or dual point mounts for the scope?

Sightron built a hell of a scope company off the original S1.

As far as zero changing with magnification change it should never happen. If it does you bought the wrong scope for sure.

I agree with river rider. Given your budget go with the basic plex reticle. When/if your ready to spend a little more look into mil-dots. In my personal opinion you are not going to accurately dial a scope or do hold overs on a reticle in your budget.

okay cool. well i looked into it a little more. and im going with the sightron s1 with the plex ret. thanks guys! cant wait to have everything put together! since its a 40mm im guessing some medium height rings would be a good fit? so it doesnt make contact with the barrel

That sounds about right. I usually end up going with mediums when mounting a 40mm scope. I don't think you mentioned what your rifle is, at least not in this thread. I probably won't matter much except when it comes to choosing bases.

Don't go with the cheapest bases and rings. Also, the front dovetail/windage adjustable rear is an absolute abomination! Dual dovetail setups are very decent, and there is some very good steel Weaver-style stuff available, such as Warne. Picatinny bases are very good if you like the looks of them. I'd stay away from Tasco, the cheapest aluminum Weaver, and the like. The scope you've chosen is not bad at all and you don't want to compromise its performance by saving twenty or thirty dollars when mounting it.

its the ruger american in .243 and i think the one i got comes with weaver bases! as for rings i was thinking $40 range. and my friend got a bushnell banner series and i liked it so i might go with that instead. the place i got my rifle at sells it for about 109.00 + tax so i might just get that, seemed nice and clear at the range

checked taxes. no taxes! so 109.00 out the door!

http://www.armedinamerica.com/p-73958-bu...blk-cf-500.aspx

Aluminum Weavers are not that bad, but if possible I'd opt for a Warne steel base. Weaver has also offered steel bases in the past, and if you can get them for your application they're fine.

I understand budget limitations, but if you can afford a better scope than a Bushnell Banner then you'd be much better off spending more. Ruger Americans have already earned a reputation for very good accuracy, and you wouldn't want to handicap a rifle with that kind of potential.

Natchez is running a special on Redfield blems right now. You might want to take a look at what they're offering. I think the Redfield is a much better scope.

i'll take a look into it! didnt even consider redfield scopes. thanks! rifle should be in today so i'll see what happens

so i fell in love with the redfield revenge, but due to my bank being closed...i wont have the money in till monday. any idea when the sale is over? i looked on there and couldnt find anything...

None whatsoever. Sorry.

You could always email Natchez to find out.

...did not think of that. thanks!

well i got the scope! rifle should be in by Wednesday and scope should be in by Thursday! i'll post a pic of what she looks like put together!

quick question. before the rings get mounted theres supposed to be some oil...would some 3 in 1 motor oil do? (SAE20)

Oil for what??

says on instructions to dab some oil between the ring mounts and the bases. leupold says to put some on, in the packaging instructions...seemed weird, so i figured i would ask. says "to ensure grip" or something like that

If you use the Leupold/Redfield-style base that has the two windage screws on the rear base and the 90-degree twist front base, a rifleman should put a dab of lubricant on the mating surfaces of the front base and ring to avoid any galling when the ring is twisted into place. Perhaps this is what you are referring to?

Almost no experienced rifle junky uses this style of base and rings anymore, because the novice shooter will sometimes use the scope itself as the lever arm to twist the front ring into its base. This twisting can damage or destroy the scope. And the windage screws on the rear base are prone to loosening, bending, or breaking....and invariably at the wrong time. Another weakness of the system is that the front ring, only, absorbs the recoil; the rear mounts just sit there.

Far better, lighter(usually), and repeatable are the tried and true Weaver bases with Weaver-style rings from multiple manufacturers. The Picatinny base is an improved Weaver as well.

The Weavers will allow a hunter to remove his scope in the field, go to his irons, then re-affix the scope without any significant loss of hunting accuracy. It will also allow a guy to carry an extra scope (instead of a backup rifle) when he goes hunting. The weight saved is important if you're flying commercially.

So if someone recommends the Leupold/Redfield base system to you, just politely walk away.

^^Good post^^

All I use are one piece Picatinny rails and rings that have a nut instead of a cross screw. 1/2" hex wrench, one turn, scope rings and all come off the pic rail. This is how I and many others get away with more rifles than we have scopes. My 7 Rem Mag scope pulls triple duty on that rifle, the 7-08 rental rifle, or as a loaner for students that don't have the "right" scope to get the full benefit of the class. It makes for a very modular system.

this is what i got
[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/...mm_rings_low_in[/img]

it just says to put some oil. the actual package is in the car...thats a 5 minute walk. and my dog is to comfortable to be bothered to get off me haha so i cant quite go see what it says exactly

Those are good rings. I use those and I never read anything about using oil, but that's because I never bothered to read the instructions. I guess the oil is supposed to be for the lockdown lever.

Be SURE that you don't lose the piece that fits across the slot in the base when you're fiddling with those rings. That little part will fall right out without your noticing it. I changed bases on a rifle the other day and messed with optics on several rifles, and a couple of days later I found that small part on the carpet. I knew it was a part of a mounting system but I had to think real hard to figure out which rifle was missing a part.

ahh. thats probably it. and dully noted! im actually thinking about returning them and getting these
[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/...mm_rings_low_in[/img]
i prefer the screws to little levers.

Hope your scope is a 30mm tube and not a 1 inch tube. Those are good quality rings, have them on several rifles

well they're not the exact ones. got them for 1 inch. i actually just swapped em out and got back some spending money, and got the prw i trust the screws a little more. plus came with a handy allen key! scope should be at my door step any minute now. anything i need to do with scope and rings before i put it on. or is it just mount and zero in? i know its a ridiculous question. but ive been shooting iron sights with my pellet guns my whole life

You can go to the trouble of lapping the rings, but if you're using a quality one-piece base I think you can get by without going that far. I can't find in this thread where you've said what base or bases you're going with.

A hint on how to deal with those rings: the top halves will have to "pop" onto the scope tube. They'll go onto the tube easily enough but you'll cringe as you do it due to fear of marring the scope tube. Just use a piece of paper wrapped around the tube, it will come out from under the top halves of the rings once they're snapped onto the tube.

they're leuold prw 1' medium rings
and cool, saves me from from stopping halfway and driving 30 minutes to the local gunsmith haha
but thank you! fedex should be here with the scope anytime soon. truck left the san antonio fedex place at about 7:58am so it should be here by 1pm the latest!