Scope - help me choose

Ok, you probably know my Vortex was no good and that I’ll be buying another scope. I haven’t ordered it yet, but I’m leaning toward a Leupold Freedom 4-12x40 with CDS and Firedot (30mm tube). It’ll be $600 or so. The bad Vortex was $300. So my cost is rising, which is no surprise. What might actually be a surprise to some of you is how many scope choices there are out there. It has to be hundreds of scopes with multiple options for most of them. So, let me tell you what options I need and you chime in on the best fit for me. Maybe somebody will suggest a scope I had not considered. I haven’t even looked at Zeiss, for instance.

Magnification - 3 or 4 on the low end. 16 power would be fine on the high end, but at least 12 power.
Tube - 30mm, because that’s what my mounts are. I could however buy 1” mounts.
Parallax adj - front or side, I don’t care
Focal Plane - SFP, but I’m not married to it.
Reticle - not that picky, but not too busy is good
Illumination - first choice is illuminated dot. Second would be illuminated crosshairs. Prefer the dot.
Glass - good glass. Doesn’t have to be great glass.
Price range - $500 to $700. If I have to go to $900, then I might as well get another VX5 3-15 CDS
Place of manufacture - not China
Weight - light would be good. Don’t need a boat anchor scope weight.
Durability - I want a durable scope, obviously.

So, can what I want be had for less than $700? It can if I buy the Leupold. Is there a better option in that price range?
I really am open for suggestions. The money hasn’t yet been spent. What scope meets my needs, as much as possible?

Maybe able to find a used VX5 in the classifieds.

Meopta. Use Euro 16 for 16% off.

https://www.sportoptics.com/meopta-optika-6-3-18x50-653634.aspx

Well, I found the Athlon Midas HMR 2.5-15x50 with illuminated BDC for under $500. Reviews are good, but reviews were good about Vortex too. Made in China. Anybody got history with the scope or other Athlon scopes?

Or Trijicon for a little more but lighter. They are made in Japan. I have the 3-9. Great scope.

https://www.sportoptics.com/trijicon-accupower-1900024.aspx

If you go the China route, look at Primary Arms optics. They are the only China optics I would buy and it's only because the designer, Dimitri, is so obsessed with building a good scope for an affordable price.

Meoptra

You can take a look at the Burris Veracity. I don’t have one but I looked into it before I bought my VX5HD. They have a 3-15 with 30mm tube.

Personally I would spring for the VX5HD or the new Vortex Razor HD LHT. I know you had a bad experience with a lower end Vortex, but this is a completely different scope than the one you had. It’s made in Japan. I replaced my VX5HD with it and like it better.

Scott, that Tijicon fits nicely with what I’m looking for. Thanks for mentioning it. The Meopta had no illuminated reticle.

If you don't want to spend much why not a fixed scope? Less stuff do move around. I've been thinkin g of a 6x- I've always used 4x.

I used a fixed 6 on my 270 for a few years. It was Ok, but the option of more magnification is better. I put way more bullets into targets than I do into pigs and deer, so 12 power is enough to see bullet holes at 100 yards.

I’m still leaning toward the Leupold VX Freedom 4-12 CDS Firedot. Good quality and made in the USA. If Burris made a 3-15 or 4-16 Fullfield IV with an illuminated reticle, I’d consider it. That have that new line of scopes out, but I didn’t see that as an option.

I just bought one of these for my grendel pistol. They had the 3-15 version for $525 but appear to be sold out for now. I know its vortex but its higher quality than the crossfire



Razor hd lh 2-10x40

Love all 3 of my Leopold Firedots. I need three more to complete the herd!

If you want another VX5HD, you can find the VX5HD (3-15) online for under $700 delivered.

Good to see you provided a list of parameters. However, what exactly are you wanting to use the scope for? That'll help point you in the right direction.

Where’d you find that price?

I bought a veracity in that price range last year. I haven’t mounted it yet, but taking it out of the box and playing with it, I am excited about using it. It will get mounted on my rem 788 very soon.

Burris makes a 3-15X model XTR II.

Great scope, made to track, and return to zero. It breaks your weight requirement, which is often the case for scopes made to dial and return to zero.

The XTR II is $1000 and a 34 mm tube. My scope rings are 30mm and I don’t want to replace them. And at that price, I can just get another VX5 3-15. 30mm tube and lighter weight. This AR is already heavy.

It isn’t that I can’t spend the big bucks. I just don’t want to on this rifle. I’ve spent so much money on myself lately that I have some guilt.

If I could pick the scope I’d be happy with, it would be a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14 With a fine crosshairs and a Firedot. I like those scopes. Been using them on various rifles for many years. Set and forget. Real light. Can’t get that combo unfortunately. Or at least I haven’t found it yet.

And just because I haven’t taken any specific scope advice yet doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the input. If I had to guess who on the forum sees more scopes and has used them in actual shooting situations, it’d have to be Fireman. So I am listening. Access to knowledge and experience is what makes this forum so valuable.

I am getting a headache from scope research.

IF the vortex LH is still an option there was one in the classifieds the other day.

https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...rch/true/re-wts-vortex-hd-lh#Post7946584

I bought one of these Tango 4s for a 223. I used it today at the range and like it a lot. It's pretty hard to beat the value factor at this price. Made in the Philippines and weight is not bad for this type of scope.

https://www.eurooptic.com/Sig-Sauer...-Illum-Reticle-Side-Focus-01-Mrad--.aspx

https://www.natchezss.com/blemished...luminated-scr-mil-reticle-ffp-matte.html It’s a blem and you’d have to change rings , but $670.

I would suggest look at:

Toric UHD 3-15x42 from Tractoptics. It is below $800, you can choose for BDC or Crosshair, it is FFP made in Japan and has German glass in it.

They have a BDC calculator on the site so you can make range cards for your specific load. It is worth to check them out.

There's waya of buying the XTR II used. And then it is $700 or less. But it's not all of your parameters, so it's out.

Yes, that Burris looks like a great scope. Not exactly what I’m looking for for this rifle, but maybe I need to think about swapping a few scopes on other rifles. The new scope, whatever it’s going to be, doesn’t have to be on the new rifle.

I have about 5 days before I place an order. The Leupold VX Freedom 4-12 is still the primary choice. It doesn’t have the top end magnification I’d like, but it is real light, made in the USA, has low turrets, CDS, and the firedot. That checks a lot of boxes. And as for the magnification, I’d like a bit more, but this rifle is not intended to be for long range. Probably 300 yards and less. My only concern is that this is a new scope, with not much history. But, worst case, it is a Leupold and they’ll fix it fast if I have a problem. But, being more of a set and forget guy, I don’t work scopes too hard, and it won’t get banged around too much. Surely it’s sturdier than that Crossfire II was.

I think the CDS dial on that scope is different than the one on your VX-5. If they’re like the original CDS on the VX-R then they spin very easily and can get knocked off just from handling. Maybe they’ve tightened them up since then. I don’t know. The original would spin a full rotation or more just sliding it in a gun case if there was any contact with the soft liner. I’m not trying to discourage you, just making you aware of potential issues.

This is an intriguing offering, and Phillipines, not China:

https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/...t/primary-arms-glx-4-16x50mm-ffp-review/

If you get this Athlon scope from us and don't like we will take it back. It is a solid scope you'll enjoy

By golly, I think I’ll give that Athlon a try. It checks almost all the boxes, though heavier than the VX Freedom and Chinese made. I’ll call you to order.

I placed the order. Athlon HMR 2.5-15x50 with 600 BDC illuminated reticle. I will be the test case for this scope if nobody else has one. Likes and dislikes will be shared, as will hands-on user opinions.

SFP
Low capped turrets
15 max magnification (ideal for me)
BDC illuminated reticle
28 oz (VX Freedom was only 17 oz)
30 mm tube

Please Lord, let this thing track and hold zero.

Kirk

They seem too make pretty good optics. I shoot 308 frequently so I picked this one up to give it try for hunting. Pretty well thought out hunting reticle. Even has Mils built in to it. This one is made in China.

I've been going through the same selection process. One of my scopes, a 3x9x50 Leupold on my all time favorite 30-06, has gone South after a LOT of years. Lots of options out there. Started thinking about my real needs and those options. I have finally realized that I don't need a lot of magnification. At 77 YOA, I doubt that I'll go back to Africa, Alaska, Mexico, Colorado or any of the places that have made me show my passport, climb mountains or take long shots. I will probably just hunt my own place South of Bowie. There, a really long shot is 250 yards and that's only one place. So, dang near anything that is variable will work. I have other scoped rifles but this was my first one(1968) and it needs new glass. Having trouble making a decision.

603, do you still have the crossfire in your possession? If so will you do a test? I’ve long argued that glass trumps magnification. It would be great if you could identify something with the Vortex at its maximum magnification and the limit of its clarity, then grab the VX-5 and see how low you can go on magnification and still get the same quality sight. I know I feel better with a quality 4x than a cheap 3-9, or a quality 4-12 than a cheap 20x. I guess the point I’m trying to make is a good 2-10 will outperform that crossfire regardless of old eyes. It might allow you to rearrange your priorities on scope requirements and really open up your market within your self imposed budget.

I sent the scope back on Saturday. I can’t do the test, but I can say that the Crossfire II had some pretty good glass. I liked most everything about it, until it wouldn’t hold zero. I wasted a bunch of bullets, powder and primers for no return on the expense. It was bad from day 1. Not the first bad Vortex I’ve had, but it will be the last.

I had that crossfire in the stand with me one morning, and as daylight slowly came on, I was looking through the scope and my old Leica binocs. The Leica was better in low light than the Crossfire, but the VX5 was as good as the Leica, though I can’t say it was better. But last year I did have the thought that just maybe my scope is better than the Leica 10x40’s.