Brand new to long range shooting, what scope power for 300WM?

Pantera

New member
What distances are SWAT and military sighting their rifles in? I need to find a Sig Sauer scope for my 300WM that is good all-around. Budget around or a little over $1,000, friends with a vendor that will get them discounted.

I am in the process of building a nice 300WM. It is an R700 on a McMillan chassis. It is a LOOSE clone of the M40A3. No, I do not want to get the actual $2,500 Schneider scope that the military puts on the M40A3. I don't know what type of shooting I will be primarily doing with this rifle, but I'd like it to be a bug-out SHTF type rifle. I got a 300WM primarily just to further familiarize myself with the rifle reloading process.
 
Take a look at the Meopta Optica 6. I own lots of high end scopes and for the money its a great scope.

I have 2 of the 5x30s and that would be a great scope for a 300wm
 
Originally Posted By: PanteraOriginally Posted By: crapshootGreat scope for the money.
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/thr...e-drop.7107366/

Thanks for posting, found that scope here, although I wonder if there is a difference with the XRS II -

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7...50_Mil_Dot.html

I’m going with one of these two -

https://www.sigsauer.com/sierra6bdx-5-30x56-mm.html

https://www.sigsauer.com/tango6-5-30x56-mm.html


The xrs ii you linked is a sfp where the one I linked is an ffp.
 
Originally Posted By: BoomstickSecond the Optika 6. Why are you set on a Sig? With that budget, there are TONs of great options you aren't considering.

Friend is a dealer who can get them at cost
 
Without knowing exactly what type of shooting you are going to be doing, it will be hard to narrow down what scope to buy.
$1k will buy you a great hunting scope, but not so much of a real good long range scope. Sig scopes don't even make it on a list of brands that I'd look at.

Magnification range will depend on what you actually use the rifle for. Trying to hunt with a 5x low end magnification scope - especially a FFP reticle, can be a challenge seeing the reticle.
I shoot out to a mile with several of my long range guns, and rarely go above 20x depending on the mirage conditions.

Some great lower priced long range scopes are the Bushnell DMR & XRS series as well as the Burris XTR series. From there you will step up to scopes like the Athlon Ares & Cronus, Tract Torric HD, Delta Stryker HD, Steiner T5Xi, or Leupold Mark 5HD.
Then you step up to the higher end of things like the Vortex Viper HD, March, S&B, Zero Compromise, and Tangent Theta.

Choose a scope that fits your budget, and one that will work with what you'll be using the rifle for.
 
Originally Posted By: TxhillbillyWithout knowing exactly what type of shooting you are going to be doing, it will be hard to narrow down what scope to buy.
$1k will buy you a great hunting scope, but not so much of a real good long range scope. Sig scopes don't even make it on a list of brands that I'd look at.

Magnification range will depend on what you actually use the rifle for. Trying to hunt with a 5x low end magnification scope - especially a FFP reticle, can be a challenge seeing the reticle.
I shoot out to a mile with several of my long range guns, and rarely go above 20x depending on the mirage conditions.

Some great lower priced long range scopes are the Bushnell DMR & XRS series as well as the Burris XTR series. From there you will step up to scopes like the Athlon Ares & Cronus, Tract Torric HD, Delta Stryker HD, Steiner T5Xi, or Leupold Mark 5HD.
Then you step up to the higher end of things like the Vortex Viper HD, March, S&B, Zero Compromise, and Tangent Theta.

Choose a scope that fits your budget, and one that will work with what you'll be using the rifle for.

Agree with everything except looping in Viper HD with the March, S&B, Zero Compromise TT.......those are on another level than just about everything Vortex makes
 
Depending on how serious of a "long range" shooter your going to be or want to be. Meaning are you planning to get into the long range game as a serious competitor or just once in a while on the week end with yours buddies. If your goal is a serious shooter, I would up your budget considerably and get a top end optic. Yours eyes will thank you for it in the long run.
 
Originally Posted By: PanteraI don't know what type of shooting I will be primarily doing with this rifle, but I'd like it to be a bug-out SHTF type rifle. I got a 300WM primarily just to further familiarize myself with the rifle reloading process.



first off... belted magnums have their own challenges of reloading - you may be better suited to learn on another simpler bottleneck cartridge. that belt makes life a bit tricky for resizing - you can easily end up with a bulge that wont let cases chamber properly.

and if you're going for a bug out/shtf type of rifle, picking a huge overbore magnum that requires massive amounts of powder (roughly 100 rounds/lb of powder vs 160 for 308), requires relatively niche availability brass (300wm is def not considered anywhere near the top of the common calibers out there). also for commonality - the list of suitable powders is relatively lower. its also heavy - roughly 35% heavier than its much more common 308 little brother. a box of 20 308 is gonna be about a pound. that equates to about 14 rounds of 300wm for the same weight.

the only box that caliber checks for bug out/shtf is the fact that its 30 caliber and you'll have lots of projectile options available to you.

just some food for thought stuff on your POU for this caliber.
 
A friend of mine has a Meopta Meopro 6 that I have had the opportunity to shoot. (Meopta Meopro 6 3-18x50). I was so impressed with his glass, I ended up buying the same scope (but with the 56mm objective). I bought this for a future build that hasn't happened yet.
 
Swat is probably a 50 yard zero(city block is 526' ish). Get a good 4-20x and shoot 600 yards, see how you and the rifle/ammo do. For most a 300 wm is not fun. SHTF I want to be able to "acquire" ammo for my weapons, don't want to carry or look for 300wm.
 
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Originally Posted By: PanteraWhat distances are SWAT and military sighting their rifles in? I need to find a Sig Sauer scope for my 300WM that is good all-around. Budget around or a little over $1,000, friends with a vendor that will get them discounted.

I am in the process of building a nice 300WM. It is an R700 on a McMillan chassis. It is a LOOSE clone of the M40A3. No, I do not want to get the actual $2,500 Schneider scope that the military puts on the M40A3. I don't know what type of shooting I will be primarily doing with this rifle, but I'd like it to be a bug-out SHTF type rifle. I got a 300WM primarily just to further familiarize myself with the rifle reloading process.



As a school trained LE Sniper and Sniper Team Leader, (SniperCraft) and a 16+ year SWAT guy with the last five being the Team Commander of a 23-man team, I can tell you this...

LE Sniper work and MIL Sniper work range wise is apples to oranges. Most LE work involving a Sniper/Observer Team is 100 yards or less with the average engagement falling between 50-75 yards.

Obviously MIL Sniper/Observer Teams engage targets at much greater distances with various ROE's.

Due to the potentially limited need for an extended shot, I've never seen or heard of a SWAT Team zeroing precision rifles with anything other than a 100 yard zero.

Red Dot optic carbines are zeroed at 50 yards.

For a "bug-out"/SHTF rifle, the .300 Win Mag is a wash for several reasons, the most concerning being ammunition resupply.

In a real-world SHTF setting, you won't need the extended distance the Win Mag provides above and beyond a common .308 Win., as CONFLICT AVOIDANCE and DETECTION AVOIDANCE will be your number 1 survival tactic.

Add to that the weight of the rifle and ammo above that of say a .308 means you're toting more with no real benefit.

Just my thought...
 
Originally Posted By: Boomstick

Agree with everything except looping in Viper HD with the March, S&B, Zero Compromise TT.......those are on another level than just about everything Vortex makes

Yep, My screw up. I meant the Razor HD.
I'm not a Vortex owner, but I do have several Tier 1 scopes!
 
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