azcoyotehunter
New member
Maybe... but can I hold the wad of cash I save beside the BSA.
Super Sniper scopes?? tactical vs varminter
- Thread starter djscott
- Start date
CV32
New member
Quote:
Maybe... but can I hold the wad of cash I save beside the BSA.
The coyotes shot with a Stevens rifle and a BSA scope look curiously the same as those shot with an expensive rifle and a Schmidt & Bender scope. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Expensive, high quality optics are great if you can afford it, and if you won't have a heart attack if you bang it off a rock in the field.
Only one golden rule here: buy the best quality optics you can afford.
Maybe... but can I hold the wad of cash I save beside the BSA.
The coyotes shot with a Stevens rifle and a BSA scope look curiously the same as those shot with an expensive rifle and a Schmidt & Bender scope. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Expensive, high quality optics are great if you can afford it, and if you won't have a heart attack if you bang it off a rock in the field.
Only one golden rule here: buy the best quality optics you can afford.
kapac
New member
I have used a lot of different scopes in my days. But there are some scopes
out there that are the best bang for the buck. Here is a little research
that may help you a in your decision. I am not trying to stir the pot just
giving out some info. I hope that helps you.
Long range shooting is my passion. I have accumulated a nice selection of
incredible rifles and optics for this specialized challenge. Scopes like
Leupold’s Mark 4, Nightforce NXS, U.S. Optics and Schmidt and Bender tend to
spoil a person. They are superb optically and their turrets are completely
accurate and repeatable. But – not everyone can justify tying-up one to two
thousand dollars in a rifle scope. Add another two hundred and fifty or more
for mounts plus Butler Creek pop-up caps or a Scope Coat and the investment
starts to approach the cost of a very good rifle.
Fortunately, there are a couple of reasonably priced scopes that work well for
long range shooting. Call them “entry level” or “low-end” scopes, they just
plain work. The first scope I would like to review is one I call “the sleeper”
of the optics industry. This little scope is simply amazing. It sells for
about one hundred and seventy five dollars and performs remarkably well for
long range precision shooting.
The Bushnell Elite 3200 10x Tactical is a simple, rugged, reliable scope that
has proven itself time and again on our long range rifles. How long range – I
have shot one of the little Bushnell's on an incredibly accurate Barrett .50 BMG
down in Montana out past one thousand yards. The .50 caliber Browning Machine
Gun cartridge is nasty on scopes but the Bushnell has withstood a lot of
shooting. As a matter of fact Barrett factory-mounts this scope on one of
their bolt action M-99 LE packages.
The Bushnell 3200 ten-power scope has a one-inch tube, forty millimeter
objective and a serious set of turrets. Optically, this little scope is sharp
and bright. Not tack-sharp nor the brightest in the optics world, but still
capable of good performance. I have used over a dozen of these scopes and have
seen a slight variation in resolution from scope to scope. Some are slightly
better than others. But they are all good enough to enable consistent holding
on small targets at 1000 yards.
Next to optical qualities and ruggedness, turret performance makes or breaks a
scope when long range precision is required. The 3200 Elite has good reliable,
repeatable turrets. Since my friends and I started buying the little Bushnell's
we have shot thousands of rounds through a wide range of rifles. We use the
3200 on varminters and long range tactical style rigs. Cartridges run the
gamut from the .204 Ruger to .308’s, .300 Winchester magnums and the previously
mentioned .50 BMG.
The Elite 3200 has a Mildot reticle, eyepiece focusing, moisture beading
Rainguard coating on the outer lenses, nearly 100 minutes of turret adjustment
with 1/4 minutes clicks, ten minutes per revolution, a one-piece body and
Bushnell’s Bullet-Proof warranty. How can the scope sell for less than
two-hundred dollars. Simple – this is a no-frills unit – no variable
magnification or parallax adjustment. Just a good set of lenses in a
well-constructed body with strong turrets.
The second scope I want to discuss is exclusively available from a great optics
dealer in Texas called SWFA. If you have not heard of SWFA you should get on
the Internet and check their website. Let’s just say that SWFA sets the
standard for optics deals – period. SWFA offers a line of tactical scopes
called the Super Sniper. Essentially the Super Sniper is a grown-up version of
the Elite 3200. Instead of a one-inch scope tube the larger 30mm tube is used.
Super Snipers offer a parallax adjustment and focusing eyepiece to sharpen both
the target and the Mildot crosshairs. This scope also comes with an excellent
sunshade which offers protection to the objective lenses.
Again, I will not say that the optical qualities of the Super Sniper beat the
1000-dollar tactical scopes. But – they are very good, particularly
considering the SS10x42 scope I am shooting sells for under 300 dollars! I
have used the scope in a wide variety of light and am impressed with brightness
and resolution. Again, holding fine on small targets at 1000 yards is
completely doable with this scope.
I recently setup an interesting group of steel targets at 500, 600 and 700 yards
to test the repeatability of the Super Sniper. Very simply, we established
zeroes at each distance with an incredibly accurate Mike Rock barreled
Remington M-700 in .308 Winchester. We shot hand loaded ammo with 168 Hornady
A-Max bullets.
I had two small reactive targets from LV Steel targets at 500 yards. At 600 I
put up two targets from a company called Metal Spinning Targets. One target
was a ten-inch steel gong on a two-foot high stand. This makes calling misses
more difficult than when a target is placed directly on the ground. The second
target at 600 was a life-sized whitetail buck with the heart and lungs cut out
and replaced with articulating steel organs. When a bullet hits the lungs the
steel cut-out swings 90 degrees and then returns to position. Same thing
happens when the heart is hit. The steel organs are life-sized so this is one
tough target at 600 yards.
At 700 yards I had three reactive targets from LV Steel Targets. These targets
rock backwards when hit, then return to vertical. LV Steel Targets are tough,
simple and reliable. They disassemble for transportation and they are tough
enough to take serious pounding without a dimple.
With my buddy shooting I called wind and noted hits and misses for over two
hours of shooting. We let the barrel cool down a couple of times but managed
to fire over 125 rounds during this scope test. Essentially I yelled out a
distance, an elevation setting and a wind-call. My buddy applied the elevation
and wind and shot the assigned target. Typically we would go something like
this:
“Take the left target at 700, put on 19 minutes of elevation and 4 1/2 left
wind.” Bang-clang. “Now go to the right target at 500 yards. Go down to 11
minutes and cut the wind back to two minutes.” Bang-clang. Now go to the
deer, I want a heart-shot. Put on fifteen minutes and a half more windage,
that will be two and one half minutes.” Bang-clang. “Now go back to 500, that
will need 11 minutes and hit each target as fast as you can. Take off a half or
favor a bit to the right…”
We fired over six boxes of hand-loaded 168 grain bullets and the Super Sniper
tracked perfectly. During the shooting we would also take shots at 100 and 300
yards so the turrets got a lot of work. Tracking and return was perfect. When
we finished my friend simply cranked the scope down to the 100 yard zero, fired
a shot to confirm the point of aim coincided with the point of impact at 100
yards and set the rifle aside to cool. We have shot the scope many times since
this test with similar results.
All Super Snipers have etched Mildot reticles. There are two Super Sniper
models, the basic scope that I am using which comes in fixed ten, sixteen and
twenty power. There is also a second ten-power scope featuring a third turret
for parallax adjustment. This model is called the SS10x42M and it costs an
additional one hundred dollars.
I have followed a lot of chat about Super Snipers on the Internet. Bottom
line, you get what you pay for. In my opinion the Super Sniper rates as an
excellent value for the dollar. The turrets are working as well as the turrets
on any of my high-dollar scopes. Resolution and brightness are more than
adequate for long shooting. The turrets have great “feel” as far as their
“clickyness”. There is lots of adjustment – about 120 minutes per turret with
15 minutes per revolution. Markings on the turrets are easily read. The Super
Sniper has a unique pebbly finish that is attractive and rugged.
The Bushnell Elite 3200 10X and the SWFA Super Sniper are remarkably good scopes
considering their price. I have had more than my share of disappointments with
low-priced scopes than satisfaction. These scopes are definitely exceptions to
that rule. Anyone considering setting up a rifle for longer shooting would do
well with either the Bushnell Elite 3200 or the Super Sniper. Matter of fact
you can buy either of them direct from SWFA.
Granted we all know that if we up the budget that we will be into better glass and construction
of a scope. Just for a little more you could be in a say Nikon monarch as mentioned before. Good luck in your search!!
out there that are the best bang for the buck. Here is a little research
that may help you a in your decision. I am not trying to stir the pot just
giving out some info. I hope that helps you.
Long range shooting is my passion. I have accumulated a nice selection of
incredible rifles and optics for this specialized challenge. Scopes like
Leupold’s Mark 4, Nightforce NXS, U.S. Optics and Schmidt and Bender tend to
spoil a person. They are superb optically and their turrets are completely
accurate and repeatable. But – not everyone can justify tying-up one to two
thousand dollars in a rifle scope. Add another two hundred and fifty or more
for mounts plus Butler Creek pop-up caps or a Scope Coat and the investment
starts to approach the cost of a very good rifle.
Fortunately, there are a couple of reasonably priced scopes that work well for
long range shooting. Call them “entry level” or “low-end” scopes, they just
plain work. The first scope I would like to review is one I call “the sleeper”
of the optics industry. This little scope is simply amazing. It sells for
about one hundred and seventy five dollars and performs remarkably well for
long range precision shooting.
The Bushnell Elite 3200 10x Tactical is a simple, rugged, reliable scope that
has proven itself time and again on our long range rifles. How long range – I
have shot one of the little Bushnell's on an incredibly accurate Barrett .50 BMG
down in Montana out past one thousand yards. The .50 caliber Browning Machine
Gun cartridge is nasty on scopes but the Bushnell has withstood a lot of
shooting. As a matter of fact Barrett factory-mounts this scope on one of
their bolt action M-99 LE packages.
The Bushnell 3200 ten-power scope has a one-inch tube, forty millimeter
objective and a serious set of turrets. Optically, this little scope is sharp
and bright. Not tack-sharp nor the brightest in the optics world, but still
capable of good performance. I have used over a dozen of these scopes and have
seen a slight variation in resolution from scope to scope. Some are slightly
better than others. But they are all good enough to enable consistent holding
on small targets at 1000 yards.
Next to optical qualities and ruggedness, turret performance makes or breaks a
scope when long range precision is required. The 3200 Elite has good reliable,
repeatable turrets. Since my friends and I started buying the little Bushnell's
we have shot thousands of rounds through a wide range of rifles. We use the
3200 on varminters and long range tactical style rigs. Cartridges run the
gamut from the .204 Ruger to .308’s, .300 Winchester magnums and the previously
mentioned .50 BMG.
The Elite 3200 has a Mildot reticle, eyepiece focusing, moisture beading
Rainguard coating on the outer lenses, nearly 100 minutes of turret adjustment
with 1/4 minutes clicks, ten minutes per revolution, a one-piece body and
Bushnell’s Bullet-Proof warranty. How can the scope sell for less than
two-hundred dollars. Simple – this is a no-frills unit – no variable
magnification or parallax adjustment. Just a good set of lenses in a
well-constructed body with strong turrets.
The second scope I want to discuss is exclusively available from a great optics
dealer in Texas called SWFA. If you have not heard of SWFA you should get on
the Internet and check their website. Let’s just say that SWFA sets the
standard for optics deals – period. SWFA offers a line of tactical scopes
called the Super Sniper. Essentially the Super Sniper is a grown-up version of
the Elite 3200. Instead of a one-inch scope tube the larger 30mm tube is used.
Super Snipers offer a parallax adjustment and focusing eyepiece to sharpen both
the target and the Mildot crosshairs. This scope also comes with an excellent
sunshade which offers protection to the objective lenses.
Again, I will not say that the optical qualities of the Super Sniper beat the
1000-dollar tactical scopes. But – they are very good, particularly
considering the SS10x42 scope I am shooting sells for under 300 dollars! I
have used the scope in a wide variety of light and am impressed with brightness
and resolution. Again, holding fine on small targets at 1000 yards is
completely doable with this scope.
I recently setup an interesting group of steel targets at 500, 600 and 700 yards
to test the repeatability of the Super Sniper. Very simply, we established
zeroes at each distance with an incredibly accurate Mike Rock barreled
Remington M-700 in .308 Winchester. We shot hand loaded ammo with 168 Hornady
A-Max bullets.
I had two small reactive targets from LV Steel targets at 500 yards. At 600 I
put up two targets from a company called Metal Spinning Targets. One target
was a ten-inch steel gong on a two-foot high stand. This makes calling misses
more difficult than when a target is placed directly on the ground. The second
target at 600 was a life-sized whitetail buck with the heart and lungs cut out
and replaced with articulating steel organs. When a bullet hits the lungs the
steel cut-out swings 90 degrees and then returns to position. Same thing
happens when the heart is hit. The steel organs are life-sized so this is one
tough target at 600 yards.
At 700 yards I had three reactive targets from LV Steel Targets. These targets
rock backwards when hit, then return to vertical. LV Steel Targets are tough,
simple and reliable. They disassemble for transportation and they are tough
enough to take serious pounding without a dimple.
With my buddy shooting I called wind and noted hits and misses for over two
hours of shooting. We let the barrel cool down a couple of times but managed
to fire over 125 rounds during this scope test. Essentially I yelled out a
distance, an elevation setting and a wind-call. My buddy applied the elevation
and wind and shot the assigned target. Typically we would go something like
this:
“Take the left target at 700, put on 19 minutes of elevation and 4 1/2 left
wind.” Bang-clang. “Now go to the right target at 500 yards. Go down to 11
minutes and cut the wind back to two minutes.” Bang-clang. Now go to the
deer, I want a heart-shot. Put on fifteen minutes and a half more windage,
that will be two and one half minutes.” Bang-clang. “Now go back to 500, that
will need 11 minutes and hit each target as fast as you can. Take off a half or
favor a bit to the right…”
We fired over six boxes of hand-loaded 168 grain bullets and the Super Sniper
tracked perfectly. During the shooting we would also take shots at 100 and 300
yards so the turrets got a lot of work. Tracking and return was perfect. When
we finished my friend simply cranked the scope down to the 100 yard zero, fired
a shot to confirm the point of aim coincided with the point of impact at 100
yards and set the rifle aside to cool. We have shot the scope many times since
this test with similar results.
All Super Snipers have etched Mildot reticles. There are two Super Sniper
models, the basic scope that I am using which comes in fixed ten, sixteen and
twenty power. There is also a second ten-power scope featuring a third turret
for parallax adjustment. This model is called the SS10x42M and it costs an
additional one hundred dollars.
I have followed a lot of chat about Super Snipers on the Internet. Bottom
line, you get what you pay for. In my opinion the Super Sniper rates as an
excellent value for the dollar. The turrets are working as well as the turrets
on any of my high-dollar scopes. Resolution and brightness are more than
adequate for long shooting. The turrets have great “feel” as far as their
“clickyness”. There is lots of adjustment – about 120 minutes per turret with
15 minutes per revolution. Markings on the turrets are easily read. The Super
Sniper has a unique pebbly finish that is attractive and rugged.
The Bushnell Elite 3200 10X and the SWFA Super Sniper are remarkably good scopes
considering their price. I have had more than my share of disappointments with
low-priced scopes than satisfaction. These scopes are definitely exceptions to
that rule. Anyone considering setting up a rifle for longer shooting would do
well with either the Bushnell Elite 3200 or the Super Sniper. Matter of fact
you can buy either of them direct from SWFA.
Granted we all know that if we up the budget that we will be into better glass and construction
of a scope. Just for a little more you could be in a say Nikon monarch as mentioned before. Good luck in your search!!
Nodak7mm
New member
Kapac,
Your research mirrors the writings of a gentleman I know from Saskatchewan Canada, a Mr. Ian McMurchy. Ian is an accomplished outdoors & firearms writer and his writing style is extremely similar to yours.. He even says the same thing you do about the Bushnell & SS scopes..
Rod V.
Your research mirrors the writings of a gentleman I know from Saskatchewan Canada, a Mr. Ian McMurchy. Ian is an accomplished outdoors & firearms writer and his writing style is extremely similar to yours.. He even says the same thing you do about the Bushnell & SS scopes..
Rod V.
kapac
New member
Nodak7mm, you are correct except for the fact that it is not my research it is Ian's (I did not mean to make it sound like it was my research only posted for information purposes only and if anyone took it that way I apologize). I would not want to steal anyones hard work). I have read many articles from Ian (as this is one of his also) and posted it in this forum so that the guy asking about the Super Sniper would have a solid back ground to base his decision. Ian is a very knowledgeable man and I would take his advice when it comes to things such as this in a second! It seemed as though a few fellas were knocking the Super Sniper and I remembered I had saved a copy of Ian's research for future reading and posted it here.
I have and do own several of the scopes mentioned above NXS, Leupold etc. and have been researching a less expensive scope also. I have been leaning towards the Nikon's more than the Bushnell's.
I have and do own several of the scopes mentioned above NXS, Leupold etc. and have been researching a less expensive scope also. I have been leaning towards the Nikon's more than the Bushnell's.
Nodak7mm
New member
Kapac,
I gotta hand it to ya, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Your a good guy coming forward and clairifying ownership of the "research". You are also very right on about taking advice from Ian, I have too, the man knows his stuff...
Rock on and keep your powder dry!!
Rod
I gotta hand it to ya, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Your a good guy coming forward and clairifying ownership of the "research". You are also very right on about taking advice from Ian, I have too, the man knows his stuff...
Rock on and keep your powder dry!!
Rod
Nodak7mm
New member
REA,
I am a big fan of the B&L scopes, specifically the 3000 & 4000 series, they have been awesome for my eyes. As you know B&L was absorbed by Bushnell and due to a past customer service issue, I cant bring myself to putting the Bushnell name on my rifles. But of late I'll admit I have been looking pretty hard and close at the Bushnell 10X tactical scope..
The info you looking for regarding the "clik" range should be on the Bushnell website.
Rod
I am a big fan of the B&L scopes, specifically the 3000 & 4000 series, they have been awesome for my eyes. As you know B&L was absorbed by Bushnell and due to a past customer service issue, I cant bring myself to putting the Bushnell name on my rifles. But of late I'll admit I have been looking pretty hard and close at the Bushnell 10X tactical scope..
The info you looking for regarding the "clik" range should be on the Bushnell website.
Rod
kapac
New member
Quote:
Kapac,
I gotta hand it to ya, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Your a good guy coming forward and clairifying ownership of the "research". You are also very right on about taking advice from Ian, I have too, the man knows his stuff...
Rock on and keep your powder dry!!
Rod
Nodak7mm, no worries mate, if i didn't have my head where the sun doesn't shine when I copied and pasted. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif I would have and should have stated that it was Ian's article from the get go. I am not one to steal someone else's work. Thanks for catching it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Kapac,
I gotta hand it to ya, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Your a good guy coming forward and clairifying ownership of the "research". You are also very right on about taking advice from Ian, I have too, the man knows his stuff...
Rock on and keep your powder dry!!
Rod
Nodak7mm, no worries mate, if i didn't have my head where the sun doesn't shine when I copied and pasted. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif I would have and should have stated that it was Ian's article from the get go. I am not one to steal someone else's work. Thanks for catching it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif