Which scope for prairie dogs?

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crowslayer17

Member
Which scope for prairie dogs?
I'm wanting to go shoot prairie dogs again and need suggestions for a very good scope at a reasonable price as this gun will not be used much and the scope will stay on it. Kind of thinking about the Sightron SIII. It will probably go on a 223 or similar. Not sure how much magnification I really need. My eyes are getting older so more power is better, but what is the reallistic power you can use before mirage is a problem. Also suggest your favorite recticle and why.. Would love to have a Nightforce or Swarovski, but it may only be used once a year so I don't know if I need to spend that kind of money or not. Thanks.
 
I have found with ageing eyes that more magnifacation isn't much of an equalizer. You can get by less less magnifacation if the glass is better. Prairie dog shooting involves hours of looking thru scopes and if it's not of quality it will lead to eye strain, headaches and shorter days afield.

I like my scopes in the 18 to 20x range on the top end. During summer shooting its pretty easy to see mirage with anything much over 16x at 10 in the morning and as it warms up you have to keep dialing them back. While i do have them, scopes that goto 24x or more is kinda a waste in my opinion. Your buying magnifacation your going to rarely be able to use.

I've had one for years and it's a great scope for the pasture poodles.. My favorites are the older discontinued AV series Swarovski 6-18's with the BR reticle. The new Z5 with the BRX is nice too but I still like the older AV's better.

Since you don't want to spend that I would recommend a Zeiss Conquest in 6.5x20 its got great glass and it would serve you well.

 
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My primary scope for my .204 AR is a Sightron S2 with a Mil Dot Reticle...4-16x...It has great clarity and the mil dots let me adjust for hold overs as needed without a lot of knob twisting...Anything over 18x and you have to fight the mirage factor as the days heat up...

The Leupold on my CZ .204 is a 4.5-14x with the Varmint Hunter reticle and if I sight it in a 300 yards, the stadia lines get me pretty close out to 400, 500 and 600 yards, but I seldom try much past 400...My limitations rather than the scope/rifle....
 
O.T. has good taste in Sightrons, I have a 4x16 duplex SII and this 6x24 SII duplex on my Krieger barreled coyote AR:

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Very good glass in both, but at times, I wish they had 1/4 clicks instead of 1/8 clicks.
 
I really like the burris scopes for shooting pdogs, Furhunter is right you will be spending hours on end looking through that scope so make sure its good glass, I like the burris extreme tactical, Vortex viper hs, or a good ole vari x 3.
 
Originally Posted By: crowslayer17Thanks guys. Any idea how the Sightron III glass compares to the Ziess conquest, Swarovski Z5, or the Vortex PST.

It's pretty hard to compare a less expensive optic against one costing more like Conquest let alone one costing 2 to 3 times as much like the Swarovski's. That European glass is expensive for a reason and it shows when your behind it for any length of time.
 


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