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optics for ar-10

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13 years 8 months ago #6690 by mph1173
optics for ar-10 was created by mph1173
hello new to the brotherhood just wondering what anyone could recomend for a scope to put on my rifle i just purchased a LMT 308, ar-10 platform i want to do some longrange shooting and some hunting. i have been looking at the leatherwood line, is this a scope for a beginer should buy or is this a good scope. any help would be great .

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13 years 8 months ago #6881 by koh
Replied by koh on topic Re: optics for ar-10
Long range shooting and hunting at modest distances is two seperate things, at least it is for me.
I have a Pride Fowler RR800-1 that I use for shots out to 800yds and I use a Redfield in 3x9 that I use for hunting with tthe same rifle. I have to decide on which quick detach mounts I am going to use to swap back and forth with and I am also researching a nice long range optic with a mil dot reticle for shooting out to 1,000yds.

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13 years 8 months ago #6884 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic Re: optics for ar-10

mph1173 wrote: hello new to the brotherhood just wondering what anyone could recomend for a scope to put on my rifle i just purchased a LMT 308, ar-10 platform i want to do some longrange shooting and some hunting. i have been looking at the leatherwood line, is this a scope for a beginer should buy or is this a good scope. any help would be great .

First, congrats on the new rig. LMT makes a high quality stick; I'm sure it'll give you years of reliable service.

What I don't get is why you're even considering Leatherwood. You've just dropped ~$2k for a top notch rifle and you want to mate it up with a $300 optic? For a general purpose scope, without a lot of frills I would look at the Leupold VXII line. If I were on a budget, I'd look at the SWFA Super Sniper line. Things to look for in a high quality optic:

Fully multi-coated lenses - Lenses will have coatings on both sides. This helps with image clarity and scratch resistance.

One-piece tube construction - Increases the structural integrity of the scope tube. Also helps prevent water from migrating into the tube (fewer seams/joins/openings for water to work it's way into the scope)

Nitrogen/argon purging - This also aids in preventing water/fog from entering the tube.

First focal plane reticle - An FF plane reticle is usually associated with variable mag scopes. By putting the reticle in the FF plane, the reticle grows or shrinks as you increase or decrease your magnification. This makes using BDCs or mil-dots easier because the reticle will be in synch with the size of the target image.

Windage/Elevation Knobs - The "in" thing right now is target turrets for W/E. These allow the scope to be adjusted without going through the hassle of removing a screw cap. Most scopes use either mils or MOA adjustments. A common mil adjustment is .1 mil. 1/4 MOA is common for MOA-type scopes. When checking a scope out, give the W/E knobs a couple of clicks in each direction. The clicks should be firm and distinct not mushy or soft.

Clarity - Crank the scope up to max mag (If a variable.) Look through the scope. Look at the edge of the image. It should be as sharp and clearly defined as the center of the image. With lesser quality scopes, you'll see a little waver or fuzz at the edges.

And don't scrimp on bases and rings, either.

Without knowing what you consider long range, what the terrain is like where you hunt, or the particulars of your LMT, my guess is a good 3-9x42 scope would probably work well for you. As you use the scope and get a better idea of what you want/need, you'll be able to sell a higher quality scope much easier than a cheapie in order to finance a newer, higher speed optic.

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