Leupold, Vortex, or Sightron

[JustinB]

[GjGary]

[Lantern]

Tough to beat the Sightron SIII when it can be had right now at Optics Planet for 665.99 in second focal plane with a coupon and 737.99 in first focal plane with a coupon. The coupon is 10% off and is WASHTAX btw.

[TomSawyerNW]

I have 3 Leupolds, and 1 Sightron SIII 6-24 x 50. My experience with Leupold customer service has been impeccable, and will always keep me in the Leupold camp. For the Sightron, the glass is crystal clear and I have absolutely no complaints. Before getting the Sightron, the reviews and comments (from various forums) all were very positive. For the $, I can't see you going wrong with Sightron, or for Leupold, for that matter.

[Dempsy1]

Leupold, I got a Night force 4-14 under $1k and that’s close to your budget.

[Nodak]

I picked up an S-Tac 5-20x50 moa reticle. Nice piece of glass for $350 and has 80moa adjustment.

[Stevil]

I recently put a Meopta Meoprpo 4-12x50 on my Mini and couldnt be happier, Talley ultralight rings, bolt just clears, superb crystal clear optics

[Wheelhorse]

Here's a deal, first focal plane with an illuminated reticle.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/vortex-viper-pst-6-24x50-ffp-riflescope.html

[LRRPF52]

TGT scope for 100-600yds and the occasional White Tail hunt?

Those requirements normally contradict each other because we like to have TGT knobs on TGT scopes with higher magnification for shooting distance, versus capped knobs and lower magnification for shooting deer.

Leupold vx-3 6.5-20x

Pros: Good glass, warranty, reticle OK for hunting at center crosshairs
Cons: Clumsy stadia lines for TGT shooting and no TGT turrets, low end mag is too high for a lot of deer hunting



Vortex HST 2.5-10x32

Pros: Useful for both TGT and hunting, matching reticle and turrets, XLR stadia reticle for precise LR shooting using holds, capped knobs ideal for hunting/field carry, Side Focus, excellent warranty service if needed
Cons: Max power at 10x, which may or may not be a factor with your eyesight





PST 6-24x



Pros: Good glass, great scope for TGT, matching reticle/turrets, zero stop, illumination, Side Focus
Cons: A bit much for a hunting scope when looking at magnification bottom end, uncapped TGT turrets that get caught

Sightron SIII 6-24x

Pros:
Cons: Same thing, not sure how well these hold up on AR15s


If you can find a Viper HST XLR 2.5-10x32, I would snatch it, as the site says it's inactive and other vendors indicate "discontinued".

[Swampfox]

I just got the Vortex Viper HS for my hunting build. If I was looking at what you were going to be doing the Vortex Viper HS LT or the Viper HST.

[BjornF16]

JustinB

One piece of missing information is what type of hunting...stalking or from static blind? That makes a difference in the capped versus TGT knobs...

Edit: I have some of the Vortex PSTs (2.5-10x44, 2.5-10x32, 4-16x50) that I use on hunting rifles. I prefer a scope with illuminated reticles. The knobs on those PSTs aren't as tall as some of the TGT knobs on the 6-24x...might also consider the Leupold VX5 line

[BjornF16]

Here is a PST to consider that is on sale now at MidwayUSA, discounted ~ $100 (making the price ~$890):

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/497122/vortex-optics-viper-pst-gen-ii-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-3-15x-44mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-rzr-zero-stop-side-focus-first-focal-illuminated-ebr-2c-mrad-reticle-matte

Here is the MOA version already discounted with an offer of $100 gift card:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/798462/vortex-optics-viper-pst-gen-ii-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-3-15x-44mm-rzr-zero-stop-side-focus-illuminated-ebr-4-moa-reticle-matte

[Kswhitetails]

VX5 2-10! My next optic. All reasons above stated as well as I would. Weight! Light, clear, and really well thought out design. Simple is greatness in practice, and this is especially true on hunting scopes.

[LRRPF52]

The VX5 2-10 simply isn't going to work well at all for shooting targets at 600yds, which is the OP's primary stated intent.

Here's why:

[BjornF16]

VX5HD 3-15x44 could work with Impact 29 reticle:

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