Optics choice help needed

[hartman23foscari]

So ive gone over this with multiple forums and facebook groups and mewe groups but I keep getting many answers. I figured why not check with the 6.5 grendel gang since well its for such a caliber.

so here is what im looking at
got a custom upper being built, its a 16" gunner profile by faxon for of course 6.5 grendel.
i plan on mainly if not ONLY shooting wolf ammo, so 100 grain rounds
i put it into the calculator based on someone elses readings on velocity out of the wolf (which was almost 2500) from a 16" barrel.
it ended up being 525 yds is last spot that gives 500 lbs force or more so im guessing max effective range will be 525 with max willing range (as in willing to try for hunting and or well look at whats currently going on if you catch my meaning)

I want to use the rifle as a multi purpose rifle. target, fun, hunting(would use hunting rounds for this and ensure to follow proper procedures to do it so it wont damage the gun) self defense (so potential cqb) and well the current stuff potentially too

with that all said heres the gist
I want to be able to use whatever optic chosen for all those scenarios
I have a limited budget, lets say 500 or less and less is better as more ammo for practice and zero
I typicaly am a man of simple stuff, my eyes will have trouble with an overly complex reticle (acss from PA is an example of okay for me)

So far ive been looking at:
PA raptor acsss ffp 1-6
Swampfox tomahawk 1-8 bdc or arrowhead (especially since they provide a non specific caliber moa based bdc)
PA Prisms
A couple others ive looked at but less thrilled about the specs on but cannot recall.

[Bigs28]

A vortex strike eagle 1-8
Leupold has several models to choose from as well. Nothing against the optics you named but the no questions asked reports on leupold and vortex warranties are money.

[hartman23foscari]

A vortex strike eagle 1-8
Leupold has several models to choose from as well. Nothing against the optics you named but the no questions asked reports on leupold and vortex warranties are money.

I cannot find them in budget unfortunately. Plus heard they while they have good backing to their warranties people tend to have to use them more then not. That is not encouraging if the system fails and you cannot get a replacement or repair

[Sinclair]

hartman, to quote a special forces operative whose name I cannot recall at this minute, he said that all technology will fail sooner or later, usually at the very moment when you find yourself in a sticky wicket! While in Viet Nam, his team had a terrible time with their Leopold scopes losing zero because the turret set screws would slip.

The bottom line is that whatever you choose, it will fail sooner or later, so yes, the warrantee is important. I too, have budgeting issues so I understand your anxiety. I went cheap for my first scope and I quickly lost confidence in it. Went middle price with lifetime warrantee for the second. Still using the second one. But only you can make that choice. Best of luck!

I know that I did not answer your question, but my comments are the best advice that I can give you.

[Bigs28]

You can't find vortex strike eagles in your $500 budget?

[hartman23foscari]

You can't find vortex strike eagles in your $500 budget?

No. Because I include the mount

[Bigs28]

https://www.opticsplanet.com/vortex-stri...-30mm.html

Plenty of mounting options under $100.

[PVBoom]

Lots of Swampfox Arrowhead to Strike Eagle comparisons put the Swampfox over the Vortex. I am not sure about the Tomahawk.

[Klem]

The mount and the scope for $500 or less, to hunt, target shoot and home defense. You are not asking for much.

Add to that your pessimistic outlook for society and don't you think you might want to invest a little more? I mean how much is your life worth if you believe it will be on the line and this gun will be your insurance?

Another issue here is repeatability. Repeatability is the scope's ability to keep zero every time it recoils. This is not often discussed as there is no industry standard for it, and it is impossible to determine based on manufacturer specs or even handling it. It won't reveal itself until you mount and fire it. Reputation and price are reasonable predictors but still not definitive. Cheap scopes tend to be poor in this respect so the group sizes are likely to be wider than a more expensive scope. A cheap scope could end up the limiting factor in that Grendel.

I'm thinking a reputable red dot like an Aimpoint, including mount. Something second-hand because those scopes last forever and are bomb proof. I have an original Aimpoint Comp 7MOA dot and it still works like the day it was bought. I would not be looking at magnified optics with that budget...you can't afford anything that's worth your life.

[hartman23foscari]

https://www.opticsplanet.com/vortex-stri...-30mm.html

Plenty of mounting options under $100.

I don't trust optics planet anymore. Placed two orders that took 1 and 2 months to find out it was on backorder for another month or two even tho listed as available.

[hartman23foscari]

The mount and the scope for $500 or less, to hunt, target shoot and home defense. You are not asking for much.

Add to that your pessimistic outlook for society and don't you think you might want to invest a little more? I mean how much is your life worth if you believe it will be on the line and this gun will be your insurance?

Another issue here is repeatability. Repeatability is the scope's ability to keep zero every time it recoils. This is not often discussed as there is no industry standard for it, and it is impossible to determine based on manufacturer specs or even handling it. It won't reveal itself until you mount and fire it. Reputation and price are reasonable predictors but still not definitive. Cheap scopes tend to be poor in this respect so the group sizes are likely to be wider than a more expensive scope. A cheap scope could end up the limiting factor in that Grendel.

I'm thinking a reputable red dot like an Aimpoint, including mount. Something second-hand because those scopes last forever and are bomb proof. I have an original Aimpoint Comp 7MOA dot and it still works like the day it was bought. I would not be looking at magnified optics with that budget...you can't afford anything that's worth your life.

I hear ya but literally cannot budget more. I don't make a ton of money sadly.

[biodsl]

Choosing an optic is difficult. If most of your shooting is under 300 and more 'combat' oriented, I think your choice of a PA with the Raptor reticle would be fine. If you tune the zero you can probably make use of the BDC out to 500 yards if using 100 grain bullets.

If you're interested in something a little more precise may I suggest my favorite scope; a Gen I Vortex PST 2.5-10. It's light. It's clear enough. 10x allows for precision at distance; 2.5x is fast on target. The reticle might be a little fine for the woods, but the illumination helps with this. Its just a good, all rounder with the right magnification for the Grendel. It's in your price range. It has the Vortex lifetime guarantee. Mine's in mils but the one linked is in MOA.

If I could only have one optic, this would be it. https://www.eurooptic.com/vortex-viper-p...0s1-a.aspx

Edit: I forgot to mention one downside to this scope: fixed parallax. Not a big deal for me as most of my shooting is at 200 yards and beyond. Serious target shooting probably are interested in a $350 scope anyway.

[StoneHendge]

If your shooting wolf 525 yards, the only thing you should expect to hit is the side of a barn. Have you looked at any of the 3x prism scopes from Vortex and Primary? I personally prefer the Vortex because even though it's not made in the USA, it's not made in China. Nice mix of CQB and medium range capability. No fuss, no eyebox to worry about and rock solid. Zero it and done. I have one on ages old Franklin Armory 16" 5.56 all purpose carbine and it can hit 2 legged varmint sized targets out to 500 with Lake City M193. Most of the time.

[hartman23foscari]

If your shooting wolf 525 yards, the only thing you should expect to hit is the side of a barn. Have you looked at any of the 3x prism scopes from Vortex and Primary? I personally prefer the Vortex because even though it's not made in the USA, it's not made in China. Nice mix of CQB and medium range capability. No fuss, no eyebox to worry about and rock solid. Zero it and done. I have one on ages old Franklin Armory 16" 5.56 all purpose carbine and it can hit 2 legged varmint sized targets out to 500 with Lake City M193. Most of the time.

I mean I got 1.5 moa out of a bca heavy barrel 18" assuming similiar accuracy out of a quality 16" faxon Gunner profile I should at 500 yds get 7.5 moa which is still within tolerance of putting down a thing. I highly doubt I'll be accuracy joe but that's why max attempted range will be 600 yds but more likely target shooting for fun. With 525 being max effect range. But more likely will mainly shoot at 400 yds and below.

[mdram]

i have the tomahawk 1-8
its a nice scope, got a free mount with it last year on black friday
the glass is clear
i went duplex reticle because it was an sfp scope.

[hartman23foscari]

i have the tomahawk 1-8
its a nice scope, got a free mount with it last year on black friday
the glass is clear
i went duplex reticle because it was an sfp scope.

Do you think the bdc reticle should be fine? Also is there a way to kill flash the tomahawk?

[mdram]

well bdc reticles on sfp only work at 1 magnification, as long as thats the one your at it should be fine.

no clue about the killflash. i dont really see a need for that in my use

[hartman23foscari]

well bdc reticles on sfp only work at 1 magnification, as long as thats the one your at it should be fine.

no clue about the killflash. i dont really see a need for that in my use

I thought they said for their sfp that max magnification is where you should zero at?

[LRRPF52]

I don't trust optics planet anymore. Placed two orders that took 1 and 2 months to find out it was on backorder for another month or two even tho listed as available.

I’m in the same boat. They show things in-stock that take unknown weeks/months to arrive.

Never again for me.

[mdram]

I thought they said for their sfp that max magnification is where you should zero at?

that may be, if so thats the may be the only mag the bdc will work at
its like that for any sfp optic
by one i did not mean 1 power, just that its not valid at all magnifications