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.
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.