New to long distance shooting

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IFree87

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I really enjoy shooting with iron sights which is partially why I've been reluctant to even buy a scope, but the 30-06 came with a Leupold rail so I figure I'll take advantage of it on this rifle. I'm also pretty excited to start seeing how far out I can get with a basic setup after I rung steel at 400 yards with a 6.5 creedmoor my wife's cousin let me fire and that kind of gave me the bug.
 

swampratt

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30-06 is an excellent round.
Very versatile and you can shoot cast from it with really great accuracy.

I shot some 170gr cast at 1400fps at 500 yard 18" x18" steel plate.
I had to dial my scope to 4 power the lowest settig to be able to hold over the target and still see it.
Rainbow trajectory.
When I finally figured the hold over i hit it 2 times in a row and then a miss and then next shot rang the steel again.

4 Power.
I would look for a scope like was stated in the above then compare eye reliefs on different scopes that are similar.

If you load your own ammo accuracy can be very good.
I can hold at 500 yards with my Mossberg 100ATR and shoot under 5" groups at 500.

I have shot it to a bit over 300 on a deer and the scope was dialed to 10X.
I have never needed more than 10 power for game shooting.

Another thing with scopes is turrets I have a Nikon P223 4-12x40 with turrets that do not lock down.
See it here.
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/nikon-p-223-4-12-x-40-bdc-600-riflescope

The turrets have moved on me on every trip into the thick woods.
They can NOT be locked in place.
BIG FAIL for a hunting scope.

Short eye relief on some scopes will annoy you with trying to get good eye placement.
Or worst case is your eye is too close to the scope when you pull the trigger!

Instant scope eye.

A light weight 30-06 will give a person scope eye.
 

kwaynem

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I'm new to the forum and new to any sort of long range shooting. I've shot and been around firearms my whole life, but generally shotguns and handguns. I have a Henry Golden Boy for rabbits and the like and then purchased an Axis II in 30-06, thanks again @AFVet . My intent is to start hunting as I want to be more self sufficient. Now I have the rifle to get the job done, but am fairly clueless with optics. Long story short, what are the main qualities I should be looking for in a scope? Because I'm so new to this side of shooting I only intend to try shots 150-200yds and under until I build some confidence.
Like tRidiot said that vortex crossfire II 4x12x50 is a very good choice I have one on my 270 and shoot 300 yards with no problem at all
 

Aries

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Riton makes some pretty good scopes especially the entry and mid-tier range, prices are VERY competitive. Their warranty is as good as Vortex, if it fails for any reason other than abuse you send it to them and they send you a new one. I can't speak to the upper end stuff you'd probably want for long range, but I would expect it to be competitive to the $1000 plus market.
 

IFree87

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Riton makes some pretty good scopes especially the entry and mid-tier range, prices are VERY competitive. Their warranty is as good as Vortex, if it fails for any reason other than abuse you send it to them and they send you a new one. I can't speak to the upper end stuff you'd probably want for long range, but I would expect it to be competitive to the $1000 plus market.
That's great, thank you.
 

HiredHand

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You don’t need a high magnification scope for shots at shorter ranges and it’s actually a disadvantage. Scopes in the 3-9x40 range will get you there.

Pick up a copy of Ryan Cleckener’s book, Long Range Precision Shooting Handbook it’s a worthwhile read to learn the basics of shooting long range, choosing and setting up your equipment. The NSSF also has some good videos on YT with Ryan Cleckner demonstrating how to setup your rifle.

You didn’t mention what type of stock your rifle sits in, but mounting your scope as low to the bore as possible is important for maintaining a good check weld. Most factory rifle stocks are really set up for using iron sights and lower magnification scopes that can be mounted as low to the bore as possible. If you try throwing, a scope with a large objective ring on your rifle you will end up needing taller rings which means that the scope will sit farther above the bore which will force you to build up the cheek rest on the stock. Also, the narrow fore end of a factory stock means those large objective scopes will stick out over the sides stock which means the scope will less protected.
 
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zghorner

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the vortex crossfire my uncle had was garbage glass compared to my pst.

30-06 is pretty bad ass and will kill something as far away as you have business shooting at it. 200yd is .223 range for whitetail.

I agree vortex is the way but I would step up to a viper in at least 12x...probably more especially if you think you might like to do some long range target shooting in the future.
 

tRidiot

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the vortex crossfire my uncle had was garbage glass compared to my pst.

30-06 is pretty bad ass and will kill something as far away as you have business shooting at it. 200yd is .223 range for whitetail.

I agree vortex is the way but I would step up to a viper in at least 12x...probably more especially if you think you might like to do some long range target shooting in the future.

You're talking a whole other range of optics. A Viper PST and a Crossfire II entry level is like a used 10 year old reliable Toyota Camry vs a 2 year old Camaro or Charger.
 

k4ylr

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What's your actual budget you are willing to spend? "Not worried about price" is very different you are thinking $100 is reasonable for a lightweight 30-06 optic.

If you're serious about hunting, a large objective (50-56mm) for better light gathering and an illuminated reticle might be something high on your list of wants. You don't need/want a ton of magnification, a general rule of thumb is 1x for every 100 yards. In addition, the more elements you pack into a scope reduces the optical quality rapidly.

First and Second Focal Plane (FFP vs SFP) reticles are also something to consider. Some hunters don't like FFP because the reticle is too fine when compared to a SFP. The benefit of FFP is that the reticle subtensions are accurate at every power where SFP scopes it's only at a single power (generally max)

BDC reticles should be avoided like the plague.

At the budget end you could do something like Vortex DB Tactical line or Athlon Argos BTR. The Bushnell Match Pro is an excellent option around 500 and up from that you are into the Vortex Strike Eagle/Viper Gen 2s, Athlon Midas Tac and Helos BTR. Primary Arms has a plethora of good options and a lot of guys have taken to liking Riton, Arken and Swamp Fox though I don't have any time behind those.

If you're long range shooting more and hunting infrequently I would tend towards a scope more favorable to long range shooting than hunting. Something FFP, with exposed turrets, a good reticle and illumination if you want it. I can shoot a deer at a feeder with my 20lb 6GT match gun just fine.
 
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