Scope for .22-250

[marty]

So my wife won a Weatherby Vanguard .22-250 in a benefit raffle. It has a synthetic stock, weighs 7.25 lbs and sports a 24 inch barrel. It's not a heavy weight barrel. The gun is more for field carry than bench rest, although of course one could rest it. We have not had a .22-250 before.

Primary use will be on prairie dogs, followed by coyotes. What do you guys think about a scope for this? I'm thinking about $500-$600 price range tops, possibly a Nikon Monarch 5x-20x or 6x-24x. I've had Leupolds and like them but thinking of something different here. What about target type turret knobs? What do you think?

[SA Friday]

Sightron SIII. It's just equal to or slightly above your price range depending on what model, but you get what you pay for and this is the closest I would recommend. The Sightron SIII glass is just immaculate, the turrets are repeatable and have good feel and markings, the eye releaf is good and not uber-sensitive.

[cysoto]

I am quite certain that any of the Sightron SIII scopes is going to be slightly above Marty's price range. Not to say that they are bad scopes but, if he is going to spend $800 he would be better served purchasing a Vortex PST.

Nonetheless, on his $500 to $600 budget, the Nikon Monarchs are definitely a good purchase. Sadly, the Leupolds that you will find at this price range are not the best they have to offer and I would avoid them.

[marty]

Thanks for the input thus far. What do you think about the power on the upper end? Go with 16x, 20x, 24x? Asking here given the rifle is not really a bench gun and no heavy barrel.

[tactuppernut]

Excellent recommendations! I too have decided upon the PST 24X to eventually upgrade an older fully multi-coated 6X18X40 Bushnell mounted to a Bushmaster Predator primary used for p-doggies (unbelievably, the 53grn VMAX Superformance has enough surface area for 1-8 rifling to get enough bite). As I have made several successful 390-400yrd. head shots, I've missed more that hit at 400yrd. range (no mil dot, no drop comp., just good old Kentucky windage from a 200yrd. zero on the fly.) I base my corrections on the average sized mature rodent (12"X6" w/ 2 1/2" head). Doing so becomes increasingly difficult the smaller they become through glass. Obviously, the scopes being recommended have the necessary features to alleviate the 'tucky method, which brings me to 2nd point. By every August, most grasses have died, the prairie floor radiates an increasing amount of heat. At 300 yards+, the p-doggies look more like a hula-dancer through the eyes of an aging hippie during a severe acid flashback (from what I hear) though those waves, and the bigger the target, the easier it is to aim at center mass, especially if you want to make 400yrd. head shot on a 2 1/2" target.
On a different note, just in case you guys haven't stumbled upon these yet, below are links to the 2 best ballistic calculations programs on the net I've found, as you can't hit shit if you don't know how your load performs at these ranges. They also both calculate wind comp.. Now if only I could get internet service on the prairie.........
Or if you got one of those trees that grow money, the G7 laser rangefinder also utilizes scope/bore distance,muzzle velocity, bullet weight AND COEFFICIENT as input ed by user for instant doping.
Red mist and cartwheels make me giggle like a little school girl!

http://ballisticscalculator.winchester.com/
http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator

[cysoto]

Thanks for the input thus far. What do you think about the power on the upper end? Go with 16x, 20x, 24x? Asking here given the rifle is not really a bench gun and no heavy barrel.
There was a time when I was convinced that, when it comes to scope magnification, you just could not have enough. Then I learned about the mirage effect and how detrimental is for overall accuracy.

These days I am convinced that, for most of my shooting (which is only in competition between 200 and 600 yards), anything over a 16X is useless.

For me, the factors that are most important on any scope are overall clarity & contrast and, repeatability. There are many scopes in the market that will meet your particular shooting needs but, as with many other things in life; when it comes to scopes, you get what you pay for. So shop wisely!

[cysoto]

...below are links to the 2 best ballistic calculations programs on the net I've found...
I will suggest you also check out the JBM Ballistics Calculator. http://www.jbmballistics.com/


Now if only I could get internet service on the prairie...
JBM also has an app for the iPhone. No internet service required. You can input humidity, atmospheric pressure, temperature (and many other fields) manually.

[SA Friday]

cy is right. The extra magnification comes into play on 600+ yard shots IMO, but mirage is a bitch. You get what you pay for in scopes, the cheaper the glass, the more refraction you have in it, the more refraction, the worse the mirage.

I know I recommended scopes a couple hundred over your price range, but I did it for a reason. It's amazing glass for the price, repeatable turret adjustments, and you'll regret getting cheap glass. I have every time.

[m*o*a]

I have Rem 700 22-250 been shooting PDs and song dogs for years, with it. A year ago I replaced the scope, wanted something with target knobs. I did slot of research and went with Nikon Buckmaster 6-18 mil-dot. Great glass, very clear and stays zeroed. Not to mention it was only $300 plus shipping from Midway USA. I own higher end Leupolds, Zeiss, and Burris scopes, this one is just as clear and reliable.

Mike

[sscoyote]

Absolutely! That's the same optic i have on an XP-100 handgun in 17 Fireball and have made some 1st shot connections in light winds to ~500. Love that optic for it's price. I apply it at 18x where the dot to dot subtension becomes 2.4 IPHY and the dot itself is now ~1/2 inch instead of mil-std. ~3/4ths. I use reticle for windage and 1/8th IPHY turret for elevation--

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/sscoyote1/007_7.jpg