Leupold mark 4 3.5-10x40mm FF or 6.5-20x50mm FF?

[5RWill]

Can't decide on either. The scope of choice is going to go on a .243 varmint build. It seems that leupold charges an extra 200$ to implement First focal plane. So what would you pick? My price limit is where the 6.5-20 stops at 1500$. I'm open to opinions of other good manufactures that i wouldn't know about.

[Txhillbilly]

If you are looking at spending $1700 on a scope,I'd be looking at a far better scope than a Leupold Mark 4. IOR Valdada,Swarovski Pro Hunter,Nightforce,etc.,would be my choice if I was going to drop that kind of coin for a scope.

Hell,I just got a used Swarovski PH for less than half of its list price,and it is a far better scope than Leupold in my opinion and has a lifetime transferable warranty.

[5RWill]

Ya i thought it over and thought the same thing. Apparently i don't need FFP for shooting varmint so that lowers the price significantly. I was gonna ask about Valdada. I had never heard of them till today. Right now i have my eyes set on a mark 4 6.5-20x50 for 1249$. Changed my limit to 1500

[Warchild]

Hillbilly, what in your opinion makes the choices you suggested that much better than Leupold?

[Palmetto-Pride]

Of the choices you gave the only one IMO that may be better is the Nightforce, and I might add Zeiss and Schmidt & Bender to the list.

[Longdayjake]

Yes, For that price I would buy a nightforce. They are very heavy however, but they will last forever and I have yet to hear of one breaking.

[Jimro]

You can add US Optics to the list. They run a solid "Tactical" line that will work for varminting.

Jimro

[sdj]

In that budget range, I think I'd be looking at one of these for my .308:

Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 AO MC (With a Rapid Z recticle that suits your caliber and range)

or a Swarovsky, PV-S 6-24x50 P:

http://www.swarovskioptik.us/en_us/products/36

If budget is more of a concern:

http://www.leupold.com/hunting-and-shooting/products/scopes/vx-3-riflescopes/vx-3-6-5-20x50mm-long-range-target

Good luck.

[5RWill]

I have a SN-3 3.2-17x44mm on my .308. I thought it over and decided i don't need FFP. Narrowed my choices down to the the 6.5-20x50mm mark 4 for 1249$ or this brand which really isn't talked about but looks good is IOR. I can get a IOR Tactical 6.5-24x50mm with sunshade and 35mm rings for 1595$ which seems like a steel to me. IOR is supposedly right up there with Nightforce from what i can gather. I miss titled the thread i should have just said need a good scope for .243 varmint build thats around 1500$ and under. See the more the price the longer i have to wait to save up for it. If i can talk my dad into splitting it with me then it doesn't pose as a big problem. Also like the IOR reticle/ there is my sn-3
http://www.snipercentral.com/images/reviews/ior414-7.jpg http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs171.snc1/6412_1090057453408_1285620147_30215762_3274889_n.jpg

Also if anyone knows where i can get a SS remington 700 short action besides Iron Brigade Armory that would be great cause IBA charges 475$ for a brand new one.

[N00b_Shooter]

Is this for a rifle that you don't have yet? If so what, are you going to get? Why do you need to spend that much on a scope for hunting? A Leupold VX3 would be way cheaper then anything your looking at and will do the job just as good.

IMO, Don't get a Nightforce, I love the quality and there good for shooting off a bench but it is the heaviest scope i have ever felt and will seriously make your rifle feel like a bag of wet cement is hanging from your shoulder.

Oh and FFP is pointless unless you wanna ruin your hunt by having to do maths every time you wanna take a shot, get a range finder :)

[5RWill]

Ya i heard they are heavy as hell. This is gonna be a .243 built of my old 5R stock. Parts include a remington 700 action, shilen match grade remmy factory contour 1:10 twist 6mm barrel. Bottom metal. 20moa base then scope and rings.
This is for target/varmint/anything shooting. This will be the gun i cary out alot to shoot coyotes, possums, anything thats in season or legal. The reason i like the IOR so much is they give you rings and a sunshade, and the mp8 reticle is awesome. By the time the rifle gets done ill most likely settle with a vortex viper 6.5-20x44mm for about 500$

[N00b_Shooter]

Actually my dad wants an IOR at the moment but we cant find that much info on there quality so he hasn't taken the plunge.

Sounds like u know what u want in a rifle, but didn't u just finish building a rifle not long ago for target?

[Palmetto-Pride]

Actually my dad wants an IOR at the moment but we cant find that much info on there quality so he hasn't taken the plunge.

Just curious and not trying to be a smart ass, but why does he want one if he does not know much about them? Do they have a model that has features that can't be found on other scopes?

[N00b_Shooter]

Nah, its because there is a scope for sale second hand on a website here is Aus and its extremely cheap and was never mounted. In the description he goes on about how good the quality and stuff was, we had a look and found a FEW reviews that were all positive but not enough that would make him comfortable enough to actually get it. Its still there so he's still tempted.

[5RWill]

Sounds like u know what u want in a rifle, but didn't u just finish building a rifle not long ago for target?

Ya i did kinda. Just completed is more of the term. I bought a 5R and got it bedded into a mcmillan A-5 and slapped a USO SN-3 on there. I'm not done yet, in a year or two that barrel should be worn down and i plan on putting a broughton 7.75 5C on there then trueing the action and mabe blueprinting.
This .243 was supposed to be me and my dads project so i wouldn't be spending so much money. Cause we had the 5R stock laying around and he wanted a gun he could shoot coyotes with at the levi at about 500yds(we have cows). But he is a farmer and with all the rain we've had he doesn't want to talk about spending money or guns, while trying to get a crop out. He'll come through after harvest season.

As far as IOR quality goes here: Seems just as good as any other.
I joined snipers hide forum and they have a discussion here:http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1398260#Post1398260

http://www.snipercentral.com/ior1056.htm

http://www.snipercentral.com/ior414.phtml

http://www.snipercentral.com/ior.htm

Place to buy: www.libertyoptics.com

Do they have a model that has features that can't be found on other scopes?

As far as features that can't be found on other scopes. For 1600 you can get a 6.5-24x50mm with sunshade and 35mm rings and the signature MP8 reticle. along with lifetime warranty, good CS and apparently according to sniperscentral a tough scope. Also the optics are very very clear. Most people say they are clearer than Nightforce. The company has been supplying european militarys for almost 70 somthing years now i believe from what i've read. They appear to be one hell a scope. Also they have a TON of elevation. What i like is how it comes with good rings and sunshade thats about a 200$ value off my list.

[kyle1974]

the leupold mk4 is a great scope... there are some leupy bashers out there that for some reason or another always believe some other scope is a "better value"....

if you were going to spend $1700, I would go with the nightforce though. Their optics just seem to be better than leupold, and they just have a better overall feel of quality. I can't speak for IOR, but a buddy of mine tried them, and went back to nightforce because he didn't like the lack of eye relief on them...

I just sold a zeiss conquest 6.5-20 and replaced it with a mark 4 with M1 knobs. The leupold is just as bright as the zeiss, but has about twice the total MOA travel, making it much better for long range shooting. I also picked up the model with the TMR reticle, which I think (once I use it enough) will work better for ranging than a standard mil dot. Of course, the zeiss is a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the mk 4 too...

as far as the FFP, that is a nice feature for a tactical/sniper rifle, but you can still range with a SFP, you can only do it a certain power setting...

[5RWill]

Ya i have a zeiss conquest on my sako, it's better than my dads leupold vx3 but i imagine the mark 4 is a higher quality of glass. I like the mark 4 a lot actually. I like nightforce, but NOOB is right they are heavy as hell for a scope lol. Zeiss also has the hesoldt which appears to be a good tactical scope, but way to over price they're like 3000$ for 3-12x56. For around the price The IOR gives me pretty much the same quality as nightforce from what i've read + rings and sunshade. This is just all talk for now, well see what happens when the gun gets built and how patient i can be. Cause if im eager to shoot it once it's done hehe well that vortex viper looks tasty lol.

[kyle1974]

I just ordered one of those vortex scopes... for under $500, they seem to have a hell of a lot of positive publicity.... we'll see how it goes. I'm putting it on an AR15 set up for varmit hunting, but I"m looking forward to it

[5RWill]

Ya you can get a 6.5-20x50 for 500 or under. And some people say the clarity and tracking is right up there with the best. One guy on midwayusa wrote a review that said he had 2 nightforce NXS, a leupold mark 4, and a burris something and the vortex was right up there for a third of the price.

[emcon5]

Frankly, neither.

I would get this one:

https://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=385764

and not worry about the first focal plane reticle. A scope on a varmint rifle is going to be at max magnification the vast majority of the time anyway. Depending on what varmints you are building for, mil-dots may be useless for ranging anyway simply because of the size of the target. I know they don't work on Prairie dogs all that well.

With C&R discount, that scope is about half of your budget, and you would have a really hard time convincing me the Mk4 is twice as good.

[Txhillbilly]

Warchild,the scopes that I listed have far superior glass in them over Leupold. Not that Leupold isn't good,they just aren't as good as the one's I listed.

Go look through them at a dealer at the time of sunset or sunrise and see for yourself. It really isn't my opinion,it's just a fact.

If I'm spending a grand or more on optics,it just wouldn't be on a Leupold,and yes I do have a couple of Leupold scopes and I do like their products,but when it comes to top end optics,they don't compare to the others.