Scope recommendation

[Half Dog]

I am shooting a 30-30 and I currently have a Bushnell 3 x 9 -32 scope. I am having fun with reloading bullets for accuracy but I believe I am at the point that I need a better scope to get better results.

Can someone recommend a scope that will help determine the best loads? The maximum distance I have to shoot is 200 yards.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[dverna]

Unless the scope is defective, a more expensive scope will not help accuracy. It will be clearer, more reliable and track better. The Vortex scopes are good and have a lifetime warranty.

Don Verna

[Mr Humble]

Save yourself trouble. Buy a 2-7 Leupold.

[HangFireW8]

Do you plan to hunt with it?

9x is enough scope unless you are trying to better 1/4 MOA. Try improving your bench rest, or even your targets.

[country gent]

Another thing to try with the scopes is to not make it a seeing contest. Put a 3"-4" white square in the black bull and bracket a corner in the corner of the crosshairs. This is easier to see alighnment and helps to keep the rifle square and level for each shot. Zero scope to put shots in center of square when bracketing a corner then by bracketing each corner you can shoot 4 groups with out going down range also. I find this helps with some rifle scope combos when testing.

[M-Tecs]

What rifle and what type of accuracy are you expecting? A Remington 788 tends to shoot way better than a Win 94.

[Half Dog]

I'm not planning on hunting with this rifle. When I have spare time, this is my stress relief.


I like the idea of a different shaped target. Here is the one I currently use and the shot group I am wanting to improve at 100 yards:

Attachment 179105

[OS OK]

I am shooting a 30-30 and I currently have a Bushnell 3 x 9 -32 scope. I am having fun with reloading bullets for accuracy but I believe I am at the point that I need a better scope to get better results.

Can someone recommend a scope that will help determine the best loads? The maximum distance I have to shoot is 200 yards.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I'm assuming you have your trigger release down pat. Do you say this because the above target is hazy or out of focus? Instead...
I see a load here that is within about .3'ths of being shot off a node...I'd work that angle first and stay with what your using.

[Half Dog]

I bought the scope in 1984 and although I don't have anything against "old" (tee-hee-hee)I am having trouble convincing myself that I am aiming at the exact same point every time.

"I see a load here that is within about .3'ths of being shot off a node...I'd work that angle first and stay with what your using."

Can you please explain the .3'ths sir?

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have a couple 3-9x 32 Bushnell's that work just fine. A target with a white center can help a lot. I often use red or green copy paper cut into 4.25 x 4.25 squares set with edges plumb and square. Crosshair is easy to center and bullet holes easy to see. Avery even makes red and green dots to use as target pasters. Make sure you you keep the scope lens clean and check your focus adjustment. If you are not hunting, more power MAY reduce group size. I notice a slight improvement in group size from 9x to about 15x, after that - little gain for me. I have a Weaver V4-16 and a Burris 6.5-20 I often use for load development on a new rifle. I have been looking at the Burris 4.5-14 X 42 Fullfield, it is 'relatively' inexpensive (under $300) and Burris makes durable products and backs them well.
Tuning your riflr may also help, a crisp trigger under 3 lbs helps groups tremendously. There are other tuning methods that can help Marlins shoot better. Check the Marlin forum for that. Enjoy your .30-30, they are pleasant. I assumed it is a Marlin since you did use a scope.

[OS OK]

I bought the scope in 1984 and although I don't have anything against "old" (tee-hee-hee)I am having trouble convincing myself that I am aiming at the exact same point every time.

"I see a load here that is within about .3'ths of being shot off a node...I'd work that angle first and stay with what your using."

Can you please explain the .3'ths sir?

Assuming that you've been doing all possible to let that round escape the muzzle without any added input from bad triggering or something wrong with the sandbagging rest....assuming all that's acceptable, I see a vertical string in the load you are using there. So long as those rounds are loaded with consistency...that open group can be attributed to a rifle that lets the round out without being in the same place each time, that's a node. It's where the standing wave has not reflected off the muzzle and started back towards the breech causing movement of the barrel.
Basically I'm saying to ladder test around the load you have.
Me?...I'd load a 10 shot group .3'ths light of the current recipe and see if the group shrinks or opens...if it shrinks I'd add back .1'th and do the same thing and compare. I would imagine you can fine tune that load and shrink it.
If you are not near max. powder load for that boolit you can check like this on the high side also. But like I said up front...I'm assuming you have your part of the equation down pat. For any given barrel length there are a couple of nodes you can tune to depending on the FPS you are after.
I'm sure you know about ladder tests...what I just gave you is a short cut version to fine tune a round that's close already.

***Here's a fine discussion that goes into detail... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odenfR1ozJ0
SNIPER 101 Part 53 - Load Development for Extreme Range Shooting
TiborasaurusRex

[Boolit_Head]

The Vortex scopes have really impressed me. Even their cheaper Crossfire line is clearer than Nikon scopes I've owned and seen.

[Don Fischer]

I've always been a fan for low power scopes on hunting rifle's. My 308 and 30-06 are turned on to cast bullet's only now and I have discovered that I don't want to shoot them that far, thinking 175yds max. That would work well as most the game I've ever shot was under that range, and then with jacketed bullet's. But I guess old eye's are playing with me because I've been shooting at 100yds, 3" high, and have a devil of a time shooting decent group's. The 30-06 has a 2 3/4x scope and the 308 a 1-4x scope. Thinking for load testing I should fall back to 50yds, I can then see my aiming point on the target much better. Haven't tried this theory yet, just started thinking of it today! But can't test it today either, to much rain coming down.

I figured out the trajectory for the bullet I'm using and with an 8" target I got MPBR of 176 yds. That is a 183gr bullet @ 1800fps. Haven't shot through the chronograph yet so just using the figures form the manual. Lee book using Varget. Have no idea what barrel length he used but my 308 is 18". The load listed in 1880fps so thinking I must be getting 1800 and set it as my velocity. For me this cast bullet's hunting seems more about hunting rather short range, figured, just today, I'd be best off setting the scope up to give me the best trajectory with an 8" or less target. Thus is way off the norm for me as I have always hunted with jacketed bullet's before this. They hold velocity better and shoot flatter.

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree. For a hunting scope I wouldn't have anything more powerful then a 4x scope on a 3030. A 1x4 would be ideal. IF your trying to shoot the smallest possible groups at 200 yards and aren't going to hunt with the gun then maybe a straight 10x or a 3x9 would work. Used to be you saved money getting a straight power scope, now the best bargins are the 3x9s. If your not conserned with low light performance about any Nikon, leupold, weaver, vortex ect in the 150-200 dollar range is all the scope you will ever need.

[Half Dog]

Thank you to all for your help. Each has given me plenty to pursue. I hope I can show a better target soon.

[Texas by God]

Did I miss what rifle your 30-30 is? Best, Thomas.