Folks,

Rifle scope recommendations for new 308. Less than $250. Something that's not junk (if this exists). Variable up to 16 or 20X.



Anyone found a good one that works ?

16-20x is a lot of zoom. Nikon has some that might work in that price range. The Buckmaster series if I remember correctly.

If you can afford it go Leupold they really take care of you!

I like Nikon Buckmaster 6-18X w/NikoPlex reticle..forget target dot and BDC unless you've actually shot and like them.

Probably a few bucks over your $250 limit however good glass, lifetime warranty..I have several on .223 - .243 predator/varmint rifles.

Good luck with your new SPS.

Nikon Buckmaster has a nice scope for about 285.00. The scope is side A/O, 4/5-14 power, and mil-dot which is easy to use when learned correctly.

I'll check out the nikons. Been looking at Millett also. Need a new bell and carlson stock first, because the stock on the sps varmint is only pillar bedded. Need full aluminum block.

If you don't need quite that level of magnification, check out Bushnell's 4200 3-9x. An extremely nice scope for the money. I've got one on my M70 .308 and a spare for hopefully a .22-250 or .243 in the next year.

Bushnell Elite scopes are great, they are the old Bausch and Lomb factory just under Bushnell holding now.

I heard the Nikon scopes are really good, but like sumoj275a said, the Bushnell Elite scopes are really nice. I have a 3200 Bushnell Elite 3x9x40 on my T/C Encore and its really nice.

I don't know if they are still available, but the Weaver 4-16 x 42mm has semi-target turrets and tracks very well when changing powers. It ain't no Leupold Vari-X III, but it's a good scope for the money. I still have one left that I intend to mount on a CZ-452 in 17 HMR when I get it.

Yes Weavers were very good lightweight scopes for the money....light enough to be popular among the early benchrest crowd in the "Light Gun" category...I would rather spend the money on a good scope than swap a stock which is pillar bedded for an aluminium block bed...a scope that tracks properly and works well in low light together with good mounts will improve your shooting far more than the nuances of difference between a pillar bedding job and a block bedding job...besides which a fiberglass custom bedding job using metal pillars is far superior to a metal on metal aluminium bedding block system....but even then you can only notice that difference with some very rigid actions and heavy barrels...I would hold off on the stock change and see how accurate you can develop the existing rifle first and put all funds into a good scope....although this is just my opinion...but for me a good scope assists accuracy more than anything after the basics of a good barrel and good bullets.

You know your stuff, Peter. I have put $300 scopes on $70 rifles. In any range beyond about 50 yds, the scope becomes at least as important as the rifle. I cringe when I see somebody buy a Weatherby and put a cheap TASCO on it, although some are not bad. As a rimfire shooter, shooting at small targets at closer ranges (40m to 100m) I learned a lot about the importance of a scope that would track well when changing power, elevation adjustments, or parallax adjustments. A new Remington 700 in .308, with the right ammo should be able to shoot 1 to 1.5 moa right out of the box. My last Reminton ADL in .223 shot .75" groups at 100m (.75 moa) without any changes but the trigger pull lightened. A good scope is worth the investment. I know a guy who buys and sells rifles all the time, but he keeps his Swarovsky and Leupold scopes.