New Member

[Angry_Waiter]

Gentlemen,

I am new to the forum. Just wanted to get started and say hello.

I have an AA 6.5 upper (Shilen 19.5") in the mail as I write this and I am looking forward to its arrival. I started looking at the 6.5 G a few years ago but never took the plunge. I have remedied that oversight.

I did some reloading as a teenager, and I lost my press to a garage sale many years back! Needless to say, I will be buying another, and look forward to reloading my own rounds for this beast. I am interested in any and all recommendations. I will mostly be using the rifle for pigs, deer, and the range. I have been shooting a Tikka .308 for a few years, and will probably get dies for that cartridge as well.

What type of glass are you guys recommending? My budget will be 500-1k, and I would like to take the leap to mildot.

I work full-time, and am a part-time student studying geographic information systems. I live in Austin, TX.

Looking forward to your recommendations.

[bwaites]

Welcome!! Another Texan, lots of you here!

In that price range, the consensus for glass seems to be the Vortex line, particularly the PST.

[Angry_Waiter]

Hey Thanks,

Good to know, I've been looking at the pst line and it seems to be a good value. I have never looked through a Vortex however. I currently have a Trijicon 3x9 on the Tikka. How would the glass clarity compare..Trijicon Vs Vortex?

[YutYut]

welcome. Go vortex. their warranty alone is worth it

[LRRPF52]

Welcome. I was just studying Geographic Information Systems in my Business Program. I can't recommend the Vortex brand enough for that budget, and you get more scope for the money. The PST glass is superior to a lot of the Leupold glass, although Leupold's Mk IV glass lately is much clearer, but their gears blow-very mushy and indiscernible. The PST gears are very tactile and secure, and return to zero throughout an extreme spread of temps and repeated shooting. The zero-stop feature alone puts the PST's ahead of the competition in this price range.

For your barrel length, I would lean towards the 2.5-10x44. The glass is probably on-par with Trijicon, if not better. It's been a while since I looked at Trijicon's latest glass at SHOT 2010. The target knobs on the PST's are some of the best on the market right now, while most of the glass-makers are still stuck to capped knobs, or weak target knobs without zero-stop.

[Angry_Waiter]

Not to get off subject, but, yeah that GIS is some powerful stuff. I can't get enough. Just finished a suitability study for cropland in Texas. I was able to get a 79% match based on my study versus actual cropland distribution. Pretty cool, and we are talking almost 17 million square kilometers. Amazing.

Thanks for the recommendations on the Vortex. I have been looking through their products. I take it, if I can afford it, that FFP is the way to go? Seems like less math. Ill be hunting out to 2-300 and shooting range to 6-700.

Also, you would reccomend mils instead of moa..?

[txgunner00]

Howdy. You can get a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 x 50 or a 45.-14 x 50 mil dot on the upper end of that budget. They are less of a tactical type scope but the glass clarity and light transmission is superb. Something to consider if you like to hunt or shoot in low light.

[Whelenon]

Welcome Angry-Waiiter, I always tips a least 20%. One thing on the scope go with the 30mm tube, I put a 1" on my Grendel and regretted it. At the moment I'm waiting for my Vortex 2.5-10x44, should be in the mail. But, they don't offer that scope with a Mil-Dot. Good luck.

[YutYut]

if they offered the 2.5-10x44 with FFP and side focus that'd be perfect. im saving my pennies for the 4-16 version

[jwilson1985]

welcome!!!! ya for that budget go vortex ..i love the dont own one but love them. i like to have a mildot .but adjustment in moa ,just me everyone is different

[LRRPF52]

I was raised on MilDots and MOA knobs, which doesn't make a lot of sense. I have since converted totally to Mil/Mil, with Mil hash reticles with fine crosshairs and .5 and .2 Mil increments preferred with .1 Mil clicks...makes too much sense, although you have to convert inches into mils when looking through the optic to gain target perspective. If you can equate centimeters, you will be dead-on with the reticle for target dimensions.

Example, 30cm is 11.81", so roughly 12". A 30cm plate at 300m is 1 Mil or .3 meters. 1 mil at 400m is 40cm. 1 mil at 450m is 45cm up to 1 meter = 1 mil at 1000m or 1km.

I'm used to military binos and Mil Dots, so Mils are what I've always adjusted artillery and mortar fire with, as well as sniper rifles. It never made sense to me why the M3A turrets were in MOA, but that is they way they were. Everybody is jumping on the Euro bandwagon more and more with matching turrets, since it makes sense, but many guys are well-versed in using MOA with Mil Dots, and are quick with it since that is what they have used for years and years.

[BluntForceTrauma]

Hey, AW, Whelenon is trying to up-stage me, 'cause I'm a strict 15-percenter. Unless she's really cute. Which, I assume, you aren't.

John

P.S. Oh, yeah, welcome!

[Angry_Waiter]

Gents,

Thanks for the advice. I will be going Vortex. I'll have to look into reticle/turret options. I am thinking 4x16, mildot reticle, and I'm hoping that model can be ordered with mildot turrets. Still need advise on FFP and SFP if anyone has thoughts.

Again thanks for all the feedback,

Hanka if you are into beards, come on by the Country Club and leave me your money...jk...

[txgunner00]

I'd go with FFP. It may seem strange at first if you aren't used to the reticule changing size but it takes several potential problems out of ranging and hold overs. Many times 6 or 8 power is better for a mid range shot because if the better field of view vs. the highest power that most ranging reticules scopes must be set at to be accurate.

[Angry_Waiter]

Roger