It has been a while, given the current COVID Lockdown in Wales. The only engagement during this time is building up a rifle or reloading ammunition. If you are out of reloading supplies, then rifle tinkering maybe your last option! Different videos are inserted to show evidence, discussion, reviews that illustrate the various points.
Related Article – scope Features when Shooting at Phoenix Rifle Club
The Requirement
In preparation for long distances with a Ruger Precision in 6.5creedmoore, we set a challenge: build an optic solution that delivers performance at 1 mile. This goal touches several areas: glass quality, turret reliability, accuracy and repeatability, First Focal Plane, and target sub-tension reticle etching. It also means accurate parallax with a good range, a good field of view at maximum magnification, and decent eye relief. And of course, it needs an amazing warranty in case something goes wrong.
Additionally, we had to consider the turret travel versus zero-stop (or Zero Lock) feature, since some newer scopes reduce travel by installing a zero-stop ring. To assist with the elevation turret, the RPR comes with a 20MOA rail. The other variable are the scope rings, needing to be reliable with shock and vibe and possibly assisting with additional elevation as well.
Can all of this be done for under £1k? 5 years ago, this wouldn’t have been possible on that budget. In 2021, though, we have options to achieve it. Some options will deliver better results when validated.
The Usual Suspects
The traditional high-end scopes come to mind for glass quality and reliability. But they require big money to see it and then send it. Brands like Schmidt & Bender, Vortex, NightForce, Zeiss, Swarovski, Leupold, Hawke, US Optics and many more come pouring in with their choices.
There is no lack of choices in the space of rifle scopes – what is in demand is getting to information to make a good choice.
A lot of the newer generation of long-distance scopes come configured in First Focal Plane. They use a Christmas Tree reticle to help you spot and correct your misses. Scopes like the Vortex Viper PST Gen II, or the new Strike Eagle are popular choices in this space, priced at £1k and £750 respectively.
Provenance on build quality matters — Philippines vs. China on the two aforementioned units. When you dig into reviews and apply your own requirements, the flaws start to show, forcing a re-evaluation of your usual choices.
New vs Used Scopes
With forever warranties, used scopes are just as good as a consideration as new scopes, BUT there are drawbacks when looking at older scopes. You give up features, elevation turret travel, and in some cases accuracy. Older scopes simply weren’t built with the same technology, tolerances, and engineering as today’s designs.
The older Vortex PST Gen I is still an excellent scope. But features like a shimmed zero stop, reticle choices, no-locking turrets, and many other details start to add up and bring you back to the newer generation.
Most of the new features come from advances in machining. 5-Axis machining and reduced process steps yield more accurate tolerances, which means more accuracy and reliability.
More importantly, optical designs use up to 17 lenses working together, and each one has to perform across a variety of shooting scenarios and conditions. Our community keeps pushing the evolution of the rifle scope forward, driven by the endeavour to shoot better and farther.
Here is a video comparing the Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25×56 vs the Element Titan 5-25×56 – it’s features, clarity and warranty: Vortex vs Element
What’s Left to Consider?
If you apply your requirements to the “Usual suspects brands,” you may find they blow your budget. Or they simply don’t deliver on quality and reliability. Either way, you’re left with one option. Look at who has a purpose-built scope that delivers at a good price. This isn’t easy; it takes some risk, and you rely on others for experience and testing.
You have to open your mind. A new generation of scopes has superseded the choices you made in the past, and these can rival the high-end brands of just five years ago. This requires recalibrating your perceptions and setting brand loyalty aside. Dig in where the shooters are and see what they compete with. Look for scopes that have survived thousands of rounds of torture testing in rough conditions.
A few amazing contenders are cropping up: Arken SH4, Element Titan, Sig Sauer Tango 4, Delta Optical Javelin. All of these have magnifications raging up to 24x to 30x. Are these really contenders to a S&B PM II, or Vortex Razor HD Gen II?
Specs of the new Scopes on the block:
Arken SH4: Arken SH4 scope listing
Sig Sauer Tango 4: Sig Sauer Tango4 scope listing
Delta Optical Javelin: Delta Optical Javelin scope listing
Element Titan: Element Titan scope listing
No Compromise on Rings
Getting a nice scope is one thing. Placing it on a pair of rings that don’t deliver proper alignment defeats the purpose of accuracy. You’ll end up chasing gremlins of inconsistent points of impact, driving you crazy while wasting ammunition. I have heard all kinds of stories of lose rails, scopes, bases.
However, ring alignment is more than just a good set of rings. It’s about staying true to your zero when the scope gets bagged, nudged, pressed on, and generally abused while handling the rifle. Scope rings machined from the same aluminium block have a great chance of alignment, but the picatinny scope rail also has to be machined perfectly flat.
Even with careful alignment and torque settings, a side force on one end of the scope can ruin an otherwise amazing installation. Only a monolithic uni-rail mount has the strength and alignment needed to stay true under those conditions, so plan to budget for a proper scope ring solution.
Additionally, you can have a mount that includes additional elevation compensation for long distance, giving your scope elevation turret additional adjustment room.
Video showing movement of 2-ring sets vs a Monolithic mount.
Checking your ring alignment: Ring Alignment check
One mount vs two mounts: One vs Two mounts
The Choice
After many reviews, the initial best bang for the buck is the Arken SH4 – $450 for that scope and its performance is astounding, great turrets, good glass, amazing price… however some shooters found that the glass wasn’t the best at a mile and seeing the steel.
This happens because the scope is pushed to its turret-adjustment limits for the distance, forcing the glass to transmit light through the edges of the lenses. It isn’t just the ballistic curve that bends — your scope has to bend light too, to adjust your point of aim.
The Element Titan 5-25x56mm, a 34mm tube with amazing glass and specs meeting the requirements comes in at £690 with tax and shipping. Shooters designed and abuse-tested Element’s Platinum warranty, and it passed. That gives this scope the confidence for a lifetime of enjoyment.
Not forgetting the rings: Tier One has been a solid solution on all Centre-fire rifles. We’re looking to them once more for a better solution. The Monolith or Monomount Short Saddle comes in different diameters, heights and built-in Mil-rads. Other brand like SPURR have similar solutions.
Getting Feedback
Hands-on experience was difficult during a Pandemic Lockdown. So we had to resort to new ways of validating a solution, through social media interaction. Panther Hollow Sporting Optics in Missouri, USA, put both the Arken and Element scopes to the test. Three shooters compared them on steel at a mile away.
Michael was even kind enough to answer my questions on the particular setup. It’s great to know that the community support is there. That’s especially true when it comes to knowing exactly what you need for your rifle. Great guy!
Initial 1mile Q&A: Initial 1mile Q&A
Q&A response: Q&A response
Side-by-side Scope reviews on glass clarity: Side-by-side Scope reviews
Element Titan Review, Box Test and specs explained: Element Titan Review
Footnotes:
Zero stop: A ring within the elevation turret that can be inserted at your elevation zero, using a notch to stop the rotation. This may reduce elevation travel in some scopes like the Vortex Strike Eagle.
Zero Lock: where the zero is set by the use of shims to bottom out a turret.
30mm tube vs 34mm tube: 34mm can provide additional turret travel over 30mm.
YouTube Channel Review Sources: Cyclops Videos, Michael Cornelison, Dynamic Accuracy, Affordable Optics and Rifle reviews.
Related Reading: For a full breakdown of scope selection and features, see our guide to scope features at Phoenix Rifle Club. You may also find our MOA vs MRAD adjustments guide and scope rings measurement guide useful.