M14 Forum

mfdogman

I truly commend all the long distance shooters in this previous post. You Guys are outstanding. My question is for the current 1000 yard shooters using optics. What are you using? Brand, adjustable or fixed, power range, reticle. I am trying to avoid spending over $1500 dollars for the wrong scope. Also, I refuse to put anything NOT made in the Motherland on one of the best battle rifles ever made. (M14)

Enough said?

Thanks in advance for your input!

MFD

Based on your comment regarding homeland, not sure just which optics you would use other than USO?? Believe you will need optic w/ suffecient elelvation to reach 1000yds and your common scopes don't have that much adjustment and "long range" base needed to give you that extra 10,15, or 20moa. Can you fit a LR base on your M1A?? For an economy level scope and very serviceable is the Weaver T series, 16x. If you are shooting prone/sling/mat style much more power than 16x is hard to master, but if off of rest/support you can manage more magnification with practice. Heartbeat begins to show up with high magnification, but some do it very well. Other negative is the mirage seen in the super high power optics. Have not used NF, but have USO 1x4 w/ doubler giving close to 8x and it is OK. Not an answer to your question, but I much prefer the issue sights using NM hood and lens implant to provide magnifcation and very clear picture of the front post. That's just me and sure others here can give you better answers.

orig shooter

I use a Nightfoce NXS NP-R1 reticle 5.5-22X50 with a 22moa rail (on a Rem 700 5R 300 Win mag). It is a few hundred more then what you are looking at. I have used mine for ranges out to 1200. Even comparing my spotting scope to the Nightforce I could see the bullet trace (while spotting) with the Nightforce better then with the spotting scope.

The new Nightforce Compact as well as NXS F1 scopes are manufactured and assembled in the USA, though I believe the glass is sourced from Japan.
The tubes and glass for the rest of the scopes, NXS and Benchrest, are manufactured in Japan and then assembled in the USA by hand in the Nightforce facility in Orofino, Idaho.

mfdogman

I was considering the Leupold Mark 4 6.5x20x50 with mil dot reticle. It only has 70 moa from one extreme to the other. The Mark 4 4.5x14x50 has 100 moa from one extreme to the other. I have a sadlak mount, I don't know if anyone makes a 20 moa insert for this base.

MFD

Think you could make it w/ 70moa elevation range of adjustment. If you use some 15moa to get on at say 200yds, leaving you with 55moa you are good to go. "ball park" adjustments would be once on at 200, add 3moa for 300, 10moa for 600, 10moa for 800,
6moa for 900, 5 moa for 1000. Add the est. of 15moa** to get on initially at 200 plus the others and you have used up 49moa. Powder charge, bullet weight, BC, conditions all impact on these estimates of come ups, but a rule of thumb. Generally speaking if you are on at 100yds, come up some 15moa and you will be close at 600, 25moa from 100yds would put you close at 800yds.

** Have seen more than 15moa to get your basic zero, so only a guess without actually range testing.

texfar

mfdogman, I use Shepherd scopes on almost all my long range rigs. P2 for .308 M14 and bolt, P1 on .300 Win Mag, and P1A on 7STW. I don't shoot paper but hunt out to very long ranges. These are not target scopes, but killing scopes. They are a true dual reticle system, one one in the 1st focal plane and one in the second. Your range does not change through the power changes and the other verifies the circles which are the POI, and not the cross hair. They are simple and once you have them set up with your load they are dead nuts to 1000. Been there. If you are into paper then try something like the USO, NF etc. Most folks never heard of these before. http://www.shepherdscopes.com/

M1A Hunter

I am shooting SAI Loaded rifle in GI Fiberglass Stock with McCann Mount and Leupold Target 4.5 x 14. It shoots about 1 MOA, and shoots well to 900 yards. Sometimes it has a little trouble at 1000 depending on conditions. I normally shoot the 168gr SMK in FGM duplication load at about 2600 fps. I have shot the Berger 168 gr bullets at 600, and also at 1000 yards and I need 6 MOA less on my dope to get hits at 1000 with this bullet and everything else being the same.

I also shoot a bolt gun with the same loads up to 1200 yards on a good day. My experience beyond 1000 is very limited though.

I use a Leupold MK4 6.5 x 20 with the Holland Reticle. This is a very nice power range & Reticle for long distance shooting. I beleive that the minimum scope power for 1000 yards should be 14x.

May God Bless you guys.

M1A Hunter

M1A Hunter

I do not have a XXMOA rail on this 4.5x14 scope and it runs out of adjustment right at 1000 (about 42 MOA from a 100 yd zero) using the 168 SMK bullets. If you can - get a 20 MOA rail mount to give you more adjustment. Gunsmiths who are "in the know" may be able to machine a standard rail for you - allowing you to get more adjustment, but with enough velocity and especially with Berger low drag bullets you probably won't need it out to 1000 yards.

I use a Leupold MK4 6.5 x 20 with the Holland Reticle on my bolt gun and it is mounted on a 20 MOA Badger rail.

If your looking for a good value, the Leupold Target scopes can be bought used for a reasonable price and mine works well for me on my M1A. I have also used the Bausch and Lomb Elite 4000 (6 x 24 I think) with reasonable success but the drawback to this very long scope is the adjustments are a different style if you are used to the Leupolds. Their cost is very reasonable though.


M1A Hunter

08 Cayenne

You only need about 35 moa of elevation, from a 100 yard zero, to get to 1000 yards, depends on the ballistics of course. My NF is mounted with a Sadlak, no additional moa elevation, and I can get to 1200 yards easily and still have some elevation to play with.

Rojkoh

Leopold 2 X 7 mounted in a Griffin and Howe Claw Hook mount. Worked just fine in the any rifle any sights stage at the PALMA matches. The G&H mounts are very rare and difficult to use with critical scopes since they're 1 inch left and 2 inches high off the bore (facing the muzzle). Pro's: unhook the scope and put it away until you need it and then just slide it on the mount and lock the claws down. Loved it!

PS, with USGI NM iron sites: 44 clicks with either M118 60-10 to 60-20 lots or my hand loads.

IC2(SS)19Z50C5

I would concur with that.

Years back I had a Jim Cloward built .300WinMag on a M700 action. He ordered me a 16x power Unertl scope for it, which I swapped back and forth to my Pre-64 action M70 match rifle. Great scope, it was a GINORMOUS mistake to sell it. The older Unertl system is the best there is for making elevation changes IMHO. Delicate for field use certainly, but dead to rights for repeatability and totally accurate in elevation changes since the reticle tracks accurately in the vertical plain.

http://www.icollector.com/images/169..._0363_1_lg.jpg

gunrunnerdave

I have a Weaver T-24 on my 1000 yrd gun but it requires a 20 MOA rail. When I shot for the AF we had Leupold 16 power scopes, and they worked excellent and they come in under your budget.

glockshot

I have not shot alot at 1000yds,but when I did,I used a standard Smith mount and a 16X super Sniper on my match '14.I ran out of mildots at 730 yds,came up 84 clicks and banged 5 rds on the gong.I have a 10X SS as well and for the money,you cant go wrong for the money..

rq375

Premeier heritage 5-25 on my 6.5 creedmoor bolt gun. The Weaver T-24 is an excelent value. I've used Leupolds warranty service too much to rely on them anymore. Vortex Viper PST is good for the price, but doesn't show mirage like the higher end stuff.

m14brian

I have a Leupold MK 4 4.5-14x50mm L/R T on one and a SA GEN 1 4-14x56mm on another. Hopefully, I'll be adding a USO scope to the lineup by the end of the year.
m14brian