[Nolimeplease]

Hey guys!
I'm new here. I read this forum a lot, but have never joined. Thank you all for the awesome posts and information.
I am looking to replace my scope on my RFB. Right now I am using my Leoupold Mark 6. It was on my AR, and I really miss it there. I like the look of it on the RFB, but it has the cmrw reticle at .223. And I don't want to spend $2800 to replace it, so I'm looking at other options.
What do you guys use? I tried the Eotech, but feel the 1MOA dot is just not easy to see past 150 yards. I tried the Aimpoint, but the 2 MOA dot is too big for precise shot placement at distance. I like the Mark 6's red dot at 1x magnification and the 6X magnification for long range stuff.
I'm really hoping to stay in the "under $500" catagory.
Thanks!

 

[henshao]

Your objectives will define the equipment. Hunting, defense, target shooting

 

[Nolimeplease]

I'm really just target shooting. I'd like to reach out a ways, but I'll likely never see a field big enough to get past 300 yards. It's the biggest caliber rifle I own, and I hate to waste .308's on 100 yards. But more often than not I get only 50-100 yards.
I generally shoot steel targets.

 

[Nolimeplease]

Your objectives will define the equipment. Hunting, defense, target shooting

I don't hunt, and as awesome as this rifle is I would not grab it first in a defensive situation.

 

[jonnin]

You certainly don't need to sink thousands into a scope for short distance shooting. My primary advice would be that whatever you get, be sure it has a lifetime warranty. Beyond that, pick what you like ... I put a variable power basic crosshair type on my 308, think it was like 16-24 power or something totally overkill, a cheap BSA scope (300 ish?). I can literally read the date on a dime at 200. If I miss, it was not because I couldn't see the target...

 

[Beastly]

Primary Arms makes some decent budget 1x4-1x6 scopes IIRC.

I was shooting at 100-300-400-60-725 yards yesterday, that's where nicer glass comes in handy.

 

[TNC]

I've not had any experience with the 24" Hunter version, but I don't find my 18" RFB to be extremely accurate when compared to my 20" Armalite AR10 .308. But then...I didn't get this bullpup to be a long range hunter or bench gun. The RFB 18" fills the big caliber battle rifle category for me, and in that role it excels IMO. While not possessing sniper level accuracy, it does reach out with some hitting power on anything man-sized at distances better than my 5.56 rifles.

However, its compact size still allows it to be deployed in tight quarters and stowed easily in a vehicle or elsewhere. I think it is an ideal platform for an optic that has some magnification for distance but still has an illuminated reticle for closer targeting. I went a little different direction in an attempt to get the best of both worlds. I have a 3-9 Burris E1 Fullfield scope mounted in a Burris PEPR scope mount that has a Burris Fastfire III on top of the PEPR. It's a lot like the Burris TAC30 setup from Burris but has more magnification with the 3-9:

http://www.burrisoptics.com/scopes/...es-series/fullfield-tac30-riflescope-1-4x24mm

The 3-9 E1 is almost as compact as the TAC30's 1-4 unit, so the whole setup has been pretty effective. You get an excellent, compact red dot and a good longer range scope for a short, compact rifle that can take advantage of both.

I know the 18" RFB can be used for hunting and such, but honestly I have better rifles for hunting. For me, the RFB with the proper optic setup makes a badass battle rifle. I'm hardly a dark OP's special operator and will probably never have to face hoards of cartel killers or ISIS maniacs...or zombies. Still, my retired-from-profession blessed me with a little SWAT style training and such, and I would feel fairly comfortable with having to use my RFB in a SHTF scenario. I haven't experienced any reliability issues at this point with mine. However, people are different, and that's why we have options.

 

[MightyHunter]

Once I shot a few hundred rounds through my RFB and got it dialed in on a good reload it runs flawlessly. It is a great gun for someone who likes to tinker with it. Yes it was cantankerous and sometimes frustrating at first but that is past. It is my pig hunting gun. The 308 winchester has plenty of power and pigs are tough.

 

[TSiWRX]

Primary Arms makes some decent budget 1x4-1x6 scopes IIRC.

That, and Vortex.

They both have a budget line of 1-4x and 1-6x scopes that should easily fit under the $500 cap you noted, Nolimeplease.

Either way you go, street price should be between $280 to $350, leaving you plenty of cash for a good mount such as those from Larue.

 

[Nolimeplease]

Primary Arms makes some decent budget 1x4-1x6 scopes IIRC.

I was shooting at 100-300-400-60-725 yards yesterday, that's where nicer glass comes in handy.

Is this what you're using to make these long shots? And does it use a .308 drop reticle?

 

[henshao]

I run a Bushnell Elite 6500 1.25-8x32mm.

I was able to find one for under 500 dollars. It has unbelievable eye relief at low power. The quality of the glass is excellent; Light Works in Japan built the scope, if I recall. It's also nitrogen filled. The turrets are cap-protected so they don't get adjusted by accident. The turrets can be set to "zero" on your specific zero so you don't have to remember where it was if you change elevation and windage. The 8x magnification is very helpful at distance.

However. The scope would be better if it were also illuminated on top of it all. Also, on the highest power settings the eye relief window is very small, although still several inches from the scope. In hindsight I might have gone with the 2.5x-16x for even greater scrutiny of distant objects. Quick-magnification lever from another company set me back 50 dollars, but allows me to always be sure I'm on low power when I'm done.

 

[henshao]

In my opinion a variable magnification optic and the RFB are match-made. Low power for tight quarters, but higher magnification for 200+ yards. You can hit a man-sized target with iron sights from a long distance, but if you aim small, you miss small. This is further exacerbated by the power of the 308 Winchester cartridge in which even a less-than-optimal hit deals great damage.

 

[henshao]

When you go to mount your scope, the RFB is very similar to a flattop AR in scope-mount height requirements.

 

[Berk]

New Burris 1-8 scope out around 900$ that I really want to try out. Love Burris scopes

http://www.burrisoptics.com/scopes/xtr-ii-riflescopes-series/xtr-ii-riflescope-1-8x24

 

[HoldenMcGroyne]

I understand not wanting to dump that much money on an optic for the RFB. I have much more expensive glass but this is not really what I would call a precision rifle. I tried an Aimpoint but just didn't like it on this rifle. I am a Vortex junky anyways so I settled on the 1-6 Strike Eagle with BDC reticle. I'm in it for just over $400 with a QD PEPR mount and throw lever. I am very happy with the combo and the reticle out to 450 yards (so far). Good luck with the decision.

 

[gunfrog]

I second the motion

That, and Vortex.

They both have a budget line of 1-4x and 1-6x scopes that should easily fit under the $500 cap you noted, Nolimeplease.

Either way you go, street price should be between $280 to $350, leaving you plenty of cash for a good mount such as those from Larue.

 

[Junkie]

If I was buying one in that price range now I'd probably go for the Primary Arms 1-8. I haven't tried one yet, but hear they're pretty good.

 

[Nolimeplease]

Yes I've kinda narrowed it down to the strike eagle or budget line primary arms 1-8.
Have not seen any sales on the primary arms yet but the strike eagle regularly goes on sale for less than $300 shipped.
My only holdout is they are both second plane scopes, rendering the idea of the 1x red dot useless.

 

[TSiWRX]

My only holdout is they are both second plane scopes, rendering the idea of the 1x red dot useless.

Many current "tactical" instructors/schools as well as three-gun competitors prefer a SFP LPVO setup for pure speed at closer distances.

The idea behind "the larger reticle at 1x" is so that you can hose/spray at-speed, when the BSA template is short on distance and demand speed to neutralize the threat (i.e. an NSR).

For others, the more noticeable dot at 1x, with a SFP setup, is also why it is preferred. For some of these folks, they go so far as to suggest that FFP is non-viable for use as a true "tactical" LPVO.

For me, I simply see this as highly dependent on personal preference, and am hoping that bringing out the arguments of the other side may simply prompt you to re-examine this preference.

 

[Junkie]

Some FFP setups can work almost like a red dot on 1x as well. My Bushnell Elite 1-6.5 FFP has an inverted horseshoe that's a reasonable approximation of one at 1x. There's a little distortion shooting both eyes open but not too bad.