What Optics to do run on your Open Rifle?

[ken hebert]

To the open shooters here: do you adjust your variable power optic during a stage for the varying distances or set it up for what will be most beneficial to the conditions of the stage at LAMR?

[Sako92S]

Season 2009 I'm going to use Swarovski Z6i 1-6x with CDI reticle.

I guess if you go with the Z6i, you can keep in on 1x for close targets and dial to 6x for far targets. That way you don't need to mount a second J-point,Docter, etc. Am I correct to assume this. I have a Meopta K-dot that will get to 4X but don't know if this will be enough for targets out to 300-400 yards (I've searched some excellent threads on this already)

Unfortunately I can't even shoot past 200 yards where I live so I really can only look at balistic tables to predict my trajectory at longer ranges.

I may only shoot 2-3 big matches/year and I don't know what the max distance will be for rifle targets, so the K-dot may be enough.

I think I will just keep what I have and shoot "tactical" this year with it and see what I might need for next year when I try to shoot "open" and then decide what direction to go.

Yes, 1x for close targets and 6x for targets beyond 200m.

K-dot will be fine but the field of view is nothing to compared Swarovski. Hands down Swarovski 1-6 i model is THE BEST scope for 3gun and IPSC rifle matches.

[Religious Shooter]

After spending $2200 it better be.

So 2X more power and a little better FOV is worth $2200-$800 = $1400?

[TonyH]

To the open shooters here: do you adjust your variable power optic during a stage for the varying distances or set it up for what will be most beneficial to the conditions of the stage at LAMR?

Both!

[kurtm]

Sarcasm? I wasn't being sarcastic! You try anything less than x 3X-9X on prairie dogs. I tried the ACOG and out to 200 it was ok, but past that and you just can't see the little blighters kind of a tan on tan thing and the target is kind of 2" wide by about 8-10" tall. Now if you are talking those HUGE targets like we see at 3-gun matches that is a whole different thing I would think a "no power" would be fine out to around 400 as long as the target can be differentiated from the background. (note: I said see, I didn't say hit, because after Ft. Benning's rifle stage where I could SEE the targets, I sure couldn't HIT the targets so I will stay with SEE)

YES Warpspeed I do in fact own several rifles with glass on them, I have a nice 24" AR with a 3-9X Leopold Varix2 w/ target knobs (Prairie Dog rifle). I have a real nice .308 precision rifle w/ a MIV Leopold 10X, 2 TA-11s that rotate around on .22s through the silenced .223 and .308 and J.P. match rifle, a Meopta K dot (one of the first 16 brought into the country). Plus a 2X-7X Leopold for the 10-22.........AND the biggest piece of glass I saved for last..........The windshield in My truck KurtM

BTW Trapr the light was NOT covered by my hat! The bulb burned out from too much use

[bigbrowndog]

Saying that someone NEEDS a Swaro to be able to shoot this sport is akin to saying someone NEEDS a CTR02 for the same reason, a good shooter can use much less and still achieve the same results.

They just won't look as good doing it, and the throngs of onlookers won't want to come and fondle, test drive, or check out their gear.

Trapr

Kurt, those bulbs are expensive to replace, you might want to just go without. I think most realize by now that we are FOS, most of the time.

[DMAC]

Saying that someone NEEDS a Swaro to be able to shoot this sport is akin to saying someone NEEDS a CTR02 for the same reason, a good shooter can use much less and still achieve the same results.

They just won't look as good doing it, and the throngs of onlookers won't want to come and fondle, test drive, or check out their gear.

Trapr

Kurt, those bulbs are expensive to replace, you might want to just go without. I think most realize by now that we are FOS, most of the time.

Hmmmmm. So if I put a Swaro Z6i on a CTR-02, does that mean I would get fondled twice as much? How much fondling could I get for $2200+$2800=$5000?

Edited February 2, 2009 by DMAC

[kurtm]

That would depend on which country we are talking about! For that kind of money in say the far East you could get quite a bit of fondling....and some shots also...no not the drinking kind

[mpeltier]

Hmmmmm. So if I put a Swaro Z6i on a CTR-02, does that mean I would get fondled twice as much? How much fondling could I get for $2200+$2800=$5000?

If my wife new how much it cost.....well there wouldn't be much of that goin on..

I don't think the Z6i is worth $1400.00 more than the Meopta. But it does have some stronger points. The clarity of the glass is about equal but the reticle is for me faster in the Meopta. The turrets on the Z6i are better than the hunter style of the Meopta. Field of view is not much of an issue as they are pretty close. Going back and forth with them side by side it is hard to tell the differance in FOV (at the same power setting) I like Red (Meopta) better than orange for the illumination. The meopta works very well for distances under 400yds. I got the Z6i for matches that have shots past that. I wish someone would combine the best features of both for about half the price of the Z6i. The new Trijicon TR24 looks promising (wish it was 1-6), handled it at shot.

[patrickbeijer]

First off all ,the swarovski is great at 1x but iff you go to 4x or more the scope gets the problem that you need to be very straight behind it and leaves you very little margin in that (compared to the Zeiss)

I think the Meopta reticle is a bit to much ill. and the illumination off the hashmarks on both left and right sight are not that great ,iff they would make that scope with just the dot ill. and the rest off the reticle normal (black) it would be the perfect ipsc scope.

I did give Meopta a mail on that and they gave me back that their technolgy off illimination is not good enough to make it yet

I would like to know iff trijicon is goiing to make the TR24 with a donut ret. like the TA11 and i also would like to know what the eye relief and fov off that scope is.

anybody got an answer on the trijicon Q?

[DMAC]

First off all ,the swarovski is great at 1x but iff you go to 4x or more the scope gets the problem that you need to be very straight behind it and leaves you very little margin in that (compared to the Zeiss)

I think the Meopta reticle is a bit to much ill. and the illumination off the hashmarks on both left and right sight are not that great ,iff they would make that scope with just the dot ill. and the rest off the reticle normal (black) it would be the perfect ipsc scope.

I did give Meopta a mail on that and they gave me back that their technolgy off illimination is not good enough to make it yet

I would like to know iff trijicon is goiing to make the TR24 with a donut ret. like the TA11 and i also would like to know what the eye relief and fov off that scope is.

anybody got an answer on the trijicon Q?

Do a search and you will find the answer to this. I think someone posted a PDF file of all the specs on the TR24 on this forum or it could have been ARFCOM. I think it will be available with either the German reticle or the double post with chevron on top in two color options if I recall correctly. That's a big IF The FOV and Eye relief info is also on the spec sheet.

[WhoEver]

I had permit to buy Swaro from goverment(wife).. so now i have Swaro and get some fondling too( at least few times a year).

I bought Swaro because TA11 with 3,5x magnification limited my shooting. I could´n shoot as fast as with it than I could with 1x sight ..especialy close(<20meters) targets. My shooting during moveing, was too slow too.. eventhough I have used TA11 ~ 5 years

I thought also secondary sight and bought Burkett mount, but with one sight, shooting is little more simple.. If i have to remember witch sight and where during a stage.. there is one more place to do something wrong.

I now my world is crystal clear..

eta:

My Swaro was 1150€ and meopta´s price here is ~690€ so i think 460€ wount limit my shooting. Time limits(read=kids/home/work) my shooting much more than buying ammo.

Edited February 12, 2009 by WhoEver

[kellyn]

I've picked up a second AR and I'm thinking about changing my JP CTR-02 to an open rifle. There's not much to do. I just picked up a Meopta K Dot, but I'll probably use this for Tactical Optics now.

I was thinking about mounting a J-point on a Matt Burkett mount. The question that I have is what would make a good scope for Open for the longer shots? I don't want to spend more than $700-$800. I do have a Leupold 4.5-14X50 LRT sitting around that I could use, but this is probably more scope than I need and it is rather large.

Any thouhts from experienced Open gunners?

Aeons ago, when I shot in Open class, I ran a Leupold 3-9X and and an Aimpoint mounted at about 2 o'clock on the handguard, still not a bad system. Now I would run a Leupold 1.75-6X or 2.5-8X with a JPoint in a Burkett mount.

In Open class, I have seen Jerry run a US Optics SN4 1-4X with a small red dot, Burkett with an ACOG with a JPoint secondary, and Voigt use just an ACOG or TR21. Note that these guys don't seem to see the need for much beyond 4X.

The 4.5-14X would work just fine but it does have too much power on the upper end.

[TMC]

TA11 with an Optima in a hooded mount I made to keep it from getting hit and loosing zero.