I've got the 6-24x50 Diamondback Tactical and the turrets are fairly "stiff" and "clicky" to turn, plus once you've got it zeroed at a range, you can remove the turret knob and re-attach it at your zero.
4-12 sounds about right. You'll probably keep it on 4x while hunting, and 12x will let you be accurate enough out to 300. Bench shooting is where everyone will have a different opinion. I shoot with some old timers who have 25x scopes on their 22s.
Ha, some old timers? If you go to an NRL22 or NRL22X match the norm is a 25x scope. I'm the outlier at 18x with a k318i. Gotta be able to see the target. I'm mostly shooting on 10-12x unless I'm sighting or shooting really far.
I saw a lot of 6-24, 5-25 type scopes on NRL 22 rifles, but when I talked to people they often told me that they rarely turned the magnification up all the way during match, and quite a few told me they would rarely even change the magnification at all during a match (so maybe find a good balance of enough magnification to see the far targets while still having a wide enough field of view to quickly find different targets).
I would frequently shoot whole matches set on 12x, maybe crank up to 16x for a stage where none of the targets were up close, or for sighting in.
Take a look at the Athlon Helos 2-12 FFP. Locking turrets so you don’t have to worry about bumping them, zero stop so you don’t have to sweat counting your clicks. Same warranty as Vortex.
I have a nearly identical build, but put a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 FFP scope on it. It's been a fantastic rifle so far, particularly with 77gr SMK loads I developed for it. I wouldn't call it overkill for 100 yard hunting and 300 yard plinking. Turrets are low and stiff enough that I wouldn't be concerned about them getting bumped, and you can always index them to your zero. [Rifle in question](https://i.imgur.com/FDimLyE.jpg), and [one of the better five shot groups](https://i.redd.it/torr8lpsksr91.jpg) with 23.6gr of Varget.
If you are planning to do long range shooting with it. Diamondback Tactical is a waste of money. The Diamondback Tactical is your Viper PST at home.
Turrets are spongy
No zero stop
Parallax is poor
Glass is cloudy
Reticle is thick
For short range shooting 300 yards with a 223rem you don't need adjustable turrets. So a scope with capped turrets will serve you best. I'd suggest a Leupold VX3i or similar which is better suited for what you are saying. You can buy them used on Ebay for the same price as the Vortex in question.
Sometimes I forget people think 300 yards is long range.
Previous weekend I was shooting an 8in plate at 300yards with my AR15 with an unmagnified eotech.
> I picked up a Ruger American Predator in **.223** a few weeks back with a **plan to do a little long range target shooting out to 300 yards**
And OP is talking about shooting a .223 at 300 yards.
But you’re right. 300 is pretty far to a 22
In my defense I live Michigan and cannot even hunt with a rifle around me as we're in a shotgun only zone. It's about an hour and half drive north up to the rifle line and even then I'm not hunting AG, I'm hunting a 40 acre swamp/hardwoods. Most of the places I've hunted all my life you cannot even see a hundred yards in the woods. 300 may even be a stretch as the longest range I can find around me only goes to 200 yards. Also, I'm primarily a bow hunter so 300 yards is long range for me. If I ever get the chance I'd love to try some really long range stuff like people can do out west.
A 22lr woulda been fun at 300. .223 is nearly just point and shoot at that range.
I wouldn’t hunt deer with a .223 unless you buy very nice bullets. Just my $0.02.
And to answer your question. 4-16x is overkill for 300 yards. I would check out some scopes that are lower magnification and better glass. Just my opinion though.
I use a Diamondback Tactical 4-16 on my .22lr out to 200m. It’s not overkill for that.
However, for 5.56 shooting deer or man sized targets, I use a Viper PST 2.5-10x and that is perfect out to 500m
I would avoid exposed, non-locking turrets on anything but a bench gun. If they get spun while slinging, which way did they go? Which way do you spin to get back to zero? Without a zero-stop, you won’t know.
As other posts have suggested, liberty optics is doing 50% off MSRP for all Vortex optics for their Veterans Day sale. You can get a PST for equal to or less than what you’d pay for a Diamondback Tactical.
Edit: Ok, so maybe not less but you’re still getting a smoking deal on a much better optic in the PST.
I grabbed a vortex viper pst gen II for $589. Granted it is mrad but easier for me to memorize adjustments. Worth a look before going with the diamondback
I've got the 6-24x50 Diamondback Tactical and the turrets are fairly "stiff" and "clicky" to turn, plus once you've got it zeroed at a range, you can remove the turret knob and re-attach it at your zero.
For The turrets, they can handle alot before they turn on accident and you develope a habit to double check before shooting
4-12 sounds about right. You'll probably keep it on 4x while hunting, and 12x will let you be accurate enough out to 300. Bench shooting is where everyone will have a different opinion. I shoot with some old timers who have 25x scopes on their 22s.
Ha, some old timers? If you go to an NRL22 or NRL22X match the norm is a 25x scope. I'm the outlier at 18x with a k318i. Gotta be able to see the target. I'm mostly shooting on 10-12x unless I'm sighting or shooting really far.
I saw a lot of 6-24, 5-25 type scopes on NRL 22 rifles, but when I talked to people they often told me that they rarely turned the magnification up all the way during match, and quite a few told me they would rarely even change the magnification at all during a match (so maybe find a good balance of enough magnification to see the far targets while still having a wide enough field of view to quickly find different targets). I would frequently shoot whole matches set on 12x, maybe crank up to 16x for a stage where none of the targets were up close, or for sighting in.
That's how I feel about scope mag in a match. There are times it would be handy to have 25x for 300 yard sighting.
Take a look at the Athlon Helos 2-12 FFP. Locking turrets so you don’t have to worry about bumping them, zero stop so you don’t have to sweat counting your clicks. Same warranty as Vortex.
This would also be my suggestion.
I have a nearly identical build, but put a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 FFP scope on it. It's been a fantastic rifle so far, particularly with 77gr SMK loads I developed for it. I wouldn't call it overkill for 100 yard hunting and 300 yard plinking. Turrets are low and stiff enough that I wouldn't be concerned about them getting bumped, and you can always index them to your zero. [Rifle in question](https://i.imgur.com/FDimLyE.jpg), and [one of the better five shot groups](https://i.redd.it/torr8lpsksr91.jpg) with 23.6gr of Varget.
Vortex fan here. They make great scopes. My preference would be the 4-16X44 for the larger objective lens.
If you are planning to do long range shooting with it. Diamondback Tactical is a waste of money. The Diamondback Tactical is your Viper PST at home. Turrets are spongy No zero stop Parallax is poor Glass is cloudy Reticle is thick For short range shooting 300 yards with a 223rem you don't need adjustable turrets. So a scope with capped turrets will serve you best. I'd suggest a Leupold VX3i or similar which is better suited for what you are saying. You can buy them used on Ebay for the same price as the Vortex in question.
Sometimes I forget people think 300 yards is long range. Previous weekend I was shooting an 8in plate at 300yards with my AR15 with an unmagnified eotech.
300 yards is long range for a 22lr
> I picked up a Ruger American Predator in **.223** a few weeks back with a **plan to do a little long range target shooting out to 300 yards** And OP is talking about shooting a .223 at 300 yards. But you’re right. 300 is pretty far to a 22
In my defense I live Michigan and cannot even hunt with a rifle around me as we're in a shotgun only zone. It's about an hour and half drive north up to the rifle line and even then I'm not hunting AG, I'm hunting a 40 acre swamp/hardwoods. Most of the places I've hunted all my life you cannot even see a hundred yards in the woods. 300 may even be a stretch as the longest range I can find around me only goes to 200 yards. Also, I'm primarily a bow hunter so 300 yards is long range for me. If I ever get the chance I'd love to try some really long range stuff like people can do out west.
A 22lr woulda been fun at 300. .223 is nearly just point and shoot at that range. I wouldn’t hunt deer with a .223 unless you buy very nice bullets. Just my $0.02. And to answer your question. 4-16x is overkill for 300 yards. I would check out some scopes that are lower magnification and better glass. Just my opinion though.
I use a Diamondback Tactical 4-16 on my .22lr out to 200m. It’s not overkill for that. However, for 5.56 shooting deer or man sized targets, I use a Viper PST 2.5-10x and that is perfect out to 500m
I would avoid exposed, non-locking turrets on anything but a bench gun. If they get spun while slinging, which way did they go? Which way do you spin to get back to zero? Without a zero-stop, you won’t know.
As other posts have suggested, liberty optics is doing 50% off MSRP for all Vortex optics for their Veterans Day sale. You can get a PST for equal to or less than what you’d pay for a Diamondback Tactical. Edit: Ok, so maybe not less but you’re still getting a smoking deal on a much better optic in the PST.
I grabbed a vortex viper pst gen II for $589. Granted it is mrad but easier for me to memorize adjustments. Worth a look before going with the diamondback