All posts tagged Varmint Scopes

Making a rifle into a DMR

The term Designated Marksmen Rifle has been around for a long time, but in the last 8yrs it has really made a comeback.   When the United States invaded Iraq, there was more street fighting and urban engagements that in the first Persian Gulf War.   I remember making some comments to a few friends about what we will see evolved with the military now that we actually have boots on the ground.   We expected to see the M16 replaced by now, but according to many sources, the piston driven versions of the M16 are in service in Special Forces and some branches.  Even rumors that the H&K 416 was used to kill Osama Bin Laden.

You can make any rifle into a Designated Marksmen Rifle.    In my opinion it usually means putting a higher magnification optics like a Trijicon ACOG or  Leupold Rifle Scopes on them.   If you have a good enough operator behind a weapon the standard M16A2 can be a very leathal weapon out to 600yds, especially with the right type of ammo.   There are some really good rounds for longer engagements, but the .308 is probable a better choice.  There are many times where a bad guy sticks his head out and it’s too hard to get them with an M4 Carbine.   The LWRC REPR is probable the nicest .308 gun designed for this role that is actually a few pounds lighter than it’s predecessors.

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Magnification and sending long distance phone calls

Ok, that was a dumb thing to say, but I still chuckle at one of my buddies comments whenever we’re on the long range.   Reaching out and touching someone at 600yds is precisely what a sniper does.  I have learned to notice that clarity of rifle optics but one thing that is becoming more and more of an experience is looking through all of the optics out there and their reticles.   A long time ago, people were more concerned with the durability of the optic and making sure it wasn’t going to fog up on them when they took the scope caps off in the early morning when they went out chasing whitetails.  Now some of your least expensive rifle optics don’t fog up.

I have a few Zeiss Conquest scopes that I’m quiet happy with, but I think I could go with less magnification on some of them.   When  you are trying to hit a 6ft target at 600yds, it’s really not that hard to see it.   When people try and see an X on a 2ft piece of paper in their rifle scopes, that’s a whole other thing and in my opinion something not worth pursuing.   I have walked off shooting ranges in the summer time because the mirage given off from the  heat was so bad that it was completely impossible for me to even see a target at 100yds and testing my hand loaded ammunition would have been a waste.

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Top Tier Rifle Optics

Nikon Rifle ScopesAnother thing to think about whenever looking for a good optic is clarity.  Some people seem to think that high magnification is  better for long distances, but it’s not true.   There is something to be said for too high of magnification and even on dark rainy days, you may notice the difference between a cheap scopes ability to see in low light in comparison to higher end scopes.   A good 3-9×40 scope can be better than a cheap 6.5-20×40 in low light.

In my many years of being on the firing line, one of the top tier rifle optics I see at the long distance ranges are Nikon Rifle scopes.  Nikon has had a tried and tested line of optics that can be used for long distance accuracy, clarity and adjustability.  Nikon rifle optics are reliable tools that I have first hand witnessed tack drive whenever the operator was up to it.   Rifle scopes need to be clear and reliable when shooting long distances.   The ability to hold zero becomes obvious when shooting beyond 100yds because those flingers at 100yds will be misses at 600yds if you don’t have a good scope.

 

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