Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP

[MMH]

I am getting ready to buy a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP & just want a reality check. I want to get into some long range shooing w/ my .308 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD. By long range I am talking about 600 to 1000 yards. This is more money than I thought I would ever spend on a scope, but I am tired of going cheap & then getting disappointed. Want to make sure that my scope holds zero thru multiple windage & elevation changes & I want to get a scope that i won't have to worry about if it is me or the scope. Also, I really do want a FFP scope for ranging purposes.

I do not have money to burn, so this scope would be a BIG investment for me. Is it worth say three times the cost of a cheaper SFP mil-dot scope (such as a Millet)?

[Tomcat088]

I figured I'd post this as a quick reply for you, since the thread has already taken off and has quite a bit of info already in it. I've been shooting with the scope for quite a while and really put it through some paces now. So I actually probably need to update the thread, and I have more through the scope photos, and my own DSLR now. Since the through the scope thread has been kind of dead for a while, maybe I'll just post them up in the thread. Hopefully this will get you started.

http://forum.pafoa.org/optics-46/141...l-mil-ffp.html

[MMH]

Thanks for your reply and link to your previous post. That really helped & sealed the deal for me!. I spoke w/ Scott at Liberty Optics and he also recommended the IOR HDTactical rings. He said that the low ring mount should be what I need, but when I look at my 700 SPS Tactical, it has medium rings & those seem the right height for me. Should I go w/ the aluminum or steel rings? What are the pros/cons of each. Scott also recommended the Warne 20 moa all steel base. He said that even w/ the 20 moa I would be able to zero my rifle close when I have to, and have more adjustability range for the long distances. One other concern on the Warne is that from the pictures that I seen of it, it is a short base which will limit the scope positioning options. Your thoughts please.

BTW, this scope will be for my 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD in .308. Thanks again for your help.

[ACRblaze]

Let us know your thoughts after you have scope in hand. I am running a Millet on my SPS and it really is a decent scope for the lower dollar range. I have a Vortex Viper on my 300 BLK platform that is a good IMO as scopes that are twice the $.

[JohnGalt]

Thanks for your reply and link to your previous post. That really helped & sealed the deal for me!. I spoke w/ Scott at Liberty Optics and he also recommended the IOR HDTactical rings. He said that the low ring mount should be what I need, but when I look at my 700 SPS Tactical, it has medium rings & those seem the right height for me. Should I go w/ the aluminum or steel rings? What are the pros/cons of each. Scott also recommended the Warne 20 moa all steel base. He said that even w/ the 20 moa I would be able to zero my rifle close when I have to, and have more adjustability range for the long distances. One other concern on the Warne is that from the pictures that I seen of it, it is a short base which will limit the scope positioning options. Your thoughts please.

BTW, this scope will be for my 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD in .308. Thanks again for your help.

That's a lot of questions & I will gladly bow out to anyone else who comes along seeing that I've never shot 600-1000 yds, but I since I JUST mounted a Viper HS LR 4-16x50 on my Savage .308, I do have a few thoughts.


- Not all rings are sized the same way. Your current set-up with medium rings may could very well be closer to another models low rings. You really need to see the specs to be certain, but if you're going to throw on a 20moa base, you'll be just fine with lows anyway.
-- You'll have enough play in the base & with the 4" eye relief that lows should mount just fine.

- If you are investing that kind of money into a scope & rifle, there is no reason to skimp on the rings/base. Buy steel from a quality manufacturer & be done with it.

- It's beautiful glass for the $$ & I've been impressed with my HS. You won't regret your purchase.

[jeremyx28]

I have a vortex viper 6-24x50 on my rem 700 with the 30mm black hawk x-high rings. my stock is adjustable with a cheek riser though. but, I don't think my vortex would clear without the x-high rings though.....it would be close. I'm on my phone right now but I'll go grab a pic so you can see the clearance issue.


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[jeremyx28]

OK, just snapped a couple pics so you can see the clearance. You won't be disappointed with the scope, its fantastic. I love mine

[Tomcat088]

Thanks for your reply and link to your previous post. That really helped & sealed the deal for me!. I spoke w/ Scott at Liberty Optics and he also recommended the IOR HDTactical rings. He said that the low ring mount should be what I need, but when I look at my 700 SPS Tactical, it has medium rings & those seem the right height for me. Should I go w/ the aluminum or steel rings? What are the pros/cons of each. Scott also recommended the Warne 20 moa all steel base. He said that even w/ the 20 moa I would be able to zero my rifle close when I have to, and have more adjustability range for the long distances. One other concern on the Warne is that from the pictures that I seen of it, it is a short base which will limit the scope positioning options. Your thoughts please.

BTW, this scope will be for my 700 SPS Tactical AAC-SD in .308. Thanks again for your help.

Sorry that I'm a bit late to this party again. You might have already purchased the stuff, and my apologies if you did and I was late, but I'm sure you won't be disappointed. JohnGalt is exactly right, and answered the questions perfectly. I'm running the IOR HDTactical low rings on my rifle, and they look and work great. Different manufacturers have different specs for rings in terms of "low", "medium", "high", etc. That's part of why it's important to look up the specs for what's what. You'll be happy with the aluminum or steel rings. The steel are heavier duty, but just keep in mind that they have the potential to rust, and they're a bit heavier than the aluminum. So it kind of depends if you want the added strength for the added weight, or if you'd like some pretty heavy duty rings but still have the weight savings. I personally had been looking at the Vortex/Seekins Precision rings to match my scope, but they were all out of stock when I ordered my scope, and they had the IOR's in stock. I've been pleased with the IOR rings, for the record. I'm running a 20 MOA base on mine, and with a .308 if you intend on taking it long range, you'll need the extra travel. Personally, I wouldn't worry much about the base looking "short". Unless you intend on putting the ring on where the very last slot would be on a typical mount. If it bothers you, I've always liked the EGW 20 MOA base, and you can also get it in HD steel.

I have a vortex viper 6-24x50 on my rem 700 with the 30mm black hawk x-high rings. my stock is adjustable with a cheek riser though. but, I don't think my vortex would clear without the x-high rings though.....it would be close. I'm on my phone right now but I'll go grab a pic so you can see the clearance issue.

Personally, I'm going to have to politely disagree. There is no way in the world I'd recommend extra high rings for the application that you mention, especially since his stock doesn't have an adjustable cheek riser. For the record, I think your scope is mounted way too high, and there's no reason for there to be that large of a gap. It just puts the scope way off of the bore line, and there's no reason for it. It increases the sight offset at closer ranges, and has no benefit at longer ranges. It also makes the riser have to be up higher, which whether you realize it or not still decreases the stability a bit. As long as the scope or the scope covers aren't touching the barrel, there's not a problem. To the OP, I snapped a few quick photos with my phone. I was in a hurry with it being Easter and my birthday, but it'll give you an idea anyway. This is with an EGW 20 MOA HD base, and with the IOR Heavy Duty Tactical low rings. As you can see, there's just enough room, even with the Butler Creek covers on. If you want to mount the bubble level, it's gonna have to be closer to the end of the rail, but it will also fit just barely.

[jeremyx28]

I actually thought I had less clearance then I did, hence why I went and took some pics. as far as my personal rifle being "too high" that's not really for you to decide. I shoot 3" groups at 200 yards and considering this is the first bolt action rifle I've ever owned (build finished in Nov 2012) and the fact that I have less then 1.5 years of shooting experience all together, my groups will only get better. but hey, its easter and your birthday so enjoy your day.


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[Tomcat088]

I actually thought I had less clearance then I did, hence why I went and took some pics. as far as my personal rifle being "too high" that's not really for you to decide. I shoot 3" groups at 200 yards and considering this is the first bolt action rifle I've ever owned (build finished in Nov 2012) and the fact that I have less then 1.5 years of shooting experience all together, my groups will only get better. but hey, its easter and your birthday so enjoy your day.

Lol, you can have your rifle however you like, that's just my personal opinion. I have a lot more experience than 1.5 years, so you can take it or leave it. Maybe with more experience you'll come to the same conclusion, maybe not. I would say that 3" groups at 200 yards is fair, especially if you've only been shooting for 1.5 years. You'll definitely get better with more experience, and as you do more to your build. Keep shooting, you're on your way. For the record, that rifle has shot 3" groups at 800 yards. There's photos on this forum of 3 1/2" groups at 700 yards, and 3" groups at 800 yards; but hey, what do I know? It's been a pretty good day, and thank you for the wishes.