New to optics question

Here is my situation. I have started shooting out to 300 yds off a bag seated at the bench. I am only talking about bullseye shooting paper targets and an 8" steel plate for fun, not competition or hunting. Caliber is 223 rem fired from a semi auto. I currently have a Vortex 2-8x32 viper scope. At that range, I can see the target, but not the bullseye specifically. I have been looking at a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x 44mm, with a 30mm tube that is on sale currently. Ideally, I would like to be able to see my 22 cal hits on the paper at that range, however I have been getting conflicting info about this. Some people say yes, or yes you should be able to see them out to 400 yards, others say no, not past 200 with a 44mm scope, need a 50mm. I heard a couple of times that you need an 80mm spotting scope for that. Does anyone have experience with a scope like this scope that they can chime in with? I fully understand that this may be wishful thinking to expect that clear of an image at 300 yds for the price point of this optic. Again this is just for fun, not looking for competition or match grade stuff, and can't justify that anyway, just trying to learn what to expect form the scope that I am considering before I buy it.

.22 caliber is small and although I have a 20x Viper I wouldn't recommend it. You're not going to see those holes at 300 unless you use the shoot n see targets. You pay for clarity and magnification certainly matters although there is a large contingent out there that swears you can see a fly fart at 500 yards with a 10x fixed scope.

You have a lot of options, but budget is probably the most important question. Under $500 I'd be looking at the Nikon Black series or an Athlon Argos Gen 2 in the 8x34x range.

Lycandonewithvortexthrope

With a 60x spitting scope I can barely see 223 at 300 yds.

gotta look carefully. 30 cal no problem.

Gotta go with Lycan and Duke on this one. The Viper is a good scope, but making out .22 holes in a black bullseye or pock-marked target board past 100 is asking a lot. At 50 years, I’m struggling seeing all of my .308 holes at 100yds. There are some decent low-cost spotting scopes that will suit your needs. HTH

I have a 6.5-20x50 Burris Fullfield II on my long range AR. Good clear glass. I can make out .223 holes at 200. Nothing farther. The scope is viable for target discernment and shooting much farther, however you aren’t going to see holes.

Frankly, I doubt even a high end 60 power spotting scope will give you what you want.

Attachment 132217

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JohnXD

Here is my situation. I have started shooting out to 300 yds off a bag seated at the bench. I am only talking about bullseye shooting paper targets and an 8" steel plate for fun, not competition or hunting. Caliber is 223 rem fired from a semi auto. I currently have a Vortex 2-8x32 viper scope. At that range, I can see the target, but not the bullseye specifically. I have been looking at a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x 44mm, with a 30mm tube that is on sale currently. Ideally, I would like to be able to see my 22 cal hits on the paper at that range, however I have been getting conflicting info about this. Some people say yes, or yes you should be able to see them out to 400 yards, others say no, not past 200 with a 44mm scope, need a 50mm. I heard a couple of times that you need an 80mm spotting scope for that. Does anyone have experience with a scope like this scope that they can chime in with? I fully understand that this may be wishful thinking to expect that clear of an image at 300 yds for the price point of this optic. Again this is just for fun, not looking for competition or match grade stuff, and can't justify that anyway, just trying to learn what to expect form the scope that I am considering before I buy it.

---

I think you have some conflicting info, so I'm going to try to clear things up. Your current 2-8x32 scope is a variable 2-8 magnification, that you already know. The 32 is the diameter of the objective lens (the lens at the back of the scope). Generally, the larger the objective, the more light that is allowed to enter the scope. This allows for a clearer sight picture in dimmer light conditions, making it easier to see the target. Having a larger objective lens won't help a ton with seeing bullet holes in targets, compared to quality glass and higher magnification. Spotting scopes are designated the same way as rifle scopes. A spotting scope of 20-60x80 will offer 20-60x magnification with an 80mm objective. This is where things get interesting, a cheap 20-60 spotting scope will be ok for 100 yard shots, but the clarity is usually so god awful, you'd be hard pressed to see anything beyond that. A good spotting scope will have the same magnification, but the clarity will be so improved that seeing the bullet impacts at longer ranges are much easier. And easier on your eyes. You'd need to decide where you want to spend your money, and what your budget is. A good spotting scope is not cheap, but neither is a quality rifle scope. As mentioned before, seeing 223 strikes in paper at 300+ yards is going to be difficult with a rifle scope, a good spotting scope should do the job, but be warned, you'll be dishing out a good bit of money.