scope question

[dannysdaddy]

so I currently have a nimon m223 2-8x32 on my coyote ar.  im not too happy so I was looking to bump to a monarch 4-16x50. any thoughts on if this is too much scope for the .223? 

[wraithen]

It is unless your .223 is an absolute tack driver. Outside of 300 yards me and my .223 aren't going to shoot at one because I have a 3-4 inch spread. If you're shooting half that size at 300 you may be able to jump to 400 but things get exponentially harder. I'm saving 14-20x for more of a 1,000 yard gun if I ever get that good, but I suspect my ammo and I aren't the problem. On my 3-9x with 1/4moa adjustment it takes about 12 clicks to get proper elevation with a 100 yard zero. 400 would be waaaaaay too far for me.

[LEN]

I'm using a 4.5x14 on my AR and think it is just right, even have done jack hunting at night with a mounted light and did well. So the 4x16 should do well.

LEN

[carpsniperg2]

Jump up to a mark AR scope either 4-12 or 6-18. I have one ordered for my newest build.

[JohnVH]

I have a 4-12 on my AR, but its a 6.5Grendel.

[AWS]

If your shooting small targets(PD's and sage rats) spot and shoot coyotes a 4x16 would work well.

If your calling coyotes I like to have a lot more FOV on the bottom end because i get a lot more 10 yrd shots than 300 yrds.  My coyote rigs have mostly 1.5x6, 1x4 and a 2.5x10 for more open country but I rarely ever carry it and have never been under scoped.

[dannysdaddy]

I think my problem is more in the 32mm objective.  I find it hard to stay on/find my target because its so small.  i dont mind the magnification but would like a bigger objective.  plus the 32 doesn't gather light worth a crap and low light shooting is not happening.

[AWS]

I find that even my 20mm scopes, Leupold VX-II 1x4x20mm, Weaver V-3 1x3x20 and Nikon Monarch 1.5x4.5x20mm are bright enough that if I can see a coyote coming with my bare eye I can see him in the scope for a shot.  The only problem I've had is with too fine a retical and not being able to see the crosshair in low light conditions.

Having a larger objective only lets the scope be brighter at a higher power and it isn't a large increase.  A 32mm scope at 5x will be about as bright as a 50mm scope at 7x.  Quality of glass and coatings will enhance brightness more than objective size.

FOV has very little to do with objective size or tube diameter.  You can verify that on any of the spec sheets for scopes.

Target aquisition has alot to do with reticles.  Busy reticles like BDC and others that have to get alot of information in front of your eye with be harder to use on moving targets or in field positions.  A heavy duplex or German #4 will be easier to  use in low light and moving targets.  That's why most dangerous bame scopes have large FOV and heavy reticles, most of them have 20mm or 24mm objectives.

[wraithen]

Thanks AWS, you said it better than I could. And don't forget low light isn't the only time those coatings turn into something worth its weight in gold. I have a cheap pair of nikon bino's (clearance for 70 bucks for 10x euro style.) I can tell you if the sun is between a 15 and 45 degree angle to my face, my binos make everything impossible to see. They look like I just breathed on them and then put a cover with a pinhole on the lense farthest from my eye. I look through my scope in the same conditions and it's just as good as my eyeball ( if my eyeball had enhanced zoom  )

It's not just low light where the expensive coatings show their worth is all I'm trying to get at. They can be money in all kinds of eid situations. And I highly doubt I will ever use a 50mm scope if I can find one in 40 that has the same zoom power. Its way too much scope for me and at that point, why don't I just use a night vision scope of something. In that light condition I'm not comfortable with those distance shots. That's just me though.