Originally Posted by
CrimDoc
OK Ladies and Gentlemen,
So based on some excellent advice given to me by forum members I purchased a CZ 455 .22 / .17 HMR target rifle today ... next step, looking for a quality optic.
There seems to be even more selection out there in optics than there was in rifles (ugh!) and I know even less about rifle scopes than the rifles themselves.
I am a semi-pro photographer, so I do appreciate the need for "good glass" ... but when buying lenses for a camera there's a lot less selection / variation than there seems to be in rifle scopes. If you want a telephoto for your Canon SLR you can buy Canon, Sigma, Tamron and a few others ... and they all cost ballpark the same amount (given equal max aperture, focal length, presence of IS etc.)
But in scopes it seems one can buy a $25 Barska up through a $1000 Leupold ... that on the surface at least have the same "numbers" (i.e. magnification) and look roughly the same.
Now, I appreciate that they're NOT the same ... but I'd love to have a "scope nerd" school me on what the key differences are, and what to look for in buying.
Since I don't intend to hunt with this rig, weather seals, especially rugged construction etc. aren't a big concern ... and I imagine (I could be wrong) that shooting .22 and .17 HMR won't generate enough recoil to make durability problematic from that end. So really, the biggest issue for me is quality of optics and a scope that stays zeroed on target once it's been sighted in.
So ... if you're so inclined ... have at educating this newb ... I'm sure others will learn something from the discussion as well.