What Optics to put on my new purchases

Hi all, as some from Rob's 5.56 vs. .223 thread know I have purchased 2 new rifles from a friends father in law's collection of firearms. He is selling the collection because his father in law is ill and, unfortunately not long for this planet.

I bought a Colt CAR-A3 AR-15 and a Ruger M77 MKII in .220 Swift from this collection.

I told 8snake that I would try to post the list, but I must have trashed it. I will tell you that there are several nice rifles, mostly Rugers, that are in his collection. There is also a McMillian in .223 Rem, a Cooper Arms in .17HMR and a Hall MFG in .22-250 that look exceptionally nice. I didn't buy these but told him to give me right of first refusal when he does get around to selling them. I seem to be in a varmint gun mood recently.

My conundrum is what optics to put on the 2 rifles that I did buy. I know that there are several Leupold scopes that are in this collection. He has 3 VXIII 6.5-20X50, 4 VXIII 4.5-14X40, one VXIII 8.5-20X50 and one VX 3-9 compact. He also has one Nikon Monarch UCC and a couple of other scopes that I don't think that I would have any interest in (couple of Tasco and a couple of Redfield scopes).

I plan on putting one of the VXIII 4.5-14's on the Ruger (I could be persuaded to go higher power on this rifle), but am still up in the air on what to do with the Colt. I have been tempted to go with a scope from Super Sniper with side focus. I can get the whole rig including rings, lens caps and sunshade for less than $500, and have heard some good things about these scopes, but am a little disuaded by the fact that the parent company is Tasco.

What to do??

 

Scopes look nice, but the price...Ouch!! TR22-2: Trijicon AccuPoint® - 2.5-10x56 Riflescope, Mil-Dot
Crosshair with Amber Dot = $950.00

Gonna have to save my pennies on that one. I figure that 10X is probably enough for the AR, maybe 14X on the very outside edges. I'd like to get one of these cases for the AR http://www.casesbypelican.com/pelican_1750.htm and have their foam shop custom cut the interior for match the gun, bipod, and scope so I don't think that $900 for a scope is gonna fit into the budget.

 

Photos of the new purchases

Colt CAR-A3
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00110.jpg
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00111.jpg
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00112.jpg&t=1227058345651 To Rob Lay Look the lower receiver says CAL 223
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00114.jpg and the barrel says 5.56 NATO
You can see why there is some confusion about the whole 5.56mm is or isn't the same as .223 Rem.

The Ruger M77 - .220 Swift
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00115.jpg
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00116.jpg
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/Buzz48317/?action=view&current=DSC00117.jpg&t=1227058649837

 

Price was right and I figured that if anything it'd be a fine investment once the new AWB comes down the pipe from the Dems on Capitol Hill. It has been used and has some nicks and scratches and the whole rifle needed a complete breakdown and MAJOR cleaning the only thing that wasn't really filthy was the barrel. I had it out to the range last Thursday night and it shoots and functions great. I had a Colt H-BAR Sportster that I sold before I got married and I forgot how much I really liked shooting that thing. I will say that Ammo has gotten more expensive in the past 9 years or so

 

There are a few on Ebay. Price is still well into the $700s

Not really looking for an ACOG. Need more magnification. Cool sight though!!

 

I just put a tape measure on the AR and it measures EXACTLY 42.25 inches from butt to barrel end. It will have to be the 1750 if I want to carry it without having to break it down. If I decide to use the 1700 and break it down is there a piece that I can replace the front pin with so that I won't have to travel with a screw driver to reassemble the rifle at the range? The take down pin in the back pushes through, but the pin in the front is like a sex bolt where the long piece pushes through and is then fastened with a screw. Currently the only mods that I can see to the AR are an Acuwedge to remove the rattle between the upper and lower receivers.

 

Time to break out the Calipers.

 

OK...last time I unlock the safe tonight

Upper measures 31 and 5/8 inches from the back of the forward assist to the end of the barrel. Should be a nice snug fit into the 1700 and really no need for the 1720.

So, solid polyurethane foam or close cell?

 

They have that Desicant pocket in them don't they? Up here in Michigan I think that it is worth the effort and expense to protect the metal of the rifle. I have a dehumidifier in my safe, so why not have the same protection in the carry case?

 

I'll head over there in the A.M. With Christmas comming up and my daughter's 3rd birthday this Friday and the dual rifle purchase I am a little short on cash at the moment. I have the BSA that came with the AR and can use that till I can get something a little better. It'll probably be January before I am ready to re-scope the AR. Looking forward to making it uniquely mine, should be fun.

 

Just the one. Those are the 'interesting' long guns. The rest are pretty normal. There are LOTS of Ruger Model 1s (various calibers up to .375 H&H), a couple of Winchesters (one .338 and one .300 WM), several cowboy guns etc. But only the one Cooper Arms to the best of my knowledge. I know that I have the list somewhere, I will have to dig it up.

He has sold off many of the handguns so far, but he still has an original Automag 180. Cool historical piece but a pain in the butt to find ammo for I am told.

 

Here is the website for McMillan firearms http://www.mcmfamily.com/ I saw this rifle about two weeks ago, but honestly didn't pay too much attention to it as I knew that it was WAY out of the budget. I think that it is one of the American Hunter Rifles. Price new is somewhere in the $3,500 range...so I knew it was out of my league.

The Hall MFG rifle I haven't seen yet. AFAIK Hall makes actions but not complete rifles. It is possible that this rifle was custom made from other manufacturer parts, but Scott just saw Hall MFG on the action and assumed that this was the manufacturer of the entire rifle. Of course I could be full of s*it and maybe the whole thing was manufactured by Hall MFG. I guess that I would have to see it to tell you.

Sort of the same story on the Cooper. I didn't really pay much attention to it as I wasn't really looking for a .17. Tell you what, PM me your email address. I will be heading to his house in the next week or so, I will bring my camera and get you some more information on these rifles. He's not trying to make a mint, but he doesn't want to get hosed either.

 

I know that it is a pretty wide margin, and it is only a guess on my part but I would say that the price would probably fall between $700 and $1,500 on the Cooper. Like I said I didn't really pay all that much attention to it and I definately didn't inquire what it would take to put it in my safe. Problem is that there are LOTS of different Cooper model 57s and I don't really know what one this is...that is why the large gap between the bottom and the top numbers. If you want I can do a little more investigating on this one for you.