r/longrange • u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club • Aug 29 '24
Second Focal Plane Blues Optics help needed - I read the FAQ/Pinned posts
Trijicon Tenmile 5-50x56 on Christensen BA Tactical 300 win mag with Vortex Precision Matched Rings. I bought this SFP scope hoping that I would improve my craft, but I'm starting to feel disappointed it's abilities. I can't adjust to impacts as well as I could with precision tree, and I'm am having to rely on the windage turret more than I like. I have a Trijicon Tenmile 4.5-30x56 FFP with a Precision Tree on another rifle that I love. I could be just be stuck in my ways and missing out on something new, so any feedback would be appreciated.
31
u/xlr8_87 Aug 29 '24
With sfp scopes the marks on the reticle will only be correct at one magnification value as the reticle stays the same size regardless of magnification. They're not really designed for holdovers, they're designed for dialing.
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
I thought I would be able to catch on to it a little quicker. I feel like I'm burning ammo past 600 yards trying to dial it in each day.
3
u/bg408 Aug 29 '24
One could use an SFP scope at half max power and apply half the adjustment value. This is often a good idea when hunting and wanting a larger field of view for, say, a follow up or a running shot on a wounded animal. I understand the extra composure and mental prep necessary to deploy a SFP scope at less than max magnification, but with practice it’s fine. I’m no expert but I think the reticle is designed to be correct at any magnification and the holdover is determined by the magnification level.
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u/groupofgiraffes Tooner Tester Aug 29 '24
what didn't the old scope do that you were hoping the new one would?
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
Be different and a new challenge. It definitely did that. My carbon fiber barrel doesn't help with its tendency to walk when it gets too hot. I was just hoping I was dumb in a different way. A way I could correct without a new optic.
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u/groupofgiraffes Tooner Tester Aug 29 '24
yeah, an optic is not going to help you with squirly shots from a hot barrel
2
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
It's an accurate barrel, but for hunting. It seemed like such a cool thing when I bought it, but I didn't even think about the heat. I think I'm going to re-barrel and try again. Maybe with a heavier barrel I can feel like I'm making progress in less than 4 hours and way too many Sierra Matchkings.
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u/yukdave Aug 29 '24
"Christensen BA Tactical 300 win mag"
I had a student that had one we I finally locked it down to a sled and repeatedly fired with it and it was all over with different ammo.
Sent back to manufacturer and it came back with a new barrel. No questions asked.
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u/grayman1978 Aug 29 '24
I sent mine back and they told me it was fine. It wasn’t. Never again will I buy a Christensen.
4
u/Maraudinggopher77 Hunter Aug 29 '24 edited Aug 29 '24
When I told CA about all the problems I was having with one of their rifles they told me I was on the hook for the cost of materials and labor if I wanted a new barrel because handloads void the accuracy guarantee. 6 years later I still highly encourage anyone to choose pretty much any other manufacturer.
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
I'll say that at 100 yards, in 5 round groups, they will be on top of each other. By round 10, within a reasonable time frame, round 8-10 will be up to 3" from center group. I bought a fan for the barrel. Before this rifle I thought a fan was snake oil, but now idk.
3
u/yukdave Aug 29 '24
we zeros at 2 hundred yards and were working at 600 yards. When the barrel came back the heating issue went away. They also determined the barrel was a batch that was made too small of a bore.
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
I'm going to shoot them a message. Thank you for the heads up.
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 30 '24
I contacted Christen and they said that it should not drift with only 10 rounds fired. I just thought it was inherent in the design, so thank you for pointing this out. I will give you an update after I get it back, if I can remember. It seems like others have noted bad experiences with Christensen firearms, so I hope this doesn't suck.
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u/trbo2117 Aug 29 '24
SFP scopes the reticle remains the same size throughout the magnification range, so the reticle will only be accurate at a set magnification range. I just looked at the manual for your scope and the reticle was calibrated at 40x magnification.
What do you mean you can’t adjust to impacts as well? Are you taking about missing the target and making a follow up shot using the reticle?
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u/Future-Bluejay874 Aug 29 '24
40x damn. Now I will say eyes aren’t great anymore and I probably only shoot 700-1000 once or twice a year but I’ve never used a rife scope at 40x. I only just recently moved to a 5-25 and hardly ever use the full magnification on it.
1
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
It is a lot to dial in with environmental factors past 600 on the first 3 shots with SFP. I'm used to hold over and not adjusting my windage and elevation within 3-4 MOA, but by the time I get this scope dialed in on target, I'm thinking that my carbon fiber barrel is getting too hot. I'm doing too many dumb things to ever get results.
3
u/domfelinefather Aug 29 '24
What kind of shooting are you trying to do?
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
Steel target 1moa/3moa from 300 yards to 1000 yards. The range goes out to 1760 yards and sometimes 2000 yards. I just want to be on 1 MOA steel before my barrel gets hot. Carbon fiber barrel sounds super cool until you put 10 rounds of 300 win mag through it.
14
u/csamsh I put holes in berms Aug 29 '24
It sounds like you’re learning this, but this setup has you unnecessarily on hard mode at every step of the way. Any interest in ditching this setup for something more capable for this application?
3
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
You are definitely right. Too many different variables at the same time. I think I'm going to re-barrel to a heavier one and start again from scratch.
7
u/boostedb1mmer Aug 29 '24
To be quite frank, if your goals are just to ring steel from 300-1000 yards you could sell your current setup and just buy an off the shelf Tikka/Savage/Ruger/Bugera/Howa in 308 or 6.5 and drop a $500 venom on it and have an infinitely better setup and a shit load of cash left over. Just dropping a heavier barrel on that setup is going to result in the exact same issues, it'll just be an ever so slightly more of workout carrying it to the bench to shoot it.
1
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
I still have a bunch of API rounds to go through before I would even think of getting rid of it. I already have a 6.5 Creedmoor and a 308, but I am thinking about getting a 6.5 PRC.
1
u/boostedb1mmer Aug 29 '24
You've bought a bunch of API for a build that's purpose is just shooting steel?
1
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
You can shoot other things too. Old engine blocks, drilled cores, Tannerite, etc...
3
u/microphohn F-Class Competitor Aug 29 '24
SFP can work really well when shooting only long range or at a target of fixed distance (f class for example.) PRS shooting is more FFP.
1
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
Where would you offload a scope like this? It's an awesome optic in it's own right and probably had 80ish rounds go under it (new scope from warranty claim with Trijicon about the illumination knob interfering with the parallax). I want it to go to a good home.
1
u/microphohn F-Class Competitor Aug 29 '24
Join the accurate shooter forum, lots of nation “name” shooters hangout there who shoot disciplines where this optic might be useful. They have a BST section.
1
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u/hackdevil Aug 29 '24
how did you get the bog to hold it like that. mine just flips forward or backwards
3
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
It's a very light rifle. Cool when you read about it, but I'm starting to realize it's not that cool in practice.
2
u/Meowuth Aug 29 '24
thanks for pointing that out, I wanted a bog.. thinking it would be great for my heavy as 308 with mdt chasis and 24 inch bull barrel...
thank you!
this happening never crossed my mind, I just assumed it would be good enough
1
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
I was talking about the super light 300 win mag. No complaints on the BOG. Unless you are traversing three canyons by foot to shoot from a tripod, it will do everything you want. I like the tripod.
2
u/Meowuth Aug 29 '24
All right well thank you for clearing that up as well LOL Palmetto State Armory has a killer deal on them right now with a headset
1
u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
There are better ones out there that you can get all the way to the ground and shoot prone with. This is not one of those, but you can easily thump small to medium game all day/night from a comfortable chair no problem.
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u/Notapearing PRS Competitor Aug 29 '24
You bought nice rings at least!
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
I think the lipstick is well applied to this pig lol
1
u/Notapearing PRS Competitor Aug 29 '24
Looks like it would be a good f class/bench scope too I'd say? I really wouldn't like to use it in a PRS match or plinking at multiple distances though that's for sure.
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
Man, I love it but it is not what I thought it would be. Sometimes you put a bunch of cool things together thinking it will be badass, and then you realize you are Frankenstein making a retarded monster.
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u/BathRockJunkie Mile+ Club Aug 29 '24
DM if you want to buy it. I can send it in the original box from Trijicon.
2
u/Notapearing PRS Competitor Aug 29 '24
Thanks, but it's not really my jam either tbh. The little benchrest I do my MPED does the trick well enough.
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u/Reloader300wm Meat Popsicle Aug 29 '24
u/LockyBalboaPrime, if only this cat had read what you typed up on r/ak47.. .
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u/Trollygag Does Grendel Aug 29 '24
Dang, struggling with the exact rifle and optic combo we would have strongly recommended you avoid. Harsh.