Cost ratio Rifle vs Glass

justiw · Mar 9, 2015

I'm curious of everyone's opinion on this. What cost ratio did you chose?
What is the purpose of your rifle/scope combo?
Why did you go with your specific choice?

I was considering close to 1:1 but the more I look, the more I try to upsell myself on one or the other. I do have a budget limit on this, so don't try to convince me on a Surgeon build with S&B glass...

SRD · Mar 9, 2015

There's more knowledgeable than me on here,but I always thought 1:1 (minimum)was standard for hunting and goes up from there.

BradMacc82 · Mar 9, 2015

Depends on what you're trying to accomplish, IMO.

E.Shell · Mar 9, 2015

Much depends on what you're doing, and I don't think you can really correlate costs like this.

If you just need crosshairs on hair for a hunting shot, it can be 1:1, rifle:scope, or even less scope money. A Tasco or low end Bushnell on a Savage might go like this.

If you need good glass, repeatable adjustments and calibrated reticle, you can easily go 1:2 or 1:3 and still be getting a good value both ways. A NightForce on a 5R would come out like this.

If you go to a full blown custom rifle, your ratio might go back closer to 1:1. A $3k Schmidt-Bender on a $3k GAP is back to 1:1...

The rifle should be purchased to provide the desired level of precision in conjunction with other critical features. The scope should be purchased to exploit the rifle's capability.

Alea Jacta Est · Mar 9, 2015

Thanks Ed...I'll register that as an "It depends..."

justiw · Mar 9, 2015

Ok, we all have different objectives. List your preference and ratio together. I want to hear many different opinions.

BradMacc82 · Mar 9, 2015

Currently, my rifle costs more than the glass that's currently on it. But that's due to budget constraints on my end.

With my ideal scope, ring/base combo - I'd be close to a 1:1 ratio. Eh, probably closer to 1:1.25/1.5 in reality (sales tax and such).

GUNSnROTORS · Mar 9, 2015

1:1 is a reasonable threshold for me.

Have gone as high as 1:2 and as low as 2:1 (rifle:scope). The ratio isn't always meaningful, IMO. For instance, went to Africa with a $2K Kimber Super America rifle and a $1K Leupold VX 6 scope. Had the Kimber been the Montana model, rifle capabilities would have been identical, but the cost ratio would become 1:1. Had the rifle been a plain-Jane Savage, the rifle capabilities would have been comparable, but the cost ratio would become 1:2. Bottom line, the rifle/scope combination matched well for the particular circumstances. I didn't really consider the cost ratio on that trip - just what I wanted to bring and thought I needed.

Boom Boom · Mar 9, 2015

Using a price ratio doesn't work well. Glass should be chosen based on the lesser of how far the gun is capable of accurately shooting and the distance you plan to shoot.

Uncle Duke · Mar 9, 2015

E. Shell touched on this well. What is your application, and what is your rifle capable of? Two rimfire examples:

Marlin 25 22LR. Rifle is 40 years old. Inexpensive rifle....in good shape, maybe worth $100 for round figures argument. Equally old Bushnell Banner scope. Primary purpose plinking, and grey squirrel hunting with 95% of shots inside of 60 yards. Very good field grade accuracy...no frills, no real expense, combo works well for intended purpose. Need 60 yard clarity. A five minute wait for better light might cost me a squirrel, but not a trophy buck. 1 to 2 ratio...both rifle and scope are inexpensive.

CZ 455 Varmint 17hmr. Cost $450. Scope is a 4x16 Bushnell Elite that cost almost as much. Short range rifle as rifles go, but a longer range rimfire. Mainly for target fun with tiny targets, but sometimes for ground hogs with range restricted shots. Also, fox squirrels. Fox squirrels are typically much more ground oriented than are tree oriented grays. Different terrain.... Mountains....timbered, so pretty open in spots, with 125 yard shots not at all uncommon. Rifle and scope combo both entirely capable of minute of squirrel and better at 125 yards. Low light transmission very important. Magnification a definite plus. Good clarity thru magnification range desired for sure. Flat shooting within what I consider its 150 yard range capability. Very accurate, capable of hitting what I can see if I can see and can do my part. No real need for repeatable settings. 1 to 1, but cost of combo is 6 times higher. Combo is a whole lot of rimfire fun though!

A1Uni · Mar 9, 2015

Boom Boom said:
Using a price ratio doesn't work well. Glass should be chosen based on the lesser of how far the gun is capable of accurately shooting and the distance you plan to shoot.

Took the words right out of my mouth. :thumbsup:

justiw · Mar 10, 2015

Thanks for the input everyone. I didn't want to say what I plan to do because I wanted to hear your thoughts on how you made your decisions. My OP was pretty poor in explaining.

My planned build was a Savage 10 fcp 20" 308 with an SWFA 3-15. It is a general build for practice, hunting, and possibly long range entry. The "upgrades" I was considering were an SWFA 5-20 hd or a FN spr rifle.

Given my self imposed budget, I might be willing to do one, but not both, of the upgrades. Your input will help me think through my decision. Stay the course and buy 1:1 or upgrade the rifle and go 2:1 or upgrade the glass and go 1:2. All are compromises.

TheRealJimDavis · Mar 10, 2015

I base it entirely on the purpose of the gun. Some are pretty damn expensive, and quality glass is worth the money, and can be repurposed. I don't exceed the cost of the gun in glass though.

pwoolford · Mar 10, 2015

Looking back at some of my recent rifle setups they go from 1:2 to 2:1 so "it depends" is probably the best answer.

trickg · Mar 10, 2015

Personally, I'll probably never buy more scope than something along the lines of the following:

Leupold Vari-x II
Burris Fullfield II
Nikon Prostaff
Bushnell Elite
etc.

Likewise I'll probably never spend more than about a grand on a rifle build, ever.

The main reasons for this is that I'm not sure I'm enough of a marksman to make good use of anything better than that. What would be the point in me putting $3000 glass on a $3000 rifle if I'm not a good enough shot to make use of it? There comes a point of diminishing returns when it comes to money spent vs noticeable improvement in performance.

As a gigging musician, I've always felt the same way. I have a pretty nice trumpet, but it's nothing fancy or custom - it's a Schilke B6, off-the-shelf, with a basic off-the-shelf mouthpiece. I could certainly throw a lot more money at a trumpet, but I don't think I'd get a discernable difference in performance on the gig, so I do the best I can with a decent setup without going full-bore and spending a lot of money for a setup that might only get me 1-2% advantage in performance. For what I do, I simply don't need it.

In any case, getting back to the question at hand, scope to rifle, for me it's probably 3:1 ratio, meaning I'd spend 3x the money on a nice rifle than I would on a scope, and I'd probably only budget $250-$350 for something from the above list.

antco · Mar 10, 2015

I'm at a 2.6:1 rifle:scope ratio on my two long distance units but have been looking at a possible upgrade to Nightforce BEASTS that would push the ratio down to around 1.7:1.

MikeTF · Mar 10, 2015

Boom Boom said:
Using a price ratio doesn't work well. Glass should be chosen based on the lesser of how far the gun is capable of accurately shooting and the distance you plan to shoot.

... and maybe the shooter's eyes.

Pinecone · Mar 10, 2015

I am around 2-2.5:1.

Rem 700 PS-1
Manners T-4A stock
Timney Trigger
Bolt knob
Threaded barrel
Harris Bipod

Vortex Viper PST 6-24x FFP
Burris XTR rings
20 MOA mount.

Setup has worked out to 1200 yards.

Cost ratio Rifle vs Glass

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