New scope needs a rifle...

Tim

Tim

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I picked up an ATN X-Sight 5-20x night vision scope last week. Now I need to decide what to mount it on.

I bought it for hog hunting. Although I may have opportunity for some coyote as well.

The scope is a pig...it's massive and heavy. 10" x 6" and a couple pounds, plus an external battery pack in a stock sleeve.

1. Ruger Gunsite Scout .308. This is the right caliber for the purpose, but the scope certainly does not fit the whole "scout rifle" concept. This is my deer rifle as well and currently mounts a nice Leupold VX-R 1.25-4 which is about perfect for where I usually hunt. To use this rifle, I'd needed buy a $100 rail.

2. A "spare" 5.56 AR that I have in the safe. Fairly generic rifle, PSA 16" SS free floated barrel, Magpul collapsible stock and a LaRue MBT trigger (on the way). I could throw on an A2 stock that's in the parts bin. This would be great and an easy choice if I was only after 'yotes, but I don't like 5.56 for hogs. I could rebarrel this with an appropriate caliber. I'd need to research what would work well for hogs/yotes. Figure at least a couple hundred $$ for barrel, bolt, etc.

3. Savage FLCP-K bolt gun. .308. 26" barrel. This is my precision rifle that gets shot infrequently and that I have plans for rebarreling in 6/6.5 Creedmore. It has Vortex PST glass now. This rifle is probably best for handling the weight of the scope, is the right caliber, etc. But that 26" barrel + 6" suppressor would be a PIA in a box stand. I could rebarrel it with a shorter .308 or Creedmore to make it handy to carry. Figure $400-450 to rebarrel it. Swapping the scopes between hunting and target sessions would add some limited hassel in zeroing.

4. Build an AR-10 in ??? caliber for a dedicated platform. ARs have never been cheaper. I figure I could be into something that serves the purpose for well under $1,000. I'd try to sell the spare AR to fund it, but for the price it would bring, it's not really worth selling.

5. Bounce the new scope between the 5.56 for 'yotes and my 300BLK SBR for hogs. I wouldn't take a shot on a jog past ~150 yards, so the BLK would likely be adequate. Zeroing each time I move the scope would suck, but it's not too bad.

Decisions....
 
Last edited:
Zedhound said:
Turn your spare 556 into a 300blk for the cost of a barrel and use like 168gn billets for hogs and attach the scope
Click to expand...

There's a good one! You mention a suppressor in the OP so that would take it down hearing safe or throw a Form 1 and down the road and go SBR w/can and run heavy subsonics for even quieter exterminations.

Just a tip for hogs ... if you are "feeding" they love strawberry anything but cheap store brand boxes of strawberry jello is like hog crack. We sprinkle it on the ground, coat corn with it, etc and it really helps draw them. If we just sprinkle it on the ground there will be a hole 3-4" deep where they have rooted to get every last crystal.
 
Sell the ATN scope wasn't listed as an option. I got nothing. Sorry. But with your given choices mount it on the Savage 308 and figure out how to make it work. I wouldn't spend a ton of time and $$ making that optic work when there is likely to be a better, smaller version at some point soon. Technology seems to move quick these days.
 
I say AR-10 because you dont have one yet
 
Be very careful with the ATN scope, I owned one, and it lasted exactly THREE shots with my 458 SOCOM, the gun shop I bought it from sent it back to ATN, they said it was a software issue and fixed it. Sent it back it lasted 4 shots, with every shot making the scope fuzzy and it would not come back into focus....shot it till I couldn't see anything clear, the manager of the shop was with me at their range while I shot it. He sent it back to them again, and I got my money back an with that I picked up a Leupold VXR 1-4x20 with a firedot and haven't looked back. I bought the scope for the same reason!! Hog hunting, and I was assured the scope could handle the recoil from a 458 SOCOM.
Just my experience with the ATN!
 
You have a 300 sbr? My buddy put one on his and it's terrific. Multiple zeros on the optic mean easy switch between platforms. Given the weight, I'd say throw it on the sbr (if no sbr 300 blk pistol is a nice option). My two cents. Took my 8.5" 300blk to 300 yards without issue with a 1-4x
For hogs that would be my set up. IR illuminators mount easy to the weapon and you can get a neoprene sleeve to hold the external power supply the non cheek side of your stock (brace)


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That's why I sold my ATN. I really didn't have a rifle that worked with it that didn't already have a scope the way I wanted it set up. Good scopes, I just didn't need it.
 
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