my background : i come from shooting an old 30-30 lever with open sites, and handguns with open sites. recently i got a nice little scope for my .22 and got in to 50 and 100 yard target shooting.

the question : this weekend, i was invited out to shoot 400 and 500 yard ranges with my 30-06, but it currently does not have a scope. my question is, what suggestions should i listen to when buying a scope? do i really have to watch my bullet size and all that stuff if i'm really just getting started? if i like this shindig (which i think i will) i'll probably snag a nice single shot .308 to setup for long range target shooting, so in the mean time, i want a versatile scope for the 30-06.

my options : i'm thinking, a plex rectical style 3x9-40 scope. i've read this will easily get me 400 yards and i'll still be able to shoot pigs at 50 yards. i favor nikon and burris but i'm not locked to a scope brand. if my budget is $150, what would you guys recommend?

The Nikon Prostaff 3X9 sells for $149 and is a great scope for the money. I have five of these and have not had a minutes trouble out of them. Excellent clarity. I shoot regularly out to about 300 yards with mine. 400 should not be a problem.

it's funny that i stuck a 3x9-40 bushnell on my .22 and now i'm putting the same specs on my 30-06. i see the prostaff BDC has the nice yard marks on it..

well even 9 power is tiny at 400 yards, i baught a 6x24x42 tasco silver antler with parallax adjustment and a mil-dot reticle, for $79 new, and it definitely makes the target look bigger, i put it on my low profile varminter heres a pic---for the price, it is exceptionally clear, and the parallax adjustment provides no blur

Power is the king of target shooting where field of view is the king of hunting. Get a 6 by 24 or an 8 by 32 (my favorite) for that target rifle. I have one rifle with a 6 by 24 and one with an 8 by 32 and at the target range they rule when up against hunting scopes.

So very true, Bob. As power goes up, so do prices exponentially. Wizard, you might shop a good used 20X or more scope to get the most for your money. Just my dos centavos.