Selecting a 1000 Yard Rifle Scope for our Savage Axis Experiment | The Social Regressive

With a 1000-yard match looming, I need to answer two questions: What is my ideal rifle scope? Can I buy an optic that works for only $100?

This rifle is nearing completion. I have developed a very precise 7mm-08 load using Hornady ELD Match bullets. I have finished a pillar bedding job and an action bedding job, solidly mating this Savage Axis to a Boyds Pro Varmint stock.

My ideal rifle scope for a long-range match would start with high-quality glass from Europe or Japan. I would want a large-diameter tube for gross elevation and windage adjustments, and repeatable turrets with a zero stop. I would prefer a complex reticle in the second focal plane that would allow me to make minute adjustments as the wind shifts. I also want high magnification.

That's my wish list, but if I am going to stick to my $500 budget, then I only have $100 to play with. From the beginning of this experiment I have had one scope in mind that could make this whole rifle work despite its ridiculously low price tag. It's the Simmons 44 Mag 6-24x44mm Mil-Dot scope. On the surface, it has a feature set that will accomplish the task at hand, but can it possibly be any good? In the next video we'll take a close look at this budget scope to see its ups and downs.

- The Social Regressive