Completely Clueless
 

That's what I am.

I just bought my first real rifle. I say real because I have some .22s, but I have no guns with a scope. This will be my first and I know nothing about gun optics. I'm into photography, but I don't know how well that translates.

Anyhow, the gun is a Ruger 77 in .243 Winchester. Could you guys help me pick out a scope for this thing?

Guess it depends on what you're gonna do with your rifle. Rule of thumb, I'd rather have a cheap rifle and a great scope, not the other way around. Just a thought!

Yeah, I certainly don't want to cut corners and buy a cheap scope. The gun will be mostly used for target shooting. However, I won't rule out deer hunting either.

The 243 is a very accurate round and the 77 is a nice rifle. Good for varmints through deer. For target and hunting a good variable in the range of 3-12X or 4-16X would be good options. 3-9X would keep the cost lower in good glass. I would rather have a 3-9X in a better scope than a higher power in a cheaper scope. For a USA made scope look at Leupold/Redfield and possibly Burris. Not all of the Burris scopes are USA. Lots of good imports out there.

I will second the Leupold/Redfield recommendation and add Nikon to the list along with Bushnell 3200 or 4200 series scopes as solid but affordable scopes.

Ok, If there is a possibility of Deer hunting, That changes things. A Weaver V10 is a VG scope at the bottom of the spectrum. I've had one on my 7mm Rem Mag for a few years now. Could be used for both. I really like Sightron scopes, The SII 3-12x42mm. Either the Standard SII or the SII big sky are great scopes. The MOA adjustments are exactly repeatable as the design is far superior to other manufacturers.

Not all Redfields are USA made. They have an import line now.

Isn't Redfield the low end import line owned by Leupold? The Redfield Company of Denver has been gone for years. It was owned by the Brown Shoe company and Talon Zipper before being shut down by the EPA. The Trademark is now property of Leupold. Redfields are made in Asia.:(

It depends on which line. The revolution models are domestic, revenge is asian.

They all have Asian glass. As do many German scopes.