Scope for 223 bolt . . . AO or not??

[jason burns]

Ok guys, I just ordered Stevens m200 in 223 that I mainly want to mess around shooting at the range but will use on coyotes when possible.  I need to get a scope for it and want a min of 4-14x40 but am not sure that I need AO since I do not predict much shooting under 100 yards.  Can you guys chime in as to why I would want to stick with the AO I have on my rimfires??
Any recommendations?  (Thinking Mueller APV if I go AO)

[bigjeepman]

Though I have a few AO on some of my hunting scopes, I am trading them out at the gunshop for lower powered scopes w/o the AO feature. Not sure what kind of land you hunt, but if it is wooded, hilly, etc you might consider a 3-9x40mm or a 2-7x35mm. I am only giving these suggestions for terrain like I hunt but I have been coyote hunting for a while now and FOV is more important to me than power. The AO feature might be fine for some ... I like it at the range ... but it serves me no purpose in the woods.

Good luck and good shooting ...

[kyelkhunter3006]

For anything under 300 yds, no need for more than 10X.  If you get a scope with higher, get the AO. It makes a world of difference at long ranges and high magnifications.

[Dave in WV]

Spend as much as you can afford on a 3x9 or 2x10.