If you do not want to spend more than 300 is very hard to get anything that is easily adjustable to either dial in a correction or holdover
where you can reliably produce the needed correction.
These are some of your best bets that can actually both track and hold zero but with some limitations obviously...
SWFA SS 10x42 Tactical Riflescope
Weaver Tactical Grand Slam Rifle Scope 3-10x 40mm 1/10 Mil Adjustments
Bushnell Elite 3200 Tactical Rifle Scope 10x 40mm 1/10 Mil Adjustments
Definitively more than plenty to shoot well at 400-500 yards. An affordable 3-9 will do just fine too I just do not know of any option that comes
with both reticle and correction in the same Unit of measure for that price point.
Keep in mind the Leupold AR were created in response to the Monarch 223 and 308 BDCs but they are not in the same quality wise
specially the glass. Also keep in mind that any BDC/AR/Bullet drop or however they decide to call it they are reticles that work in
a 2nd focal plane. In short they do not grow or shrink as you zoom in or out therefore a specific load will work in one single magnification
and if you move from there then everything is a guess. Some with a taller turret might be easy to adjust but you have to work a lot harder
at the estimation. I found that the Nikon tracks well but you must be ready with some pretty unusual math to convert hash marks in your
reticle to the actual needed correction. The best thing is to study your scope. The manufactures give you some software to help you but
in my experience is an approximation so you to A) know the actual speed of your load. B) Do the mapping in standard uning like MOA
or Mills C) Convert to your comp reticle. So this requires a lot of verification on the field at various distances.
The issue is not really the drop because the gravity is going to work always the same but the real issue for these are the windy days.
I found that when huntin the nikon I can holdover at the edges of the circles for 10mph full value wind and half that for 5mph but if you
get into 15 or 20mph winds then you need to dial in. Anyway any of those are not the best for really long range but great for
AR at average distances or hunting rifles at the common distances where holdover is easier.
I am not sure what Remington 700 you have but some of the above will let you do the math at 10 power as easily as some of the high value
scopes. Not the same versatility but a pretty standard and easy method. If you want something that will work as you grow into the shooting then save money and look into a scope with a first focal plane or simply use one of the above that you will leave on this rifle when you get the next one or you can use those
for a nice AR that will work just fine.
Of the AR scopes with the compensating reticle do not discard the Burris fulfied E1. In my opinion is better than the leupold and even some of the nikon monarch. Nice glass, and the reticle has a nice and easy holdover marks not just for drop but for windage too with a very clear and fine reticle. Also it is easy to adjust to the specific load if needed nice turren knobs are standard.
Once again
most comp reticles unless they are a first focal plane work only at certain magnification levels that must be verified. If you fail to set your magnification accordingly the correction will not work as advertised so what it is sold as easy, it is easy for the folks at the average ranges but then if you go longer then it is actually harder to correct or at least you need to practice more.
