44 or 50mm scopes

-ben-

Well-Known Member
I'm debating between getting a 44 or a 56 objective scope i want a fairly lightweight and compact scope. Is it worth going for the larger objective lens or stick with a 44 it will be used mainly for stalking and the occasional fox. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I've been looking around for information about it.
Thanks Ben
 
All depends on what time you are shooting! If those last minutes are important get 56mm otherwise go smaller. What type scope you thinking off?
 
Like for like bigger lens will give you more light at higher mags younger the eye the better this will be

However a top end 40mm would beat a cheap 56
 
I use a Swaro 44mm I've never thought I wish I had a 56mm

the scope is good for way past the point when I call it a day so last light has never been a concern

I also use it for foxing with no issues , as said a top 44 will beat a cheap 56
 
Have been debating selling my Zenith 3-12x50 to buy a Zeiss HT 1,5-6x42.
I also have another 50 and a 56 mm objective scope.
 
The 44mm z6i is a fantastic scope, I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

I know a lot here disagree, but I wouldn't put a variable 56mm on a stalking rifle.
 
Thanks for the advice I've nevery had the chance to compare 2 top end ones with different objective sizes. By the sounds of what I want it for a 44mm one will do the job fine
 
Its glass quality that counts not lens and tube diameter especially in difficult conditions like last light against a dark background.

Some years ago a freind and I tested a whole range of scopes against a dark background in the evening. These from memory were from Luepold VX3 ( 40mm), Swaro PVS (50mm), Ziess Dia Vari C (36mm), Simmons ( 20mm), Nightforce NSX ( 50mm) and a couple of large 56mm US scopes built for very long range target work.

The winner by at least 5 minutes was my 1994 built German made Ziess, DiaVari C 3 x 9 x 36, 36mm lens and 25mm tube with Plex ret, a remarkable scope, if you can find one it will handle all you want out to 250 yards with ease. One of mine is on a 17 Ackley Hornet and has knocked crows and rabbits over slightly in excess of 200 yards with relative ease. When I spotted another for sale I had to have it, but its an older model and the turrets work the other way round.

The Diavari was the cheaper of the two Ziess scope ranges, yet it outperformed every other scope on test including Swaro PVS which at the time was the top of the line Swaro scope.

My worry with 56mm lens is that the tube is usually 30mm, 34mm or now I see 38mm on the new Ziess, thats not only a hell of a lot of excess weight to be carrying ( you will note that once you get over 55!!) a lens that high may well cause your rifle to be inconsistently mounted on the shoulder usually resulting in the bullet going high. Mate of mine has a 56mm Ziess Victory, at night other than the larger field of view there is nothing to choose between that and my 36mm Ziess. although my old eyes are now not as good as they once were.
A
 
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You don't mention if you are looking at fixed or variable mag? Fixed will give better light transmission through a smaller tube. I've tried all variants over the years, but all of my stalking rifles now have 50mm objectives. I would say the most practical scope for a hunting rifle is a 3-12 x50. What is your budget?
MS
 
For me its all about matching the scope to the stock and keeping it low. 56mm objectives raise your eye so far up that you are struggling to get a nice cheek weld with a standard stock. the lower the scope the closer you are to that lovely cheek weld that you get with open sights. Also the higher you mount the scope the more of an issue cant becomes. A slight tilt to the rifle on a long shot and as you dial up you may also be dealing a little left or right, this problem is made worse the higher you mount the scope. FWIW I have a 44mm on my foxing rifle (.20 Vartarg) and a 50mm on my deer rifle (7mm-08). I'm not sure how much extra light the extra mm gets you, especially when you consider that as you age your eyes pupils become less able to dilate, so even though a 56mm scope will give a bigger exit pupil your own eye may not be able to expand large enough to use it all anyway. Better to keep it low and have a nice cheek weld.
Another thing is that a quality 44mm scope may be better in low light than a lesser 56mm..
 
Was comparing my 6x42 Swarovski Nova, with 6x42 Zeiss Diatal and 4-12x50 Swarovski Habicht the other evening / night. Mix of woodland and open field. The two 6x42s were equal and no different to the 4-12x50, when it was set at 7 power. At any higher mag it was darker, and not really any brighter at lower mags. With all of them I would have been happy taking a shot in the dark under ambient low moonlight at a dark object against light grassy background. Against the woodland, it would be very difficult to distinguish a dark deer against the dark background. All have a German 4 or 4A reticle, but not illuminated. The Zeiss has a slightly thicker reticle which shows up a little more clearly. All somewhat academic as it was well beyond the legal hours for shooting deer.

The 4-12x50 tends to remain at 6 power and that rifle would be just as useful with a fixed 6x42.

My advice is go the best quality you can afford and a smaller objective lense of high quality will always be better than a bigger lense of lesser quality. And a 36 of 42 / 44 scope can be mounted nice and low and keeps the whole package compact.
 
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