Best low light scope
- Thread starter paulbshooting
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WildBoarHunter
Well-Known Member
This thread got me interested. I own a Zeiss Victory HT 8×54 binoculars and it's the best low light optics I have ever used. The details seen in very low light and in moonlight are incredible. One could almost compare it to a dedicated night optics. On my rifle I have the Swarovski Z8i 2-16×50. It's good in low light but does not compare well to the Zeiss binocular. One night when out waiting for wild boar in moonlight I could clearly see the wild boar feeding in front of the tree stand through Zeiss and could easily take the shot had that picure been in the riflescope. But through Swaro I couldn't even make out to which direction the boar were turned. They just seemed like black spots and I couldn't see much more details than that. I am hunting a lot of red deer and for red deer we have the legal hunting time of 1 hour after sunset and no night optics is allowed. It's allowed for hunting wild boar at night though. So this all got me thinking. Back in the day most people used premium glass 8×56 for low light hunting. So was thinking about 8×56 / 8×50 Swarovski or Kahles, which are also very compact and light. They can be purchased second hand for a decent price. I also live close to Austria and can easily have them serviced if the need arose. Would these give me a better picture in low light than my Z8i or am I picking hair.
56 is good but I find them v. Heavy and prefer 42 or less, to have a better balanced rifle. I also prefer to get closer but that’s my ground and my age. Steiner are good if you can find one - great low light glass.
Pellet Pinger
Well-Known Member
As already said, if its just pure last light performance you are looking for to get the job done then digital kills glass every time. Add a full canopy in woodland then last usable light comes alot quicker than last legal light.
Something like a C50 will take you well beyond, if you havent looked through one it really does have to be seen to be believed and second hand prices are dropping now.
Something like a C50 will take you well beyond, if you havent looked through one it really does have to be seen to be believed and second hand prices are dropping now.
All will lose to light emission
Torch is £100-£250 for a really mega one. Chinese NV rear add on with seperate VCEL illuminator around £500
Don't see the point of spending £1-2k more for a slightly better outline of a deer vs. the eye shine (aka aiming point).
Ronin
Distinguished Member
The one I have is second
I’d have preferred first, however, I use it for killing deer at ranges that don’t require much alteration of the turrets and as the cross hair is illuminated no issue with seeing point of aim either even if the Ret is small at certain ranges
I tried but I went back to a normal scope. Too much messing around and my word they are heavy!
Concerning when you realise the CCP will only be selling us gear that's 5-10 years behind what they have now...
NickJ
Well-Known Member
I’d love to boycott China but it’s economically unavoidable in life I fearConcerning when you realise the CCP will only be selling us gear that's 5-10 years behind what they have now...
Alpex Mk1 reduced in price as the Mk2 just out and no doubt the Russian military have the Mk3!
2nd is good and to be preferred in an illuminated reticle hunting scope IMHO. The only justification for a thick crosshair being an ability to see it in poor light.
K
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
FFP scope with proper reticle can be used for lead on running game (regardless of magnification). Angular vs. linear lead minimizes the error caused by misjudging distance etc.
Same goes for elevation, instead of MPBR (which is uaully flawed) you can zero at reasonable distance and then take 0.5 MRAD or 1 MRAD elevation for those 200-300 meter shots if needed (and if your reticle provides hash marks). Again minimized error.
German manufacturers have reticles where center aiming point is SFP and main reticle FFP. Greater than 3-4x zoom might make it difficult to design reasonable pure FFP reticle.
The conundrum here is that even 3k worth of absolute top end glass won’t even come close to £500 on an alpex. For stalking the glass scope is probably better in every way, but on a moonlit night like last night I don’t even need an IR torch to shoot foxes out to 150m or so. I’m just about to head out with the rifle again now, and If it were legal (much discipline needed!) I could start shooting straight away if I wanted too.
What I would say is that charging up a rifle scope and having a finite amount of battery reserve will never not be a ball ache, and in my opinion the digi scopes can’t hold a candle to glass for clarity either. But you have plenty good enough clarity to find your target and aim point.
What I would say is that charging up a rifle scope and having a finite amount of battery reserve will never not be a ball ache, and in my opinion the digi scopes can’t hold a candle to glass for clarity either. But you have plenty good enough clarity to find your target and aim point.
If you really do mean last light, traditional glass will not beat digital colour enhancement.
Two people have already mentioned options that will get the job done. The Arken is first and foremost designed as a NV unit, so its last light image isn’t enhanced as much scopes such as the C50, Alpex and Infiray, that are meant for last/first light use.
Yes, the tubular versions are heavy, but is the price to pay to be able to squeeze every second out of the hour before sunset/sunrise - no matter what the prevailing weather conditions are that often impact upon that timeframe.
I personally use an Alpex, now on my .222 as a dedicated very last light Muntjac rifle and for Fox. It’s knocked over a few Fallow too on my .243. I know it is a better option for true last light than the Zeiss on my .308, or the 6500, which is back on the .243 for daytime.
With the impending arrival of the Mk2, the Alpex has slipped under £500 new and I’ve seen them SH for £350 - which is just ridiculous for its capabilities.
A serious option for a dedicated use last light rifle. The compromise is the weight, but sitting up a high seat or off sticks, doesn’t matter.
Two people have already mentioned options that will get the job done. The Arken is first and foremost designed as a NV unit, so its last light image isn’t enhanced as much scopes such as the C50, Alpex and Infiray, that are meant for last/first light use.
Yes, the tubular versions are heavy, but is the price to pay to be able to squeeze every second out of the hour before sunset/sunrise - no matter what the prevailing weather conditions are that often impact upon that timeframe.
I personally use an Alpex, now on my .222 as a dedicated very last light Muntjac rifle and for Fox. It’s knocked over a few Fallow too on my .243. I know it is a better option for true last light than the Zeiss on my .308, or the 6500, which is back on the .243 for daytime.
With the impending arrival of the Mk2, the Alpex has slipped under £500 new and I’ve seen them SH for £350 - which is just ridiculous for its capabilities.
A serious option for a dedicated use last light rifle. The compromise is the weight, but sitting up a high seat or off sticks, doesn’t matter.
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I agree they are heavy, but I often use mine on a .222 tikka varmint and happily carry it for 3-4 hours
CBH Australia
Well-Known Member
In Australia the Kahles 8x56 was always highly regarded for spotlighting, it will also be great at last light.
Schmidt and Bender do an 8x56 Hungaria at a reasonable price point. Great glass assembled in Hungary to save wages.
Swarovski have done an 8x56 on the past.
Meopta scopes have good glass and low light performance.
The 3-18x50 I used did not impress me.
8x56 and 6x42 scopes are a good balance of magnification for the best light transmission of available light.
Schmidt and Bender do an 8x56 Hungaria at a reasonable price point. Great glass assembled in Hungary to save wages.
Swarovski have done an 8x56 on the past.
Meopta scopes have good glass and low light performance.
The 3-18x50 I used did not impress me.
8x56 and 6x42 scopes are a good balance of magnification for the best light transmission of available light.
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