New to stalking what scope

[Loler UK]

Andy S hut the nail on the head, unless you get a fixed mag high clarity swaro or S&B you need to spend ££££££ to get a variable mag scope that will let you shoot to last, last light. A 2nd hand 6x42 will outlive you and leave some money in the bank to start saving for a V8 Z8 or polar. My work / guest rifle has a V8 and it is perfect but costs over £2k new, if you can stretch to £1600-1800 you might get one 2nd hand for that, you certainly wouldn't regret it and you'd never sell it. The Hawks you'll likely upgrade if you stalk long term, it'll certainly cost you plenty of missed opportunity at last last light.

 

[4616Oxon]

Andy S hut the nail on the head, unless you get a fixed mag high clarity swaro or S&B you need to spend ££££££ to get a variable mag scope that will let you shoot to last, last light. A 2nd hand 6x42 will outlive you and leave some money in the bank to start saving for a V8 Z8 or polar. My work / guest rifle has a V8 and it is perfect but costs over £2k new, if you can stretch to £1600-1800 you might get one 2nd hand for that, you certainly wouldn't regret it and you'd never sell it. The Hawks you'll likely upgrade if you stalk long term, it'll certainly cost you plenty of missed opportunity at last last light.

Thanks very much, yes agreed I have gone off the Hawke for the 6.5. But think I will just a Kahles and take the hit hit I know they are £2k plus

 

[Loler UK]

 

[willie_gunn]

I started my stalking with a Zeiss 6x42. It did me well for perhaps my first 10 years, and I still have it in my gun cabinet. It is a lovely scope, and for nostalgia reasons I’ll not sell it until I give up stalking completely, but I’d never go back to using it full time. As a “one-rifle” stalker it became a limitation.

 

[HonestJohn]

I started my stalking with a Zeiss 6x42. It did me well for perhaps my first 10 years, and I still have it in my gun cabinet. It is a lovely scope, and for nostalgia reasons I’ll not sell it until I give up stalking completely, but I’d never go back to using it full time. As a “one-rifle” stalker it became a limitation.

in what way limitation if I dare ask?

only ask as i've shot 4x and 6x for decades, and have never been concerned with anything under 20yds, or over 300 yds 0 with MPBR zero, it's just point on the vitals and shoot..ok, maybe not ideal for a roe or a fox at 325, or running boar, but I don't do either. - I suppose if I was a 'one gun man' - I'd probably have a few scopes for different purposes with excellent QD mounts such as Ziegler's.

 

[willie_gunn]

in what way limitation if I dare ask?

only ask as i've shot 4x and 6x for decades, and have never been concerned with anything under 20yds, or over 300 yds 0 with MPBR zero, it's just point on the vitals and shoot..ok, maybe not ideal for a roe or a fox at 325, or running boar, but I don't do either. - I suppose if I was a 'one gun man' - I'd probably have a few scopes for different purposes with excellent QD mounts such as Ziegler's.

It will depend on the stalking you're doing, but for me the 6x42 was a bit of a "Jack of all trades, master of none". Yes, you could use it in a variety of conditions, but on the hill I found it lacked magnification, in the woods it lacked clarity at dawn and dawn and, with no illuminated reticule, when using a type 4 or 8 I found it all too easy to lose the crosshairs on muntjac in heavy/dark cover.

Having had two Blasers in the cabinet for many years I also have the advantage of mounts that will return to zero. I can therefore swap between a 2.5-10x50/3-12x50 and a 1.25-4x20 for driven boar, but even with a spare mount on the shelf I wouldn't contemplate using the 6x42 other than in an emergency or for nostalgia reasons. I have an 8x56 as well, and that hasn't been on a rifle in years either. They are lovely bits of glass, but times have moved on and so has equipment.

People are very welcome to use whatever they want, but given the OP is asking about a first scope my advice would be to invest in a scope that will give them some flexibility in terms of their stalking journey. A decent secondhand scope from one of the big 3 needn't cost thousands, as there are always stalkers who feel the urge to upgrade to the latest models with 6x or 8x zooms and so trade in their old 4x or 5x zoom scopes.

It's just advice, free to be used or ignored.

 

[tarponhead]

If you go for an illuminated reticle, choose one with just an illuminated centre dot or small cross, not one with the whole thing lit up like a Christmas tree.

This. I use a Swarovski Z4i 3-9x12 -lighter than many, great glass, in similar terrain to yours in Oxon. I found fixed 8 mag too much for the woods - have a now-unused Meopta Artemis that I will find a use for one day. Leupold are a good 2nd tier option but no substitute for second-hand Zeiss or Swarovski at the same price. If you can wait the British Shooting Show will gather them all in the same place. I’m seldom that patient! Get your local gun shop to set it up for you if they sell rifles and know stalking and you buy from them. Nothing worse than not getting that but right and not being able to m as let it all work as it should. Have fun!

 

[Pete6.5]

The delta titanium is amazing for the money and if you get one and then look through other peoples high cost scopes you won't come back wanting to change your scope.

 

[4616Oxon]

Hawk if you want under £1000 I've a frontier which from memory cost about £800 its excellent for the money variable mag FFP mil ret illuminated ret great "working scope" I've also 2nd hand victory V8 60mm it buys me another 15 minutes each end of the day and has stunning clarity which is handy sexying stuff as its getting dark . new it would have cost 4 time that - difficult to justify unless your shooting 5 days a week

Thanks already got a frontier actually so may well use that until I can slash out on something else.

 

[Bowland blades]

The above may a bit theoretical and you want advice not a lecture.
For regular stalking 8x to 12x max. magnification is good enough. Combined with a 42 or 50 mm objective in scopes from the top ranges of Leica, Zeiss, Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski, Steiner, Kahles and some others you are all set.
I you want to shoot targets at 300m + you will want a target scope with a higher max. magnification. You certainly won‘t go wrong by choosing one of the premier brands also for this application but you can scale down with regard to the quality ad target shooting usually takes place during bright day light. E.g. a Zeiss Conquest will be good enough, no need for a HT model, which is not available in a target spec with high mag anyway. Also a Hawke will become an option here and many more. But mechanical quality is still a major issue. There‘s no free lunch.

Having recently had some constructive criticism from another stalker that he thought myself and a mate where a bit slow into the shot on muntjac in woodland. I have been practicing on 3x standing off hand no aids out to 100 yards . There is a big difference from where i started with a fixed 6x in sitka plantations on roe and the larger varible scopes , moderators and long range stags . I recognise this was true i am slower and do too much messing about and am now out a few times a week purely practicing that quick off hand shot without sticks, bipods , rangefinders etc. I simply do not believe cheap scopes are a good option in stalking , you can loose 40 mins plus either end of the day with light and you tend to loose clicks riding in ATVs, temp changes etc . Rather have a SH 6x42 S&B anyday (infact i have two in the cabinets)
Indeed i will be out shortly re-honing those quick off hand shots ( no sticks etc)

 

[aled24]

Hi I would look at all the premium brands with a veritable Mag something from 2.5 -4 x16 or 20 with illumination dot.
Then purchase it on 0% finance and sell your old scope.
You will not regret

 

[Oh6]

This one for example:

• For Sale: - ZEISS Duralyt 3-12 x 50

Then get out stalking...

A good quality (Zeiss, Schmidt or Swarovski) second hand scope would be my recommendation. With a simple, fairly heavy cross-hair, if it's a fine cross-hair then look to go illuminated.

I would suggest something like a second hand Zeiss Duralyt 3-12x50 (illuminated or otherwise), you can pick one up for £300-£500 and it will hold its value. They come up on here periodically, it looks like @Edinburgh Rifles might have a couple at the moment and possibly another advertised on Friday.

It would be worth giving @R. Macleod & Son a call as well, as they often have good quality second hand scopes in stock.

Then spend the savings on more stalking.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

This would be ideal

For Sale: - Schmidt & Bender Klassik 6x42 (Hungarian) 30mm

Mint condition Schmidt & Bender Klassik 6x42 made in Hungary, 30mm tube. Unknown make mounts and a Butler Creek for objective lens included - as in pictures. £300 posted. Can also be seen/collected London E10.

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[oldhamstocks]

Please bear with me on this one! I thought I'd sell the scopes I've linked to below but they seem WAY better than the Hawke scopes of my airgun use in previous years. I have an application in for .308, .223 and .22LR. In anticipation I bought a s/h S&B Hungaria 6 x 42 1" OS A7 for £200, as I've enjoyed successful deer stalks using the 8 x 56 on a friend's .270 rifle, and thought it would come in useful at some point. I checked with S&B and it was made in 2001 but looks and operates as good as new! I have also come into possession of these Hawke scopes, as prizes in a competitive shooting tournament. Any thoughts on their potential use with the above calibres? Thanks

frontier-sf-3-15x44-mil-pro.html

sidewinder-30-ffp-6-24x56-ffp-half-mil.html

 

[Nimrod1960]

S&B every time, but get variable mag.
I bought 8x56 fixed, great glass wonderful light “gathering” hopeless for close woodland, used to see a deer then couldn’t find it in the scope.

Bought 2.5 - 10 x 50 Polar , love it love love it . Sorry a bit ott.