So What scope do you use and why?

[JohnT]

Leupold 3-9x50 on my stalking rifle, bought as used from flea-bay at a very good price since I was shooting mainly air rifle at the time I started the transition to stalking. Since I was used to higher power/lower priced scopes on air rifles I was very pleasantly surprised at the low-light performance of this scope.
As far as age deterioration I can say that I have noticed a marked difference over the last few years (now in my 65th) but impossible to quantify.
What I can say is that the Leupold allows me to see much more for longer in failing light conditions. This was demonstrated one night on the rabbits that were colonising the club backstop. The other guys were mostly using the normal good-quality scopes fitted to their air rifles but started to experience difficulty when I still had a clear sight picture. They were all impressed by the difference. I was shooting on the lowest power at the time.
As far as I am concerned, + 1 for the exit pupil effect.

 

[rem284]

nightforce because they are strong, tac turrets, good glass, illuminated ret, lots of rets to choose from, good warranty and a good zoom range. the only down side i could say is they are quite heavy

 

[Monkey Spanker]

I currently use 3 different scopes each of which suit different rifles.
I have a Swaro Z6i 3-18x50 on top of a fairly heavy .208AI which is great for long range larger species.
I have a Swaro Z6i 2-12x50 on top of a 25.06 which is my preferred 'go to' all rounder.
I have a Swaro 8x50 'Kurz' fixed power on top of a very short lightweight 7mm x 08 woodland stalking rifle.

All of these scopes are pretty much good for very first or very last light. The 3-18 x 50 will obviously struggle on full power at low light and will be best at about x7 mag. I also can't get used to having a side parallax which I generally forget and stays set on about 100m!
The fixed power 8x50 is just simplicity in itself and a perfect little scope for close woodland work.
However, if I could only choose one of these scopes, it would have to be the Z6i 2-12x50 which I consider to be a perfect all-rounder.
Hope this helps.
MS

In answer to this bit though:
Whats your thoughts on the best zoom range, glass quality, make, model, to allow for competitive and stalking needs into that last light shot?
I would choose a the Z6i 3-18x50. It has a good bit of mag for competitive work and the clarity of focus/parallax as well as a very fine reticle.
The fine reticle is still good at last light though as it can be illuminated and the mag can go down to allow sufficient light through.
Best of both worlds!
MS
MS

 

[The Singing Stalker]

My go to rifle is a 243 with a longbow. Munties, roe and then foxes at night. Managed a roe the other week at last light. So good for me. probably shot at about 6 mag and 120 yards.
with the 30.06. I have a z6i. Again mostly used at 6 to 8 mag but gives me the versatility for woodland stalking or long range plinking.

 

[Cris]

I have a Leopold 6x42 on my main 243 stalking rifle and it is just right first or last light. Don't over think it I just pick it up and off we go. Never need to fiddle just point and shoot.
On my 270 stalking rifle I have a Meopta 3 to 9 x 42 and that stays fixes at x7 for some reason. Never changes and again is as good as I feel I need first and last light.
Never felt the need to over complicate or pay over the odds as it's just not what I or many other people really need to do the job.

 

[Conure]

Scope choice is always an emotive subject. On my old rifles I had a 6x42 on one and a 4x Zeiss Jena made for the Brno 601 rifle on the Brno. Tried a budget variable on the target rifle and it was OK but do not remember the make but it was a 4-12x40 I think. It was clear and with it I shot out to 600 yards on the club shoots with some success.

Now this time when the time comes I think that will be looking at another fixed magnification scope or either 6x or 7x magnification as I do not want a huge long scope. As to make that will depend on what we can find within my budget at the time of course but am not fixated on any particular make and of course should the rifle come with a suitable scope already fitted then scope choice will lready have been sorted.

 

[sir-lamp-alot]

I use a ziess 2.5-10x50 t* victory diavari iluminated I really rate the glass and you can see well beyond the point at which you would say its to dark to shoot a deer the cross hairs are thick enough to see in low light but not so thick as they would blot out small targets but the centre dot iluminates if needed the 10x mag is enough for for the distances I shoot and at the othrr end of the scale im sure the driven boar boys would be fine with a 2.5 mag the scpoe has a hard life and from memory its never lost zero

 

[Southern]

I did not start using scopes much until I bought second-hand rifles with them, and started selling some of the scopes off, then buying others. Because my first scope and only one for 25 years, was an inexpensive 6x on a .22 LR, I first put some 6x42 scopes on 3 rifles, in .308, .223, and .257 Roberts.

Over half my rifles have only iron sights, and half of the others have scopes in QR rings so I can use the iron sights.
I don't use a bipod or sticks, so I don't want the power so high that I can see my pulse. I just want to aim and fire.

Then I bought a nice 4-12x40AO target scope for a .22, and to test ammunition. I became afraid of breaking it on larger rifles, so I have bought a 4-12x40 Vortex on sale, and really like it, so far. In other hunting scopes, I like small and light, so I have several Burris 2-7x35 and 3-9x40, a Swaro 3-9x36mm. So far, I am very happy with a Minox 3-9x40 I bought for $100 as a Shot Show demo. It is on a .308.

I have a few old vintage sniper scopes on their original rifles ( K98, 1903A3, and M1 Garand), and modern (1980s) Hensoldt 4x for my HKs. I have a 1.25-4x24 German #1 post for a .375 H&H, a Leupold 2.5x on an 8x57JRS combination gun, several Hawke 4x32 mil dot scopes, and just picked up a nice 1.5-6x42 ( a bit heavy 30mm tube ) Bushnell German #4A. If I am restoring a vintage rifle like a 1903 Sporter, I will put an older glossy Weaver or Leupold 4x40 or 6x scope on it. I am still shooting my vintage .270 Mauser with its 2.5x Lyman Alaskan out to 400 yards, but need to be shopping for a glossy replacement for it, too.

When actually hunting, I set the variables on 4x or 6x. Quality of glass and coatings counts for a lot, and fixed power means fewer lenses, less light loss. My old Kahles 6x42 ZF is capable of shooting in the woods at midnight with a new moon. If I bought a fixed power scope today, it would probably be a Bushnell 3200 10x40 tactical mil dot.

I have a Nikon Prostaff 4-12x40 BDC which was inexpensive and pretty nice, but large, and use it as a load development scope, but some bolt handles won't clear the eye bell, so I use the others on those. I was going to buy a Vortex 2-7x35 with BDC reticle or a Zeiss Terra 2-7x35mm, but ran across a Burris Fullfield E1 for so cheap, that I think I have to get it right now and figure where to use it later.

In scopes I have traded off or sold to friends, they all bought the glass because of the first light / last light performance - a Swaro 2.5-10x42, a Zeiss 3.5-10x, and a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x50 ( as bright and clear as anything. My friend is thrilled with it on his 7mm RM).

 

[richard griffith]

You will not get better glass than you have.Turn the mag down a bit till the image improves in low light.Richard.

 

[rutland]

I use a Swarovski 2.5 x 10 x 56 Habicht, I changed this and went for a Z5 3.5 x 18 x 44 but found I struggled at last light so changed
back to the Habicht and mostly leave it set around 7

 

[SaOsborne]

Relevant question, I think. As you age, the max diameter to which your pupils can dilate reduces. Maybe 8mm for a young kid, 5mm as an OAP. So if you're 65 with, say, 5mm pupils, you might be buying (and carrying) large objectives, but unable to reap any benefit (other than a more tolerant eye alignment)
8x56 = 7mm exit diameter. This wouldn't appear any brighter than 8x40 = 5mm exit diameter.

I do get where your coming from, I am 45, and have noticed the first issues, with very slight degradation in sight in some instances, but still being passed as good vision not in need of correction.

Just wind the magnification down. You Wont Get much better performance than you have now.

When it comes to real dusk, I tend to wind down to around 6-8 power, not finding any real difference in light, sometimes even going up to say 10 X to get the detail a little better i.e age, cullable animal, but rarely take a shot at above 6-8 on last light.

I allways find (both eyes I know) that the Zeiss 10 X 50 binoculars will go on another 10 minutes into dusk, giving me clear id and confidence of shot placement, but can rarely convert that 10 minutes into a shot as I find the colour flatter through the rifle scope and clearly much darker (one eye working to consider). I just don't remember this issue when I had the S & B 8 X 56.

 

[McKenzie]

S&B 6x42 & Swarovski 1.7-10x42, both for the same rifle.

The S&B 6x42 makes the rifle a pleasure to handle as it sits at just the right point point for balance & pointability on my unmoderated rifle as the weight is in the objective lens, but the reticle is a bit heavy for my taste; does the job on deer though, just a bit harder to zero.

The Swarovski probably has the edge in brightness & clarity but the fact that it has the weight in the eyepiece, has a 30mm tube & has a stupidly long eye relief makes it difficult for me to use as I can't mount it far enough forward to be comfortable, plus it's higher with the bigger tube size & it unbalances the rifle. This is a shame as I really like the finer reticle & the wide end of the scope for woodland stalking & if I could mount it further forward & lower it would probably be my go-to scope.

 

[SaOsborne]

Having had both scopes and the 72mm version which was great at last light . Ive owned quite a few scopes and my opinion is in this order
8x56 Swarovski or SB
zeiss diavari 3-12x56 illuminated
SB zenith 2.5-10x56 illuminated
swarovski z6i 2.5-15x56

I see you are preferring the Fixed 8 X 56 (Mine was S & B) but I agree excellent glass with less of it has to be the best, but closely followed by the Zeiss 3-12 variant of what I have, how close for light were they (subjective question I know!)?

Trouble is it depends on which scope you but with some manufacturors

I have two Swaro 2.5 15 56 and they are simply epic

I have a Swaro 2 12 50 which is also epic

I had a Swaro 8X56 which was very very good but I wanted variable

I had a Swaro 5-30X 50 and it was good but very slow to the eye

I had a Zeis Durlite 2 12 50 which was vey very good

I have a Zeis Conquest 6 22 50 which is not particularly good and its slow to the eye

I had a Shmidt and Bender 8 X 56 which was good but not as good as the Swaro

I have two Leopolds a 3 -9 and a 2 -12 and for the money they are good but again not a scratch on the swaro

I have no doubt that a modern top end Zeiss is fantastic but I have never looked through one and the two I have dont come close to the Swaro


For my shooting I want woodland wide view close range (10-20m sometimes and long range max will be 200m. So for me the 2.5-15 X 56 Swaro Z6i covers all that range and its stunning glass.

I also had/have the 2-12 X 50 Swaro Z6i which frankly was perfictly adiquate for the same operational window but being a bit of a kit tart I am selling it as I swaped it for the 15/56 so both my rifels matched.

ATB

Chasey

A lot of glass here, though as with other posts I am seeing Swaro come up strong and as your firm favorite, do you feel it has the edge on Zeiss, I have never had any Swaro glass TBH and looking in the shop tells you nothing? Its allways been a budget issue, can only buy so much before a ban is placed on all activity! Would love to trial the Swaro, maybee....

 

[Claret_Dabbler]

......

In answer to this bit though:
Whats your thoughts on the best zoom range, glass quality, make, model, to allow for competitive and stalking needs into that last light shot?
I would choose a the Z6i 3-18x50. It has a good bit of mag for competitive work and the clarity of focus/parallax as well as a very fine reticle.
The fine reticle is still good at last light though as it can be illuminated and the mag can go down to allow sufficient light through.
Best of both worlds!....

This the correct answer I think.

Great taste in scopes MS. Nearly identical to mine.

 

[willyroe]

i go with swarovski all the way due to recommendation, best in class and customer service when required.

I have an 8x50 fixed on my hill rifle which is great and more recently bought a second hand 6-18x50 PV from macleods of Tain for my rox/roe everday rifle.

Just cannot knock them in any way and not interested in changing/replacing (and i like changing kit-any excuse!).

Not cheap but worth it and if you are patient you can pick up for £300 to £700 albeit the market has seemed to get a liitle tight recently.

Maybe look at bigger tubes and 50/56mm plus if you are struggling with light?

Happy shopping!

 

[Pothunter]

Swaro z4i 2.5-10 x 56. Bright and clear in low light, without being over-bright the rest of the time. x 10 is more mag than I ever use, enough to shoot medium-sized deer up to 200m odd, which is mainly what and as far as I shoot. And surprisingly cheap for glass of this quality.

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

7x50 meopta on the 6,5 and 8x56 s/b on the 223,both good clear glass no faffing! perfect ,,,,,two hawkes on the rimmies cheap and cheerful,

 

[RED-DOT]

I drilled a 2MM hole in the erse of an Irn-Bru bottle and cabletied it to my CZ and you wouldn't believe the clarity....

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

Aye but anything will look sparkling clear after ogling through a landy windscreen,alli

 

[SaOsborne]

I drilled a 2MM hole in the erse of an Irn-Bru bottle and cabletied it to my CZ and you wouldn't believe the clarity....

Cheers red, can always rely on your sound advice, I prefer Pepsi, better glass