The great riflescope and binocular fading light test! (A bit of fun)

[ChesterP]

[FONT=&amp]A shooting friend and I were interested to see just how a cross-section of our mixed collection of mounted scopes and binoculars fared when the light started to fade, so duly set up overlooking some fields with a dark woodland fringe in front of which was a barbed wire fence strung across Larch poles some 160 yards distant. We thought it would be an interesting challenge to compare some good optics of a few years back with mid priced ones today and some pretty high end optics. We included several pairs of binoculars. Light conditions started around sun-down with plenty of ambient light left, but with light fading fast, followed by almost complete darkness by gone 7:30pm and on to 8pm.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&amp]The results were rather interesting

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[FONT=&amp]Brownie points for anyone correctly able to identify each scope and the two (of three) pairs of binoculars just on view (unfair I know!...not much to go on but lets see who gets close).[/FONT]
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[FONT=&amp]Extra brownie points for anyone correctly able to rank the performance of the optics

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[FONT=&amp]The test was two-fold:[/FONT]
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[FONT=&amp]1. To be able to pick out texture in a large tree trunk some 240 yards distant, and clearly make out the small branches;[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]2. To clearly be able to pick out the larch fencepost at 160 yards distant AND the top wire and fixings. This was a particularly good test of resolution as well as optics low light "brightness".[/FONT]
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[FONT=&amp]I won't reveal the answers just yet. Interested to see first if the optics are correctly guessed. If not, I'll fill in the blanks a little later on.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&amp]It may be of little help, but there's between £11,000 and £12,000 of kit on that table, perhaps a little more.



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[BRYAN]

Chester.
Why did not give thm a proper challenge and spot the lower wires at 300m in moonlight = Swarovski.

 

[Whitebeard]

I think the scopes are Nightforce NF, Nikon Monarch, Zeiss Victory, and Nightforce NXS, one set of the binos are Steiners cant tell the others.

Ian.

 

[Richie092]

Looking forward to reading the results.

 

[ChesterP]

I think the scopes are Nightforce NF, Nikon Monarch, Zeiss Victory, and Nightforce NXS, one set of the binos are Steiners cant tell the others.

Ian.

Very close! ...but no cigar. The other set of bins aren't going to be identified I think from what can be seen....so I'll give their ID...Leica 10 x 42 rangefinding binoculars. The others are indeed Steiners. There was a third pair... Opticron Discoveries (out of sight).

 

[ChesterP]

Chester.
Why did not give thm a proper challenge and spot the lower wires at 300m in moonlight = Swarovski.

No moonlight...othewrise I reckon we could have spotted wires at 300!

 

[ejg]

Vortex in the back? Might be a toss up between Zeiss and Nikon scope.
edi

 

[ChesterP]

Vortex in the back? Might be a toss up between Zeiss and Nikon scope.
edi

No Vortex or Nikon scopes are in the pictures

I'l give it a few more response before revealing a little more.

 

[BLUEROLL]

Is the 2nd scope in a Delta Titanium ?

 

[slider]

Steiners bins are all I recognise

 

[ejg]

must get the eyes checked...

 

[ChesterP]

Is the 2nd scope in a Delta Titanium ?

Well done. Yes, a Delta Titanium HD, 2.5-15 x 56. An absolutely cracking scope with the best FOV of the whole lot. (Second scope in from the front).

Steiners are the Skyhawk 3.0s. Stunning optics for the money.

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

Not a oops! in sight ,theres a 455 in there somewhere ,my heads hurting i,m going for a lie down,WELL DONE FOR SHARING BUT YOU WONT STOP THE TACKLE TARTS

 

[african jack]

need to go to spec savers if you think there is no ziess

Not a swaro/zeiss in sight ,theres a 455 in there somewhere ,my heads hurting i,m going for a lie down,WELL DONE FOR SHARING BUT YOU WONT STOP THE TACKLE TARTS

 

[ChesterP]

OK. Scopes front to back:

1. Optima IR, 1" tube; very similar to early Nightforce (interesting that Whitebeard spotted that similarity);
2. Delta Titanium HD: 30mm tube: 2.5-15 x 56 IR, very fine 4a ret with adjustable intensity red dot (very fine);
3. Zeiss Victory...I believe it may have been the 3-15 illuminated 4a ret, 30mm tube; target type locking elevation dial;
4. Nightforce NSX 5.5-22 x 56 IR-NP1 floating ret with fine centre dot
5. Just out of sight was a Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 34mm tubed LR series target scope, 3.5-21 x 50mm, mildot FFP ret.

Bins: Steiner Skyhawk 3.0, 8 x 42; Leica Rangefinder 10 x 42; Opticron Discovery 8 x 32.

Anyone care to guess which scopes won out for

1. Resolving power;
2. Field of View at 15 times magnification (all scopes were set at 15 times);
3. Brightness & "pop" of image and eye relief?

 

[ChesterP]

Not a swaro/zeiss in sight ,theres a 455 in there somewhere ,my heads hurting i,m going for a lie down,WELL DONE FOR SHARING BUT YOU WONT STOP THE TACKLE TARTS

See above... Zeiss optics are in there

 

[mak]

OK. Scopes front to back:

1. Optima IR, 1" tube; very similar to early Nightforce (interesting that Whitebeard spotted that similarity);
2. Delta Titanium HD: 30mm tube: 2.5-15 x 56 IR, very fine 4a ret with adjustable intensity red dot (very fine);
3. Zeiss Victory...I believe it may have been the 3-15 illuminated 4a ret, 30mm tube; target type locking elevation dial;
4. Nightforce NSX 5.5-22 x 56 IR-NP1 floating ret with fine centre dot
5. Just out of sight was a Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 34mm tubed LR series target scope, 3.5-21 x 50mm, mildot FFP ret.

Bins: Steiner Skyhawk 3.0, 8 x 42; Zeiss Rangefinder 10 x 40-something; Opticron Discovery 8 x 32.

Anyone care to guess which scopes won out for

1. Resolving power;
2. Field of View at 15 times magnification (all scopes were set at 15 times);
3. Brightness & "pop" of image and eye relief?

Zeiss don't make 40mm range finders. They looked a bit like Conquest HD bins ( which are not range finders). The Zeiss scope looked like a Diavari as it had the blue logo on the illumination turret? 3-12x56. There was a 5-15x42, but that came in an inch tube.

 

[ChesterP]

Zeiss don't make 40mm range finders. They looked a bit like Conquest HD bins ( which are not range finders). The Zeiss scope looked like a Diavari as it had the blue logo on the illumination turret? 3-12x56. There was a 5-15x42, but that came in an inch tube.

You're quite right...my bad. Just re-checked and they're Leica Binoculars (Ultravid?)....I have Zeiss on the brain! Needless to say, they weren't my pair (I had the Steiners). I have corrected the previous posts.

The rifle scope is definitely a Zeiss Victory...It is a Victory FL...I think 4-16 x 50T* IR scope (just enlarged one of my other photos from last night to get the detail!). Would I be right in assuming this was also called a "Victory Diavari"?

 

[Fastrac10]

Well on the Scope front, I'm guessing the Nightforce didn't perform that well?
However all will be revealed in good time..........
+1 on the Swarovski front, had you tested, it would be the winner....

 

[ChesterP]

Well on the Scope front, I'm guessing the Nightforce didn't perform that well?
However all will be revealed in good time..........
+1 on the Swarovski front, had you tested, it would be the winner....

Why would you think that? Your guess wouldn't be right. Perhaps not for the most obvious reasons though.....all in good time. I've used Swarovski scopes and tbh, found top tier Zeiss and S&B as good if not better. They're certainly not head and shoulders above some in this test, put it that way. It would be a lot closer than many would like to admit