Scope for low light situations

Evanguy

Evanguy

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I'm looking for a scope for very low light situations, at my old job(rural NS) there was a few deer hunters that suggested Bushnell dusk to dawn as the brightest scope in dim light. Since I've moved to BC and my budgets have changed around, I'm still open to a dusk2dawn but wondering what else is out there with better or comparable light gathering features.

This thread is talking scopes below $500 can.

I own a Vortex diamondback 3x9 as my "good scope" and lots of other tasco and aim master made in Japan fixed scopes from the 70's
 
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Bushnell 4200's are 'bout the best budjit clear scopes I've found.
Next up are Leupolds VX III's.
Bit pricer, but werth the ker-ching iff'in you can find one around teh $400 mark.
 
very low light situation and short wont make it works. we used in low light condition for high seat and control of wild boar (do not call that hunting myself) 7x50 or 8x56 with a german 4 or 1. a reticle dot might help you to do it better. the bushnell german 4 4200 2.5-10x50 german 4 with a red dot can be your solution but you need to check the aiming at 2.5 and 10 to see if it works for you.
 
I’ve found Leupold to be noticeably brighter than other brands. Lots of magnification and size options in their VX-Freedom line to fit your $500 budget.
 
Zeiss has a fixed 4x that might be found used in your price range
I'd definitely look for a euro scope as many are built specific with twilight or moonlight shooting capabilities in mind
 
I am not real sure what you mean by "low light" - in a book here by Finn Aargaard, his first 375 H&H was iron sighted - actually a "custom" fixed rear aperture sight on the rear receiver bridge. He sold that one. Some time later he bought a second one - with a Weaver K2.5 scope on it - says that he got many shots with that little scope that he would not have been able to take with the iron sights - as in Cape Buffalo in dark bush, etc. I think is entirely different to talk about night time / star light scopes - as far as I see, many Euro countries allow that full on night time hunting - typical to see huge 56 mm front lens on those scopes - I never used them - no clue how that works out in broad daylight.

Will be some physics at play - front lens in mm divided by power gives you the diameter of the exit pupil that hits your eye. So 56 mm front lens divided by 6 power gives an exit pupil of 9.33 mm or so; whereas 40 mm front lens divided by same 6 power gives exit pupil circa 6.67 mm diameter. Typical 15 year old opens their iris circa 7mm - old fart like me lucky to get 4 mm - so if the calculated exit pupil diameter larger than can go into your eye, is likely of no direct benefit to you - hence younger shooter will have different opinion of "brightness" of scope, compared to "old guy's" assessment.

More than likely will be something related to glass quality, or quality of the grind, or the coatings - about best scope here is German made 4x - no doubt from 1950's or 1960's - a Hensoldt - would cost a bazillion dollars to make today, I am sure - takes your breathe away how clear and sharp and the colour rendition it is capable of. Every lens that the light passes through will absorb a bit of light - hence fixed power with fewer lenses, will likely transmit more light through the scope, if glass quality, grind and coatings are equivalent.
 
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Evanguy said:
I'm looking for a scope for very low light situations
Click to expand...

You say very little about where and what you will be hunting so very little about what power or reticle or brand can be recommended to you.

Speaking generally there are factors that determine a scopes low light capabilities but before we get there there is one big factor and that is you.
Are you a person that is blessed with good eyesight and do not wear glasses, these are two big factors?
Second the Europeans have been using and building low light scopes for generations before we decided here in North America that we need good low light scopes.
Generally speaking a scope that offers at least an exit pupil of 7 or greater at whatever power you are using and made with quality lenses is going to give you excellent low light service.
There have been some low priced scopes that applied these features that have performed reasonably, Bushnell and Tasco have made scopes like this but today I do not know what is available.
At your price point today I would look for a used scope like a Leupold VX-II or VX-III (Not the older Vari-X models) in a medium power range they have good value and give excellent repair service if you need it.
BB

PS: what potashminer also said :)
 
Hmmm, two days ago last shot was 5:08pm & I was carrying my Savage 10P-SR in 308 topped with Bushnell's 5-30x56 Match Pro ED with 34mm tube & illuminated reticle.

Being a curious sort, I turned the illuminated reticle on the lowest setting & surprise surprise, I could clearly see the reticle against backdrops where a black reticle would have been difficult or impossible to see.

And yes, I went back to my good old lever with 1.5-5x20 Leupold lol, I just had to try out the Match Pro Ed I just picked up...

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For your intended use and budget, I would highly recommend a used Leupold Vari X-III/VX-III/VX-3 in 1.5-5x20 or 1.75-6x32. Even the 2.5-8x36 would be a good choice.

Light, compact, rugged and reliable scopes that will perform under low light conditions and provide generous field of view for short distance shooting, yet give adequate power for those 100 yard shots or sighting in at the range/practice sessions. And they have lifetime warranty for any owner...and in the rare event you need to use it, their turn around time for warranty work has been very quick (less than 2 weeks on the 2 occasions I have used it in 37 years - the first not the scopes fault - a fall on the rocks in the mountains)
The 1.5-5 has historically been one of the most used scopes on dangerous game rifles in Africa for close in work in the thick bush, because it works. And if you look, there are various reticles available in these scopes. Most have the regular duplex, but there are those with a heavy duplex that is easier to see at first/last light.

For years, I had a fixed 2.5 power Leupold with heavy reticle on my Marlin in 375 Win, and it was my main black bear hunting rifle as most shots where we typically hunted were 125 yards or closer in the black spruce. Tough to pick a spot on a black hide in the dark timber. The reticle was perfect for this. Worked great on moose too. Also took my first caribou with that set up.

Rifles I have/had equipped with these scope have still been able to achieve 1" groups or better when sighting in, target practice and even load development, over the years. Still have a number of these scopes; because they work!
 
You get what you pay for but in that price range the diamondback 1.75-5x32 is low mag with a good sized objective

If you can find a used redfield 2-7x34 they were cheap and good for the price. There's a store on Google that still has them for 200 bucks, can't speak to if its legit though

I don't know what "low light" work is happening l, presumably thick brush at dusk and dawn, but a fixed 4x or 20mm objective scope do not scream "low light" but both have worked fine for me in that situation

Used leupolds are always an option but going up in price l. Many here have an emotional connection to older gen leupolds and old euro scopes but for 500 bucks modern mid range bushnells are probably a better choice. Scopes have improved significantly in recent history
 
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