Opinions on scope for $500-600

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karolko

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Hey Guys,

I am starting to look into purcahsing a scope for my first hunting rifle and i would like to do it right, as i do not plan on having a large gun collection but a solid rifle for hunting that i can be proud of in years to come.

I will dominantly be hunting in praires, and in mildly wooded areas, dominantly for deer, but moose and elk will make the menu eventually as well.

I have been thinking of a 3-9 power or 4-10 ish with either a 40 or 50mm optical, but this being my first rifle and scope purchase and from the little hunting i have donewith my friends rifle i do not know the importance of certain things,

After reading the sticky about scopes one thing that i have in my head is how much of a difference does it make by going from a 40 to 50mm optical. Is the light transmission noticable different and secondly with the 50mm's how much does it effect your weld when holding the rifle, is it much higher and harder to get a good weld with the rifle?

I have been reading alot on the web and i think i am leaning towards a Leupold VXR or a VX3, but i don't know which would be better, or if there is a better brand/model fro the price range i am looking around?

Any help or guidance would be great. Hopefully this will help others too.

Adrian Karolko
 
I went through the same thing a couple of months ago, I bought a vx2 3-9x50, took it home and spent the next couple of evenings at dusk comparing it to my vx1 4-12x40, vortex diamondback 4-12x40, and nikon prostaff 2-7x33. I can say with all honesty that there was so little difference with light transmission, that I took it back, and eventually settled on a zeiss conquest 3-9x40. The amount of additional light that a 50mm objcective lets in is a controversial subject, probably best to check out some of the optics forums for better research, some feel that the eye cant even utilize the extra light. Yes you might need high rings for a 50 mm, but my leupold high rings are only 1/8" higher than my mediums so it might not matter that much to you, it didn't to me. The best thing to do is to go to the store and take a few scopes outside with the salesmen and make your own comparisons, looking at objects a couple of hundred yards away, make sure you adjust the eye piece on each scope. If you have to do it a couple of times so you can make some comparisons right at dusk, try to get away from the outside store lights for a more accurate comparison. I settled on a zeiss because it was cheaper than a vx3 and I thought just as clear. Good luck
 
For the situations you described I think a 2.5-10 magnification would work very well for you. In the wooded areas you have the option of going down to 2.5, and in the open areas you can dial all the way up to 10X if needed. I have hunted some very open areas in the past with the same scope, and I found myself normally maxing out around 6-7X just because I could not hold the light weight hunting rifle still enough to use more magnification. But if I carried a shooting stick, I would utilize the 10X because the sticks helped me hold the rifle very still for longer shots.
 
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X2 for conquest 3x9
i have compared to more exspensive scopes and the conquest is brighter and has better contrast had to buy a second one
 
Scope magnification should be chosen based on cartridge potential and intended use.
What cartridge are you using?

If it is 7 STW you need high magnification max at 14 better 18

if it is regular 270, 30-06 3-9 will serve you well.

I have multiple Leupold scopes and my beef with them is that very few of them have fast focus. I think Leupold new line VRX it has.

I have 3 Zeiss 3-9x40 with Z-plex reticle on guns that we walk with in the bush Sako's Finnlight in 30-06, they are light scopes and have excellent glass
and fast focus so I can grub any gun and adjust clarity of reticle to my eyesight instantly.

Large objectives are very european as thay can hunt at night for wild boar and then mostly from tree stands so weight of scope is not a factor.
 
Don't sacrifice glass quality in favor of a larger objective to stay under budget. 1 step forward, 2 steps back.

as for 50mm objectives affecting cheek weld, I have not found one that has made a noticeable difference. If i'm think about this right, you are only moving the bottom of the ocular bell UP 5mm. Not very much at all.
 
Thanks for the input guys,

I am more than likey gong to settle on a 30-06 of 7mm Mag for cartridge. I will have to look more into the Ziess and Vortech's. Where are they made?

I do not mind spending the extra little cash in order to get a proper scope, i just don't feel i need the King Kong of scopes, but something that won't let me down.

Keep the comments coming...


Adrian
 
straightwalls said:
the 40mm vs 50mm debate is certainly alive and well, keep in mind that the 50mm objectives also provide a wider field of view so can be an advantage when offhand shooting in close quarters. of course the advantage varies with make/model.
Click to expand...

+1
we might as well start the 30mm vs 1 inch tube as well.
TWK
 
The zeiss conquest is european glass and assembled in the US, Vortex is made overseas. The vortex is can be very good optical quality for the price, but if you don't mind spending a few hundred bucks go for the conquest, zeiss has been making optics for decades and has a long solid track record. Vortex is a bit more up and down in the QC, there has been many threads about this, but hey, you can even get a lemon in a zeiss, I just get the impression there is many more vortex lemons than zeiss lemons. And as someone stated before you are much better off getting a better quality 40mm vs a lesser quality 50mm. And if you think you will be taking close shots in the timber I personally would avoid the 4-12 powers, the field of view in a lot of these is significantly less than a 3-9.
 
Here are some solid options to consider:

Swarovski Z3 3-9x36 plex or 4A reticle
regular price: $1,235 plus tax
promo price: $825

Swarovski Z3 3-10x42 plex or 4A reticle
regular price: $1,375 plus tax
promo price: $925

Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 z-plex reticle
regular price: $499 plus tax
promo price: $479

Zeiss Conquest 3-9x50 z-plex reticle
regular price: $719 plus tax
promo price: $659

Minox ZA3 3-9x40 plex reticle
regular price: $399 plus tax
promo price: $370

Minox ZA3 3-9x50 plex reticle:
regular price: $539 plus tax
promo price: $499

Minox ZA5 2-10x40 plex or #4 reticle
regular price: $459 plus tax
promo price: $429

Minox ZA5 2-10x50 plex or #4 reticle
regular price: $589 plus tax
promo price: $559

The promo prices include tax, shipping/insurance is extra. I realize the Swaro Z3 scopes are above your price range however I include them because they are an exceptional deal currently with the 30% off promotion.
 
good advice

hookedonblacktail said:
I went through the same thing a couple of months ago, I bought a vx2 3-9x50, took it home and spent the next couple of evenings at dusk comparing it to my vx1 4-12x40, vortex diamondback 4-12x40, and nikon prostaff 2-7x33. I can say with all honesty that there was so little difference with light transmission, that I took it back, and eventually settled on a zeiss conquest 3-9x40. The amount of additional light that a 50mm objcective lets in is a controversial subject, probably best to check out some of the optics forums for better research, some feel that the eye cant even utilize the extra light. Yes you might need high rings for a 50 mm, but my leupold high rings are only 1/8" higher than my mediums so it might not matter that much to you, it didn't to me. The best thing to do is to go to the store and take a few scopes outside with the salesmen and make your own comparisons, looking at objects a couple of hundred yards away, make sure you adjust the eye piece on each scope. If you have to do it a couple of times so you can make some comparisons right at dusk, try to get away from the outside store lights for a more accurate comparison. I settled on a zeiss because it was cheaper than a vx3 and I thought just as clear. Good luck
Click to expand...

I was as diligent as you, when I was looking for a good scope best siuted for my eyes several years ago.I came home with the vx 111.For me it was the best scope.The vx-r for me,is the sharpest scope that I have bought recently.
 
Thanks alot for the help guys, i will look into your recommendations and when i finally have time i will run out to the store and try out a bunch to see what works for me.

How much did you guys pay for your Zeiss? I like the fact that it has european glass and is assembled int he US.
 
The 5 Zeiss i own for the last 30 years or so never needed repairs or adjustments, warranty is important i agree but if the scopes are bullet proof you wont use even the best warranty much... JP.
 
karolko said:
Thanks alot for the help guys, i will look into your recommendations and when i finally have time i will run out to the store and try out a bunch to see what works for me.

How much did you guys pay for your Zeiss? I like the fact that it has european glass and is assembled int he US.
Click to expand...

Not to knock Zeiss, but don't mistake "European glass" as meaning it comes from the same factory as the glass used in their Victory line. IIRC, Meopta makes the glass for Zeiss' Conquest line in the Czech Republic and Zeiss is using Japanese glass in a spotter now as well. The top end Japanese glass is equal to the top Euro glass. This has been proven with certain products from Nikon, Kowa,etc.
Some of the best resources and reviews for optics come from bird watcher forums, rather than largely opinionated and biased hunters. :D

The Conquest is a great scope at a steal, but only in the 3-9x40 Z-Plex. As soon as you go to different reticles and magnifications, the price jumps considerably and there are other options out there. My thoughts and experiences anyhow.
 
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