scope objective

mvbrown

setting up a rifle for hog hunting it . is going to be a 270 and most shots are going to be 100-200 yards. i am looking for a catseye type of scope most of them are 50 obj but there is one that is 44. to me a 50 obj looks way out of place i am thinking 44,but how much light will i gain getting the 50? i know the scope is not popular but it is in the budget,any help would be very welcome.

mvbrown

If I understand this correctly, the objective diameter of a scope is the diameter of the end of the scope. And with a larger objective diameter the field of view is larger and brighter.

Since the larger diameter must be moved higher, what is the largest diameter you would use? I am looking at a 3.5-10x50 on a 308 deer/boar rifle.

Also how would you rate the Leopold Vari-X III series, Khales American Hunter and Swarovski American Series?

Thanks,



Milt

bambihunter

I have a Leupold Vari-X III 4.5x14x50 on a Remington 700 in .300 Win mag and I think it is a nice combo. I personally don't mind a big diameter scope since I seem to have a hard time lining up with scopes mounted too low.

The maximium size scope will vary some depending on the contour of the barrel and the scope maintube diameter (a 30mm scope's centerline will naturally be higher than the 1" scope)

The magnification has more to do with field of view than does the objective diameter. Also, the higher the power a scope is set at darker it will appear (in low light situations). A quality scope with lets say a 44mm objective vs. a 50mm objective will typically only give you maybe 5 minutes more shootable light - is this really worth the disadvantages to you?

Personally, I think the only real disadvantage to a large diameter objective on the scope, is that they take more abuse due to thier size relative to the gun (they seem to "hang" from the scope while in the gun case.

I've not used the Khales scope, but the Swarovski that I had didn't offer anything over the Leupold and was 30% higher cost.

In summary, I think Leupold is hard to beat. They are made here, have an iron-clad warranty, and for a high-performance scope they are relatively inexpensive...

Travis Hallam

I would suggest the Zeiss Conquest line. They are made from zeiss germany parts but assembled in the US at a cost maybe less than a leupold varix 3. They also have 4" of eye relief which is nice on a big gun. I know you can get the conquest 3-10.5x44 for less than $450.

I have the Swarovski PV and have had a Schmidt & Bender, both in the 3-12x50 and they are both great. If I had to do it over though, for the money I would get a Zeiss Conquest. I would also look at the reticle options before I would buy (which I did). I prefer the Zeiss #4 reticle over the standard Z plex.

If you decide you want to go the zeiss let me know and I will give you the info on the cheapest place to buy from.

Mad Dog

gogolen

I have a kahles 3.5-10 x 50 on my winchester 70 7mm rem mag and I love it one of my favorite pieces of glass. Nothing against leupold as I do own their products as well but I am of the firm belief that all scopes are pretty much equal (with a few exceptions) until you get to the 600 dollar and up range. just my .02

He Dog

The objective is the front end of the scope as mounted on a rifle. The end you look into when sighting is called the ocular. The diameter of the objective does indeed play a role in the field of view, because the larger the exit pupil, the larger the field of view. To determine the diameter of the exit pupil divide the diameter of the objective by the magnification. If you have a 4x scope with a 32 mm objective you will have an exit pupil of 8mm. The field of view will be expressed as something like 104 feet at 100 yards. That is why on variable scopes the field of view is expressed as x feet at 100 yards at 9x, and xx feet at 100 yards at 3x for example. If you hold the scope at arms length, you will see a very small dot of light in the ocular. If you move the scope toward your eye, the dot of light grows until it fills the ocular at sighting distance (called eye relief) at about 3.5 - 4 inches from your eye. The human iris only opens to 6 or 7mm on young folks, and less on us vintage types. Thus, you are essentially wasting light coming through the scope when you have an exit pupil of over 5 or 6mm. You eye simply cannot take it in. Very large belled (large diameter objectives like 50 or 56 mm) are used in Europe because they hunt at night and need the extra diameter to admit (not gather, scopes do not gather light) light. Some of the light entering the scope will be lost in its passage through the scope because some fraction of the light is lost to refraction and reflection at every interface between glass and gas withing the scope. The finest scopes have very high quality glass and multiple coatings on the lens surfaces (multi-coated lenses) These coatings admit specific wave lengths of light that would otherwise be reflected or refracted by the lens. The very best scopes pass through about 94% of the light entering the objective, so with a larger objective you have more light entering and thus more exiting the ocular. In practical hunting in this country you will be hunting from about 1/2 hour before sunrise, to 1/2 hour after sunset, not in the dark, merely dim light. The practical use of a very large objective is lost here. A good quality scope of 40 to 44mm is really all you need in hunting in the U.S. and in fact, though they are out of vogue 4x to 6x is all the magnification you need for almost any hunting situation other than varmints. For resale purposes 3x-9x scopes hold better value, because all the on week a year shooters are convinced they need 9x on their big game rifles. You are certainly on the right track with the Leupold scopes and your money will not be wasted on the Vari-X III series. My personal preference is for the Burris Signature series, but I would not spend the extra on Swarovski or other European optics. The Zeiss mentioned is probably a fine scope, I have no experience with them.

My heros have always killed cowboys.

JustC

Ditto the Burris signature scopes. My 4-16x44 lets in at least as much light as my vari-x III leupold 4.5-14x50 did,..costs less,..and covers every practical hunting situation you may encounter.

GOOD COATINGS make a bigger difference than objective lense diameter. As does the size of the internal lenses. Burris uses the same lens in thier 1" tubes that most other companies use in their 30mm tubes,..resulting in better light and image transfer while maintaining the 44mm objective and smaller scope size.

The large objectives (56mm) come into their own at the higher powers. A 56mm lens can still allow the 5-6mm exit pupil while at almost 12x ,..where a 40mm would only allow it at say 6.5-8x +/-. These are usually long range scopes where image quality and light transmission are paramount in importance where target work and very small game are spotted and fired at. Not for use on a TYPICAL hunting gun,....been there done that, only used minimal power anyway.



why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

Jim Rau

It would appear you are following in the foot steps of the 'average' american hunter and putting on WAY TO MUCH scope. The ideal scope for a 308 for deer and pigs would be a 1 3/4 X 6 Leopold. The short action 308 will be very mismatched with the scope you describe. Take it form one has tried it both ways, you will be much happier with the smaller, lower power unit for your application. (If you do go with the big scope you will probably be very dissatisfied and end up changinging it, save the time and money and do it right the first time). Hope this helped.[:)]

Self defence is an ablsolute and natural right. Keep your powder dry! J. Rau, Alaska

mvbrown

Thanks everyone for the information.

I have a varmit/targer rifle in 25-06 with a Leopold 3-9x40 which I may put on my 308. Then something like the Zeiss 3-10.5x44 for my varmit rifle might be better deal.

Mad Dog I would appreciate that information about best prices.

Thanks again.[8D]

Milt

scott

might I suggest if you live out west, like I do, that the higher magnification is a great advantage to a lower end magnification range like the 1.5x6...if I could get by with that range of scope where I hunt, i'd just save the $1500 invested in gun , optics and bipod and throw rocks at it instead...I think the power range you are looking at will help you utilize the 308's potential to a much greater degree and satisfaction will follow...all the above mentioned scopes have great optics. Evaluate weight, length, eye releif and the lines it will give you when mounted on your rifle then choose what is right for you and your pocketbook..

He Dog

I also hunt out west but all most all shots are within 150 yards. Did not see a post by Mad Dog, but for decent prices check www.bearbasin.com www.natchezss.com and some also recommend Cheaper Than Dirt, but I have no experience with them.

My heros have always killed cowboys.

Travis Hallam

Hi Again, The 3.5-10x44 is an excellent choice. I shot my deer at 360 yards (rangefinder used) in lowlight conditions. A lesser scope would not have worked well.

The guys name is Mark and he sells on ebay as elkhunter777 (I think). His ebay rating is about 99.99 positive (one unregistered user gave him the lone bad rating). He and Alex Roy of eurooptic.com (strictly high end) are the best scope guys I have ever delt with. Both are excellent to say the least.

Anyway. His email is HuntElk4@cs.com and ask him the questions you want to know. Very helpful, not pushy, his prices and scopes sell themselves. Enjoy.

Mad Dog