Archie-fox Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi Im looking for a new scope for lamping but im unsure what to go for so if anyone can recommend a good scope i dont want to spend a fortune...but i dont mind paying for a decent scope Thanks Rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 You won't go too far wrong with a S&B 8x56, you can pick up a really good used/nearly new one for about £3-400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 You will get the usual replies ie spend a fortune and you wont regret it ! But for lamping purposes you really dont need to have all the light gathering all singing and dancing mutts nutts scope. 8x will result in missed foxes unless you limit yourself to close,ish range foxes.Something for about £100-£200 with 20x would be ideal to take them up to 300 yards. If it is for rabbit then disregard everything i have just said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie-fox Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi Blackbart what sort of makes should i be looking at?? its for foxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindeye Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 its depends on the range and your ablity , i have used scope from 100 to 1000+ . when lamping you need to be able to locate the target and have a clear view . using cheap scope with vairable zoom they are normally not good at night, i have bought a bushnell banner 6-18x56 and i found it a pain to use when foxing due to the amount of variables it gives you when in low light . you dont need massive zoom when foxing , i use and swear by swarovski 8x56 and have bought 2 ,i have hit foxes at 300 yards using a 8x56 scope .if you respect your shooting dont mess about with the cheap scopes it will not be a great investment . you can pick up second hand 8x56 s+b for less than 400 quid . and still hit them at 300 yards . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 S&b 8x56 all day long. Will easily be up to the job out to 300yards - that's a fair disance under the lamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbit Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 You will get the usual replies ie spend a fortune and you wont regret it ! But for lamping purposes you really dont need to have all the light gathering all singing and dancing mutts nutts scope. 8x will result in missed foxes unless you limit yourself to close,ish range foxes.Something for about £100-£200 with 20x would be ideal to take them up to 300 yards. If it is for rabbit then disregard everything i have just said Under what circumstances would you need 20 power under the lamp? with a reduced field of view you'd be lucky to find the fox in the scope. 8x is plenty for lamping, get the schmidt you'll not regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe312 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 s+b 8 x56 or meopta 7x50 are good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 How much do you have to spend? 8x56 is ideal, for sub 200 yard foxing under the lamp - beyond that the reticule tends to hide the target.. making long shots difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Under what circumstances would you need 20 power under the lamp? with a reduced field of view you'd be lucky to find the fox in the scope. 8x is plenty for lamping, get the schmidt you'll not regret it. I'm guessing you have an 8x56, at night 200 yards is a long shot with an 8x56 let alone 300. I've recently swapped for a variable and you don't start on 20x you just wind it up when on the target. With a good variable it makes those shots far far easier, I bought a second hand 6-24 Swaro and you can wind it all the way up with no issues at all even under the lamp. 8x56 is a cracking stalking scope but long range foxing you can get better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) I also disagree that you don't need a decent light gathering scope for foxing. A lot of my foxing is done at last light / early morning - you can't shoot what you can't see. A sub £200 x20 variable... will be awful. - You may as well pop down Homebase and buy a length of guttering fill it full of milk, and look through that! Edited February 15, 2011 by garyb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 - You may as well pop down Homebase and buy a length of guttering fill it full of milk, and look through that! It really is worth spending as much as you can afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 You might also find that 8x56 scopes sit very high, meaning you may need to budget for a comb raiser if your rifle doesn't have an adjustable stock. Or learn to live with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Like i said lots of people saying spend loads! Which is the way to go if you have loads But back in the real world.....An 8x56 S&B is no question a very good scope BUT looking at a fox that is 300 yards away with this scope would(if the reticule doesnt totally block it)at best give you a picture of a fox. Looking at it with a variable that goes 20 or 24x would give you a picture of a kill zone on a fox (ie chest area)and more importantly what is behind the fox should you miss(backstop).With an 8x you are not going to get that at 300 yards under a lamp. Of course buy the best you can afford but dont think a premium brand scope with a low mag is the mutts nutts just because it is a premium brand, when there are other scopes out there better suited to the job in hand with a much lower price tag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 You don't have to spend silly money to get decent optics from one of the big names... but it's about supply and demand I've seen a variable meopta 3-12x56 go for under £330 lately... much more scope for your money than the likes of MTC, Nikko Sterling etc, Hawke ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) second hand good optics are well worth the money if you can afford them, I can't afford new like many and the simple fact is they are built to last. As a canny buy they rarely loose money either and certainly if you bought carefully in the last few years they have actually gone up in value. You can use the cheap variables but there is a huge difference when you start winding the mag up at night and even more so if you try shooting from a high seat at last light, not to say you can't use them because you can but they will cost you foxes Edited February 16, 2011 by al4x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Well ive had both S&B 8x56 and a 4x16x56 S&B sold them both good scopes but i preferred a Nightforce 5.5x22x56 NXS for my long distance shots. For lamping its usually on 10mag but its nice to be able to go higher if needed... :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkPoacher Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Well ive had both S&B 8x56 and a 4x16x56 S&B sold them both good scopes but i preferred a Nightforce 5.5x22x56 NXS for my long distance shots. For lamping its usually on 10mag but its nice to be able to go higher if needed... :good: sorry to go slightly off topic, hawkeye what ret did you select for your nightforce, with fox shooting in mind? cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Another vote for a S&B 8x56 scope.This is a brilliant scope that I can recommend anyone to get-Brilliant optic!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) I hardly have the chance or need to push shots further than 250, infact most are sub 200 yards. (under the lamp) 8x56 s&b does me fine, I never had a fox blocked by the ret to point that I couldn't shoot it? I did have a fancy dan long range leupold with all the toys and illluminafion etc - not much change from £1k and I could not get on with it at all, tried everything and just didn't get along with it - so I decided to keep it simple - was the best move I've made. Edited February 16, 2011 by Hot-Shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentKill Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 I hardly have the chance or need to push shots further than 250, infact most are sub 200 yards. (under the lamp) 8x56 s&b does me fine, I never had a fox blocked by the ret to point that I couldn't shoot it? I did have a fancy dan long range leupold with all the toys and illluminafion etc - not much change from £1k and I could not get on with it at all, tried everything and just didn't get along with it - so I decided to keep it simple - was the best move I've made. Theres a S&B 8x56 for sale on the other unmentionable site! guy wants £400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 £350 http://www.guntrader.co.uk/EquipmentForSale/detail.php?EquipmentID=110126151714176 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentKill Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 £350 http://www.guntrader.co.uk/EquipmentForSale/detail.php?EquipmentID=110126151714176 a better price, but already sold! i paid nearer that price for mine! I may even find another one for my Remmy 700 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 gave it away i did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentKill Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 gave it away i did I think i did well! lol may keep an eye out for another, or keep saving for a Swaro Z6i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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