Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 OK, so I'm after a half decent scope for a .243, it's going to be used for foxes, deer and some range work - but can't cost the earth - seriously nothing over £500! This doesn't rule out secondhand scopes though, or scopes imported from the USA - I don't mind doing the leg work, I just mind paying too much! Requirements: Variable power - probably ~4x to ~16x Objective 40mm+ Side paralax adjustment Finger adjustable turrets Usual 30/30 reticle or mildot/varmint type Pretty good glass - I'm used to a Leupold So what do you think?? Hang out for a secondhand Schmidt? New Zeiss? New ATN? New Leuold? New Nikon? New Nikko Nighteater? Can anyone tell me anything about Meopta too? :yp: If you wish to rate the above list out of 10 that would be handy too! Likewise if anyone has, or knows of anyone who has, a scope that may fit the above requirements please PM me. Cheers, Oly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Oly, I'd be on the look out for a secondhand top manufacturer scope with that budget Swaro, S&B etc. Say a fixed power one 8x56 or some such, that'd do for the fox and deer anyway, I don't do much range work besides zeroing and grouping so I can't speak for that suitability. I'm getting one of these but it's just going on a rimfire at the moment as I like the reticle and read good stuff about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Oly, I'd be on the look out for a secondhand top manufacturer scope with that budget Swaro, S&B etc. Say a fixed power one 8x56 or some such, that'd do for the fox and deer anyway, I don't do much range work besides zeroing and grouping so I can't speak for that suitability. I'm getting one of these but it's just going on a rimfire at the moment as I like the reticle and read good stuff about them. Cheers John, Have I heard right in the the MTC's are only really for airrifles & rimmys? Out of interest what do you have on you .223? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCM Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Hi Oly, I had a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44 on my .243 for quite a while and it was an ok match (I still have the scope on another rifle) but doing more lamping I found the zoom, & paralax (side) adjustments at night with a fox in the lamp an unwanted distraction. I have recently changed for a Zeiss 8x56 with No. 4 reticle - the posts are a little thick for target work but at night are perfect - no more losing the fine cross hairs in the lamp (as on the 4.5-14 - although that was my choice of cross hair at the time). I have on more than one occasion sat up for fox at dusk expecting to use the lamp on dark, but not needed to with the scopes performance and a baited area concentrate on. I am sticking with the 8x56 for now, although for close woodland stalking x8 may be a tad high. Cheers AndyCM - the 4.5-14 is now on my .17hmr which is ok - I have head shot a few rabbits this week at 100-150 yards but will change to a 6.5-20x50 Zeiss Conquest (or similar when I find £500'ish spare), just to have a bit more mag to get the best of the rifle for longer range corvids mainly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 I had a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44 on my .243 for quite a while and it was an ok match (I still have the scope on another rifle) but doing more lamping I found the zoom, & paralax (side) adjustments at night with a fox in the lamp an unwanted distraction. Andy, Thanks for the info. Were you not tempted heed your own advice though and just leave the zoom set at 8? Cheers, Oly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCM Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Andy, Thanks for the info. Were you not tempted heed your own advice though and just leave the zoom set at 8? Cheers, Oly. Yes I could have done that - but the cross hairs were fine (great for day time & good light but not so good at dusk / night - and with a zoom it was too tempting to fiddle. + the 8x56 has a better reticle & light transmission for my use right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sako7mm Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 No offence intended to anyone, but I fail to see how anyone can consistently shoot sub MOA groups with an 8x scope. More magnification allows you to choose your aiming point far more precisely. Both my 243's wear 6-18 Swarovski A lines, which are brilliant. Just wish they were available with a 40mm objective to allow them to be mounted a little lower. The Zeiss conquest scopes are worth a look, although I don't like their side parallax adjustment. I have a Leupold VXII 6-18 which holds its zero impeccably and if you had one sent over from D&R in the states with no VAT/duty to pay would cost just half your budget! Sure, the optical quality is not as good as Swarovski, but it's plenty good enough, especially in the lamp. I don't know why so many fox shooters fuss over their potential new scope's light gathering ability when they're going to use a million or more candle power lamp on what they're aiming at anyway. Unless you're going to shoot deer at dawn/dusk, I'd buy a Leupold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Anyone know much about the ATN's?? How good are they in low light? They go for quite a lot over here but you can get the 8-24x75 with illuminated reticle from the US for ~£200 new! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadeye ive Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 I have a custom reticle by premier on my leupold and as it's in the first focal plane on increased mag the cross air thickens which is a good job really as it would be a pile of scrap for night shooting because below 14x mag you struggle to see it ..........be carefull if going for a leupold . For all three options i would consider this Oly .I handled one the other day and I have to say it's a beaut with a touch of Europeon about it and no way tacky like the rest of the range http://www.opticswarehouse.com/acatalog/info_443.html For a dedicated hunting scope then S/B or similar with fixed mag would be my choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 For all three options i would consider this Oly .I handled one the other day and I have to say it's a beaut with a touch of Europeon about it and no way tacky like the rest of the range http://www.opticswarehouse.com/acatalog/info_443.html Sorry mate...just don't like Hawkes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Cheers John, Have I heard right in the the MTC's are only really for airrifles & rimmys? Out of interest what do you have on you .223? Nope and yes, they were developed for that purpose but MTC Vipers have been tested by customers on centrefire rifles up to .308 I believe, they're on .223's .243's etc also. In my reading up on the scope I've not read any complaints about recoil thus far, mostly glowing reports. You'll find out more about them by searching here and Google naturally. Mine will be for a rimmy but depending on how it performs I may sell the Nightforce for one for the .223, or a 2nd hand something or other for foxing. Nightforce 3.5-15x50 on my .223. Cost was . Not good for night time shooting as the crosshair is too fine (maybe I can get it changed I'll have to look into that), and when illuminated it can be hard to see the fox when he's out there a bit due to the slight glow so it's a real trade off when you're looking at night time shooting then doing target work in the day. For night time I would say go for a reticle (yes yes on a good light gathering scope) that at least has thick posts from the outer rim of the scope if you understand what I mean, then you will have more of an idea where the fine part of the crosshair really is. For night time shooting I can't really reccomend the scope I have, although in saying that Conors Nightforce 5.5-22x56 has a much thicker crosshairs than mine (both have the NP-R2 reticles as far as I remember). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadeye ive Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 For all three options i would consider this Oly .I handled one the other day and I have to say it's a beaut with a touch of Europeon about it and no way tacky like the rest of the range http://www.opticswarehouse.com/acatalog/info_443.html Sorry mate...just don't like Hawkes! Niether do I Oly but there is something different about this range ,price for starters as it retails around £300 .Incidently I was looking at the Viper series at the same time which were retailing around £200 but IMO this hawk version beat it hands down . Looking at this response as your mind seems closed I think you know what you want and it will either be a second hand variable swaro or similar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 At that budget you could do worse than look at the Bushnell/Bausch & Lomb 4200 series. I have one on my .243 and it works a treat. Don't discount what people might consider to be inappropriate. Lorraine has a BSA Contender on hers and it works nearly as well as the B&L on mine. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRDS Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 I have just bought an MTC for my Hornet, well impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Many thanks for all the help so far ...keep it coming! Anything on ATN's and Nikko Nighteaters out there?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Many thanks for all the help so far ...keep it coming! Anything on ATN's and Nikko Nighteaters out there?? I could be wrong and am standing by to be corrected but doesn't Axe have a Nighteater scope on his Quad? I'm sure he'll be able to offer a valuable opinion. Sorry I can't help with ATN scope, know nothing about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Many thanks for all the help so far ...keep it coming! Anything on ATN's and Nikko Nighteaters out there?? I could be wrong and am standing by to be corrected but doesn't Axe have a Nighteater scope on his Quad? I'm sure he'll be able to offer a valuable opinion. Sorry I can't help with ATN scope, know nothing about them. Cheers John, I'll PM him in on this thread! Oly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted April 19, 2007 Report Share Posted April 19, 2007 Many thanks for all the help so far ...keep it coming! Anything on ATN's and Nikko Nighteaters out there?? I looked at the ATN scopes at a Gamefair two years ago, and they are so HEAVY, i wouldn't like to have one on my rifle, and looking through it things looked a bit green, not a clear picture as i would like for scopes at that price. I have not heard of anyone who has used them though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mry716 Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Anyone know much about the ATN's?? How good are they in low light? They go for quite a lot over here but you can get the 8-24x75 with illuminated reticle from the US for ~£200 new! Whatever you buy buy it from somewhere that you can go to and bang on the counter when you are not satisfied. In the last 12 months I have bought £1500 worth of scopes from Burris by buying two Black Diamonds. The first has been back once for repair and now needs to go again and the second which was purchased direct form Burris Custom Shop as I wanted an unusual specification, has never been fitted, but I have just found out that it has a loose washer inside and so will also have to be returned -all at my expense and frustration. By the way where can you buy ATN for £200? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Whatever you buy buy it from somewhere that you can go to and bang on the counter when you are not satisfied. By the way where can you buy ATN for £200? That's good information! ATN for about £200 is from the USA - http://www.opticsplanet.net/atnrifprof82.html Kip, what are you using these days?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Oly, The nikko Stirling Nighteater range offers alot of scope for the money. Noone I know that has a nighteater is dipleased with it. The glass is clear and offers good light gathering and the one peice body is extremely ruggid and will put up with the riggers of hunting. The recticles are normally fine so you may loose them a little at dusk. I opted for an illuminted recticle but honestly seldom use it. Overall the weight isnt bad either in comparison to other scopes. In conclusion, you generally get what you pay for butl Nikko break the mould on this. The likes of S&B, Swaro, etc will offer slighlty better performance. For the distances I shoot in the field, I would have no qualms putting one on a .243. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Oly, The nikko Stirling Nighteater range offers alot of scope for the money. Noone I know that has a nighteater is dipleased with it. The glass is clear and offers good light gathering and the one peice body is extremely ruggid and will put up with the riggers of hunting. The recticles are normally fine so you may loose them a little at dusk. I opted for an illuminted recticle but honestly seldom use it. Overall the weight isnt bad either in comparison to other scopes. In conclusion, you generally get what you pay for butl Nikko break the mould on this. The likes of S&B, Swaro, etc will offer slighlty better performance. For the distances I shoot in the field, I would have no qualms putting one on a .243. WELL...that's put the cat amoung the pigeons!!! What ranges are you shooting at Axe, and what's the scope on presently? Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 The furthest I have used the scope to date is 200 yards. In fairness that was on a range, but it still did the job. IIts currently on my HMR and thats used out to 150 yards on occasion. The zoom is set at 12 and when were out on the Fox with a .223 as well, it will follow the long range shots with ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted April 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 The furthest I have used the scope to date is 200 yards. In fairness that was on a range, but it still did the job. IIts currently on my HMR and thats used out to 150 yards on occasion. The zoom is set at 12 and when were out on the Fox with a .223 as well, it will follow the long range shots with ease. Good to know, cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 I have recently put an mtc viper 4x16x50 onto my .243 and I am well pleased, and as I have had, and still have, a fair share of scopes from elites to pro stalks to leupolds etc, my next scope will be another viper, this time to replace my legend on my hmr. cheers KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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