rifle scopes

[john faul]

hey guys could anyone give me recommendations of what brand and magnification of rifle scope that would be suitable for general hunting. on a .223 cal rifle thanks,

[dunganick]

i think the perfect scope if you have a bit of cash for general hunting is a swarovski or schmidt and bender 8x56.

 

8x56 gives great light gathering, allows shots out to good distances with a 4A reticle, and also gives you a thick enough reticle for lamping work.

 

i think variable mag scopes are over rated, and your better with getting an 8x and sticking with it. I bet 99% of the guys who have a variable use it on 8 or 9x mag most of the time.

 

If your on a budget than i think the meopta 7x50 is great. I use one on my .223. Light gathering is amazing for the money and its built well. Only grumble is they 'ting' if a stick catches them.

[john faul]

a good friend of mine reccomended a 8 by 56 scope how much would a s and bender be?

[john faul]

does anyone know anything about the swift scopes??

[john faul]

hey guys my budget for allin is around 1500 euros this includes rifle and scope bipod not a silencer what would you guys spend most of your money on scope or rifle?

[dunganick]

half and half, however a good scope will last you for a more than 1 rifle.

 

a swaro or schmidt 8x56 would set you back £450-£550 not sure what that is in euro.

 

Swift scopes we dont get over here as they have to be imported, however ive heard some very good write ups.

 

Main things cheap scopes suffer from is fussy eye relief on high mag and clarity on high mag.

[john faul]

thanks nick.

[JohnGalway]

...winds up throwing arm... takes aim at pigeon flock... makes cat fly...

 

I like the idea of fixed power scopes. I don't however own one and not sure if I ever will. There is less to go wrong with them, you won't have the temptation to be fiddling with them. But, this is the clincher for me, the ability to zoom up in power to positively ID a target gives my vote to varible power scopes. Horses for courses it's a matter of personal choice and I would reccomend either type.

 

Nick is right though, I have mine set on 7 most times

 

S&B scopes are fantastic, here is their website. There are two versions of the 8x56, one is German made and assembled, the other is German made but assembled in Hungary I believe. The fixed magnification scopes only come with standard reticles according to the S&B website. I'd go for reticle number 7 or number 8, that's just me though.

 

I've looked through and used Conors Swarovski 6x42, only in daytime though. Fantastic glass, bought second hand. Simple duplex reticle if memory serves me right. Swarovski website.

 

Then there is the Nightforce range. I have the 5.5-22x56 NXS with the NP-R2 reticle. It's fantastic, I don't need to say anymore about it, I'll never sell it, ever. It'd have a much finer reticle on it than the reticles mentioned above on the other scopes. So it's good for long range crow and magpie shooting with an accurate rifle, when I get one Nightforce website.

 

I also own an MTC Viper 4-16x50. It's fine but after having used it for a while now I don't think I'd buy another. Could be a production issue on mine along but the clicks on the turrets aren't very clicky so it's impossible to reliably adjust in the field, thankfully with the christmas tree reticle there's a ****load of aim points so it's not so much of an issue for me. However, I may yet send it back to get it checked out as that's an annoying bug. Also the eye relief can be fussy. Now, the glass is good in my opinion, and I have shot foxes out to 155 yards with it and got a greycrow at 202 yards, so it does the job. I just zeroed it ontop of my .22lr today and may head out with it later. This is the MTC website.

 

S&B, Swarovski and Nightforce are the top three scope makers in my opinion. None of them will come cheap. There may be some good secondhand deals out there and I wouldn't at all discount them, could be a bargain to be had if money is tight. The viper will be around 350 Euro new, Nightforce could be 1500-1700 depending on where you buy it.

[john faul]

thanks john the night force probly bit too dear for me mabe if i got good secondhand one i might buy

[JohnGalway]

At that budget I would seriously keep an eye out for second hand scope made either by Swaro or S&B

[john faul]

i know

[JohnGalway]

Another thing I'll say is about the turrets on a scope. I prefer target turrets, they can be quickly adjusted in the field to compensate for bullet drop. As opposed to hunter style turrets which have a screw on/off cap covering them. Again, it's personal preference.

[john faul]

Another thing I'll say is about the turrets on a scope. I prefer target turrets, they can be quickly adjusted in the field to compensate for bullet drop. As opposed to hunter style turrets which have a screw on/off cap covering them. Again, it's personal preference.

thanks john

[magman]

good advice john

got a mtc viper on the 22 and can head shoot rabbits at 100 yrds with ease

[Eagleman]

I'd agree with every word John has said above except re the mag. All of my scopes are variable and all go up to 24 power at least and I tend to have them on 16 at least and sometimes more. It is just a personal preference thing but my view is that 8x is way too low for 100 yards or over. In fact, I'd have my scopes on 16x or more for 50 yards.

[lazza]

Better to buy a s/h decent scope, rather than a new cheaper one. If you get a chance try a few at a game fair or a gunshop. The more expensive scopes give you a bit longer in poor light.

[JohnGalway]

John, Irish Shooters Digest magazine lists a lot of Irish gunshops. You could have a ring around to see what they have, usually worth it :( Or keep an eye out on the buy & sell section on here or the BBS.

[john faul]

thanks john i have often read the irish shooters digest its a very good magazine i will keep my eyes open for a s/h scope thanks :(

[Ballie]

All I will say is that JohnGalway is spot on with all he has said IMO, also Egaleman has a point about high mag, but I will add that if you are lamping you won't be able to see well above about 14 mag (and I am talking about looking though a Nightforce) when lamping the higher the mag the less light gets in and the les you can see, do yoy agree JGal?

[JohnGalway]

I'd agree with that, even my Nightforce will get darker the higher up in mag you go. Not a problem in the daytime but it is for night time. Still handy for positive ID IMO. Higher mag will also give you a much smaller field of view, which around where I lamp is a no no.

[john faul]

thanks guys for all the good advice most people use their scopes bet ween 6 and 8 times mag when lamping thanks :(