Advice on which scope?

[Tobias 0]

In my eyes all of these scopes are good but i would like to know who has what and how good these scopes really are, Im going to use it for lamping foxes and longer range vermin on my 223 the scope must have a 2nd image reticle as this is how i made my last mistake with my s+b scope.Im also wanting it to be very good in low light evening conditions and a good zoom range and warranty as my limit will be £1500 and im hoping this will be my last scope for this gun.The scopes are Zeiss Victory diavari 3-12x56 . Leupold VX-3L long range 4.5-14x56 . Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x56 . Swarovski Z6 2.5-15x56 p .Any comments welcome thanks.

[pestcontrol121 11]

Have you looked through the IOR 6-24x50 which are well in your budget, i have one and think they're good value for money, have used it lamping and with night vision and found it very good, link http://www.border-barrels.com/IOR_scopes.htm

[leeroy 29]

I have aNightforce 5.5-22x56 and a Ziess 2.5-10x52 and a SB 4-12x50.If I could only have one I would pick the Nightforce every time . Its seckond to nothing with its build, its as clear as you can get on all mags. The ret is a very small dot if you look at a pigeons head at around 100m the dot is so small you could fit around 8 or 9 dots the same size there as well in low light pull the focus out and it turns red , this is ajustable.iIt makes for pin point shooting if you do your bit. I am mostly a Fox shooter day and night and you could not give me any ammount for it, dont get me wrong the others are very good but not quite as good. The only thing that takes a bit of getting used to is side focus if you are set say 100 m and charley pops up 25 hes going to look a bit blured, once you get used to using it its not a problem I hope this helps but try and have a look at one and have a play with it all the best happy hunting.

[blackfox 9]

I'm running a IOR 6-24x50 on my .308 & a Nightforce 5.5-22x50 on my .204, to be honest i think they are both great scopes

[DERBOY 18]

nightforce

[Tobias 0]

Thanks for the replies sounds like the nightforce are good are they 2nd image reticle though, Also i dont mind the side focus/ parallex as i have one on my 17hmr, Also ive not heard of ior but thanks again i will give them a look and see.

[sako 23]

I've got the swarovski z6 but the 5-30x50 IR and the 3-18x50 non IR they are superb at all lights whether natural or lamp can't say they are the best for nv though. I looked through the zeiss etc but not the IOR and preffered the swaro. It's a personal choice and you need to compare them yourself before you decide. Do you need to dial in or are you a point and shoot kinda guy? Personally I didn't want target turrets but many do. The swaro's are second focal plane and if you set the parralax at 100yrds I only need to adjust it over 350yrds when it's magged right up otherwise I can't say it's blurry. They are spot on in clarity at maximum mag but when you are spending what you are, you are buying quality and won't be dissapointed with whatever you choose.

[mangy1983 51]

After reading up on this thread l must admit I'm pretty interested in a nightforce scope myself and have found the cheapest places to buy in America but do telescopic sites really come under stringent export laws like most of the websites selling them claim?

 

cheers Callum

[bigkev1 0]

I got myself a Zeiss Vic 2.5-10 x 50. perfect for everything from rabbits to stags.

 

would like a cheaper set though, for when i'm out and about and don't mind getting a few scratches on, you know what i mean.

going to the CLA gamefair near the end of the month to try pick something up. seen a few in sporting rifle and shooting times.

[fireblade_rrw 20]

I'd seriously look at this scope:

 

http://www.uttings.co.uk/Product/766/105491/docter-optics-classic-illuminated-3-12x56-ir-rifle-scope/

 

Its much better than Leuplod & Nightforce & in my opinion up there with Swaro & Zeiss for low light optical performance.

 

I've been using this scope now since December last year and its low light performance is nothing short of outstanding. Certainly on par with my mates Swaro x 56. My other mates Nightforce is way behind for low light performance.

 

Get in touch with Ayrshire shooting supplies and they will undercut anyone.

Edited July 8, 2011 by fireblade_rrw

[tegater 789]

Really interested what went wrong with your S & B first focal plane scope? In my experience you cannot beat the S & B, as long as it is not the hungarian ones, which just dont have the same quality of glass, and they generally have thicker reticles.

For me its S & B PM11, 3-12 x 50 with reticle in first focal plane every time, and I have used Leupold, Zeiss, Nightforce and IOR. The only other one coming close is the IOR, front focal plane, (although it doesnt look good to the eye)

Unless you are target shooting, an wanting every bullet in the same hole, first focal plane is great with a fine reticle. It's true, because the reticle is in the first focal plane, it expands in proportion with your magnification, but it is constant at all ranges, and the PM11 with Mil dot reticle only covers 7cm at 1000m !

The advantage with the reticle being in the front focal plane is that when holding off or holding over, the image/reticle combination looks the same at any distance.

Now, if you are going to the S & B 5-25 x 56, and shooting foxes/deer out to 1400m (not), then second focal plane might just be right!

S & B - Battle tested.

[zx10mike 137]

never been able to aford a nightforce( great rep) i use leupold and love them . no quibble warranty and awsome quality.good second hand one 500 squid . you could buy a car with the change.or get pissed and stay that way for a while. would recomend mk 4 6 - 20 less than a grand.good luck. nightforce do sound good.when you spend that kind of money you will get a good scope.atb mike

[HUnter_zero 58]

you cannot beat the S & B, as long as it is not the hungarian ones, which just dont have the same quality of glass, and they generally have thicker reticles.

 

 

Strange, I have both German & Hungarian S&B scopes, on mine the glass quality is exactly the same and the reticule thickness is exactly the same.

 

John

[HUnter_zero 58]

my limit will be £1500 and im hoping this will be my last scope for this gun.The scopes are Zeiss Victory diavari 3-12x56 . Leupold VX-3L long range 4.5-14x56 . Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x56 . Swarovski Z6 2.5-15x56 p .Any comments welcome thanks.

 

 

I have to be honest and say that to my eyes Leupold scopes are no better than top end Nikko scopes or Bushnell scopes and I am not that impressed with Nightforce scopes. It seems to me that " Made-in-American " means that it must be top notch and as most Yanks shoot, their opinions seem to overwhelm the Internet.

If I were to spend £1500, it would have to be either Swarovski or S&B. There would have been a time when I would have put Zeiss up there as well, but again to my eyes, the modern Zeiss optics are a world away from the Zeiss optics we were seeing in the late 's to late 90's. With all the scopes above, you will of course have a scope that will not lose zero but you should also look at Khales & to some degree Doctor optik, there are also some more serious contenders which are not that well known to the masses for example Hertel & Reuss scopes will compete with anything Swarovski can produce and of course there are others. However, most of these 'others' are over looked because people want 'bling' to show to others and for the uneducated a Hertel & Reuss scope will not have the same "goshs factor" as a more well known brand.

All said and done, in my opinion Swarovski are the scopes that the others are compared with but I will admit to using S&B scopes on both my stalking rifles.

It's also interesting to see that you are opting for variable mag, I know that fixed mag scopes are all but dead now, but an investment of £1500 in a fixed mag scope, from one of the less in vogue German manufactures will see you with some of the finest optical equipment available on the planet.

 

Just my tuppence worth.

 

John

[fireblade_rrw 20]

my limit will be £1500 and im hoping this will be my last scope for this gun.The scopes are Zeiss Victory diavari 3-12x56 . Leupold VX-3L long range 4.5-14x56 . Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x56 . Swarovski Z6 2.5-15x56 p .Any comments welcome thanks.

 

 

I have to be honest and say that to my eyes Leupold scopes are no better than top end Nikko scopes or Bushnell scopes and I am not that impressed with Nightforce scopes. It seems to me that " Made-in-American " means that it must be top notch and as most Yanks shoot, their opinions seem to overwhelm the Internet.

If I were to spend £1500, it would have to be either Swarovski or S&B. There would have been a time when I would have put Zeiss up there as well, but again to my eyes, the modern Zeiss optics are a world away from the Zeiss optics we were seeing in the late 's to late 90's. With all the scopes above, you will of course have a scope that will not lose zero but you should also look at Khales & to some degree Doctor optik, there are also some more serious contenders which are not that well known to the masses for example Hertel & Reuss scopes will compete with anything Swarovski can produce and of course there are others. However, most of these 'others' are over looked because people want 'bling' to show to others and for the uneducated a Hertel & Reuss scope will not have the same "goshs factor" as a more well known brand.

All said and done, in my opinion Swarovski are the scopes that the others are compared with but I will admit to using S&B scopes on both my stalking rifles.

It's also interesting to see that you are opting for variable mag, I know that fixed mag scopes are all but dead now, but an investment of £1500 in a fixed mag scope, from one of the less in vogue German manufactures will see you with some of the finest optical equipment available on the planet.

 

Just my tuppence worth.

 

John

 

I also have to agree with that statement - all the USA stuff mostly use imported Jap glass thats way behind German or Austrian optics.