Ideal Mag For Foxing Scope

[let'sshoot 11]

Anybody have any suggestions about the ideal magnification for a foxing 223? Would be foxing at night with a lamp.

 

Is it best to get fixed i.e.8x56 or something like 10-50x56?

 

Thanks

[walshie 2,804]

Depends on the distance you intend to shoot at most often. My scope is 4-12 mag and I rarely change it from 7 or 8 x. I'd imagine 10-50 is almost definitely a target scope and a bit overkill, but each to their own.

[fireblade_rrw 20]

10-50 is too much mag. Considering usual killing zone for lamping is 50-150 yds, you'll be hard pressed to lock on to a fox at night with a lamp, with x10 never mind x50.

 

I use a 6-15 scope & I've got it screwed right down to 6 for lamping. Never go much above 8.

[let'sshoot 11]

Thanks for the replies. Was offered a decent sounding scope for little money. Deben 10-50x56. Think there is profit to be made still on eBay, but will leave it as I can't be bothered with the hassle

 

Thanks for advice.

 

What scope do you guys choose for your foxing centrefires? I have 223.

 

I don't want to pay silly money either.

[jimmy.jim86 1]

I use .223 and have an 8x56 Schmidt , my reasoning is 8x is good mag for distance you will lamp and without twiddly bits was to play with when supposed to be pulling the trigger, targets won't st there forever. There also good price second hand and last a lifetime.

[fireblade_rrw 20]

Thanks for the replies. Was offered a decent sounding scope for little money. Deben 10-50x56. Think there is profit to be made still on eBay, but will leave it as I can't be bothered with the hassle

 

Thanks for advice.

 

What scope do you guys choose for your foxing centrefires? I have 223.

 

I don't want to pay silly money either.

Because I use my .243 for various uses, I have variable mag scope; Docter. For lamping foxes its 6-8 mag & for Roe stalking its 6-10. For Reds on open hill its usually 15 ish.

 

Its also useful if taking a fox during the day further out to ramp up the scope to get a bigger & better image.

 

Make is down to what you can afford. But buy cheap and invariably you'll regret it.

Edited December 8, 2013 by fireblade_rrw

[let'sshoot 11]

What do you suggest I should set my budget at?

 

Should I look second hand?

 

Hawke / Bushnell / Nikko Stirling any good?

 

Thanks

[MIK 4,763]

I use .223 and have an 8x56 Schmidt , my reasoning is 8x is good mag for distance you will lamp and without twiddly bits was to play with when supposed to be pulling the trigger, targets won't st there forever. There also good price second hand and last a lifetime.

That s what I have on the 222...spend as much a you can on a scope

[CBdogsA1 420]

As MIK says, dont buy cheap. Your rifle is only as good as whats sitting on top and that includes the mounts. I have an 8x56 Shmidt on one and I was given a Meopta 3x12x56 and it has been flawless and they are priced very well.

[let'sshoot 11]

How much £ should I expect to pay? I'm the type of person who likes a bargain, but buy quality. I'd like an £800 scope for £200 - hard to come by I know.

 

Also what does 30/30 mean?

 

What type of recticle should I go for?

 

Thanks

[let'sshoot 11]

How much should I expect to pay for mounts? Any suggestions for good mounts?

 

Thanks

[fireblade_rrw 20]

What do you suggest I should set my budget at?

 

Should I look second hand?

 

Hawke / Bushnell / Nikko Stirling any good?

 

Thanks

Budget scopes. You get what you pay for in optics. Search through the forum. There's dozens of posts like this.

[HerneTheHunter 50]

Another factor to consider when choosing a scope for low light condition is exit pupil (some notes about which at the bottom, from Wiki.) This is NOT the same as light transmission or image quality which are also important.)

 

Your maximum pupil size (dark adjusted) is probably 7mm (less if older). Ideally your scope should equal or exceed this, for reasons given in the text at the bottom). The same is true of binos.

 

The exit pupil can be easily calculated as the diameter of the objective lens divided by the magnification.

 

Thus:

 

12x56 scope has an EP of 56 /12 = 4.67mm

10x50 = 5

8x40 = 5

10x56 = 5.6

8x50 = 6.25

6x42 = 7

8x56 = 7

6x56 = 9.33

 

It's easy to see how small increases in mag lead to adverse effect on exit pupil, necessitating bigger objective to compensate. Bigger mag also makes it harder to find your target and can accentuate the perceived wobble, making quick, confident shots more difficult.

 

Looking through scopes in a shop tells you only what the scope is like in daylight, when your pupil is only 4mm or so in diameter. This is very flattering to higher mag scopes but doesn't equate to good performance in the field at night. It is worth noting that High quality glass is good for image quality and light transmission BUT CANNOT increase exit pupil of the scope.

 

Get good glass and keep it; working rifles lose value more than scopes. Buy as good a scope and mounts as you can afford and keep them when you move the gun on.

 

There are some good scopes at the mid-range price point these days. I've been impressed with Bushnell Elite 6500 and the lesser known Vortex scopes (which have a good illuminated reticle system and good reticle choices for low light. Riflecraft are the UK importers.) Granted I prefer my pricey glass and if I had the choice I'd have a Schmidt and Bender on every gun.

 

I just ordered a £60,000 budget optic from Zeiss, sadly for work, and not a telescopic sight!

 

 

Notes on exit pupil follow:

---------------------------------

Exit pupil Telescopic sights concentrate the light gathered by the objective into a beam, the exit pupil, whose diameter is the objective diameter divided by the magnifying power. For maximum effective light-gathering and brightest image, the exit pupil should equal the diameter of the fully dilated iris of the human eye about 7 mm, reducing with age. If the cone of light streaming out of the eyepiece is larger than the pupil it is going into, any light larger than the pupil is wasted in terms of providing information to the eye.

However, a larger exit pupil makes it easier to put the eye where it can receive the light: anywhere in the large exit pupil cone of light will do. This ease of placement helps avoid vignetting, which is a darkened or obscured view that occurs when the light path is partially blocked. And, it means that the image can be quickly found which is important when aiming at game animals. A narrow exit pupil telescopic sight may also be fatiguing because the instrument must be held exactly in place in front of the eyes to provide a useful image. Finally, many people in Europe use their telescopic sights at dusk, dawn and at night, when their pupils are larger. Thus the daytime exit pupil of about 3 to 4 mm is not a universally desirable standard. For comfort, ease of use, and flexibility in applications, larger telescopic sights with larger exit pupils are satisfying choices even if their capability is not fully used by day.

Edited December 10, 2013 by HerneTheHunter

[MIK 4,763]

My mate put a zeis s duralight onto his sako 243 I knocked over a roe with it in very low light last month ...very impressed with it for the price ...Im going to put one on my 308

If I was you I would buy a second hand good scope than a brand new cheap scope .but the good scope still hold there price at second hand like I said though spent as much as you can

[CBdogsA1 420]

One in here