Scope Choice

It wasn't me!

Okay, this could provoke some interesting debate. Got a new rifle coming, and looking for a scope to fit to it. It's a .25-06, so fairly flat shooting, so reticle choice is handy enough, most things will do it. The important aspects to it are below. I'd like to keep it within the major European makes, for the sake of optical quality, but if you have anything else to suggest outside of those that offers the same day and low-light performance, by all means suggest it. Okay, what I'm looking for is as follows:

30mm tube
Large objective lens
Mid-range magnification, say up to at least 15x
Second focal plane
Superb light transmission
Excellent build quality, no reputation for manufacturing faults
Side-focus parallax
Illumination

I suppose the ideal solution to this is a Nightforce, 3-15x56 with NP2-DD reticle. Would anyone suggest anything else for a better price? This is how I'd be leaning at the moment. I'll put up pics of the rifle in the gear thread as soon as I have a deposit on it and can legitimately claim it's on its way. Cheers in advance lads.

jwshooter

i know where you can get a brand new swarovski 4-16x50 pv for 850 euro or a new swaro 4-12x50 av for 760 euro

or a S/H leupold vari XIII 3.5-10x50 for 340 euro

or a S/H schmidt n bender 3-12x50 for 620 euro

endasmail

any budget ,or are ya going all out ?

It wasn't me!

Side adjustable parallax and 30mm tubes on those scopes jw?

as to budget? Well, I'd like to keep it relatively reasonable. If it's around the grand mark I wouldn't be too distressed I guess.

endasmail

in the process of getting my s&b pm11 of john lambert ,while waiting for mine to come in , he has given me one of his pm11 s,i rang a few dealers int the country ,found him to be best value .wouldnt be a bad lad to start with

kakashka

My 2cent,dont get caught up on large objective,very little dif between 42/44/50/56 on a quality scope,a reticle you like is maby even more important.. finnaccuracy have a good selection,IMHO nightforce are WAY over priced

jwshooter

on the swro pv adjustment is on the front bell ,there a finer scope that the nightforce .
the field of view if on the swro pv is very good

It wasn't me!

Deposit cheque is signed and sealed, so pictures are up in the Hardware thread.

I do like the look of those Swarovski's. what are the reticles like in them?

What do I lose by the lack of parallax adjustment in the AV series? I've never used a scope without adjustable parallax.

kakashka

Swarovski are the best i've ever had as far as clarity,FOV and REAL twilight factor go.

kakashka

If your thinking of target/hunting then you might be better served with parallax,why do you want illum?

It wasn't me!

kakashka wrote: »

If your thinking of target/hunting then you might be better served with parallax,why do you want illum?

The odd bit of lamping for foxes, for the quick, instinctive appeal.

jwshooter

i can hear the money rolling from your bank account from hear:(

It wasn't me!

jwshooter wrote: »

i can hear the money rolling from your bank account from hear:(

Yeah, I know. The wallet is crying alright. I figure I'll pay once for quality stuff though and not regret it. Problem is we live in a bloody expensive country! Still, got a good price for the rifle and if I get a good price for a scope I won't feel too rode.

kakashka

Illum is nice but pushes cost up,again i would say reticle is more important---and only you can decide on what suits you,fine is my preferance,i also like SFP but IMO not quite as reliable as FFP,S&B Varmint is nice but AFAIK no illum

It wasn't me!

I like it to be fine, with good definition, and uncluttered. Really like the NP2-DD from Nightforce, lovely looking reticle for what I'm at. That, with illumination, would be excellent. I'd love to grab a second-hand one to be honest, 5.5-22x56 or 3-15x56 would be perfect.

jwshooter

i have a nightforce 5-15x50 there not all there cracked up to be .

my TDS ,4-16x50 swro pv is a far finer scope

kakashka

If you knew someone headed to US!!i guess you have time to check all options anyway,you dont mind NF's ocular system?put me off TBH

It wasn't me!

I know a way to get them from the US at a semi-reasonable price, so that's not a massive issue. The couple of times I've used them, I've been extremely impressed by their clarity, build quality and ease of use - nice big exit pupil and such.

kakashka

I guess you already have it sorted then

clivej

I've had a few scopes up till now and have settled on the Bushnell range. I like what they do because they do it well.

On my .22lr I now have a 3200 elite 10x40 tactical with the target turrets and mildot reticle.

I have 2 4200 elite 6-24x50 tactical with the target turrets and mildot reticle. This I have sitting on my CZ .223 and the other one will be sitting on my Sako 75 in .308. With this scope I can see the 223 bullit holes @300m. The turrets will always return to the zero after turning up or down for the diffferent dialed in ranges i.e. 100m, 200m, 300m.

They do what it says on the box and do it well.

IWM please don't fall into the trap of 'I have to have a Nightforce' because everyone else has one. There's plenty of other good quality scopes.

As for price the 3200 10x40 is €399 in Duffy's I got it for €115 on E bay and is top class.

The 4200 6-24x50 is about £675 sterling say €750. I got one @€;430 on E bay and the other @€;385 from airgunbbs.com in the sales section.
Both scopes are in perfect condition.

Keep an eye to the airgunbbs.com sales as the bargains are there to be had. Check a least once a day because the scopes go quickly.

And don't short change yourself on the magnification it's better to be looking at it than looking for it.

Illumniated is good but if you have a good lamp you can live without it.

28 Bushnell Elite 4200 reviews here - 5 star rating:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/reviews.jsp?productid=711020

Malaga2

The 25-06 really isnt set up as a target rifle. Unless you can reload for it the factory fodder isnt all that spectacular. Great round and flat shooting... I seriously think you are going to way over scope this rifle. Save yourself a bunch of cash and buy a Leupold...VX III 4.5-14-40 is a hard scope to beat for the price...
On a hunting rifle I would consider a Bushnell Elite 4200 series (great with rainguard), good glass and stands up to hard usage. I watched my brother roll down a mountain in Pennsylvannia with one a few years ago... he was banged up a bit... scope was good to go

It wasn't me!

Clive, it's not because everyone else has one, it's because they're sturdy, have good glass and fit my specifications.


As to the .25-06 being over-scoped, it'll be used for foxing, potentially at range, and long-range bunnies and crows, so a bit of magnification is appreciated. Additionally, I want superb quality glass, because I'll probably end up doing a good bit of hunting on open mountains in poor light, and because I don't like shelling out any money and not getting excellent stuff.

kakashka

No offence Mal but did you see the Sako 75 bit??

clivej

IWM have a read through the reviews as to the quality of the Bushnell scopes. You could save yourself a pile of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


28 Bushnell Elite 4200 reviews here - 5 star rating:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...oductid=711020

kakashka

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Clive, it's not because everyone else has one, it's because they're sturdy, have good glass and fit my specifications.


As to the .25-06 being over-scoped, it'll be used for foxing, potentially at range, and long-range bunnies and crows, so a bit of magnification is appreciated. Additionally, I want superb quality glass, because I'll probably end up doing a good bit of hunting on open mountains in poor light, and because I don't like shelling out any money and not getting excellent stuff.

Have you tried anything else?

Malaga2

kakashka wrote: »

No offence Mal but did you see the Sako 75 bit??

Offence ... at what? scope choice or choice of calibre?

clivej

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Clive, it's not because everyone else has one, it's because they're sturdy, have good glass and fit my specifications.

AND way overpriced .................IMO

It wasn't me!

kakashka wrote: »

Have you tried anything else?

Weaver, Zeiss, Schmidt and Bender, various lower quality makes. Of all, Weaver have as good quality of glass in daylight as any of the others, but trail off in low light. Schmidt and Bender are lightyears ahead of the others, but cost twice the price. Nightforce I found fantastic, great impression of build quality and such.

Also looking at the Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50. About the same quality of optics as the Nightforce, for less money. Less excellent reticle choice, doesn't seem to be illuminated, but the rest is there. Any opinions on these?

kakashka

S&B Light years ahead ????????i think NOT.you have to spend on Zeiss these days to get quality,otherwise you may as well take Clive's advice.NF are over priced and over rated,sure they may be great when locked at high X but sounds like you need an all round scope.

It wasn't me!

I've had a go of a PMII and if I could afford one it would be top of the list by a mile, far and away the best scope I've ever used.

I am looking for an all round scope, so what do you reckon within the parameters I've suggested?

ejg

Honest?
go for a 4.5-14x50 Conquest with target turrets and side paralax.
No Illumination but the plex or I think #20 reticule is great even at last light. Glass is way better than Nightforce in my opinion.
Nice light scope at a good price if someone is traveling to the states.

I've shot bunnies over 300m with a 3-12x50 Schmidt zenith FD7 which worked well. That would have the illumination but no paralax. Nice thing is the FD7 is a very fine reticule. Just getting precision hunter turrets fitted. This scope costs almost 3 times as much as the conquest.

edi