Offroad-Express

I have 3x-9x,40x now and I need more power, is a 3x-9x,50x more power full or is it the first two numbers that is the power or all of them? Only second time buying a scope so don't know much about them. Any info or recomendations would be great. Its for long range medium to large game hunting.

3-9 is the magnification and 40 or 50 bit is the diameter of the tube you are looking through.

Cheers

Mud Hog wrote:I have 3x-9x,40x now and I need more power, is a 3x-9x,50x more power full or is it the first two numbers that is the power or all of them? Only second time buying a scope so don't know much about them. Any info or recomendations would be great. Its for long range medium to large game hunting.

how far is long range and what is medium game? 3-9x40 should be good out to 500m on deer,

haynzy wrote:

Mud Hog wrote:I have 3x-9x,40x now and I need more power, is a 3x-9x,50x more power full or is it the first two numbers that is the power or all of them? Only second time buying a scope so don't know much about them. Any info or recomendations would be great. Its for long range medium to large game hunting.

how far is long range and what is medium game? 3-9x40 should be good out to 500m on deer,

Medium- pigs and goats. Up to 500m, Your probably right its enough for up to 500m. Maybe I should just invest in a spotter?

Mud Hog wrote:

haynzy wrote:

Mud Hog wrote:I have 3x-9x,40x now and I need more power, is a 3x-9x,50x more power full or is it the first two numbers that is the power or all of them? Only second time buying a scope so don't know much about them. Any info or recomendations would be great. Its for long range medium to large game hunting.

how far is long range and what is medium game? 3-9x40 should be good out to 500m on deer,

Medium- pigs and goats. Up to 500m, Your probably right its enough for up to 500m. Maybe I should just invest in a spotter?

what sort of scope is it, at 500m you are better off with good binos

Its a Tasco (world class golden antler). I have some cheap old binos but there not very good, So you rekon binos instead of view finder?

Mud Hog wrote:Its a Tasco (world class golden antler). I have some cheap old binos but there not very good, So you rekon binos instead of view finder?

yep or buy a decent scope, tasco are fine for close range stuff but to get the light gathering and clarity you need for accurate long shots you will do better with a better quality scope.

Thanks you just found my problem, I thought Tasco were ok but that explains the price of them, Whats a good make? Don't think I can afford a leupod at the moment. Are they worth the $1600 or so?

Try http://www.guncity.co.nz , they are Christchurch or http://www.outdoorsupplies.co.nz/scopes.htm , they are up north in Carterton but do mail orders.

The more money you spend the better the optics and unfortunately its the best money you can spend if you are serious about hitting everytime.

The first number (or numbers with a dash between them if variable) gives the magnification and the secong gives the size of the ligth gathering end of the scope (bigger is better, but be wary of the height of the rings needed if you get too big).

There are some nice big scopes out there that will mount quite low (have a bit cut out of the front lense to fit closer to barrel).

Also consider going to a 30mm diametre tube over the 25mm (bit more light through).

At the end of the day a fixed power scope is going to be better than a vari-power (snipers and sharpshooters dont use variable power scopes usually just 10 power), they have less moving parts so are more robust and less prone to moiture ingress too.

Basically the more light you can get down the tube to your eye the better the site picture in all light conditions. Use a 30mm lense scope next to a 40mm or bigger on dusk and you will see a huge difference. See if the local gun shops have any good quality old stock they cant move and make a rediculous offer, maybe they will come to the party with a good counter offer for cash.

Heath wrote:The more money you spend the better the optics and unfortunately its the best money you can spend if you are serious about hitting everytime.

The first number (or numbers with a dash between them if variable) gives the magnification and the secong gives the size of the ligth gathering end of the scope (bigger is better, but be wary of the height of the rings needed if you get too big).

There are some nice big scopes out there that will mount quite low (have a bit cut out of the front lense to fit closer to barrel).

Also consider going to a 30mm diametre tube over the 25mm (bit more light through).

At the end of the day a fixed power scope is going to be better than a vari-power (snipers and sharpshooters dont use variable power scopes usually just 10 power), they have less moving parts so are more robust and less prone to moiture ingress too.

Basically the more light you can get down the tube to your eye the better the site picture in all light conditions. Use a 30mm lense scope next to a 40mm or bigger on dusk and you will see a huge difference. See if the local gun shops have any good quality old stock they cant move and make a rediculous offer, maybe they will come to the party with a good counter offer for cash.

Thanks thats very helpfull, Will save for a better scope.

Remember memories of the price will fade well before the quality will.

If you get a good set of optics it can stay with you for years and be swapped to many rifles.

I got a hawke II for my savage (6-24 x 56 - or was that 46) and its great but its for target work and wasnt expensive (round 350) and I dont expect it will last for long but it fitted my needs at the time and will be replaced by a better one when money allows.

We can out grow trigger mechanisms, stock configurations and even rifles as we become better at our shooting but you cant beat good optics. Some people will spend as much on the optics as they will on the rifle.

Dont forget to get quailty mounts too and threadlock. No point in fitting a rolls royce with bald under pressure tyres and loose wheel nuts. If the mounts come loose the aimpoint moves and if it is moving the shock from firing can cause more damage.

Memories of the price will fade well before the quality will.
Best advice my dad ever gave me about buying stuff.

Mud Hog wrote:Thanks you just found my problem, I thought Tasco were ok but that explains the price of them, Whats a good make? Don't think I can afford a leupod at the moment. Are they worth the $1600 or so?

vx1 leupold are fine, I use a bushnell elite4200,98% light transmission and about $700 bucks

if you've got a visa, import one from the states and save a few hundred bucks.
http://www.theopticzone.com/

Mud Hog wrote:Thanks you just found my problem, I thought Tasco were ok but that explains the price of them, Whats a good make? Don't think I can afford a leupod at the moment. Are they worth the $1600 or so?

vx1 leupold are not great especially for the $$$.
a good reasonable scope for the $$ is the Bushnell elite 4200.
quite popular for the budget minded and are way better than the tasco.

for a good performance for the $$$ binos look at the leupold yosemites.

Nothing wrong with a VX1 although not as good as some others. A nice second hand one wouldnt be bad.

My old man spends much money on his scopes and when comparing cheap vs $$ the difference in clarity is incredible.

At the end of the day zoom is not everything- as others have said.

With that said however- I have a cheap scope on my 7mm-08 as Didnt have money for anything better- it suits me fine for now. I dont use the thing terribly often at all so spending 1.5k on a scope would have just been wasted truck dosh.

-Nathan

flyingbrick wrote:Nothing wrong with a VX1 although not as good as some others. A nice second hand one wouldnt be bad..........

but why would you get a VX1 when you can get equivalent of a VX2 for the same price ?

tweake wrote:

Mud Hog wrote:Thanks you just found my problem, I thought Tasco were ok but that explains the price of them, Whats a good make? Don't think I can afford a leupod at the moment. Are they worth the $1600 or so?

vx1 leupold are not great especially for the $$$.
a good reasonable scope for the $$ is the Bushnell elite 4200.
quite popular for the budget minded and are way better than the tasco.

for a good performance for the $$$ binos look at the leupold yosemites.

The VX1 is compared more with the 3200 Bushnell elite which is a very good scope and I have one on my Tikka, The 4200 Bushnell is more comparable with the VX2 Leupold, Bushnell Elite scopes are what used to be the Bausch & Lomb scopes as Bushnell brought them out a while ago.

When the VX1 is on sale they are good value and will last a lift time but in saying that my 3200 Elite 3-9x40 was only $300 on TM so thats good buying for a great scope and the rain guard feature really does work.

If you are going to import a Scope make it a Clearidge from http://www.clearidgeoptics.com, They are HUGE value for money and use the same glass as the high end Bushnell scopes and easily compare with the very best Euro scopes.

If you go to import you need export permits for optics out of the states. I would push leupold more than bushnell as bushnell have dicked me round on warranty repairs a few times and leupold repaired a 15 year old vari-x 2.5-7 no questions asked recently. Burris, bushnell, leupold are all fine names. Even Tasco has nice top end scopes. A cheap tasco or hawke would be fine for most work they just aren't as good with warranty stuff and product life at times. Performance will vary between models and you do get what you pay for but in saying that if the bullet goes where your looking it can't be all bad. Most hunters in bush don't shoot more than 100yds so get a scope which suits your environment. I have a fixed 4x on my bush gun a it does the job I want and is cheap to replace.
Clearidge have nothing on euro scopes such as IOR.
You can spend unreal amounts of money on scopes so hunt around for something that fits your needs.

My 2c anyways.

3 x 9 x 40

the 40 is the diameter of the OBJECT or front lens.

the tube diameter is usually 25.4 mm

Best scopes can cost you more than yr rifle!!
Leupold are excellent as are swarovski, pecar, Bushnell topline tasco Burris, Weaver, all good stuff.


depending where you are hunting, a 3 x 9 vari is a good choice, use the lowest power for in the bush and the higher powers in open country.
would NOT recommend any more that a 3x9, and you will find out why, the first time you forget to wind the power back to a low setting and try to draw a bead, standing, on game with scope at 9X.

Moriarty wrote:Leupold are excellent as are swarovski, pecar, Bushnell topline tasco Burris, Weaver, all good stuff.

don't mention that on any hunting forum, you will be shot down in flames !

would NOT recommend any more that a 3x9, and you will find out why, the first time you forget to wind the power back to a low setting and try to draw a bead, standing, on game with scope at 9X.

its not that bad. just get into the habit of winding it back.
also you should be able to line up a deer on 9x first go. if you can't the gun most likely doesn't fit you. you should be able to look at a target and lift the rifle up straight onto target regardless of scope power.

tweake wrote:

Moriarty wrote:Leupold are excellent as are swarovski, pecar, Bushnell topline tasco Burris, Weaver, all good stuff.

don't mention that on any hunting forum, you will be shot down in flames !

would NOT recommend any more that a 3x9, and you will find out why, the first time you forget to wind the power back to a low setting and try to draw a bead, standing, on game with scope at 9X.

its not that bad. just get into the habit of winding it back.
also you should be able to line up a deer on 9x first go. if you can't the gun most likely doesn't fit you. you should be able to look at a target and lift the rifle up straight onto target regardless of scope power.

Yeah, my .44 MAG comes up as clean as... but its rather disconcerting to have the magnification wound up to its max (3x) when you are 15 feet away from a jap hind and all you can see is hair and dont know if its a gut shot or a neck shot!!
I usually cart that cannon around in the bush set at its lowest magnification of 1.5X.

That scope is a 35 year old Weaver steel tube, its a bit fogged now, but i wouldnt change it for it never loses its zero.


Pecar and Leupold are still the toppest of scopes, and the hunting forums and being flamed for my views is hardley going to cause me sleepless nights, not after the shit you FWD fellers in Wellington give me!!

Moriarty wrote:

tweake wrote:

Moriarty wrote:Leupold are excellent as are swarovski, pecar, Bushnell topline tasco Burris, Weaver, all good stuff.

don't mention that on any hunting forum, you will be shot down in flames !

would NOT recommend any more that a 3x9, and you will find out why, the first time you forget to wind the power back to a low setting and try to draw a bead, standing, on game with scope at 9X.

its not that bad. just get into the habit of winding it back.
also you should be able to line up a deer on 9x first go. if you can't the gun most likely doesn't fit you. you should be able to look at a target and lift the rifle up straight onto target regardless of scope power.

Yeah, my .44 MAG comes up as clean as... but its rather disconcerting to have the magnification wound up to its max (3x) when you are 15 feet away from a jap hind and all you can see is hair and dont know if its a gut shot or a neck shot!!
I usually cart that cannon around in the bush set at its lowest magnification of 1.5X.

That scope is a 35 year old Weaver steel tube, its a bit fogged now, but i wouldnt change it for it never loses its zero.


Pecar and Leupold are still the toppest of scopes, and the hunting forums and being flamed for my views is hardley going to cause me sleepless nights, not after the shit you FWD fellers in Wellington give me!!

Its all just peoples opinions aye. Some purists with more money than sense will have you think that you have to have the likes of nightforce, swarovski or schmidt and bender or your not going to shoot well. IMO Leupold and weaver are hard to tell apart except for the warranty issues I've had. But both have been excellent to shoot as far as hunting scopes go. Low end bushnells ie the banners are shithouse but the nicer models seem good. 3-9x40 scopes are more than enough for most people. Someone who knows what they are doing should be on the money at 400+yds with that sort of magnification easy.
I would be concerned if your making shots at close range on 9 power without winding back and confirming your target prior to pulling the trigger. Getting a bit off the scope magnification topic ......

funny you should say that about bushnell banners.

My brother put one on his Parker Hale conversion 303 when we were living in Thames some 42 years ago. That rifle, still with that scope, is now one of MY sons prized possessions. Still holds zero, fired thousands of bro's crude reloads and killed hundred of Jap deer. Ok it's Not a tack driver, but shoots minute of deer all day!

Far out. Thats a long life. May have changed where they are produced or quality control as I've gone through three in the last year due to recoil snapping the crosshairs twice and then one of the lens coming loose in the last one. Replaced every time but yeah wasn't expected. Only reason I use em is they are a good cheap scope given their light gathering ability and staff discount on em is ok too. Havn't had any customers that I've dealt with have any problems so maybe its just me. All my problems have been off a bipod shooting cross real open terrain so its not like they've had a hard life.

its probably like the tasco's. early ones where good but come out of japan. now they are Chinese and quality is all over the show.

I'd have to go along with that, we had some real good Nikko Sterlings too, cheap but were reliable even on the most punishing of recoils arms, an air rifle or a blow-back .22 But now? not even any good to buy for the lenses to light fires!!!

It's interesting hearing peoples different opinion on scopes.
I'm no expert on them by any means. But I own a couple and have my favorite.
I own X2 Bushnell Elite 3200's. (7-21X40) Love the mill dots. A good all round scope. That's why I brought two of em.
I have a Leupold VX-I (3-9x40) The optics on it are very impressive. But its cost was up there.
My favorite by far is the Nikon Monarch ED (8-32x50). I use it on my Weatherby .204. I'm no marksmen. But when I'm behind that rig I certainly feel like one.
Our family company (recently sold) had been cutting n fitting prescription lenses into frames for the past 30yrs. We stocked a arrange of lenses. Nikon was one of our favorites. The quality was second to none. That's not to say there scopes are the best. But they are right up there.

That's my 5c worth.

Safe shooting fellas.

My current Tack holer (not ME anymore, fukkit) is Brno .222R ZKK 600 made in the 1960's. It killed thousands of deer in the hands of a deer-culler and was severely leaded with heaps of copper fouling thrown in for good measure.

Paul and I spent months with muriatic acid and Hoppes number Nine getting that shit out.
Now? as smooth as a babie's bum!! shoots five into 10mm off a rest.

scope? A bruised , battered and scarred 3X9X40 Tasco that is also nearly as old as the rifle, I bought the scope at Jack Prices, in Thames as a gift to myself for my 24th birthday.

Reticule is a tapered post and cross hair. best accuracy is using the top left corner of the post.

Impact does NOT shift when altering the power.

cost? very expensive, wages were $36 per week, and that scope was a $40 one!!!

Just to give it some relativity.