What scope to use

ronn

Can some one give me an explanation to scopes, What does the 2.5-10x42 on a scope or binoclars mean, What sort of scope/magnification would i looked for a .17.
thanks

juice1304

2.5-10 is the magnification of the scope from 2.5 to 10 times and the 42 is the diameter of the objective lens.
What mag you want is down to personal choice and also the task at hand i would say that scope would be grand you might want a bit more power for longer shots on rabbits or targets something like a 6-18 3-12 it depends it is nice to have the lower mag too for close shots which i would presume will be the most common shot you will be taking.
Here is a tip for you too the higher quality the scope the less magnification you will need imo

Cass

2.5 - 10 means 2.5 times normal vision to 10 times normal vision. his is how most scopes measure the magnification they offer. The rest is as above.

ronn

Thanks lads, I reckon most of my shots will be 75 yards to 150 yards,

my dealer is recommending a tasco scope,

Never herd of them myself before, but had a look on their www they look good,

Cass

Tasco, while not the most expensive scope, are a good brand with a decent, and long history. Had one on my first .22lr nearly 20 years ago, and still have it here. Never sell it due to "sentimental" reasons.

Works as well as the day it was bought. Your one will too if minded properly.

Feidhlim Dignan

my opinion of a tasco would be the cheap ones are pure muck. a bit more money and you can get a hawke which i reckon is a way better bit of kit. they can be got for a good price on ebay from the uk

ronn

Feidhlim Dignan wrote: »

my opinion of a tasco would be the cheap ones are pure muck. a bit more money and you can get a hawke which i reckon is a way better bit of kit. they can be got for a good price on ebay from the uk

Thanks feidhlim
I haven't bought the scope yet, so I'm open to suggestions on what to buy, I'd rather spend the few extra pound now, than have to upgrade at a later stage,
Cheers

charlie10

had a hawke on a centre fire and no problem id recommend i have one on my 17 now and no issue either

juice1304

I would disagree i think hawke are pure muck waste of money in my opinion and i have one sitting in the safe not in use and i would'nt resell it because of it. When you look trough a half decent scope and compare the clarity it is ridiculous i would save a bit and pick up a luepold or something like that or a nikon you would get a pretty decent on for two or three hundred quid and it would be mile ahead of the hawkes.:)

FISMA

ronn,
What are you going to be shooting at? Targets? Bunnies? Foxes?...

As a rule of thumb: Little targets need big magnification and big targets like deer need little magnification.

Scopes come either in fixed magnification or variable. That's the first group of numbers they give you. For most deer hunting applications all you really need is a fixed 4x magnification.

The next number is the diameter of the bell/front (objective) of the scope. The bigger the bell, the more light that can be gathered. To deer hunters this is important as many species of deer are active in low light conditions - sun up and sundown.

I have a few tasco scope from days gone by. It sounds as if you just need to get some glass on the rifle to get your going.

Even so, there are a lot of great scopes at low prices that aren't "cheap" in materials or quality.

Here are some ideas if deer hunting or general target work is what you want: Burris Fullfield II, Nikon Prostaff, Redfield, and Sightron.

I would suggest that you get to a store or a range and have a look through as many scopes that you can. See which reticle your eyes and brain like and then go for that rifle.

I usually shop by reticle. One of the reasons that I love the Burris Fullfield II with the Ballistic Plex reticle. You may just find a particular combination that suits you.

ronn

FISMA wrote: »

ronn,
What are you going to be shooting at? Targets? Bunnies? Foxes?...

As a rule of thumb: Little targets need big magnification and big targets like deer need little magnification.

Scopes come either in fixed magnification or variable. That's the first group of numbers they give you. For most deer hunting applications all you really need is a fixed 4x magnification.

The next number is the diameter of the bell/front (objective) of the scope. The bigger the bell, the more light that can be gathered. To deer hunters this is important as many species of deer are active in low light conditions - sun up and sundown.

I have a few tasco scope from days gone by. It sounds as if you just need to get some glass on the rifle to get your going.

Even so, there are a lot of great scopes at low prices that aren't "cheap" in materials or quality.

Here are some ideas if deer hunting or general target work is what you want: Burris Fullfield II, Nikon Prostaff, Redfield, and Sightron.

I would suggest that you get to a store or a range and have a look through as many scopes that you can. See which reticle your eyes and brain like and then go for that rifle.

I usually shop by reticle. One of the reasons that I love the Burris Fullfield II with the Ballistic Plex reticle. You may just find a particular combination that suits you.

thanks Fisma
Ill be just shooting rabbits and foxes,:D
ill get looking at scopes

Constab2

Have a look at IOR recently got one 2nd hand for very reasonable money & I am very impressed with the glass.As good as SB/Zeiss to my eye its 2.5-10x42 illum MP8 Ret for €350 its a bargain .

wildcatares22

i have a hawke on the 22lr and a konus on the 223.
the konus are a much better scope than the hawke for the same money as the hawke.
after that, like the previous post said, you could get an IOR, they bridge the gap between the low and highend scopes, although they have high end quality themselves.

be carefull when buying on the net, ebay and the likes, you could get stung. buy from a reputable sports hunting supplier. ya cant beat buying face to face with the seller and get a good look through the glass at high mags.

try get a look through some of the top end stuff, you will see the difference.
good luck shopping

FISMA

ronn wrote: »

thanks Fisma
Ill be just shooting rabbits and foxes,:D
ill get looking at scopes

ronn,
You're welcome and if it is smaller targets like bunnies, I would suggest a 6.5-20x50mm.

But that's ideal. If you only have the dosh for a Tasco, then get it, and upgrade later.

I learned on iron sights and it still amazes me how well you can shoot with them once you've gotten the knack.

dogcityroller

Buy yourself an MTC scope - great little scope for the money - have a 6- 24 x 50 on my rabbit rifle. Only use it up to 12 for rabbits but great to have the 24 for a bit of target shooting