HMR scope best value bang for your buck

German pointer

Thinking of a dedicated scope for the HMR mostly shooting rabbits and crows. Dial in turrets or holdover reticle for further out shots not fussy which system. A big part of the shooting is before and during dusk and on into darkness with the lamp. What would yer options be? Fixed or variable but if variable must not have POI to POA change when changing magnafacation. Up to about €500 or €600 but if cheaper all the better

patsat

A Vortex 4-16x50 would fit the bill. They have good glass, good magnification range, has a reticle to hold over or else use the turrets, illuminated reticle and you can choose between FFP and SFP.

I have the 6-24x50 FFP Mil version on my 6.5 but the 4-16 would be perfect for the Hmr. I think Sfp plane is a bit cheaper but both would fit your budget. Give Mike Duggan in Kilarney a ring, he has the best prices on them.

Cass

Hawke Sidewinder 30

Pros

• Tactical/Target turrets
• Illuminated reticle
• No shift in POI to POA at various mags
• Cheap - €400 new

Cons

• Poor low light transmission
• Illuminated reticle is too bright for such shooting

Sightron

Pros

• Excellent dusk/dawn light transmission
• Target turrets
• No shift in POI to POA at various mags

Cons

• Not cheap - Start at €850 new

S&B 8*56

Pros

• Excellent glass for low light shooting
• No shift as it's fixed

Cons

• Not cheap - new price can be over €700 (not 00% sure on the exact price)
• No target turrets

Leupold (8.5*25x50) Only one i used.

Pros

• Excellent make
• Great glass
• Was good in low light
• Target turrets
• No shift in POI to POA at various mags

Cons

• Not cheap - Around €1,400
• Not too common. Hard to find second hand

Docter 8*56 (mate has one)

Pros

• Excellent glass
• Fixed so no shift in POI to POA
• Good in low light

Cons

• Not cheap - €700-ish new
• No target turrets

There are loads of other makes, but due to price thy are way beyond what you want to spend (they start at €1,800 and go up).

Now if you want a "budget" scope you have a good selection for under €350, but you will loose out on dusk/dawn light transmission (like wit the Hawke) or features such as target turrets, holding POI/POA when adjusting mag, etc.

German pointer

patsat wrote: »

A Vortex 4-16x50 would fit the bill. They have good glass, good magnification range, has a reticle to hold over or else use the turrets, illuminated reticle and you can choose between FFP and SFP.

I have the 6-24x50 FFP Mil version on my 6.5 but the 4-16 would be perfect for the Hmr. I think Sfp plane is a bit cheaper but both would fit your budget. Give Mike Duggan in Kilarney a ring, he has the best prices on them.

I heard that they weren't much good in low light how do you find It

German pointer

@Cass which sightron is that? I I enquirerd about the Docter and lts €670 with the DBA reticle. Most of my shooting will be the hour or so either side of dusk so low light glass is important

patsat

German pointer wrote: »

I heard that they weren't much good in low light how do you find It

I have lamped foxes with mine at 6 power with no problems, Shot a fox the last time i was out @ 200 yards into the head. The reticle at 6 power is very fine so the SFP option would be better for you.

I also shot a good few deer at low light and under the cover of dense forestry where little to no light was coming through. The illuminated reticle works great.

Cass

German pointer wrote: »

@Cass which sightron is that?

Firstly apologies. That should be 850 not 550. Fat finger syndrome.

There are a few starting at €650 upward but they did not interest me as they were 3.5-10 or 10 fixed with no illuminated reticle.

I bought the new S-Tac as i wanted a huge range of mag from very low to generously high, good low light transmission, and a host of other features such as illuminated centre dot, target turrets, etc. The S-Tac ticks all the boxes. Night/low light shooting is easy. It goes down to 2.5 power, but even on higher powers there is very good light transmission. Under a lamp it's like daylight.

I I enquirerd about the Docter and lts €670 with the DBA reticle. Most of my shooting will be the hour or so either side of dusk so low light glass is important

The docter above is the one my mate has. He got it for his deer set up. The glass is brilliant, but there is a serious lack of other features (target turrets, illuminated reticle, etc). If this meets your needs then i would consider one.

Padd2

try a nikko sterling ive one on my hornet and it lovely for the money..

bravestar

Falcon menace 4-16x50, FFP, mil/mil, 30mm tube, tactical turrets, side parallax. Surprisingly good! Around 300 euro. I used one on my .22lr for rabbits and on my .223 to shoot out to 600 metres.

German pointer

I looked closely at the falcon but I read including posts by yourself that they are not so good in low light? Or have I got it wrong?

TriggerPL

I have a doctor optics 3-12x56 not using it but still wouldn part with it for the world , brilliant glass !! In low light ! And it's ilumnated. ! It called the unipoint

reniwren

I've had plenty of luck with my sidewinder 30 that I got from "sniperman", if it gets too dark on goes the lazer designator and away I go again, but then again not having used anything better ignorance is bliss.

bravestar

German pointer wrote: »

I looked closely at the falcon but I read including posts by yourself that they are not so good in low light? Or have I got it wrong?

No, your dead right. That really is a downside of theirs. Not terrible, but not great by any standard.

German pointer

Thanks. Low light capabilities is important as most of my shooting is in at around dusk

TriggerPL

What about the duralyt ?

bravestar

German pointer wrote: »

Thanks. Low light capabilities is important as most of my shooting is in at around dusk

Sorry, missed that in your first post, I blame working nights forget the falcon.

ronn

Did you have a look at Nikon, they do some rimfire scopes.

shoot to kill

TriggerPL wrote: »

What about the duralyt ?

+1 to the zeiss duralyt. Delighted with mine on the 243

German pointer

Lads bear in mind I'm trying to keep the cost at about €500 or €600 or below and from what I can see the duralyts are close to a grand

ronn

What you need is a schmit & bender,

The recession is over, put it on the credit card. :-)

sniperman

have a hawke varmint 6-24x44 on me hmr,clear up to full mag,nice fine cross hair,1" and some hole in hole groups at 100 yrds,as far as low light is concerned,when i cant see the target,ill come home;)

TriggerPL

German pointer wrote: »

Lads bear in mind I'm trying to keep the cost at about €500 or €600 or below and from what I can see the duralyts are close to a grand

Where are you getting price of a grand for duralyt , there 750 new and about 500-600 second hand . And u will not need to buy a scope ever again with one .

Cass

Illuminated model is close to or in some shops, over a grand. I know as i was looking at them before getting the Sightron.

Problem is, like the ones i named above, availability of second hand ones.

TriggerPL

Sending u a pm lad

TriggerPL

Cass wrote: »

Illuminated model is close to or in some shops, over a grand. I know as i was looking at them before getting the Sightron.

Problem is, like the ones i named above, availability of second hand ones.

Well he asking a bit much so , illuminated with low light capability , and gud glass for under 600 !

Low light comes from spending a few quid on gud glass !

Doctor optics is what I'd be looking for if u want all that at low budget , but even at that , second hand would be what ur looking at

Cass

TriggerPL wrote: »

Well he asking a bit much so

Probably.

There is not one make i an think of that ticks all the boxes within budget. I can name a half dozen that come close, but fall down on features or glass, and then a dozen that are way out of budget.

Unless a good second hand scope comes along it's a case of settling for the nearest one or upping your budget.

sniperman

TriggerPL wrote: »

Well he asking a bit much so , illuminated with low light capability , and gud glass for under 600 !

Low light comes from spending a few quid on gud glass !

Doctor optics is what I'd be looking for if u want all that at low budget , but even at that , second hand would be what ur looking at

who does them for under 600?thanks

TriggerPL

sniperman wrote: »

who does them for under 600?thanks

Try reading my post , I said even at that ur looking second hand

German pointer

Illuminated not necessary but would be an advantage

Dial in turrets or some type of holdover reticle not pushed which

The most important is good low light glass

As I said in opening post an hour either side of dusk and into dark under the lamp i find that sometimes with poor glass it can be to bright to get the benefit of the lamp and yet too dark to use the glass in the scope

If I can get the other bits and bobs great but I doubt it. May have to rethink the price

TriggerPL

Have you looked at the zeiss conquest range from the states. ?

German pointer

TriggerPL wrote: »

Have you looked at the zeiss conquest range from the states. ?

Looked at them when getting my stalking scope last year TBH did not think of them now but will give them a look see.

also PM answered