Scope Choice

Rifter · 18-01-2018 05:39PM #1

My .22lr has been wearing the same scope for around 10 years, its a Hawke 3-9x44 ill.
I bought rifle and scope from a friend who had it from new!!

Now to be fair theres nothing "wrong" with the scope but im in the market for a new scope!!

Ive looked at Zeiss (Terra), Hawke, Nikon and Bushnell but ive no experience with any of these brands except Hawke but as I said its 10 years old!!

Any opinions?

pm. · 18-01-2018 05:52PM

Out of the makes you quoted definitely zeiss. I have a zeiss conquest 6.5x20x50 on my.243 and it's crystal clear.

My suggestion would be to also look at sightron a cracking scope. I have one on my.17 hmr and can't fault it almost on par with the zeiss.

I would also go to a minimum of x12 as your maximum magnification and the front to x50 let's more light in

extremetaz · 18-01-2018 06:25PM

I'm using a Bushnell LRHS on my bunny rifle and absolutely love it - 3-12x44 so not enormous, great glass, mil-mil, FFP, Side focus down to 50, resettable turrets and a G2H reticle is brilliant.. couldn't say enough good things about it

alanmc · 18-01-2018 06:33PM

I found when I was shopping for a scope, it was largely about budget. I could have gone nuts and spent as much on the scope as I did on buying my rifle.

A good compromise for me was the Vortex Viper PST Gen I. Have Vipers on both my rifles.

What's your budget OP?

Rifter · 18-01-2018 06:54PM

Cheers for the feedback lads

alanmc wrote: »

What's your budget OP?

Ive got about €500 to spend, which is why I was looking at the Zeiss Terra!! I know I could spend similar on any of the other 3 brands I mentioned.
My .22lr is purely for hunting. Im not looking for massive magnification but I would like a 50mm obj.

clivej · 18-01-2018 07:32PM

I'm a Bushnell man having had manybovercthecyears and still have 4. I could never spend big money on a scope. 400 for the elite 4200 second hand was the most.if you can get a Zeiss second hand for you price then that would be the best

Rifter · 18-01-2018 07:47PM

clivej wrote: »

I'm a Bushnell man having had manybovercthecyears and still have 4. I could never spend big money on a scope. 400 for the elite 4200 second hand was the most.if you can get a Zeiss second hand for you price then that would be the best

I can pick up a Zeiss Terra 3-9/4-12 from the UK or Opticstrade for c. 500 Clive....

Now the Terra line afaik use Japanese lenses(but so do the other brands I mentioned)

pm. · 18-01-2018 07:53PM

Rifter wrote: »

I can pick up a Zeiss Terra 3-9/4-12 from the UK or Opticstrade for c. 500 Clive....

Now the Terra line afaik use Japanese lenses(but so do the other brands I mentioned)

As do sightron but I can't fault them

Rifter · 18-01-2018 08:26PM

pm. wrote: »

As do sightron but I can't fault them

I had never considered sightron pm, ill have a look at them!!

If it were you though, would you go sightron or zeiss?

pm. · 18-01-2018 09:37PM

I have both, zeiss have the brand name history of great lenses, sightron are fairly new and give a lifetime warranty. You will get more bang for your buck with sightron ( personally I would only look at the siii series) and a higher magnification so on that bases I would seriously consider it over a zeiss...

rsole1 · 19-01-2018 08:29AM

My vote is Zeiss Conquest , at least 14 mag and 50mm objective lens.

Rifter · 19-01-2018 06:58PM

pm. wrote: »

I have both, zeiss have the brand name history of great lenses, sightron are fairly new and give a lifetime warranty. You will get more bang for your buck with sightron ( personally I would only look at the siii series) and a higher magnification so on that bases I would seriously consider it over a zeiss...

Its only for hunting with a .22lr sub, most of my shots are taken on either 4x or 8x on my current scope!! I want to get a 50mm obj, but i think any mag over 10x would be wasted?

rsole1 wrote: »

My vote is Zeiss Conquest , at least 14 mag and 50mm objective lens.

Thats a bit too much money for a scope for a .22lr

German pointer · 19-01-2018 07:08PM

Iv a Docter 2.5-10X48 on my .22 and its a cracking hunting scope. If you can find a secondhand one grab it. Or indeed any German or Austrian scope

rsole1 · 19-01-2018 10:36PM

Rifter wrote: »

Its only for hunting with a .22lr sub, most of my shots are taken on either 4x or 8x on my current scope!! I want to get a 50mm obj, but i think any mag over 10x would be wasted?

Thats a bit too much money for a scope for a .22lr

I got an ex demo from opticswarehouse just before Xmas for £420 = €503 with delivery. Couple of small marks on it but glass perfect.

gunny123 · 19-01-2018 10:38PM

Keep an eye on the classified adverts here, great bargains turn up. Someone was selling a kaps scope recently. If its purely for hunting, consider an illuminated model, the clearest lenses in the world are useless if you cannot see the crosshairs on a gloomy day.

meathstevie · 20-01-2018 12:22AM

Rifter, if I were you I wouldn't bother with anything over 9 or 10 times magnification on a .22lr.

I've a 3-9x40 Conquest on a .308 and I've shot deer with it at give or take 400 metres and foxes under a lamp at 250 or so metres. Previously I had that scope on .22 Hornet. Magnification has seldom been turned up over 6 or 7.

If you're using a .22lr for hunting there's realistically speaking no circumstances that will require any higher magnification than what a 9 or 10 times scope will give you.

If I were you I'd look at quality and quality only. A smaller diameter with quality lenses will outperform an average quality larger diameter scope any day.

extremetaz · 21-01-2018 05:16PM

Rifter wrote: »

Its only for hunting with a .22lr sub,... i think any mag over 10x would be wasted?

This I absoulutely agree with

Rifter wrote: »

Thats a bit too much money for a scope for a .22lr

This I don't - it's a myth to think that 22LR doesn't justify good optics if you're of a mind to buy then. It doens't necessitate them, sure - but although 22LR targets far closer, they're also far smaller; the trajectory of the round more akin to a rainbow than a laser so range estimation is important; and they're quite regularly used in low light, hence why you want a cheaper 50mm rather than a higher quality ~45mm.

My 1417 has glass which matches it for price off the shelf; and my 1423, which was kitted out well before I was born, was setup with glass that would have matched it for price at that time *and* mounted on soldered Suhler claw mounts to boot!

So whilst I'm not saying that you won't find something with a lesser budget which will do the job, good glass is well worth having regardless of caliber.

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