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Best Low Light Scope for deer hunting

daniel brothers

Deer hunters... Deer hunters.... what is the best scope for low light conditions without getting into crazy money? I guess it has to be a 56 mm tube?

I could see the buck last evening in my 10 power Zeiss Binos... but could not pick it out in my scope...BUT... it is ONLY a Nikon Monarch 5-20x44 mm. The glass is really clean... but I just need more light gathering capability.

Got any tips???
 
My Zeiss Z6 5-30 is the best low light scope for my eyes followed by my VX6 scopes.

If you don't have that budget the Gen2 Vipers are very good...guess I have three for a reason.
 
I haven’t owned anything that gathers light much better than a few of the older Zeiss Conquests that I’ve owned. They are tough to beat without spending “mucho dinero”. They hold zero very well also.
Gary
 
Get one with a 52-56mm objective and decent glass. You don't have to break the bank to find one (think Vortex/Sightron/Meopta). That being said the best scope I have ever used for twilight shooting deer/ Alberta bear was a Schmidt & Bender....but very pricey.
 
Leica or zeiss V6 if you dont want to get into Swaro and S&B money, march also has some killer scopes but your also looking at bigger money
 
daniel brothers said:
Deer hunters... Deer hunters.... what is the best scope for low light conditions without getting into crazy money? I guess it has to be a 56 mm tube?

I could see the buck last evening in my 10 power Zeiss Binos... but could not pick it out in my scope...BUT... it is ONLY a Nikon Monarch 5-20x44 mm. The glass is really clean... but I just need more light gathering capability.

Got any tips???
Click to expand...
Leupold VX-R 3-9x40 Firedot. Bass pro for 299.97:)
 
Tagging onto to this, because I've had the same problem. I've wondered if the lighted reticles helped?
 
gunsandgunsmithing said:
Glass is critical but research the term "exit pupil" to better familiarize yourself with how it affects the light that actually makes it to your eye.
Click to expand...
Correct !!
Exit pupil + object lens divided by the power, so your binos are 10x 42mm = 4.2 exit pupil while the scope at 10x44mm would be 4.4mm, more or less the same but at 20x the exit pupil will be 2.2mm half the light at twice the power, more or less. Monarch glass is not on par with Zeiss but neither is the price. VX-5HD & VX-6HD, Zeiss, Swaro, etc. are all good low light options but get the biggest objective you can handle for best results.
 
I had one German 3x12x56, a Kahles and it was stolen along with my rifle years ago. Since then I have gotten along well with a Leupold VXIII 2.5x10x50 with the heavy duplex reticule. It's affordable for me. I have tried some with reticules like the Trijicon and they are a little too "busy" for my eyes. Plus, lighted means a battery and I have the worst luck with them.
 
Knotwild said:
I had one German 3x12x56, a Kahles and it was stolen along with my rifle years ago. Since then I have gotten along well with a Leupold VXIII 2.5x10x50 with the heavy duplex reticule. It's affordable for me. I have tried some with reticules like the Trijicon and they are a little too "busy" for my eyes. Plus, lighted means a battery and I have the worst luck with them.
Click to expand...
I agree but have to admit that Trijicon offers the most simple reticle I've ever seen, or use to...a single post with a point at the top. I'm not sure how it gets much simpler and their glass is very good.
 
I admit I haven't used Trijicon, but one of my guests brought one that I was able to try. I haven't shopped a Leupold lately, but I ran a search for one this morning and found the heavy duplex for $470. For my eyes, I just haven't seen any scope that is so much better that I would pay the price or decide I just had to have one.

When I talked about busy reticules, I was basing that mainly on a Nightforce that I have that lights up the whole reticule. I also just bought a Tract 2x10x42 with their Response reticule and the reticule is totally useless in the late evening, much less at dusk. With a heavy duplex like the German scopes or the Leupold, I can kill something.

After reading your post, I would like to try the AccuPoint 2.5x10x56 with the lighted reticule. I was even amazed to see the prices they were offered at, which wasn't much more than the Leupold.

So thanks for opening my eyes to the Trijicon.
 
Back when l deer hunted l found myself in possession of my first Zeiss. Twas an 8x56 fixed power.. Being a Leupold man l wanted to compare them in low light to the Zeiss... Across the street lay my closest neighbor at maybe 75yds.. l noticed one dark evening there was a red blob in a window..lt was a digital clock and the perfect object to view with my scopes.. l observed the clock with 3 different scopes set on 8x. First was a Leupold VXII 3-9. Then a Leupold VXIII 3 1/2-10. Last was the 8x56 Zeiss. View thru the VXII showed a big red blob. The VXIII showed four smaller blobs... With the 8x Zeiss l could read the time! Size and quality MATTER.
 
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Good story.... it was a pair of Zeiss 10x54 rangefinder binos that I was looking at a deer at 160 yds, that I knew and could see it was a good buck, but could not make out the rack.... nor could I see the deer at all in the low light conditions in my rifle scope... that situation is what started me onto this thread. I need a scope that will pick out the object as good as my zeiss binos without paying super high dollars for just one scope.

High dollar bino/rangefinders are worth their price because they cover such a BIG part of any hunt. If you cant see your target, then you might as well stay home. But to spend that kind of money for one scope, is over my head.... especially when we are talking about it only giving you another 10 minutes or so.... and I do agree that those 10 mins can make or break a hunt.
 
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