I do alot of hunting in the late evenings and im wanting opions on who you all think makes the brightest and clearest scope when light is fading fast. If objective size and scope magnification was equal who do u think has the brightest clearest picture for low light hunting situations
who makes the best scope
- Thread starter fredhorace77
- Start date
Scopes are like diamonds. You get what you pay for. I like Leupolds for hunting, I think that you have to pay a lot more to get a little better scope. Like a thousand more for 5% better scope. Just my opinion, I have used the same 3.5-10 Leupold on my deer rifle since the 70's when I bought it new. The rifle has been rebarreled twice, same scope though.
ballistic64
Silver $$ Contributor
I agree. No single best scope but an array of some very high quality products from various manufacturers. My favorite that Ive used for hunting and long range shooting is us optics, but I prefer ffp.
I have a nightforce 15-55 comp. Leupold 45 comp and a big skyii36.. Nightforce hands down.
To have as much low light performance as you can, have as large a front objective as is practical on YOUR rifle and do not dial the power up any more than allows a 5mm exit pupil (objective diameter/power setting = 5 or more). This all the light that scope can pass to the average human eye (aged 35 or older). A larger diameter scope body can make the scope sharper as you use more of the center of the glass elements instead of the outer edges. Larger can (but not necessarily) also pass a bit more light as well as allow more adjustment for windage and elevation. But larger also means more weight. Depends upon how you hunt. Out west we walk and climb a lot. The quality of the coatings are what allow more light to pass through the elements instead of reflect off of them.
I use a Nightforce on my match rifle but low to moderate power variable Leupold or Nikon on my hunting rigs. My 54 year old brother uses a Leupold fixed 4X and has made one shot kills out to 400 yards with it with no issues. What can I say. He's a good shot.
I use a Nightforce on my match rifle but low to moderate power variable Leupold or Nikon on my hunting rigs. My 54 year old brother uses a Leupold fixed 4X and has made one shot kills out to 400 yards with it with no issues. What can I say. He's a good shot.
mshelton
March
this might be a dumb question but is there any actual scientific data showing whose glass and coatings are better than the others.
stool
lots of subjective and opinions...kind of hard to justify any expense to quantify...
everyone's eyes are diff, everyone's budget is different,and are needs/wants are different.
in your case you mentioned hunting, but not distance.....
lots of excellent hunting scopes on the market......how much money do you have...??
will you be happy if we add another 2 lbs to your hunting rifle ??
everyone's eyes are diff, everyone's budget is different,and are needs/wants are different.
in your case you mentioned hunting, but not distance.....
lots of excellent hunting scopes on the market......how much money do you have...??
will you be happy if we add another 2 lbs to your hunting rifle ??
I have looked through a lot of glass and the best I have ever seen in low light is Swarovski. I showed people at Port royal speedway, a 1/2 mile dirt track. I took my Swarovski 10x50 Binoculars and can read peoples race car shirts in the infield; The people I left look through my binoculars couldn't believe what they saw. The track is lit but the infield isn't. Matt
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
It's a question of low-light ability, something I think is over-played in the mind and underused in reality.
Anyhow first choose models with large objective lenses. Tube size is not a big deal, objective size is. Stay 50mm or larger.
Next is money. There are many who believe only the European models like Swarovski, Zeiss are the best. The are good but Nightforce is a standard and they are now making hunting models up to 56mm. Burris and Leupold are also decent but normally not as aggressive with models using large objective lens size.
The more expensive models use better quality glass and coatings. That translates into better low-light transmission. Open your wallet.
Anyhow first choose models with large objective lenses. Tube size is not a big deal, objective size is. Stay 50mm or larger.
Next is money. There are many who believe only the European models like Swarovski, Zeiss are the best. The are good but Nightforce is a standard and they are now making hunting models up to 56mm. Burris and Leupold are also decent but normally not as aggressive with models using large objective lens size.
The more expensive models use better quality glass and coatings. That translates into better low-light transmission. Open your wallet.
thekriebles
Gold $$ Contributor
dkhunt14 said:
+1 for above. I've looked through a variety of different brands as well, including March and a few Schmidt Benders. For my eyes, the Swarovski was the brightest at low light.
I used to have only leupold scopes for my hunting rifles too. Then one day I looked thru a family members Zeiss conquest, which was the same price as the 3.5-10 x 40 vx3 I had just bought. The zeiss was better even during the day, and in low light it was a blowout win for the zeiss. What we have noticed is the ability to see in thick brush better. It has a much crisper/clearer view. Needless to say I don't own a single leupold anymore. Zeiss on all of mine with the exception of one Swarovski. The larger objective lens doesn't mean a thing if the glass isn't clear or just plain sucks. I used to have a 3-9x50 vx2, that I couldn't see as well thru in low light as a 3-9x36 zeiss. The conquest scopes are right in line with the vx3 scopes pricewise, and the little difference more if they are is worth it when mr. big steps out at last light.
I couldn't tell you how many times I have taken younger cousins hunting, and they would have a leupold or redfield on their rifle. Then in low light a deer comes out into the field and they can't see it well enough to shoot. So I let them use my rifle, and the first thing they say is wow, I can see it now.
the only thing you will have to do is get a watch, because you will be able to see way longer than legal shooting light.
I couldn't tell you how many times I have taken younger cousins hunting, and they would have a leupold or redfield on their rifle. Then in low light a deer comes out into the field and they can't see it well enough to shoot. So I let them use my rifle, and the first thing they say is wow, I can see it now.
the only thing you will have to do is get a watch, because you will be able to see way longer than legal shooting light.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
I have one Swaro and several others. The brightest scopes I have are my Swaro and my SWFA SS 5-20.
Personally I limit my objectives on hunting scopes to 44mm. I shoot thousands of rouinds from behind a NF on my F class rifles, those big bells make anything like a consistent cheek weld impossible with out an adjustable cheekpiece on the rifle, and they weigh a ton. NF does not have the best glass out there by a long shot.
If you wallet can handle it look through a Swaro, if it can't, don't do it, really. Just shoot a Leupy and be a happy.
Personally I limit my objectives on hunting scopes to 44mm. I shoot thousands of rouinds from behind a NF on my F class rifles, those big bells make anything like a consistent cheek weld impossible with out an adjustable cheekpiece on the rifle, and they weigh a ton. NF does not have the best glass out there by a long shot.
If you wallet can handle it look through a Swaro, if it can't, don't do it, really. Just shoot a Leupy and be a happy.
Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, Minox, Meiopta ..... German Schott Glass is the key.
around $1500 or so. I did purchase a pair of swaro binos 4 years ago and i am very impressed with them. of course im comparing them to a pair of $150 bushnell so of course they are better. to date, the scopes i have used have been leupold VX3 and burris signature(old model) and nikon monarchs (japans)
When I bought my Swarovski I asked the guy if he could open at Daybreak the next morning. They were calling for severe thunderstorms. I sat the Swarovski next to Zeis, and Leica. There was a spot out in the field where you couldn't plow because it had a steep bank grown up with trees and briars. It was 7 AM and it was just breaking day. The sky was as black as the ace of spades from the storm going through. When you looked in through the brush under the briar bushes I could see way better detail in the darkest areas then the other two high end glass. This was at about 300 yards out there. The Swarovski blew the other two out of the water for detail and brightness. I have a bunch of Leupold and 6 Nightforces Including 2 Competitions, but in hunting sitiations the Swaro wins in brightness. My 10x50 Swarovski compares to my 82 mm Kowa Highlanders. Matt
I spent 30 years in the Optics business and I have found that the best rifle scope manufacture for dark conditions is Swarovski. Several of my customers would travel to Hungry and the Chezk Republic for hunting Boar at night. On the first trip they all used 50MM Leupold VX-6's and found them to be completely useless, but their guide and all of the local hunters they came into contact with were using some form of Swarovski. Upon their return they all bought the Z6i 2.5-15X56 for their next trip, upon which they each took several trophies and found the Z6i to be the best for the job.
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/hunting/z6-i-2p5-15x56-p-bt-c20050106/z6-2p5-15x56-p-l-4a-p5006223
http://www.swarovskioptik.com/hunting/z6-i-2p5-15x56-p-bt-c20050106/z6-2p5-15x56-p-l-4a-p5006223
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