labayouhunter

Is there much difference in these power scopes? Which one to choose? Thanks

goatbrother

The 40mm lense lets in more light and will be better at dawn and dusk. The 3x9 is higher magnification.

hubby11

This is of course true, assuming everything else being equal (same brand, model, quality of glass/optics). In practical usage, IMO, the differences are pretty negligible, especially if you are comparing different brands.

In my hunting, the 2-7x makes a little more sense since I hunt in heavy cover with a lot of climbing. I've yet to take a shot over 75 yards. 7x is more than enough out to 200yds assuming I ever get such a shot, and the 2x has a slight advantage for close in shots. The 2-7x scopes usually have a smaller profile, perhaps less likely to snag up in the brush. They can also be mounted lower to the rifle, which may or may not be an advantage. So for my type of hunting, go with the 2-7x. If you are likely to take distant shots more often, go with the 3-9x.

There are a lot of other things to consider, such as eye relief, field of view, reticule type, and of course, warranty.

BOWHUNTERCOP

I have 3-9x40s on most of my firearms including shotguns and muzzlealders and centerfire rifles

GRIZZLYMAN

I have several 3-9X 40mm scopes but I'm looking at a 2-7X 32mm Vortex Viper right now for my Marlin 336. I don't shoot this rifle over 100 yards usually and a lighter, shorter scope for hog and javelina appeals to me, especially in South Texas brush country.

bronko22000

Personally I like to fit the scope to the rifle. Example, my Browning Microhunters have Burris Short Mag 3-9 x 32 scopes on them, my fuller sized rifles (700, M-77, #1, etc) carry Leupold or Burris 3-9 x 40s and my 'little' Marlin Guide Gun has a 1-4x Bushnell Shotgun scope on it.
If your shots are normally <100 yds you may even want to opt for a 1-4X scope.
But like the prev post - all other things being equal, the 40mm objective will extend your shooting time a couple more minutes each day.

salukipv1

compare true magnifications...if it's 6.5 vs 8.5, either way, 7 vs. 9 isn't much, but if you're hunting out west and wishing you had a 12 or 14.5x scope then I'd much rather have a 9x than a 7x, really depends on what you plan to hunt, and where, etc...

I had a 2-7x I replaces with a 4-14x, had I had a 3-9x on there originally I may have never replaced it but for wide open out west 7x left me wanting more on those long shots.

My choice would be the 3-9x without knowing anything else.

Sheridan

"My choice would be the 3-9x without knowing anything else.[/quote]" salukipv1


+1 If you have more power you can use it; if you don't, well...............you can't.

HatchieLuvr

DING DING DING we have a winner!!!

On the typical 24" brl, long action the 3x9x40 is a good fit. But for 20" short action compacts the 3x9x40 almost makes you think the gun is fit under the scope instead of the other way around.

Performance wise, whatever I ever shot with a 9x could've just as easily been done with a 7x. Now sure a 2x7 is no replacement for a 4x12 or larger. But it's all about what you're putting this scope on. On my 300Wby Mark V the 3x9x40 is fine. On my sons 243 youth guns I went with 2x8 Monarchs.

Are you considering the new Redfield 2x7? For the money and with Leupold building and backing them, I've found nothing else as interesting in the $150 range!!!
HL

ps
A scope has a pupil just like your eye does. Hold the scope at arms length and look through it. That smaller hole is the pupil. It will get larger as you turn down the power. The human eye is between 4 and 7mm usually, any less and what we see is very dim (like a 32 power scope with a 50mm lense at sunset). Now with a 2x scope with a 33mm lense, obviously that image is much brighter because more light is being let in. To find the scopes pupil just divide the objective lenses size (in MMs) by the power.... example 40mm objective / 9x = 4.4mm pupil. That's on the lower end of the human eyes range. ALL 9x 40mm scopes are going to have a 4.4mm pupil, doesn't matter if you're talking about a Tasco Worldclass or a Swarovski Z, each scope only has 4.4mm to work with (at 9x 40mm). BUT it's what the scope DOES with that 4.4mm worth of received light that decides how good or bad the image is that we see... So that 2x 33mm is going to have a 16.5mm pupil when the 4x 40 will of course have a 10mm pupil. So the 2x will let in 65% more light than the 4x 40 will. (But remember, no scope lets in all 100% of the light it collects and our eyes will only let in up to maybe 8mm worth of light at most to begin with, anymore is just more than our eyes can let in plus bright light hurts our dialated eyes.)

nchawkeye

Which one to choose for what???

Are you hunting squirrels with a .22, deer with a shotgun or elk with a .300 Mag??? What type terrain will you be hunting in???

Makes a heck of a difference...