tow2atm

Sightron makes a nice scope and lifetime warranty should something arise.

MALLARD76

Another vote for the zeiss conquest line.

Alsatian

A 30 mm scope tube may be stronger than the standard 1" scope tube. On the other hand, you may find 30 mm scope tubes only on specific scopes having other features you don't want or don't need, so think first before you railroad yourself into buying a 30 mm scope when you don't need one and then sign on for other features which may be detrimental. For example, suppose you can only get a 30 mm scope tube in a "tactical scope" with big elevation and windage adjustment turrets that will hang-up on your clothes and/or on brush . . . Suppose you can only get a 30 mm scope tube in a scope with an extra large objective (front) lens that raises your line-of-sight undesirably high above the barrel of your rifle and makes it more unnatural to align your eye based on your cheek meld with the stock of your rifle. Wouldn't a standard 1" scope tube -- which has been used for many years in challenging hunting conditions -- probably suffice?

With respect to brightness. If a scope provides enough brightness to support hunting over from first shooting light to last shooting light (for Oklahoma, where I hunt big game, this is 30 minutes before sun-up to 30 minutes after sun-down), that ought to be enough. Whatbenefit does a brighter scope that supports hunting 90 minutes before sun-up to 90 minutes after sun-up provide, since the first 60 minutes and the last 60 minutes of that range are illegal for shooting? I find that the Leupold VariX III 40 mm 3.5-10X scopes allow me to readily target game 30 minutes before sun-up and 30 minutes after sun-down. I'm sure there are "brighter" scopes, but they can't provide me any additional functionality then that provided by the Leupold VariX III.

A thought about Leupold versus other makers . . . which scope is going to be more readily serviced and promptly serviced, an American manufacturer or a foreign manufacturer?

When it comes right down to it, probably there isn't much practical difference of quality, reliability, serviceability, customer service among any two scopes in the $500 price range.

stubblejumper

Some of us do hunt where the legal hours are from one hour before sunrise,until one hour after sunset.A brighter scope is an asset during that first and last half hour of legal hunting.I personally turned down two shots while hunting with a VXIII,that I very well may have taken with a brighter scope.

The Zeiss conquest,as well as some Swarovski scopes are assembled and serviced in America,just like Leupold.

Pawildman

Simply because a given set of regulations establishes shooting times before and after sunrise certainly doesn't guarantee that the "sunrise" will be clear and bright. I think you've got to take into consideration those days when you have a heavy overcast, fog and/or rain or drizzle. Great optics are certainly required regardless of when the sun rises or sets on those days.

Alsatian

stubblejumper: I would say one other thing. For me, 30 minutes after sunset I can no longer see well enough to discriminate a target with my naked eye. My practice is to first become alerted to a target and then identify the target with my naked eye before training the scope on this target. What I have experienced is that, even at this 30 minute offset I can place crosshairs on object and see where the crosshairs locate. Even if the legal shooting hours extended further, I wouldn't be able to hunt because I couldn't see and identify targets with my naked eye.

How do you identify targets with your naked eye in such dark conditions? This same analysis pertains to the points raised by Pawildman. If the sky is cloudy to such an extent that you can't see the crosshairs on a target through a VariX III, how do you identify your target with your naked eye?

I will grant that hunting some game allows you to hunt outside the time range I mentioned. But I still suppose you will not want to hunt when you can't identify your target with your nake eye. Maybe you are using binoculars with good light gathering characteristics. I'm neither trying to disparage or attack you or to sell Leupold scopes. They work for me and I'm content with them. I'm sure that other scopes provide good service for others.

DM

I can't even imagine having to depend on my naked eye to identify animals! I'd be absolutely lost without a good pair of bino's, cause if your depending on your naked eye, your missing out on a lot of good shootin!

I still have the first pair of high end bino's i ever bought, they have been a investment that will easily last the rest of my life... That means they are one heck of a good deal when you consider all the years of pleasure they have gave me and will continue to give me.

DM

stubblejumper

Of course I use binoculars,and they are Zeiss Classics which do a great job of transmitting light.
By the way,you wasted three paragraphs,and to be honest you sounded quite silly by insinuating that I looked at objects through a riflescope before first positively identifying them as game animals.It would have been much wiser to simply ask if I used binoculars than to go on and on about not being able to properly identify objects with the naked eye.

TerryM

I'm actually looking at a 30mm tubed Burris for my .350 rem mag. Does anybody have any concrete information on the advantages or disadvantages of a 30mm tube? The model I'm thinking of has a 42mm objective so there are no issues about having it mounted high. I realize the bigger tube has a greater adjustment range but does it really transfer more light?

stubblejumper

https://www.snipercentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=24077&sid=9ecee5137d8add5a198c d6aa86a76a15