Need Suggestions on Scope for New Rifle
#11
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NM
Posts: 2
The height of the scope mounts is primarily a function of how large the objective lens is and how high the scope must be mounted for the lens to clear the barrel. A 32mm lens can generally fit on a gun with low mounts. A 40mm lens usually needs medium height mounts to clear the barrel and a 50mm lens will require high mounts. That is a general rule of thumb. The combination of the comb of the rifle stock and your face can be a secondary factor. It could be that your scope fits on your rifle with low mounts but your eye is not lined up with the center of the scope in which case you might be better served with medium height rings. I hope you find this info helpful.
#12
Here's one more chunk of input. I admit I have been called an "optics snob", because I always have and always will recommend that if at all possible buy the high end scope. I hunt a bunch. And have for about 45 years now. Deer mostly. I came to this conslusion after having a "cheap" scope fail on me, including missing a chance at a truly monster of a white tail. The "guts" of my $75 scope broke sometime along the way (mounted on a 30.06 Spr.) and I did not know it until I missed that buck 3 times .... at about 125 yards. So I "upgraded" a tad, going to a different brand and dropping another $175 or so more. Now I had spent $250, and that fall found myself sitting there late one afternoon watching a great 10 pt. work the edge of a pasture about 200 yards away.... that scope was essentially a "black screen" in that low light. So I decided "no mas".
I have never regretted doing what I did ... I saved all that I could muster for 2 solid years and dropped what I deemdd an insane amount of cash on a Leupold Vari-X III ... about $500. So now I had invested $750 and had one scope. What I got in return? So far about 20 seasons of beng able to count on a scope that has performed extraordinarily well. I hit 50. My wife bought me a top end rifle and put the best Swarovski on it that was available in 1998. I was shocked at the gift for sure and stunned at the performance of the scope. I have never compromised on optics since.
Is it necessary to spend this kind of $$$$? Not truthfully ... not in my opinion. For I have come across scopes that are in the $350-$400 range that do just fine .... and consider these to be excellent values. In fact I have recommended these to others.
Will I ever put a "cheaply" made scope on any hunting rifle of mine? Not unless I absolutely must. And there are many, many of these "Chinese Junks" out there now. I say avoid them all like you would the plague.
For what it is worth, I consider that the Zeiss Conquest that you metioned to be an excellent value.
I have never regretted doing what I did ... I saved all that I could muster for 2 solid years and dropped what I deemdd an insane amount of cash on a Leupold Vari-X III ... about $500. So now I had invested $750 and had one scope. What I got in return? So far about 20 seasons of beng able to count on a scope that has performed extraordinarily well. I hit 50. My wife bought me a top end rifle and put the best Swarovski on it that was available in 1998. I was shocked at the gift for sure and stunned at the performance of the scope. I have never compromised on optics since.
Is it necessary to spend this kind of $$$$? Not truthfully ... not in my opinion. For I have come across scopes that are in the $350-$400 range that do just fine .... and consider these to be excellent values. In fact I have recommended these to others.
Will I ever put a "cheaply" made scope on any hunting rifle of mine? Not unless I absolutely must. And there are many, many of these "Chinese Junks" out there now. I say avoid them all like you would the plague.
For what it is worth, I consider that the Zeiss Conquest that you metioned to be an excellent value.
I would highly recommend Nikon..have several of them and my fav is the 3-9x50 Monarch (which I have on my 2 primary hunting rifles). For the money you can not go wrong and you will have glass that IMO is comparable to lower end Ziess Conquest and superior to the Lupy VX-III. I have had some rough tumbles with one of them and it has yet to fail me.