A few questions about scopes

[Robert_Lavin]

Morning,

I'm starting to question why I have variable magnification scopes on my rifles. I have 3-9 and 4-12 and rarely use them on anything other than 9 or 12. Which begs the question of why I don't just get fixed magnification scopes. Surely the optical quality should be better for the same price. Any thoughts? What do most of you use, variable or fixed, and why?

Less technical (and perhaps a bit frivolous), how do you match a scope to a rifle from an aesthetic perspective? I often see pictures on the sales forum that make me think "those work well together". How do you achieve that? And the supplementary question: What works on a HW 77 and a HW 90?

Thanks,

Rob.

[saifbsk]

I use a variable focus one but only on one setting like yourself.
I would happily buy one that has one focal length for 10x and as you say it will have a better optical properties.

However many scopes are used for hunting purpose where having a variable magnification is useful, maybe the scope manufacturers are trying to appeal to multiple users by adding in as much feature as possible (whether they are useful or not on all scope is another story)

[barrel]

I can fully see your point and in most instances I tend to leave a variable scope on the same magnification. This said its always nice to go down to lower magnifications for an increased field of view. I certainly have had fixed magnification scopes but don't know if I would if I only had one rifle.

Kindest regards

Barrel

[angrybear]

With a variable mag you can turn it down when scanning trees & fields for a potential target, also far easier to spot an impact when first setting zero & at close range you only need min mag.

But as with any other aspect it's your choice what you use & how you use it.

[Muskett]

One huge problem is with air rifle ranges being 10m to 60m with any real magnification. Parallax is now used to give focus at all ranges and fixed scopes have in the past not often been given side or front parallax adjustment just to keep them as simple and cost effective as can be done. All parts fixed makes a very robust scope. A 4x40 fixed with parallax set at 25m would give a good picture from 10 to 60m; a 10x40 fixed would only be crisp at the set parallax 25m (most are set at 50m or even 100m) and very poor at 10m.

If there are moving lens parts then making a variable with parallax really is just as easy/difficult. Never going to be as bomb proof as a fixed.

Its true a lot of us end up at x8, x10 or x12 in the field and only use the highest magnification for zeroing and group testing. Or very high mag (x24 or x40 even) range finding with parallax.

My FWB Sport 124 has a 4x40 fixed scope reparallaxed to 25, great for all farmyard ranges.
My HW95 a 6x40 fixed scope reparallaxed to 25, great for all farmyard ranges.
My Park 91/93's have 4-16x40 variable with front parallax, great to 40m.
My Venom 77 has 6-24x40 variable front parallax, great to 40m plus.

Many 3-9x40 non parallax scopes can't be reparallaxed to 25m only to 40m so only crisp if used at lower magnification like x6. Some can, some can't. Reparallaxing means moving the front lens outwards; its scary.
The higher the mag the more parallax needy a scope is. We are asking a lot from the lenses to focus at close and far ranges. The better scopes are more forgiving but there is a limit.

[bezzer]

I've had loads of different variable mag scopes over the years, fixed and adjustable parallax but I've come to the conclusion that the K.I.S.S principle is best and all I want is a fixed mag AO one. Got a 6x40 and a 6x42 that do everything I really need. Clear as a bell from 10-50 yards or more when set at 30yards parallax and good enough to use in the field or on an HFT course, that's ranging by eye which I've always done none of this by bracketting or out of focus stuff a lot do with their all singing all dancing scopes.

[lensman57]

I use a variable focus one but only on one setting like yourself.
I would happily buy one that has one focal length for 10x and as you say it will have a better optical properties.

However many scopes are used for hunting purpose where having a variable magnification is useful, maybe the scope manufacturers are trying to appeal to multiple users by adding in as much feature as possible (whether they are useful or not on all scope is another story)

A fixed mag optic should in theory have better optical properties than a variable mag one mainly due to the much lower number of lens elements being required. This should atleast result in a brighter image , due to lower light loss within the lens elements , and a cleaner sight picture due to less element induced aberraions. i am not a fan of fixed parallaxed scopes though.

A.G