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Thread: Zoom scopes....are we being sold a kipper?

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by clarky View Post
    Im gonna sound a touch nuts to a few on here but best hunting scope i ever used was a simple 2.75 x 40 Tasco with a simple duel x....bit of an unusual mag i know.
    I have one of these - it is a very good scope, albeit a bit low mag for me for anything other than ratting...
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Budd View Post
    I have one of these - it is a very good scope, albeit a bit low mag for me for anything other than ratting...
    gotta disagree bud...it actually appears barely different between it and a 4x which ive used many times out to 35yds but its field of view and brightness easily edges the 4x ...
    Ive taken all sorts with it and a whole raft of ranges.....wonderfully bright and steady on aim .....
    Simply couldnt get on with anything 6x in the field.....too much reduced field of view and prefer the brightness of the lower mag...

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by 32:1 View Post
    Funny old game this I agree as I find the exact opposite, hunting is fixed for me and no more than 6mag duplex, benefits for me is the excellent FOV and quick target acquisition and I can almost rangefind through scope as Im familiar with target size in view and the thin/thick ret lines framing object and no faffing about focussing. Shooting paper and pellet testing I do find I use my variable mag as I can see group at say 50yds

    Chris
    I agree with this, I think if I had to pick one scope for everything.. it would be my meopta 6x42. It is nice (or was!) having one gun, one magnification scope & one calibre.., it makes you really deadly with that setup..
    "corners should be round" Theo Evo .22/.177 - Meopta 6x42, DS huntsman classic .20 vortex razor LH 3-15x42 under supervised boingrati tuning by Tony L & Tinbum, HW77 forest green - Nikon prostaff 2-7x32 plex.

  4. #19
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    I find if you can use a variable mag scope at multiple magnifications it can make a rifle and scope combo truly multipurpose.
    This way you can go from close range hunting/plinking at x2.5 mag, to medium range supported/unsupported shots at x5-10 mag, and on to long range bench rested/bipod target/static hunting shooting at x15 or 20 mag, all with the same combo.

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by clarky View Post
    gotta disagree bud...it actually appears barely different between it and a 4x which ive used many times out to 35yds but its field of view and brightness easily edges the 4x ...
    Ive taken all sorts with it and a whole raft of ranges.....wonderfully bright and steady on aim .....
    Simply couldnt get on with anything 6x in the field.....too much reduced field of view and prefer the brightness of the lower mag...
    I find 4x too small too My eyes are not too hot.. I think yours are probably better !
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Budd View Post
    I find 4x too small too My eyes are not too hot.. I think yours are probably better !
    Yeah.. I find 4x a bit small beyond 25yrds.. doable with a fine Ret but harder than 6-7 which I think is the sweet spot for and all-round Mag.
    "corners should be round" Theo Evo .22/.177 - Meopta 6x42, DS huntsman classic .20 vortex razor LH 3-15x42 under supervised boingrati tuning by Tony L & Tinbum, HW77 forest green - Nikon prostaff 2-7x32 plex.

  7. #22
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    If we had never looked through a high powered scope we would think a x4 brilliant.
    Hunting ethics have changed. Once a solid hit was enough and so long as the game was grounded it could be "finished off". Now its expected to be stone dead on impact. Once most people shot over dogs, even the farm mutt, now its without.

    I had a 2.75 x40 fixed Tasco, it was very like shooting with open sights. Very much a farm barn range thing. I prefer x4 to do the full farm yard.
    I used to shoot a Zeiss 6x40 on my rabbit harvester but with a bounty on head shots I prefer a little more now x8/x10.
    For deer then x6 is ample unless on the hill, but too much like x14/x16/x24 then the FOV is too small and its finding the beast in the scope that is an issue.
    Only long range Varminting of small game at extended long range requires heaps of magnification and that with a stable shooting platform. (The bulky NV systems require a stable platform too.) A Magpie at 400m requires x16 mag and good light.

    For Air Rifle its the range finding ability that parallax focus can provide at very high magnification. Full bore then range finding again but this time its using mil dot system reticules; but with mirage there is a limit to how useful mega magnification is. Some use it to see strikes to walk the rounds in. But its pretty advance max range kind of stuff and straight forward specialised shooting. Way too specialised for most everyday shooting.

    The only real place for high mag is when on a range and load and accuracy development and testing. Nothing beats upping confidence when you can see that the combo will clover or better at all ranges. Once done then in the field most wind the mag down to more get wider FOV.

    The questions to ask are: "what expected range will the combo be used at?"; "can extra magnification and features be utilised or are they in all practical sense just added weight and pretty useless?"
    More and more of my variables get left at a certain mag, and I work with that.
    Last edited by Muskett; 20-08-2017 at 01:16 PM.

  8. #23
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    IF I were limited to just ONE riflescope it would be a 6 x 42 fixed mag, probably a Zeiss, German #4 reticle !
    “An airgun or two”………

  9. #24
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    i think the deal though is hunting should really be taking place at about 20 to 30 yds max and at that range i find the 2.75 superb...
    Sure ...if discussing FT or full bore cartridge stuff, its usefulness is finished.

  10. #25
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    All things being equal, a fixed power scope is better than a variable at the same price.

    But all things aren't equal. Buyers want variable scopes, so that is where manufacturers invest in improvements - and cut profit margins to get volume sales. So the 3-9x40 at roughly the same price as a 4x40 may have design and quality advantages.

    For example, I can think of one prestige manufacturer whose fixed powers have been basically unchanged for at least 30 years, whereas they bring out new variables every couple of years.

    By contrast, among binocular enthusiasts (eg birders) the received wisdom is that variables are an inefficient gimmick. So the investment stays in fixed-power binos.

  11. #26
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    You can always turn a variable scope down.
    I have had 4.5-14x40, 4-16x50, 6.5-20x50 & 8.5-25x50 scopes and for ammo testing and trying to shoot the smallest groups I alaways use maximum magnification to optimise precision. In actual fleld use I set the scope to the same power as my binoculars 8/10x so when I've spotted my intended quarry moving from binoculars to scope gives a similar image.
    Anschutz 1427 .22LR Nikon Buckmaster SF 4.5-14x40, A-TEC Mod, Tikka M595 222Rem, Leupold 6.5-20x40LR, Howa 1500 APC 308Win, Nikko Diamond 6-24x50 FFP, wildcat Evolution, Sauer 202 243Win, Leupold 4.5-14x50LR, wildcat Evolution.

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by harvey_s View Post
    Having decided to replace my old Olympus bino's...I did my research and duly selected a nice set of 10 x 42's and I'm very, very pleased with them.
    But now the thought occurs that generally zoom optics are classed as inferior in performance to fixed power optics and generally I tend to leave my scopes set on one power unless I'm trying some new idea out (before usually going back to how it was previously ) it mucks up the mildots unless you either are using a FFP scope or keep a book of all the various range points.
    So are we all buying zoom scopes like trained monkeys or is fixed mag where the smart money goes....?
    Your argument and assertions as to why people buy zooms and how people use zooms is far too simplistic.

    I have cheaper zooms and I have top end zooms. The use is very different. Can be comp...can be hunting...can be Long Range lead dropping.....

    You pays your money...you get what you pay for.

    There are many ways to use and shoot a zoom scope that do not carry the disadvantages you mention.

    They are a useful tool bought by people who do not use or do not know the abilities or the way to use them. Overall...a good feature ut thats not to say there isnt a pile of crap gear out there too.
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  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steyr View Post
    Your argument and assertions as to why people buy zooms and how people use zooms is far too simplistic.

    I have cheaper zooms and I have top end zooms. The use is very different. Can be comp...can be hunting...can be Long Range lead dropping.....

    You pays your money...you get what you pay for.

    There are many ways to use and shoot a zoom scope that do not carry the disadvantages you mention.

    They are a useful tool bought by people who do not use or do not know the abilities or the way to use them. Overall...a good feature ut thats not to say there isnt a pile of crap gear out there too.
    Maybe you've missed the point I was trying to make...(badly perhaps )

    Yes, absolutely I accept that there are some people (FT shooters for example) that will make good use of high mag zoom scopes.
    But there are lots of people out there (me included) that have bought zoom scopes and then rarely use the facility because they either have no real need to use that aspect or their particular discipline does not require it (LSR and HFT to name just two)...

    For these people would a fixed power scope at the same price have probably netted them a better optic or has the zoom become all pervasive and it only gets really better with high end scopes?
    Should we be seriously thinking more about fixed power scopes then perhaps we do?

    It was just a thought...
    Last edited by harvey_s; 21-08-2017 at 10:56 PM.

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by harvey_s View Post
    Maybe you've missed the point I was trying to make...(badly perhaps )

    Yes, absolutely I accept that there are some people (FT shooters for example) that will make good use of high mag zoom scopes.
    But there are lots of people out there (me included) that have bought zoom scopes and then rarely use the facility because they either have no real need to use that aspect or their particular discipline does not require it (LSR and HFT to name just two)...

    For these people would a fixed power scope at the same price have probably netted them a better optic or has the zoom become all pervasive and it only gets really better with high end scopes?
    Should we be seriously thinking more about fixed power scopes then perhaps we do?

    It was just a thought...
    I mainly hunt but zero on a range and plot out the holdover to 55 yards. I have the same scope on all my rifles and always leave it at the same fixed power on all of them. I'd rather use a spotting scope when zeroing to check grouping than alter the mag.
    The market seems to be deciding that zoom scopes are the thing to buy. I'd rather see a fixed 4x power scope in the range I use and if one came available I'd swap every one over.
    Fixed power scopes only seem available in very budget ranges or high end with none in between thereby limiting choice so all mine are 3-9x40.
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  15. #30
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    I have quite a few binoculars and have found with the zoom type that if you focus in on a low mag then operate the zoom, Almost invariably you have to refocus!!

    I was told by an elderly gent that has been in to optical suff for a large part of his life not to touch zoom bin's, He never said anything about scopes though!!

    Btw, I just bought a cracking set of bin's from the bootsale for £4 Japanese Super Zenith 10x50, Clarity and brightness is superb!! I always thought that Zenith were cheap tat that didn't perform, Can't believe how good these are though!!


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