In praise of the mighty 4x32

[Craig-P]

A good friend of mine gave me an old Optima 4x32 as part of a deal a while back. I’ve been meaning to bolt it to one of my rifles for ages, so lockdown gave me just the excuse at the weekend.



The reticle is a simple crosshair and with the Jap lenses it has an excellent picture and definition.



It doesn't obscure the slim loading port of the mk1 HW77 I’ve put it on and adds hardly any weight. But what I really love is the simplicity of it. Nothing to mess about with and nothing to overthink, just point and shoot. It can still be used for longer range targets, this is one I shot at 50 yards.



Its fast becoming one of my favourite optics and I think I shoot well with it purely because of the ease of use of the whole setup.
Anyone else enjoy using a ‘fixed four?’

[TonyL]

The vast majority of my scopes are 4x32s, Craig, and I love then to bits, for all the reasons you mention.

I do have a couple of 4x40s, a brace of 2-7x32s and a couple of slightly larger zoom ones, including a lovely Panorama that a certain very nice chap once gave me.

However, yes, I love the simplicity and sleek lines of the little 4x32. And decent glass beats lots of features every time in my book. For hunting I never felt a good 4x32 wanting. And still more than ample for long range bucket bashing!

Super shooting there, my friend.

[p.j.]

Optima is a good scope made I think by Hakko.
I’m a big believer in scopes at the smaller end, have a Leupold 1.5-4x20 on trial at the moment.
Got a few 4x40 including an Optima.

[Mach 1.5]

I'm with you Craig. Have a Vixen 4 x 32 pa from Cindy's shooting shop. Amazing little scope. Sits on my MK1 80. Mach 1.5

[MartynB]

I'm with you Craig. Have a Vixen 4 x 32 pa from Cindy's shooting shop. Amazing little scope. Sits on my MK1 80. Mach 1.Hi

Likewise Craig all of mine are 32mm objective, some fixed, a zoom, one 4x40 Tasco plus a few smaller objective scopes

[Unframed Dave]

Yep, Simmons 4 X 32 on my mk1 hw77 I was shooting at the weekend. A pleasure to use especially the clarity.

Dave

[Mach 1.5]

A few of my favourites -
Zeiss 4 x 32
Simmons WTC 4 X 32
Vixen 4 x 32 PA
Tasco AG 4 X 32
Kassnar 4 X 32 WA / PA
Parker Hale PHS 4 X 32
Mach 1.5

[666]

I would add the original model 10 to the above.

[TonyL]

My favourites are my old Nikko Stirling Gold Crown ones. Plus a more recent Airking Gold Crown. All very clear.

I also have a Bushmaster in there somewhere and a couple of the Hawke Sport HD ones, one AO and one fixed objective.

[I. J.]

Size doesn't matter. (Or so Im often told).

Its quality of lens and some of the early Jap Tascos are superb.

[Craig-P]

I'm with you Craig. Have a Vixen 4 x 32 pa from Cindy's shooting shop. Amazing little scope. Sits on my MK1 80. Mach 1.5

Funnily enough mate I’ve felt the need for another HW80 today to simplify everything all the more. I’ll keep an eye open I think 👍🏻

[Craig-P]

My favourites are my old Nikko Stirling Gold Crown ones. Plus a more recent Airking Gold Crown. All very clear.

I also have a Bushmaster in there somewhere and a couple of the Hawke Sport HD ones, one AO and one fixed objective.

The Hawke Sport 4x32 is the one I scored the bucket record with mate. This is what prompted me to put the Optima on another 77
And I used a Nikko Gold Crown 3-9x40 (set on 6x) on my .22lr for lamping for donkeys years, never feeling the need to upgrade as it did everything I needed it to - despite being terribly abused at least three times a week (I used to literally drop the rifle in the back of the pickup, in all weathers and bounce it over fields - never missed a beat).

[Craig-P]

Size doesn't matter. (Or so Im often told).

Its quality of lens and some of the early Jap Tascos are superb.

Haven’t seen a Spitfire for years! Many thanks for that.

[Peter Dunkley]

4X40 for me!

[evert]

When re-parallaxed to "airgun distances", those old japanese 4x32's are the best optics you can get for the money they cost.