There's plenty of great lower powered smaller options out there. Fact is there's much better optics available now than an decade or two ago. There's wonderful LPVO optics out there in abundance that have high and low profile turrents and reticle options for everyone. We're in an golden age of optics where we have lots of options and even some of the Chi-com stuff is really good. Price points are all over the place and there's literally something for everyone if you look. I'm thankful the days where Fudd optics were the only option are a thing of the past. Today there's soemthing for everyone.
You summed it up pretty well. Just picked up an E1 3-9x50 cheap as a spare. I see lots of classic used for sale as well if
I want to go “period correct” or just slim and trim. Don’t have any of the Gen2 S1 Sightrons yet, but the specs look pretty good, more clicks available than most 1” scopes.
The 30mm LPVOs aren’t too big, and the views are impressive.
You gotta be shyttin me. Golden age of hunting scopes my ass. We lost the entire Nikon line, which included many light, trim, 1" scopes in the 1-4, 2-7 and 3-9 power range with simple Nikoplex reticles. I have a couple of the 2-7x32's and love em. Bright, clear, light, compact. We also lost the entire Weaver line which included the Japanese manufactured 1-3x20, 2.5-7x32, 3-9x38, 2-10x38, 2.5x20, 4x32 and 6x38 all with simple duplex reticles. I have several and they're also good hunting scopes with the same attributes, bright, clear, light, compact. I don't see anything out there that comes remotely close to replacing those scopes. The bulbous, over weight and unfortunately extremely numerous 30mm LPVO's don't come close to being a suitable replacement.
