Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Does anyone else see a trend of short tube scopes?

Why are manufacturers making scopes with such short tubes and long tapered objectives barely even giving room for mounts in one spot with no room for ER adjustment at all? Even Leupold's new designs are leaning in this direction. I noticed it the other day on the new VX5HD and VX6HD scopes.

I blame it, and most everything else, on the 6.5 CM.

Yup,have noticed that. Don't like it either.

It's why I like the older scopes,plenty of room for moving for proper eye relief. Like this old Weaver 4x.

It's just another 'advantage' for S A rifles.

S A stands for short action rifles....

among a few other things.

Jerry

I now days do not even consider a scope w/o at least 5.8in tube length and 3.75 eye relief. I know this limits me a great deal and usually Leupold is the only choice but w/a 14in LOP it is what it is. powdr

Scopes that actually fit some rifles would be nice. I don't know what the dumb sons of bitches at the scope companies are smoking but they need to stop it.

I suspect it's partly due to the trend toward using rails for mounting scopes, rather than bases where each ring only fits in one place.

I am going to scope a Pre64 Model 70 in 257 Roberts, that I just picked up. Hard as HeXX to even find mounts. Thankfully I have setup I bought from JB awhile ago. Most do not even list actions and years any more. (Maybe I'm not looking in the right places..) The only scope I know that will fit and allow the rear iron sight to be left alone is a Zeiss Conquest 3X9X40. Gave that one to my son.. So can't ask for it back. A "short" scope will not work, the Zeiss is actually rather long. A pica-tinny rail on Pre64 would just be wrong..

Once again I'm going to state my suggestion that redfield offer a revolution version of the older long tube m8 scope. A decent 4x at $200 or just a little less would probably sell imho. The down side for redfield/leupold would be some erosion of the FX sales. A Burris fullfield II 4x32 would also be a good possibility if it was of comparable quality of the existing ffii products and built with a longer profile . I have an older Burris 4x that's a good scope. I figure if I mention it enough maybe someone will notice.

That was my guess but I was trying to figure if manufacturers were saving money in any way or even possibly making it so you would have to put the rings in the best place not to interfere with the internal operation. Either way I think it sucks. I see no reason to have an objective that tapers more than half the tube length.

Tube length and ER was the main reason I went with a Z5 recently rather than a couple other scopes that I actually liked better.

They get to sell more scopes if each one is less versatile.

No problems mounting most any short tube on an AR. Or on a Picatinny as Mule Deer said. That's where the industry is at these days.

I own two Burris Mini's, 3-9X short tube scopes. Really like them.

Why?

I've got an older M8-4X long tube that I'm very fond of. It'll actually fit a M70 without causing a headache. That said, I've got it mounted on a Marlin 336SC. It works, and I'm keeping it until I die.

Yes actually there are several of the old scopes that were scaled to fit most any rifle. I have the older Burris fulfield I mentioned as well as a bushnell scopechief iv from the 80s/90s time period that also is a nicely sized scope and of course the old steel k 4 weavers seemed to easily fit on anything w/o looking out of proportion. Finally the m8s with the long tubes also fit most anything. I let my M8 get away in a trade and have regretted that so I am hopefully planting a seed that someone in the industry will pickup on. I like the current fx leupolds except they are a bit short and frankly as silly as you his sounds it sort of bugs me they cost as much or more than a variable. It shouldn't but it does.

The glass from that era, 1970's, was far ahead of its years. It's clear, bright, has quality coatings ,lightweight, compact & optically refined scope for its time. It compliments compact rifle packages well.

I'm not all that familiar with those short tube scopes. My complaint is with new scopes like the VX6HD that gives 2" or less tube length in front of the adjustment turret housing and a long tapered objective taking up the rest of the length. Yes,it will work with a picatinny rail but that's about it. The great op[tics you speak of can just as easily be housed ain a slightly longer tube which will be much more versatile in mounting.

I agree on the vx-6HD stupid design. Leupold needs to consult with Leica when it comes to scope tube length.