Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Anyone use 56mm objective on sporter/hunting rifle?

The biggest objective I have on a hunting rifle, is 42 mm. I have always liked a lightweight, low profile set up. I just got on a new lease that is littered with hogs and I plan to do some night hunts. I would also like to use this rifle as a general purpose hunting rifle for deer and elk. I’ve just never run anything that big on a hunting rifle and wondering if anyone has real world experience. Is it cumbersome and extremely bulky? The scope I’m looking at is a Meopta Meostar.

If I don’t go with the 56, I will go with a 3-10x50mm

I use a few.But I don’t buy into the problem some have with the looks and weight that they bring.A rifle is a tool to me,not a show piece.In the Deep South the twilight moments of a hunt are usually the best,not to mention nighttime hog hunts.And if a rifle weighing under 10 lbs is too heavy for you to carry,maybe some push-ups are in need...

i use a Nightforce scope with a 56 objective on my 257 Weatherby mag. works great .

This is great. And hilarious! I agree. A buddy of mine was telling me that my bow was awfully heavy because I’ve got it weighted to my liking for long range shooting. I told him “I guess I’m just a lot stronger than you it doesn’t really bother me to carry it“. 😂

Thanks for the input and the experience. It helps

Thank you!!

I have 5 rifles set up with Swarovski 56mm objectives... Perfect for hunting in South Carolina as we can legally hunt for an hour after sunset. I have used them out west for elk and sheep too.

If you hunt in wide open areas that have plenty of light, any scope will work. Down here, it is dark with lots of shadows when the sun goes down.

I have a 8x56 mounted on a single-shot rifle. This works well for me from any of the treestands from which I hunt, especially in low-light. Though most of my shots are well within 100 yards, I do not find this a hinderance, probably because I don't shoot running deer/hogs (no need to).

I have an 8 x 56 on a Ruger Scout in 450 BM for Hogs and it is a handy setup. I love it. I worried about it being so big and heavy but in use, I do not notice it at all.
I can hunt all night over open fields if there is moonlight.

Thanks for the feedback. And thanks for the pic, FS. Helps a lot. I just pulled the trigger on a 3-12 x 56 Meostar with a number 4 reticle. Should be here in a week or so. Can’t wait!

whats nice is a 56 objective gathers more light and you can see more field of view too you will enjoy your new scope.good luck,Pete53

I just got a Meopta Optika6 3-18x56 from Doug. Hope I like it!

Thanks, Pete! I can’t wait

Yep. Got mine from Doug. Actually one of his guys waited on me. They didn’t have it in stock but worked to get one from Meopta. Those guys are so helpful.

I could do a Hubble if the objective was VX-L like.

Can't believe I've never tried the Leupold offering.

No, trying to stay at 44 or smaller. Getting harder to do with the new scopes.

That's the exact scope I have on my main deer rifle. I don't find it too big at all, I'd have no problem taking it on any hunt.

Most of those who go off the rail about them being too big or too heavy have never used one, they're just repeating stuff they read on the internet.

I have had up to a 50mm, in fact I did find it to big, too heavy, and had to be mounted too high. It is a preference, and where I hunt it is not mine. In heavy woods, not ideal. In the open country it could be advantageous.

I hope you like it and get to use it a bunch. I went the 50 mm route on my hunting rifles after two decades of using 40mms without issue. Everyone I hunted around was going with 50mms and so I figured must be something to it. I never got used to them so I sold them and went back to 40s about ten years ago. My guess is if I started with a 50 them I might still be using a larger objective.

I have one of the Burris 3-12x56 that Cameraland had on sale on my .280 AI. I really like it.

Actually, there’s probably enough of us that have used them over the years, that we understand pros/cons pretty well. If I was going to hunt shooting houses over fields or places where there’s no last legal at 30 min after sunset, and I didn’t own NV or it wasn’t legal, then hubbles are your only option.....which still doesn’t make them great....no matter how bright. It’s not so much weight or balance, but high mounting and true need, where/how I hunt. A good 6-8x30-50 bino can SEE as well as any of the x56 I’ve had or looked through, and I’ve had smaller obj scopes that could still shoot everything those binos could ID. That was back before we had a legal limit hack time. Now, it’s moot under our regs. No doubt, they fill a niche only they can fill, under certain restrictions. They’d probably be a better fit on some of my ARs or any LR/target setup, where mount height and weight are more at home or accounted for. I just prefer stuff that’ll mount lower for bolt guns and NV or Thermal on ARs for after dark......in most cases. There’s some REALLY nice 50-56 packages available these days, though.....so if it’s what you want or need, there’s lots of super bright options. JMO