Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Lightweight, simple, affordable 3-9ish options?

THIS

Can you bolt on a throw lever?

If you don’t like the stiff power ring, you’ll probably have the same complaint with the FFII. Everyone I have/had has been pretty stiff.

What is the country of origin?

Japan

I would like to try a Maven but haven’t yet.


What I have used, and like in 3-9s, since going away from Leupold:

1) FF2 Burris, if you absolutely gotta keep costs down
2) Trijicon Huron, really a decent scope. Between a buddy and me we have 4, and the eye relief isn’t bad at all.
3) my #1 pick, Trijicon Accupoint. About the best set and forget I’ve dealt with.

I did buy 2 Credos and they seem fine too, but haven’t had them out much at all.

I know it's discontinued but what's the consensus on the 1.5-8 vortex razor HD lh?

That was a dumb typo. I meant the 3-9x40 Trijicon AccuPoint.

I live the one I have

I love the one on my Howa mini 223

Trijicon accupoint 3-9x40 green dot duplex or mildot are top of food chain pure hunters scopes going for me. I migrated from typical 1” tube leupolds to these awhile ago...but for the illuminated dot and unreal glass, not because the leupolds sh1t the bed because they didn’t

The perfect hunters scope would be that plus a cds-zl with 1/3 moa per click elevation and pass rokslide tracking and zero hold testing lol. I think we will be waiting awhile.

One thing scope guys haven’t looked at is holosun solar technology to capacitor as an illum. option. Bring that into the above formula...there’s no reason to have illuminated requiring batteries. I’m sure we will see it some day make it to scopes.

I replaced a 2.5-8x36 VX3 with a Swarovski Z3 3-9x36 and I'm very satisfied.

I have two of them, very nice scopes.

If you don’t like the stiff power ring, you’ll probably have the same complaint with the FFII. Everyone I have/had has been pretty stiff.[/quote]

That has not been my experience with FFIIs, and right now have them on around eight rifles. Everything's relative, but several are on my wife's rifles, and she would not tolerate an overly stiff magnification ring.

Leupolds can develop a VERY stiff mag-ring turn, but that can be fixed at the factory. Or at least they used to be able to do that....

That has not been my experience with FFIIs, and right now have them on around eight rifles. Everything's relative, but several are on my wife's rifles, and she would not tolerate an overly stiff magnification ring.

Leupolds can develop a VERY stiff mag-ring turn, but that can be fixed at the factory. Or at least they used to be able to do that....[/quote]

The 3 I have now and the 3/4 I’ve had are much stiffer than the Leupold, Swarovski, Nightforce, SWFA and Zeiss I’ve had.

Lucky I guess.

Interesting.

My experience with FFIIs goes back to when they were still made in the USA, which was before 2007, if I recall correctly. My experience with the other brands you mention is considerably longer.

Dunno, but maybe you did get unlucky. But did pick up another 3-9x40 FFII maybe a month ago, the box still wrapped in sealed plastic. Its magnification ring turned also turns as like the others--easily enough that I can do so with my right hand while shooting the rifle off the bench.

My experience has also been that if a variable's magnification adjustment turns really easily, the point of impact can also change easily--because the "easiness" is due to some slop in the system. But whatever.

Only have 1 FFII but my 7 year old can turn it with one hand….

As per usual, I will suggest the Burris FFII 3-9x40 with the ballistic plex reticle. Even though I don't know what distances you intend to shoot, the ballistic plex works very well (when used right) out to 500 yards with most standard cartridges. It's a very simple, yet very effective system. I have them on most of my "hunting" rifles, and trust them. Have been using them since around 1998. It does take a while to get used to the whole eyepiece turning when adjusting the power ring though. So beware of that. Also, because the whole eyepiece moves, that means you can't use a flip up scope cap, like a buttler creek on the ocular/eye piece end of the scope. That is not a huge deal, but also something that needs to be mentioned. As for the VX3, you can use it, but I don't trust them. I've had some fail (CDS models), and had to send them back to Beaverton for repair. However, if you are not twisting the turret much, it will probably be alright.




I'd be very leery of the cheaper Vortex rifle scopes. I've seen many that had to be sent back. Even a $1,500.00 Razor HD LHT that had to be sent back very recently by one of my buddies. Their tracking can be very sluggish, especially the horizontal/windage adjustments. You adjust it, and it doesn't move until you fire a couple shots. Thus affecting your zero and POI. My buddy in Oregon had to send a 2-10x40 HD back last year for the same problem. He said it mainly did it when it was "cold outside", but I saw it having issues when it was in the 70's as well. I believe that was a $6-700.00 scope, when my buddy bought it. According to what he told me. So not exactly a "cheaper" Vortex, but one I'd stay away from. He's also had issues with the first gen Viper PST as well.


I have quite a few of them and most recently put one on my girlgriends 243. She has small hands, and can turn the magnification ring/eyepiece with no issues. They are stiff, but not that difficult. If it was, she would have told me about it. Some guys complain about the short eye relief of the FFII as well, but I've used them on my 300WBY's, 338wm's and 9.3x62mm, with no issues.

They are an excellent scope, but some guys have issue with them because they can't believe such a low priced scope can work so well. The first one I bought, back in '98 cost me $175.00 and it was on a 300 win mag for years. That scope was used to test other rifles, and ended up being on 10 different rifles, before I retired it to my 1956 30-06 featherweight. That scope is still going strong and still a trusted and proven scope that I'd take and use anywhere.

You aren't wrong about cost.
Quality is one thing, cost another.
Not sure if it the fact that cost and quality are linked, or snob factor,
many folks like to spend money. If you watch people, it's hilarious.
Everyone bitches about crowds, things being expensive,
but huge amounts of folks actually love crowds and buy thing because they are
expensive(even if there are better and cheaper options)

Take a look at Sightron's S1 G2 line.

https://sightron.com/collections/s1-hunting-riflescopes

Japanese / Wyoming......... USA

Good military/veteran discount also