Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Quality 2x7 or compact 3-9?

I currently have a Vari x 2 or something like that 2x7 on the lever with the friction adjustments. Man I can not tell you how much I despise friction adjustments!!! I can never get them right to sight in a rifle. Almost as bad as having click adjustments that will not track worth a damn!

I love my 2-7 Whiskey3. For your purpose it does, however, have a big ocular. I don't have a lever action but, I did have my gunsmith bend the bolt handle on my rifle just to mount this scope low. I also, have a couple of the older Hawke 2-7 illuminated plex reticle, Leupold VX 2 2-7 LR reticle (click adjustments), and a couple Burris FF 2 ballistic plex. Side by side at dusk the Sig and the Burris hands down. I've also got a couple Bushnell Scope Chief iv 1.5-4.5s - probably perfect for a lever gun. If I were you, I'd be looking at this: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...e-3200-2-7x32mm-250-shipped#Post19247390

Good luck! Maybe some day they'll start making the kinds of scopes guys like us want again!

I have a Hawke scope on my $1,500 air rifle and have been very pleased with it.

Sometimes, if you’re “lucky”, you’ll get one with both features!

Assuming the adjustments are true, I like to use the old trick of shooting a few, then holding the rifle steady and moving the reticle to where the shots landed.

Life is just rough for the handicapped. Best not even try drift adjusting open sights. Sheesh.

The no longer made Weaver 2-7x (Japan) is a great scope. I have used a few and still have a couple NIB when Natchez was selling them at a significant discount as they were being closed out a few years ago.

I have one Hawke on my Weihrauch air rifle & another one was already mounted on my 17 HMR when I bought it. They seem to be well made & I’ve gotten good results with them so far. But I have no experience using them on rifles with higher recoil.

FYI - There was a 2-7x32 posted in the classifieds yesterday:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...e-3200-2-7x32mm-250-shipped#Post19247390

I have a Redfield Revolution 2-7x32 that I had mounted on my Ruger No.1 in 303 British (pictured below). It was a good combo that put deer in my freezer. It’s currently mounted on a Winchester 1885. I think it would work well on a lever action but it’s probably the largest scope I would put on one. Small & compact does look best on that type of rifle.

Fotis, the Hawke Vantage 2-7 scopes that Doug lists, look particularly suitable if you go without the adjustable objective - the fixed objective model is 11-inches long and weighs 11-ounces, which is a half-inch shorter and 3.5-ounces lighter than the AO model - price is right too if only to try it out. After seeing what Doug's got listed I'm thinking of getting one to put on a Howa mountain rifle, rebarreled to a 250 Sav for my granddaughter. Not the same reasons that you have for a lever-rifle but the same constraints.

I believe Trijicon used to make a 1.25-4x24 1” tube Accupoint or Accuview. They used to show up on eBay but I haven’t seen one in quite a while.
I wanted something a little different for my 7600 carbine that had a Leupold 1.5-5x20 on it and went with the Trijicon Accuview 1-4x24. Optically it is a fantastic scope. Huge field of view at 1x, and the German #4 with the green center dot are lightning fast to get on target. Problem is it’s heavy and big.
I think I’ll give Trijicon a call and make my case for them producing a 1-4 or 1-5 1” scope.

Who would that be my friend? If you are referring to me I will advise you that I have no issue dealing with open sights. Main reason is when you drift the sights they actually do move the point of impact bullet in the said direction. As opposed to the friction crap.

I have no problem with friction adjustments. Apparently you're special.

Well maybe your friction adjusting scope does not have an issue with tracking but mine may. After all it is a Leupold. Did you think about that before bringing up the handicap crap? Evidently not.

I once had a Leupold Compact 3x9 EER that was just plain goofy. It was aggravating to zero, then after about 20 rds, it move again, and be just as big a pain as before. After the third "refurbishing" by Leupold, I gave it to a guy who wanted it for a safe queen, ha. So I hear you on those friction dials! Early Tasco's were a toss up if they worked or not, and they were all I could afford in the 70's. I found their World Class was good. Finally, when my wife gifted me a BDL 7Mag in '80, I sold an old WW2 P38 9mm to a guy, added some saved up lunch money, ha, and bought my first Leupold VXIII 2.5x8. Now it was a good one, friction dials and all. Fast forward 40+ yrs later and I bought a used rifle with an original 2.5x8 that someone had stripped the windage dial. Leupold replaced it with a new one, but has the CDS turret. It dials in fine.

Precisely!

Fotis:

As far as currently available scopes go, I have found the 1" Sightron 1.75-5 to be the best fit for levers and woods rifles. Most importantly, they've been tough so far. They're also trim in design, small in size, and offer much better glass and a brighter view than vintage scopes I've used in the past for the stated purposes.

I'm running 2 so far and will be adding more as the need arises. I'd really like one with a #4, but such as it is, their duplex is very well done, and I've found it to be an excellent aiming tool for the low light, heavy cover scenarios in which I often use them.

Thank you. I'll take a look.

If I needed a new lever gun scope right now I'd probably try to get ahold of one of the Hawke Vantage 1-4x20's with the illuminated German #4 type reticle. Thankfully I don't need one as I'm quite content with the Weaver K-2.5's and Leupold 1-4x20's that presently reside on my various levers.

Nobody makes a 2X7. Would be pretty useless if they did. There are some 2-7X scopes out there and I used to prefer them. But anymore I've not found a 3-9X to be a real handicap and if I really want something smaller with less magnification I like a 1-4X or similar. The 2-7X's weren't enough smaller nor lighter than a 3-9X to matter. 2X vs 3X on the low end was indistinguishable. But 1X on the low end is dramatically better to me.

I sure whacked alot of game on 1 1/2 in my old Leupold 1.5x5 on a couple rifles. I had to sell it to pay the ObammaCare Ransom money awhile. Now I too do just fine with 3x on low end, 2.5 from the leupold 2.5x8. If I'm out in the open, well yeah, I'll crank up to 5-6x, and if they are out there a ways, I'll crank up to higher end.

I've come to believe the best magnification for a given situation is very subjective. I think, our brains must be wired differently. I love 2x for walking around when a fast, close shot is a possibility. 1x is too little and 3x is too much - for me. And, I'd rather have 3x than 1x. I'm resigned to the fact that I may need to live with 3x on the low end to get other things I want in a scope. 2x is 100% different than 1x and, 3x is 50% different than 2x. Those are big differences compared to the difference between 3x and 4x or 4x and 5x. And, the differences translate into how fast I can put a bullet where I want it. I shoot with both eyes open and if I feel any transition between looking at the deer without the scope to looking at the deer with the scope, I'm not happy. I feel no transition with a good clear 2x, with a nice eye box, proper scope height, and a stock that fits. More or less than 2x and there is some degree of losing and finding the sight picture going on - for me. Reticles also matter in these situations. In low light at 100 yds if I see the deer first, the high end of my 1.5 - 4.5 is not enough sometimes. I think, the 2-7 is a great all-around scope magnification range for "normal" distances. The Sig Whiskey3 2-7 illuminated is awesome but if I had to choose just one it might be one of my 2-7 Burris FF2s.

Cool thread. I'm enjoying all the info, experience and opinions.