Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best 4X scope on the market???

I agree with alot of your comments 65 BR. I'm not into just "getting by". A guy can "get by" with lotsa stuff. Back when money was tight, I used a 4x leupy I picked up at the local gun show for $75 on a BDL 300 Win Mag I bought when I was 12. Made a lot of meat with that combo, both bucks and bulls, would I wanna go back? Hell no. Did I learn to get by? Hell yes. Suppose a guy could "get by" with a 715 Rem & Bushnell combo, they're on sale for $250 at cabelas right now.....

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JM, I had that problem w/a M8 6x36 Leupold, sitting on the ground, as I wandering in the woods one am, I spooked several deer feeding in hardwoods. I sat down w/in 100-150 yds further in, (while walking blowing a deer bleat). Then I blew my deer grunt after I sat down. W/in 15 minutes one Spike walked up about 30 yds from me, very suddenly as they are quiet.

My issue was not so much ER, but a 1B No. 1 Ruger, somewhat long/heavy for a woods rifle and having to crawl the stock while putting my elbows on my knees. That position negatively affects ER no doubt, and the #1's have some issue already in the out the box set up/rings, so I had to pull the rifle in hard, and stretch my neck. Thankfully I DID get that little buck, but I was fighting my gun JUST to get a view, and it was something to be remembered. I can well understand the need to maximize ER and scope position for YOUR style of hunting.

As a side note, I do recognize numerous hunters fail to carry bino's, and/or in lieu of, use a higher powered scope to examine a rack, or an absence of 'buttons' to be sure it's a doe. That was something I had go bad twice for me, once in Tx w/a 4-14x looking at a Button Buck which stopped broadside at 100 yds, I looked hard a long time before dropping it w/my 260, and darned if it was not a button buck.....wasted tag in a sense. Another time I had a 6-24 on that 6BR, and at 200 yds, I looked hard as the button buck was facing away, standing there, and NEVER saw a button. I was wrong, and that was not a doe as I thought, after my spine shot dumped him. No big deal, but I'd rather let the youngsters grow up.

SO my point being, that a good bino will often give one more depth perception using both eyes and may help ID better what you are trying to resolve if you need to DECIDE IF you want to shoot. Resolution is very high on quality scopes, but I think the image the brain receives using quality bino's is a notch above.

Too bad the folks at Zeiss did not like their straight 4X! discontinued and out of stock seems to be the situation.

On the 'getting by' comments, no harm meant by me, just MY thoughts on my experience, what works for my style of hunting, and what I like to carry. I like running cartridges from 6BR - 7/08 for MOST of my hunting, a 338/06, or 9.3mm would make me happy for anything needed larger in NA. Some guys like a 300 of some type, or 7WSM/RM and can reach further than I need to, if/when THEY need to, and that's alright.

I do believe that their is a misconception amongst many that high powered scopes are a must, and fixed 4s or 6s are not enough. Many of those same people have not experienced just what a shooter can do using 4x or 6x.

Whatever equipment the guys on this board use, I am confident it works just fine and gets their job done in good fashion, as most here know a good bit more than average. I dare say the SMALLEST groups I have ever shot have been with either a 4-16x40 AO 4200, and LR/T 4-14x40 SF. I have also used 6-18 and 6-20x Leupy's and 6-24 4200s, all with good effect, but there has been a point of diminishing returns for me. No doubt the average guy does well with a scope of 3-4 on the low end and 9-16 on the high side but you notice alot of guys doing just fine with 2-7s also.

Scope choice IS subjective as bino choice. What's funny is many bino users are going from 8x42 and 10x42 to 6x, 6.5x, 7x, and 8x binos often on 32-36mm platforms. Reason being, the pendulum swings and their experience tells them they get the job done, and are less bulk/weight, and often greenbacks.

Jimmy, agreed, felt the same when B&L disc. the 4x32 compact Balfor.

jimmy, if Zeiss made it they liked it. It likely did not sell because many today do not use variables.They think they are handicapped with a fixed spower scope.

I like my Zeiss 4x, it is on a very light weight rifle so the little extra weight is not noticed. If it was on a heavier rifle and I was concerned about weight, I would consider a different scope. However, I have been very impressed with the scope and my 3-9x 40 conquests. Without really looking for it, they seem to have a noticable edge, at least to my eyes.

Except for Zeiss Conquest none of the big 4 european scope brands make 4x scopes anymore. I sent them a question about when they stopped making 4x scopes. Zeiss told me they the made the Diatal-C 4x32 with T coating and 1 inch tube from 1983-1993. This is very fine scope.
Schmidt & Bender told 2003 was the last year for the 4x36.
I think Swarovski stopped making 4x32's many years ago I have not recieved an answer. No answer also from Kahles, but I think they made a 4x36 after 2003. It's not so many years ago I found this model on their site.
Zeiss and Schmidt & Bender still make 6x42's.
So what's the best 4x hunting scope made today? I'am not sure, but I guess IOR, Meopta,Leupold and Zeiss Conquest are the best 4 now. Karl Kaps also make a very fine 4x36 , but that's a 30mm tube scope.

Kahles last 4x36 was made in 2006. Last 6x42 in 2009.

I remain using the Nikon Buckmaster 4x.

I continue to be amazed by the Zeiss Conquest 4X. I wish they still made them.

Hi,
e
I have had or have right now: Light 4x33 ret N� 1(had), S & B 4x36 ret N� 4(had), Zeiss Diatal C 4x32 ret Z-Plex (had) and have a Redfield (Denver) Bear Cub 4x 1" tube, 3 Zeiss (the older one really a Hendsoldt Diasta) 4x32: Diatal DA 4x32 ret N� 1, Diasta D(steel tube Hendsoldt) 4x32 ret N�4 and a Zeiss ZA 4x32 ret N�4.
It is a shame Zeiss stopped the fabrication of their 4x scopes. For me, the best designed and built 4x riflescopes of all times! Short, light, extremely strong (one piece, really one piece tube), optically superb. The S&B is a really good 4x scope. But heavier and a little bigger than the Zeisses. I have see throught a Nikon Monarch 4x40. A nice scope, indeed!
For the prices, I see the Nikon Monarch and the Leupold a really good options. And about the Leupold I understand it can be ordered with a N� 1 or 4 ret�cule. Or the Post and Duplex, another very good all porpouse reticule. The only thing i don`t like in the last version of the Leupold is the rather small field of view, smaller than the original Leupold M8. But much better optics in the latter one.
About the USA made 4x scopes, I am convinced the Kollmorgen, Stith, Redfield Bear Cub series were the absolute BEST 4x scopes ever made. My Redfield, from the sixties, compares very well in all aspects with the last Zeiss....!!!!

Regards

PH

I have a Leupold VX1 2x7 in a 270 that shot 4 mule deer at 400-500 yards in 2008 with the scope on 2X.

In 2009, it shot 4 more mule deer 329 - 510 yards, with the scope on 7X.

In 2010 I had Leupold Vari X III 1.75x6 on a 7mmRM that shot 3 mule deer to 380 yards with the scope on 6X.

There went 11 deer at long range and the scope did not matter at all.

Then there was shooting hundreds of ground squirrels with Seafire in 2003. That was acquire with binoculars, to acquire with scope on low power, to target with scope on 32X and aim as well as I could to try to hit those tiny things at 250 yards.
At 250 yards, trying to hit ground squirrels, the scope matters.