Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Need Suggestions - Brightest Scope for Last 30 Minutes of Light

we all know how difficult it is to count points during those last minutes of legal shooting light. which scope offers the best/clearest/brightest view for this time of day? i have leupolds on all my rifles, but was wondering if there is something better out there.

thanks

Yes, there are scopes that can resolve an image at night better than Leupold. I have one; it's a Hensoldt 6-24x72. Not exactly what you might stick on a carry rifle, but great for stand hunting.

Also:

Schmidt & Bender
Zeiss sports optics division

Any of the 2.5-10x56 or 3-12x56 models from Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski, Zeiss or Meopta. The fixed power 8x56's are in there too. A good reticle like the german #4 helps immensely, or an illuminated reticle.

.

There are better things out there, but how much better and whether or not they'll provide any realistic advantage depends on which Leupold is in the comparison.

If you're using vintage Vari-X II scopes, then a lot of scopes will be brighter/crisper in bad light. On the other hand, if you're using a VX-7 like the one I have on my "business" rifle you're not lacking for anything. And yes, I have compared it at last light to the mighty Schmidt & Bender Zenith, as well as the Swarovski AV, PH, Z5 and Z6.

That said, I'm usually "counting points" through my Meopta Meostar bino.

Hard to beat 2 eyed viewing for ID

Everything is a trade off, one way or the other. Those big "Hubble" type scopes are bulky and heavy. I think they're better suited for heavier rifles one would use from a box stand.

For lighter, walking around rifles, I like 1" scopes more than 30mm scopes. A good one for lighter rifles is the Z5 3.5-18x44 BT. I have one on a 6+# .300 Win Mag. It has great glass, is good at low light and isn't that bulky or heavy, compared to some in it's class. I have a custom turret and like the set up.

DF

+1

I really like my Zeiss Victory 8x45 T* RF binocs. Great glass and a remarkable RF, consistent out to 1,600 yds. It's easier to count points thru binocs.

DF

What they said!!! After that it just comes down to knowing the rifle, scope ,and caliber and than just squeeze.


Take care, Willie

A few weeks ago I found a buck with the 8X42 binos. I could see one side was a fork and the other was an odd spike that came around like it "should" have points on it. I switched to the z5 5-25 and kept turning it up while looking at the side that "should" have points. Once I got it to 25X and really took a look at it I saw two projections where the antlers had been broken off. The projections qualified it as a three point.

Two years ago I found a deer with my naked eye across the canyon. I put the binos on it and saw it was a buck. When I switched to the 4200 4-16X and turned up the magnification to 16X I could see it was a very nice three by four.

A friend of mine took his buddy mountain goat hunting. My friend uses binos and a 6 1/2-20X. The other guy uses 7X binos and a fixed 4X. They found a small group. Cliff switched to the scope and turned it up to 20X while the other fellow studied them with his 7X. They decided which one. The hunter switched to his fixed 4X and shot. Cliff excitedly asked,
"Why'd ya shoot that one?"
"'Cause it's the one I want," he said defensively.
"The one you wanted walked over to the left. That on came out from behind the rock and we have not seen in before you shot!"

When I see game I will stick to a high magnification scope for counting points.

For light gathering, the big Diavari's or the fat Z's are awful hard to beat.

Except durability.

dave

How many rounds have you put downrange under a VX-7 2.5-10x45? I'll just say mine is vetted.

mathman,

Seems the VX-6 replaced the VX-7. How do they compare?

Your observations and thoughts would be appreciated.

DF

I don't have one of those to compare.

Too bad we don't live closer.

DF

The VX-7 glass is/was better.

If you are looking for a really bright image, you can do the "flood the eye" trick by keeping the magnification set at an 8mm exit pupil or even more.
The drawback to that is that it can reduce how far you can see if the objective size is on the small size. So, the bigger the scope's objective, the better.
While there are very small differences in scopes when compared fairly, they don't amount to much. If you are really interested in this, I'd suggest subscribing to Mule Deer's Looney Rifle News.
Me, I find Leupold's 6X42 leaves nothing to be desired. E

Eremicus,

It sure seems to me you have eyesight like the guy I went to Alaska with. He could see cariboo at least two miles away without binos and also could see in the dark. Therefore everything would probably be bright enough to you.

Since I have a 40mm and a 50mm I can compare them side by side in daylight and low light. I am not alone in my findings because my son-in-law sees the same thing. The 40mm's are noticeably better in low light than the 50mm of the same brand. In fact the two 40mm's are as good as the 52mm I have.

You, like my friend, are truly blessed with spectacular vision.

Rich, I think a lot of folks seeking a good low light scope would be better served by getting a scope with a nice and bold reticle rather than chasing the small differences in glass quality as Eremicus eluded to. Example is the pics below showing the plex type reticle in my Leica ER 2.5-10x42 and Elite 2.5-10x40 from Bushnell. The Bushnell scope pic is their "Firefly" and it is an excellent low light reticle, IMO.





I will say that the glass in the Leica ER scope is so sharp/clear and has superb contrast that it allows you to see better in low light than the Bushnell especially in thick cover when it starts to get hard to see deer when they almost blend into their surroundings.