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

The Zeiss Conquest 2.5-8x32 is awesome in low light. It will give the 50 and 56 mm objective scopes a run for their money in low light.

RDFinn,

Those are definitely the right direction for low light. I like both of those more than the one in my Swrarovski z5. The lower reticle is even better than the upper one to me. One needs only enough small crosshair for sighting on small targets. Do you think Swarovski will take a lesson from these other companies?

I think you are very much off base in thinking your 32mm scope is better than anything
larger.

Tell us more about your comparisons in low light.

Not sure, but I'm surprised that some of these "euro" companies don't offer thicker duplex type reticles especially when you consider their night hunting tactics.

It's good that you came around regarding the Schmidt & Bender line.

With regard to counting points - it's getting to the last minutes of shooting time and you spot a large bodied buck with 10 pts, and two other buck about the same size but they only have 6 points each. You drop the binos and bring your scope up only to find the deer have moved and you can't see the points in your scope...

Do tell...which 50 & 56mm scopes were you comparing your 2.5-8x32? Barska, Countersniper, NC Star?

I have two of those 2.5-8 x 32 scopes, the Z plex reticle is heavy so it makes seeing it in lower light easier. I cannot say it is too good in low light. Never impressed me that way.

i just got a 3-12x56 meostar and man, very impressive in lowlight!

I've wonder the same thing. If those Euro hunters do a fair amount of dim light hunting, requiring the mega scopes, why have very fine reticles.

I sent my Z5 back for a #4 German as the std. duplex type reticle was way too light and fine for my use. It's disgusting to spend big bucks on a quality scope and then have to spend more to get it fixed to be usable.

DF

Either way the hunter wouldn't get a shot. The binos don't have a gun attached and the scope with the gun attached can't "see" the points.

I think the animals get a chance to win under these conditions. That's why it's called hunting not killing.


Take care, Willie

Yup, the current crop of reticles on Swaro, Zeiss, Leica, and even S&B (Summit) has been disappointing. Either too thin, and/or the center hairs (especially on a so-called German #4) are spaced too far apart for my preference.

As they say, if you find yourself in a "fair fight", your tactics suck...

When I'm hunting animals, I'm out to kill something...

I want all the advantage...

DF

Dirt Farmer has framed the context that I try to achieve every time I go hunting; seizing and using any advantage that will benefit me. That includes having a low-light scope that enables me to count the points on the buck I first spotted using my binos.

many good post here. one thing that is a bit off topic is our own eyesight. all the big bell scopes in the world won't fix that. For me, any scope with a bell larger then 36 is likely not much help.

A max dim light exit pupil on a healthy, young eye is around 7mm. So, an 8x56 scope will provide a full 7mm exit pupil. With our aging eyes, we may not have that much exit pupil, so everything above our value times the scope power will be all the objective size we're actually using.

Other factors such as glass quality, reticle visibility, etc. may be as, if not more, important than objective size.

DF

My eyes aren't old, but they aren't great either. I'm liking bold reticles more and more, especially when hunting hogs that might wait until dark to step out.

I'm not admitting how old my peeper are...

I agree. I also like the Leupold Fire Dot set up. That's about ideal, IMHO, for what you describe. A #4 German plus the Fire Dot is hard to beat. I have a VX-6, 1-6x24 so equipped. Pretty cool rig, just haven't had it long enough to bust a porker.

DF

I've got a Zeiss Duralyt 2-8x42 with the #6 reticle, which is pretty much a #4 for all purposes. I find it lacking nothing at 30 minutes past sundown, which is when my legal shooting time ends.

I never said that it was better. I'm going to go ahead and assume you don't have a 2.5-8x32 Conquest and have never hunted with one. If you did, you wouldn't make an assumption that this particular scope is not as good in low light or the last 30 min of light compared to larger objective scopes. I have compared them to Leupold's, Meopta Meostar R1's, Zeiss Victory, Vortex Vipers, Minox and other scopes that I've had. In the time of day listed by the original poster, the 2.5-8x32 Conquest is not lacking in the least for light transmission and the ability to actually see the reticle.