Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why do you dislike (or like) a 50mm objective?

Because nobody else hunts/shoots with curfews - it is a bit of a North American oddity. In much of the rest of the world, a lot of hunting actually occurs outside of legal hunting hours in the USA and Canada - even in the middle of the night. This results in very different optics in the rest of the world - not just with respect to larger objectives, but also lens coatings that favour low light performance. It is probably THE major reason why European optics are so different to American, but is frequently overlooked.

I have a 4-16x50mm that's been on a couple of rifles. It works just fine and I have no issues with it. The technical answers have all been given - stock configuration, hunting at night, medical issues. I don't see why people think that they are silly, useless or unnecessary. Whatever works, right? It's a personal choice.

Ths isn't directed at you Sakoluvr, but for some of the others: Why would you call someone down just because they use a 50mm scope? Especially when you don't know the circumstances? There are European hunters that would take issue with a fixed 4 or a small 32/40mm lense. If it feels good, do it.

De gustibus non disputandum.

So a 50 mm "gathers more light" than say, a 42 mm?

Exit pupil:

http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/how_to/guide/binoculars/basic/basic_05.htm

I'm familiar with exit pupil. When it's greater than the size of the pupil, then it's of no further benefit. And a 42 mm objective at 6X gives the same as a 50 mm at 7X.

Yep. Hence my original statement, but I am now starting to like them just the same.

Yeah, there's a LOT of frustration and a couple IPAs mixed into my statement. I just wish there were not as many hunters in my neck of the woods. It seems like EVERYBODY hunts, and all their relatives. In the past, it was not a big deal if I wandered across a property line a little bit during a hunt, and permission was easy to obtain. Today you better watch your back if you wander across a line, and have a good lawyer. And when I ask a landowner for permission to hunt, they either laugh at me or get angry and insist I leave. State land open to public hunting is a friggin' war zone! I hate a lot of what hunting has become in my neighborhood.

I don't have anything against them, it just seems that exit pupil would not be a real reason to buy one vs. a 42 or 40.

I don't care for the 50 mm lens, it's bigger than needed and seems worse about banging the scope into other objects. It is more surface to worry about keeping dry and clean.

Also, I have seen wildlife specials on the public channel and critters seem very curious about the camera lens, I think close up critters are more likely to notice a large scope lens.

I think the correct answer to why larger objectives provide superior low light performance is that they allow you to use magnification to increase twilight factor to improve low light performance whilst maintaining optimal exit pupil.

Twilight factor is not something I'm familiar with, does it really make a difference?

Actually, that sounds more like it's bigger than what you like. You are worried that it might bang into things. You are concerned about it remaining clean and dry. Many hunters in the rest of the world don't see big scopes the same way that you do.

That would go for many of the others who have posted as well.

I have all 40mm and 42mm scopes except for a special purpose 56mm NF that isn't paired with a rifle I'd be likely to tote anywhere but from the truck to the bench... It is kinda nice when you wanna reach out there though.

I don't care for the 50's. There's just no real world need for one on a hunting rifle that I know of. Lens coatings are far more important for getting light delivered to the retina.

That huge lens is a dead giveaway to a wary buck as well... Just too many negatives and no positives... Two thumbs down to the 50mm on a hunting rifle.

Bob

I have a custom Sako .35 Whelen that used to wear a Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40. The scope gad really long eye relief and could not be fitted in Sako rings far enough forward for proper full field use. I liked everything else about the scope, and then noticed that their 3-9x50 model had a 1" shorter eye relief. Tried one and it fit perfectly.
Most of my elk are killed within a few minutes of legal shooting light and I don't need to lug my rifle very far on my hunts. The 50MM objective seems just slightly brighter than the 40MM to my eyes. I'm really happy with it!