Okay question. When it comes to high-powered scopes such as 4.5-14 or 3x9 or 6x20 we have great scopes that track well and are reliable. Night force trijicon Maven tract etc.....if you were to choose a 2x7 for let's say a 350 legend or a 358 Winchester what scope would you choose the tracks perfectly and is reliable and clear? I feel that part of the market is not being represented well Am I wrong?

SWFA has a 1-4X

Hunting in the north-east, I like a low power scope, with a simple, easy to see reticle. Scarce as hen's teeth, the market is being driven by the long range crowd.

With very short eye relief, if that matters.

I agree. Just what the hell is wrong with a heavy duplex reticle? It is the most functional reticle for me.

The vx6‐HD is the only one I know of, but I am not looking at Chinese scopes. I may have to.

Don't think that stuff matters all that much for a low power field scope.

Have a Leupold VX-1 2-7x33mm, with the Wide Duplex Reticle, which is either mounted on a 77/357 of 9.3x62mm Ruger African.

No complaints.




GR

I guess I'm not the only one who sees an issue here. I would love to see a good durable repeatable 2x7 or 1 to 6 or even a two and a half to eight like the old leupies........ I just don't trust the new ones

That is exactly why a Leupold M8 4x28 long tube resides on my .338 Win Mag. The next step up for me on this rifle would be a NF Compact 2.5-10x32, but that would entail a 9 oz.+ weight penalty.

I have long confidence in these scopes, as I have used scores of them over the last 45 years with no failures.

X2, except mine is on a 300H&H.

Agree 100% I have three of the heavy duplex, wish more scopes were available with them. I think my next low power will be a Trijiicon, with the post reticle.

One of the scopes I liked was the Vortex HD LH 1.5-8x32 with the G4 reticle. Its a LOW made scope with pretty good glass and a great reticle. Discontinued of course

The high powered stuff goes on the varmint and out west rifles when there is more time to get on target. Here in the Midwest our deer at least where I hunt them, are at close range and in the woods. For my sitting rifle I haven't found anything that I think is better than a Zeiss 30mm 1.5-6x42 Diavari VM/V with the #8 reticle. For my walking around rifle I like the Leupold 1.5-5x20 with the Heavy Duplex. No, the Leupold isn't optically equivalent to the Zeiss, but there is no missing that Heavy Duplex in low light or heavy brush for a fast shot.

2-8x36 Grand Slam or a 1.5-6x42 SII…

There are lots of LPVO 1-6x scopes out there that work well at shorter distances and even at 300 yards. I took a Leupold VX-6 HD 1-6x24 with Firedot illumination to Africa last fall and it worked very well.

Nearly all these LPVO scopes are illuminated which works great in heavy cover and aiming at dark backgrounds. I also like my Vortex Razor HD 1-6x24 Gen2 E a lot although it's a bit heavier than the VX-6. I use it for action rifle and 3 gun competition but it would work well for hunting too. Both of these scopes have a good eye box and plenty of eye relief.

And Zeiss, Leica, Meopta etc. have similar models so there are lots of choices.

I don't see a lot of discussion about these scopes for hunting, but for use within 300 yards they seem like a good fit. Since most have a 24mm objective, they may not have the best low light performance, but at 4x you still have an exit pupil of 6 so that should be enough for most hunting.

Vx3i 2.5-8

Trijicon Credo HX 1-6

Do they still produce those

I used to use 2-7X and 2.5-8X scopes a lot. Anymore a 3-9X does most of what I need. When hunting I can't remember the last time I moved one off 3X. If I wanted something smaller I'd skip right over 2-7X and go to something with 1X or 1.5X on the lower end. Lots of 1-4X scopes, but I'd have no problem with a 1-6X

I have 3 (that I recall off the top of my head) 1-4 Leupolds, two of which (on my .50 inline ml and my Guide Gun) are the shotgun/muzzleloader version, coarse crosswires and parallax free at 75 yards. They’ve worked great, killing a lot of deer for years. I have 1 1/2 -5 Leupolds on my 1B .308 and my 1A 7x57. My .223 “hunting rifle” has a 1.75 -6. With the exceptions of a couple of 3 1/2 -10’s all my other hunting rifles have 2 1/2-8’s. One 4 1/2 - 14 and a fixed 16 on varmint rifles. Not a fan of or in need of big scopes for my purposes.

I’m not smart enough about all those G1’s and G7’s and stuff, nor do I invest enough time and money into shooting at long range to be able to kill stuff past about 400 yards (and that’s a stretch, so what I have works for me.

Pretty hard to beat a 1.5-6X42MM Schmidt & Bender Zenith with a 4 or 4A reticle . Used them for 35 years without a hiccup. Used the 1.5X power as much as the 6X power . Also nothing bad to say about the Leupold VX3 2.8-8X36, never had one of those fail either , although only had standard duplex reticle not the heavy reticles I prefer for lower power scopes.

All good things must come to an end.The Sightron is particularly hard to find, the Weaver not as much.One in excellent condition sold on EBay for $230 yesterday.Worth every penny in my opinion…

One of my favorite scopes is a Nikon 2x-7x-33 compact. I've had it for about 15 years. It has never failed me.

Buddy has a Kahles K16, 1x-6x on a 375 H&H and it's a pleasure to shoot.

I recently plopped a 2.5-10x32 NXS on my 375 H&H Talkeetna, I think it'll live there for quite a while.

That is a good one. I used one at the last 'fire hog hunt on my 30-06 Kimber Subalpine. Two other youngsters fell as well.

The Trijicon Accupoint 1-4 is a wonderful scope if you can abide a 30mm tube.

I use and like the S&B 1.5-6x42 Klassic a lot but I don't believe it's produced anymore.

I use a couple of NX8 1-8x24's on AR's. They worked really well on some close in coyote calling but I'd really like them if they were made with a x42 objective. I do need to change the focus for 7-8 power from the 1-6 setting on them. I'd prefer the reticle didn't have the donut in it and the "bars" extended all the way on the lower powers but it's still a very usable reticle, especially for speed up close.

I am running a Weaver K4 on one of my 308 carbines. i cannot find fault with it as does all that I have asked of it. I can hit a paper plate at 300 yards without any fuss. Anything closer is not an issue.

I have a couple Leupold VX6 in 1-6X. Good sight box, crazy bright, and both have the lit dot.

https://www.leupold.com/vx-3hd-1-5-5x20-cds-zl-illum-firedot-twilight-hunter

I purchased this one in May/June. So far so good and I like the reticule. I put it on my .358 Win and have only shot test loads so far.

Sightron S1 Gen 2 1.75-5×32:

https://sightron.com/collections/s1-series/products/s1-1-75-5x32-g2-duplex

As to usable reticles.....

I have a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9X40 that has the tiered duplex reticle. Very fat to medium to fine in distinct steps. Perfect for where I primarily hunt in heavy brush.

I've never had a problem at close range on 3X but I think they made the 2-7x with the same reticle.

To address the question though, I agree, It seems target style scopes (complex reticles, lots of magnification and weight) have taken center stage in the hunting world.

I just picked up a Trijicon Credo HX 1-4 on the Classifieds. I like it a lot. 18-ish ounces compared to 23-ish for a Nightforce SHV 3-10. I think the 1-4 is discontinued but Trijicon still makes the Credo HX in 1-6 with capped turrets.


Okie John

[quote=JCMCUBIC]I use and like the S&B 1.5-6x42 Klassic a lot but I don't believe it's produced anymore.




Schmidt & Bender still makes the 1.5-6X42MM in the Zenith line a upgraded turret system than the Klassic.
Not always in stock but can be easily ordered from EuroOptics. A clear rock solid scope.

That Bushnell is the 3-2-1 reticle. May even glow if you charge it with a flashlight.

It does glow if you "charge" it with a flashlight but I never do.

4x32 Zeiss Conquest if you can find one.

I bought on of the sightron 1.75-5 scopes it was nice except on the lowest power where it had enough fisheye that the sage seemed to bend when following a coyote waiting for an opening to shoot. The guys at sightron pulled a couple off the shelf and they were all the same. They refunded my money.

Not compact or lightweight, but I have settled on the Swarovski Z6 1x6x24 on two rifles, a 450 Bushmaster and a 375 Ruger, and am 100% happy with them with no desire to switch to anything else

Other than probably a 50 yd parallax, I wonder if I could use my trusty Sightron 3x9 x 32 rimfire scope on a cut down bubba-ized 6.5x54 MS. Surely the internals are the same as a center fire model?

I like that scope; I would run the same 1.5-5x20.

i have 4 of these scopes and they are very tuff and a good price too Burris 1-6 x 24 , 30 tube matte black /illuminated , i also plan on putting a couple more on 1 on a 338 Win. mag. and 1 on a 35 Whelen Ruger #1 . trust these are fantastic scopes for the money. Pete53

I don't normally recommend something I haven't had some experience with. The one I put on an AR15 calling rifle just a month ago showed no such behavior.

Weird...... -Al

Mine was one of the first releases, maybe they fixed them, I might have to try one again the next time they have a sale as I liked everything except the very bottom end and that is where my scopes stay most of the time.

Glow is redundant. The Firefly triplex is blacker than black before and after legal shooting. It’s a shame more mfgs haven’t filled that niche instead of going all in on wannabe sniper recticules. I just don’t buy the arguement of less precision with a bold crosshair at less than 300 yd distances on game.

Really like my 1.5x5 Leupold on my 45-70

1903 Sprinfield 30-06 wit Denver Redfield I bought new abiut 1972. Have used that scope a lot and love it just as much today as ever! Scope is 2 3/4x widefield 4 plex cch

Are you talking the RT-6? I like that one. Have one on my Ar

yes the Burris RT-6 sure has been a good scope for me !

I actually have a couple of variables, but the vast majority of my glass was made in El Paso. 2.5x fills the bill. Yeah, I know, ya can't hit chitt with a scope without dials and whistles. I keep on trying to make them work....

+1 for the Trijicon Credo 1-6

I like a bold outer reticle but prefer thinner inner plex...not a wide inner plex but a narrow opening. I certainly prefer the finer inner plex for accuracy on targets but several years back I started noticing that some of the heavy duplex scopes I was using made it tougher to pick out small twigs and limbs when I was shooting through small openings in woods. I didn't use the firefly enough to remember how fine the innermost plex was but I like the concept of bold outer with steps down in width.

Never paid much attention to these when sold new, but have since used several on muzzleloaders, shotguns and as backups in QD mounts. These are Scopechief VI, marked Bausch & Lomb. Nice ones can be had for under $100.

I've got a half dozen of the Firefly reticle scopes in 2-7 and 3-9 on guns ranging from a H&R 20 ga. Ultra to my 700 Classic 35 Whelen. That reticle does such a good job in dim light that I've never bothered to charge the reticle. In the dark woods of Vermont and Mississippi that I hunt, darkness comes early and that bold reticle helps.

Unfortunately, the 2-7 is almost an orphan in today's rifle scope world. There's a reason that my favorite 2-7s, Nikon and Bushnell 3200, frequently sell for more used than they did new. I try to buy them when I can get a good deal on them.

I really do like the 3-2-1 reticle in the dark woods. It works.

As to precision, that scope on my RAR 308 turns in sub moa groups with boring regularity.

Cheapest set up in my safe!

Leupold 4x compact

I’ve got an SII 1.5-6x42, a couple of Leupold 1-4s (HD and G1 reticles), Zeiss 1.8-5.5, Vortex LH 1.5-8 and 2-10, Trijicon Accupoint 1-4 w/green triangle, and probably some other lower power stuff I can’t recall at the moment. I like every one of them for given purposes, or I wouldn’t have kept them. I had a couple of the 3200s in 2-7, and the eye relief was too short. I should have kept them for light kickers, because it was more than fine at low mag….just shrunk to dangerous short at the top end on those. I probably like the green triangle Trijicon and G1 1-4 VX2 the best on semis and levers for ‘fast’, though I’ve gone well past 250 with both. For deep dark woods, the Zeiss and Sightron are very good. For general purpose, those razor LHs are a nice package of light, bright, and reticle. Not much new out there that compares to most of those….especially without illum.

Very good old scopes and glass that compares well with much newer and higher priced scopes IMO.

I have two of the 1.5-4.5 early 80's Japanese Bushnell Scope Chief VI's. Great scopes. 10oz, nice duplex reticle. I bought the first one with paper route money brand new. My dad liked it so much he bought one the next year.

that or the 1.5-5x20 with a german #4.

My big game rifles have leupold heavy duplex reticles on them, very fast to use. And for load development and such I just make a target that fits the reticle. With my hunting rifles with that reticle I have no problem shooting sub MOA groups. My Barret 270 win prints sub 3.4 in groups all the time 6x42 leupold with heavy duplex.

My Fudd setup. 270win with an Burris Fullfield 2.5x

Some pine for those old classic optics but they're not that great. The optics industry has us covered already with some good LPVO type sights. They're much better than the stuff of yesteryear.

I don’t think they’re any better than the myriad of discontinued stuff of the last 10-15 years….just bigger and heavier. 25+ year old stuff, sure. …..but I’ll take the form factor of the previous 1-4 or 2-7 scopes over the current LPVO ‘tacticool’ excess on a hunting rifle, any day. Heck, the old Redfield 1-3/4-5x killed a lot of stuff and it never didn’t work, even if it was 40 years old.

I have this on my 350 Legend. No plans to change it , no issues with it. Killed two deer at approx 185-190yards last deer in Ohio. Worked very good. I should disclaim I dont twist. Set it and forget it for Ohio and effective ranges with my 350Legend.

Agreed on both counts. Wish I had bought a few more when they were available.

.270? That sounds like “Fudd-Lite”! 😳

That's only if it gets used with bullets lighter than 130gr.

I have a few low power scopes and find them to be perfectly adequate for hunting close and medium range. Weaver classics, Swarovski, Leupold, Hakko, I don't know, quite a few. No complaints with any of them but the SWFA. I think they're garbage.

Leaving for Africa in four weeks and my 375 wears a Leupold FX II 3x long tube. I can shoot about a 1" group with it at 100 yards and can shoot large game past 300 yards. Perfect!

They work just fine.

Rem 700 20P


Bernardelli 5.6x50R Mag/12ga


They are my favorite coyote hunting scopes along with the 1.5-6

Sav 10 22-204 Sightron II 1.5-6


Mini Howa 6.5G Meopta 1.5-6

What are you going after in Africa, and where?

Elephant, Buffalo and assorted antelope. South of Harare in Zimbabwe.

Nice. I'm planning on PG in Namibia in 25.

Have a great trip!

Sweet bike, Erich!

Trying to find the best forum to find dust caps for a Weaver K4 60-B.
Agee, old stuff works just fine.

I've had a few of those over the years. Right now have a 1.5-4.5 and a 4x fixed. Both good scopes and a real bargoon for what they go for.

Try here

I like your shiny guns and modern scopes, but my stuff is 'old'. Went to local gun show today, caught a El Paso
Weaver K2.5, with the post reticle. Good condition, just 2 wear marks, no ring tracks. Has Weaver rings on it, too. For 50 smacks, it will look good on my 1900 vintage Savage 1899A, 30-30. It's a 'grey dog' previously d&t, and someone bubbed the stock because they didn't like the crescent butt. It has obviously seen a lot of use, but not bad for an old utility gun. Now it can reside in my safe next to the 1899C, .303Sav. 2 guns make a collection, on my budget.

Thats about the perfect scope for shotgun only zones and muzzleloader woods hunting here on the east coast as well.