Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Does anyone else see a trend of short tube scopes?

Yes,the ER series and ERi series were great. The new Leica Magnus seems however to be much like the VX6HD in tube length.

Yes,the ER series and ERi series were great. The new Leica Magnus seems however to be much like the VX6HD in tube length.[/quote]



I am mainly interested in the ERi , after reading Bobby Tomeks reviews on them even more interested since they have a sensible mounting tube length. I was speaking to the owner of Near precision and mentioned the VX-6 with the 50mm objective and he said they had almost too short front mounting tube.

I did have to get creative in using a modified Picattiny but it worked out for me. The scopes I have are generous enough in tube length w/o being too long. Burris' new version of the same scope is called the Short Mag. It is mounted on a Ruger 77 in 7 WSM. Had no problem with eye relief either. The scope has held up well.

The 50 mm scopes have less room for mounts than a 40mm. The 50mm scopes are hard to mount on a long action.

Trying to find new, gloss-finished scopes that are long enough is equally difficult. Leupold is about the only alternative, but just in variables. Their fixed power scopes have been too short since the late 80's.

You might have answered your own question there. Imagine being a gunsmith with lengths of P. rails. You need only cut to length and drill some holes through it. There are more attaching points for the rings and makes the mounting process faster/easier. P. rails are more popular these daze because of their flexibility.

Yes but ultralight rifles are more popular too and a rail and rings are much heavier than a set of Talley lightweights. Not everything has a rail to fit it either.

I realize that, but like everything else in the world, nothing is consistent but change.

I wonder if the 2 or 3 oz. difference is worth the sweat.

I think it would be more than that and I guess it depends on what you are paying for that light weight rifle. Just like a custom titanium action instead of a stainless one,or a carbon wrapped barrel. You pay big bucks for a few ounces and it is very frustrating to have to use those ounces just because a scope manufacturer thinks a long tapered objective looks better than a shorter taper.

I think what you are seeing is shorter tube scopes...because eye relief is longer. Back in the day, scopes had to be long so one could pull them back toward the eye to deal with 3" of eye relief.

My complaint isn't just tube length. My complaint is with an objective that tapers nearly all the way to the turret. Take a look at the nex Leupold VX6HD and VX5HD and you will see exactly what I mean.

My thing about p rails is they are butt ugly. It's a to each their own but it wouldn't hurt leupold to add say 3/4" after all we are not talking about 3-4 inches.

Not only are the scopes shorter and all matte finished, they're weight is getting ridiculous. Have seen several articles over the past couple years touting a light weight rifle and testing with a beautiful scope that weighs 20-24 oz. with a 50mm objective, as opposed to a 32-36mm objective on a 10-12 oz. scope that's long enough to adjust eye relief on any length action. Thank goodness I still have a few of them left.

BUSHNELL Elite 3-9x40mm Gloss (1 inch Tube) (Multi-X Reticle) (Rain Guard)

I am constantly amazed at the things b1tched and moaned about on this site...

Yep. Me too.

You mean like you're doing now.

I know you weren't axing me! But I DONT like the TREND.
Yes. matte is preferred and needed by 'some' for particular applications.
BUT the short mounting space in/on the tube does NOT work or work well on all rifles.

Yes we can get extended bases to use forward or reverse. I for one HATE an extended base protruding over the action port.

Also the last scope I bought before Christmas - all I could find were 'matte'. I had to survey my rifles to see which one I could swap a gloss for matte.
I have some gloss stocks w/gloss bluing! Matte DONT match up well w/that.

We understand new trends in marketing BUT new trends don't cover the needs of all and the rifles we ALREADY own which are not trendy.
$$$$$ - talks. / makes decisions, / not always the BEST ones.

Jerry

Like any fashion trend, the market will eventually come back to gloss blue

Maybe we've reached a point in the evolution of rifle scopes where we need to consider single point mounting systems. We have the materials and precisely repeatable manufacturing methods. Probably no reason it can't be done other than the market resistance it would encounter.