Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Low light scope

The ONLY scope you will ever need.

Whatever model you end up with, I would recommend an illuminated reticle.

Meostar or S&B with illuminated reticle are the berries, if you can’t get it done an hour before or after, it won’t be because of your optics

I’d find Doug for either one and see what magic he can come up with for ya. I’m betting he’s got some specials that can’t be beat in fixed or variable options

How about a MeoStar Artemis 7x50 with 4C Reticle for only $549.99???

We're here for another 15 minutes

Yes it is, that’s a fantastic optic. Unfortunately it’s hard to stay under $1000 with that one. I wish I could find a few for that!

I fully agree, the weather conditions and the terrain can produce very varied results.

Definitely lots of experience there with low light situations and many scope models.

I'm pretty impressed with the low light performance of the Steiner Nighthunter Xtreme. And, actually, I don't use the illumination - on any of my scopes. In my experience any illumination in dusk or twilight is too bright and messes with my vision. Though if you have to have illumination, Trijicon Accupoint is really good.

I've been using a Trijicon Accupoint 2.5 X 10 X 56 this fall and it has offered really good low light performance. I agree with skeen that illuminated reticles mess with my vision in low light situations but the Trijicon aiming dot is noticeable without being overwhelming. Another added benefit of the Trijicon is that there are no batteries to replace.

The same experience with the Illumination feature. I paid top dollar for a Swaro Z6 1x6 illuminated reticle scope only to be completely disappointed with the lit reticle even when turned all the way down. The next Z6 I bought in the same power did not have illumination and I do not miss it at all. Maybe it's just me and my eyes.

I’d save a few more pennies and go with Schmidt...all the other brands are fine products, but none can hang with Schmidt for light gathering...none. They are also an incredibly tough scope as well. I have three on my most “serious” big game rifles, a Jarrett 280AI, a Carolina Precision 300 RUM and a Sako 338. Incidentally, the Schmidt was purchased for the RUM after it ate a Swaro PH for lunch costing me a beautiful buck that was pushing B&C.

Illuminated reticlea seem to blur the image to me at last minute, I like a good heavy #4 reticle best.

Low light and illumination has been screwed up by a lot of companies and the reticles they provide illumination on. I'm saying this in regard to low light illumination, how bright it is, and the size of the reticle. Daylight illumination is a whole different animal.

Nightforce did it (low light illum) very well with the level of illumination on the NXS IHR I use....it can be set very low with little to no flare. I think this was designed for use with night vision but it works very well in low light for the naked eye. On the other hand, Nightforce's illumination is too bright on the lowest setting with the SHV 3-10 Forceplex (and NX8 FC-MOA). I watched 6 does way past legal shooting hours yesterday using the illuminated Forceplex in a 3-10 SHV.....it's slightly too bright, too big, and has too much flare. It can work but it's not nearly as good as the illumination levels in the NXS series for low light. I was able to watch them for a long time after legal shooting light due to it be a clear sky yesterday with a "waning gibbous" at 99% illumination.....it doesn't take much there.

I really like Schmidt and Bender's Flash Dot illumination. It can be set very dim (or bright) and is also small being a single point. Smaller and dimmer is better. I can't speak to durability but I think S&B's Flash Dot may be the best hunting illumination system. I'm not a glass snob, but S&B's is good enough to make me take note. After using it, I can't help but notice the difference. With the glass quality and FD illumination it's very good.

Exactly, the SB L3 reticle, which is the #4 with I'll imitated dot is hard to beat. It's not really used as a daytime illumination. But when really needed, it can be dialed down so low that the light from the illumination doesn't over power the reticle or your eye. Thus low light clarity and dot work together.

The exit pupil is simply the objective diameter in mm divided by the magnification. 56mm objective/8X - 56/8 = 7mm exit pupil; 42mm objective/6X = 42/6 = 7mm exit pupil...and so forth and yada yada yada.

That chart can't account for alpha glass. A 56mm Tasco won't even be close to an alpha 56mm of even an alpha 50mm. Just saying. It's a good reference though.

I'm a fan of bigger exit pupils but it just tells you the size of the beam of light. Not the % of light lost on lenses, the visibility of the reticle, the clarity, the power, the user characteristics of the scope, light lost to long eye relief, etc. Still, if everything else is the same, I'll go with a bigger exit pupil just for ease of use if nothing else.

Don’t forget, as we age our pupils will sometimes not open to the 7mm diameter assumed on that chart. But...it’s a great reference nonetheless.