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>>yes its another reason to buy a Nightforce scope ,think about it ?
" i own at least 20 leupold scopes all are good scopes but are not as good a scope as a Nightforce scope and i own 8 Nightforce scopes."

I don't know why I didn't mention the Leupold VX-R line of scopes, not up to the higher end stuff,
buy can come in under your price cap with a 30mm tube and has pretty good glass. And you don't
have to use the illumination if you don't want.

This because seeing the target is not the challenge. Seeing the reticle is. The illumination is a difference maker. If not going with illumination, go with the meopta metoprolol or conquest as others have said.

Consider discontinuing your viagra if you go with the meopta metoprolol. Seeing the reticle is always trickier when hypotensive.

600-1000 yards in lowlight??????

Provincial, pontificating pete - yet another thread where your ruminations have zero relevance. The OP in this case clearly defined a $500 budget - you and hanco related, per chance?


Dogger, like others above, I'm also curious about the want for the 30mm tube.
For my eyes, the Meopta, Conquest and VX3i in same/similar configurations are all pretty much the same in clarity and "brightness".
What will likely stand out more to you more in waning light is the etched reticle in the Meopta and Conquest.

In the durability/reliability department, depending on who you're talking to you'll get conflicting reports - it's all a crapshoot, really.

Dogger,
Give you older eyes a chance to look through a Leupold Vx3i scope in a 1” tubes. You may be surprised how much light they gather.
A Vx3i 4.5-14x40 scope should be in the $465 dollar range. 😎

I think this hits all your points

Burris Four X 3-12x56mm - 4 Illuminated on sale for only $299.99

42/7=6x.The classic answer then is an alpha 1.5-6x. Your budget doesn't really fit that, though. There's the Burris MTAC, but I haven't tested it to know if it'll do.

You may find as you get older that a more upright head position gives clearer vision; particularly with glasses. A medium mount can often handle a larger objective. That opens some possibilities for closeout priced scopes which have larger than 42mm objectives.

OP here, thanks for the many replies. all my current scopes are 1" tubes. most high end scope i have is a 3-9x40 Conquest. on my last several hunts the deer have only appeared at dusk in the treeline... the last time i was hunting with a Leupold Vari-X II where i lost the thin crosshair. I am going to need the illumination. 30mm because those are the rings i bought for the new 300 H&H Browning X-Bolt (I know, tail wagging the dog). I want to step into 30mm tubes and this will be the first one. Will take a look at those recommendations. I really want to stay under $500, but would stretch it to $600 if need be.

If a Conquest isn't bright enough for you, you're going to have problems at your price point, especially asking for a 30mm tube.

I honestly can't think of a scope that ticks all of your boxes. Of the scopes I've owned, the 3-10x50 Artemis with No 1 reticle comes closest, but is a 50mm obj. It was crazy bright but big and heavy. The SWFA 3-9x42 is actually a little brighter than my Conquests but doesn't quite match the Z3. It has turrets which may not fit into your "set and forget" qualifier. It can be had for under $500 a couple of times a year.

I think you'll have to settle for a lesser optic with illumination if you're rigid on the 30mm tube.

Dog’r a lot of us know what you’re seeing at last shooting light where a deer or elk is hung up on the inside edge of timber waiting to take that couple of steps you need to grab some light in your glass to determine if it’s legal fur and seeing your crosshairs enough to place a good hit on it.

Since you’re willing to stretch a few more dollars into getting what you think will work for you...The simple answer is, just call Doug. Let him put you onto a scope. $100 dollars over your budget may translate to you punching out a triangle on your tag. 😎

Hey Dude, I'm giving you what I feel is very sound advice. A 30mm Tube is a very specialized entity. You will probably never realize any practical use for it. For hunting and even amateur target shooting, as most of us do, it is purely market hype and a place to sink money into. For people like us it's a useless way to waste money. It gives you a few extra clicks of adjustment and if you set things up right you probably won't need that. A good, clear, bright scope outweighs all that BS. The more money you can save without penalizing yourself the more you will have to put toward good use. i've got a VX-3L (the older version of the VX-3 with the space cut out to fit over the barrel of the gun to keep your line of sight low) 4.5-14X56 that has a 30mm tube and that's the only feature of that scope that doesn't contribute anything to my shooting success. In fact it hinders me from the standpoint of not being easy to find stuff for. 1"Diameter scopes give people like us all we need and everything about a 1" Scope is just a little cheaper. Market hype is the scourge of the Universe. Marketers make some things sound so useful and necessary when they don't do crap for you but cost you more money.

I have a bunch of Leupold VX3i 4.5 x 14’s. I have 30mm tubes, 1” tubes. I have 40mm and 50 mm lenses. I can see way before and after legal shooting hours with them. I have several 3.5 x10’s also. I like them too. All of mine are CDS models.

i started mounting the rings... i have a football field of distance between the front ring and the rear iron sight... a bell larger than 40 or 42 is not going to be an issue, unless the scope was as long as my arm

did some dark at dusk evaluations with three scopes last night: Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40, first generation Vortex Viper 3-9x40, and VX1 2-7x33... picking out various clumps of grass in a woodsy draw. the VX1 was only slightly behind the other two in light gathering (evaluated at 6X and 5X) which is to be expected. Could not tell a difference between the Conquest and the Vortex. no issues with finding the crosshairs beyond legal light, but i can only believe that an illuminated reticle will make an ethical shot much faster than otherwise. i am thinking i can push close to a 50mm objective and still not have an issue mounting the scope in the low Talley rings...

My suggestion would be a call to Doug about the Burris 4x 1.5-6x42...

2.5x16x42 bushnell 6500. I have bought 2 of these on ebay used but like new for less than 400.00 each. just picked up a 6500 4.5x30x50 for 550.00

This is probably your deal on a 42mm.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leupold-VX-R-Patrol-3-9x40mm-30mm-FireDot-Tactical-Milling-Riflescope-113771/142730886550?epid=19028318246&hash=item213b6c7d96%3Ag%3AEucAAMXQQtNR1CzA&LH_ItemCondition=1000