Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Side focus or not

There is a sale on Leupold scopes

I am looking at the 4.5x14 custom dial system

One version is a one inch tube, no side focus
The other is 30mm with side focus, and a windplex reticle which I am not a fan of

My rifle is shooting 0.5BC bullets at 2670fps, sub MOA.

This is an elk hunting rifle with normal shots from 100-450y; but there may be a need for a longer shot someday
All my shots over 200y are normally from a prone position, good form etc...

The side focus requires me to buy new 30mm CZ rings for $75, plus a $50 up charge for side focus

All in $400w/o side focus or $525 with

What do you guys think

I think the focus knob should be on the right hand side. Much easier to statyon target while you dink with it.

That said, side focus is a big deal. Even left side, its still 100X better than completely breaking position to mess with it. Money well spent in my opinion.

Magnification over 10X requires parallax adjustment, IMO. IDC if it is on the bell or on the side, though.

I'd let em stay on sale. Much better to be had for like money. Leupold has known tracking and zero retention issues that the company refuses to do anything about.

I had that scope, it didn’t need parallax
Great scope, except it wouldn’t track

SWFA 6x

I have a couple of both the 1" models and the 30mm side focus models, The 1" models have parallax at 12x-14x, The 30mm side focus models are a bargain for the price difference IMO. it tracks well (contrary to the Leupy haters on the fire). I like you am not a fan of the windplex reticle but like the Varmint hunter reticle. they no longer offer the Varmint hunter reticle so on my last scope I just got the duplex
btw One of my 1" scopes is on a CZ and I'm making the switch to the 30mm model

Side focus. There are more differences than just the focus though between those two scopes, all of which favor the 30mm version.

I don't want a scope that does not have side focus.

Call Doug and get a Meopta 4.5-14

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

LOL.

Winner

I have two Leupold scopes that I use as "set and forget" scopes. A VX3 1.5-5x20 with a German #4 reticle that is brought along some times as a back up scope. Also a VX3i 2.5-8x36 that will go back to Leupold for a B&C reticle install. But, if I was ever going to buy another Leupold it would have their B&C reticle and I would learn how to use it and never touch the turrets after zeroing the scope. I am slowly ridding my self of Leupold scopes and would go back to them if they ever fixed their erector issues.

Every thing about the 30mm side focus 4.5-14x40 Leupold with a B&C reticle appeals to me. They do have great glass, eye relief and are light weight. The CDS feature looks wonderful, but none of that matters if they won't hold zero and move correctly when adjusted.

After over 50 years of critter blasting in Alaska I have never had to twist a turret on a moose, caribou or bear. But, I hunt and have never felt I had to take over a 450 yard shot.

AMEN, have a box (22) Leupold 8.5x25 LRT that had been back to Leopold more than once to fix the problem of tracking and zero issues, They can't seem to get them right, there answer was to send me a free one with the last 10 I sent back for service, guess to shut me up, still didn't fix the problem so I did, Nightforce now

Since you put it that way...here goes.

For a big game hunting scope, the less there is to screw with on it, the better.

At the ranges you are talking about, on a target the size of an elk, a Ballistic Plex type reticle would be your Huckleberry. Dots are quicker and easier to use, and elk make a big target..even at 400 yards.

No on the Leupold. Consider Zeiss v4.