Best dawn/dusk low light deer scope

[Stephen Orleski]

The bigger the objective (56 vs 50 vs 40) the more light it will catch.. but of course the quality of glass matters too. So if you cannot afford a good quality new scope, look for a used one that has a lifetime warranty, vortex vipers or above, leupolds, nightforce, lieca, swarovski. If any of your buddies have some of these maybe you can meet up with them at dusk and look through them to see what you like the best.

 

[bluedog69]

Meopta has their Optika5 and Optika6 line where both are great values for the money. Great Schott glass with reasonable prices. Both can be had with FFP or SFP options. Low light options would include their Optika5 4-20x50 and their Optika6 3-18x56. The Optika5 line is a 1" tube and capped turrets where the Optika6 line is 30mm tube with different turret options. I have both and think they are hard to beat for a balance between great glass and price. Sport Optics (no affiliation just a satisfied customer) has good prices on the Meopta scopes and run sales regularly. The 4-20x50 runs in the mid to high $400 range and the 3-18x56 is $650-$700 depending on options. They are not the lightest scope around but I have used Meopta for years and have had very good reliability out of mine. Just another option to add to your evaluation list. I too have tired old eyes and these compare favorably to my Zeiss HD5 and V4 scopes. Not as good as my Schmidt Bender 8x56 or Zeiss V6 but these two are in a totally different price range.

As a card carrying member of optics anonymous I can tell you that great optics can make a world of difference in the first and last few minutes of shooting light.
Your budget completely dictates any suggestions. All the glass I'll list I own myself and have chosen them based on my budget at the time. I have more scopes than rifles as I've upgraded to higher magnifications when I was able to afford to. If my budget was:
$1000–I'd look for a used or demo Leica ER-I or a Meopta Meostar. I have a Leica in 2-10x42. Just as clear and bright as other way costlier models and outperforms them all if the sun is glaring. Great eye box and edge distortion is non existent. Has an illuminated reticle and hash marks....honestly if your max range is 400, most deer calibers won't require much dialing at that range. Zero at 200 and hold a little high with a hash...
The Meopta is the best $1200 scope I've ever used. Glass is great, eye box is great, light weight, illuminated reticle and hashes....fine European glass that the shops in the Pacific Rim cannot come close to.
$2000- again I'd look for a demo and save enough (off retail) to get yourself into a better class of glass. Swaro z6i can be found at that price....I bought mine used, and great glass doesn't wear out. You can also get into the Leica Magnus mid magnification (2-12x). EuroOptics had several of these models marked down recently.
$3000- S&B Exos or Polar.....they are built like a Nightforce, but have the clarity and light transmission of a Swaro Z8i. They are a smidge heavy, but not as heavy as a NF. I found both as shot show demos, and they are so similar, I'm not sure why the company made them both. Either one will blow u away.
The other hi end option is the Swaro Z8i. Clearest and brightest scope I have, and light enough to use on any sort of Mtn Rifle. Doesn't have the tactical, built like a brick $h!thouse appearance of some others but man is it impressive to use.
I hope my comments help you choose. And good luck.

So I did a little searching again. Is the Meostar going to be that much better than the Optika6? 2 to 3 times price?
I will be stuck ordering from someplace on line. I never make it to shot shows etc. I teach math at a tech center and
farm cattle and row crop. I get to retire in 2 years, but will still have two boys 11 and 14.(great help though)

Meopta MeoStar R2 PA 2.5-15x56

Meopta Specifications Quick Review magnification range: 2.5X to 15X scope weight: 24.1 ounces scope length: 13.9 inches eye relief: 3.5 inches scope finish: matte black

www.sportoptics.com

https://www.opticsplanet.com/meopta-meostar-r2-2-5-15x56-rd-riflescopes.html

Meopta Optika6 3-18x56 Rifle Scopes - Meopta Optika6 Rifle Scopes on Sale - SportOptics.com

Meopta Optika 6 3-18x56 Rifle Scopes for sale - get unbeatable prices, user reviews, expert advice and FREE shipping on Meopta rifle scopes! Authorized dealer!

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Do you two have FFP or SFP for hunting? Dichrotech? or illuminated? I have looked through illuminated before but not Dichrotech.

Thanks again for all the help!!!

 

[georgiaboy34]

My Meopta Meopro 3.5-10x44 is what I consider a great low light and affordable "simple" scope. The NXS scopes outperform it but are much more expensive and heavy. I prefer it to my VX3 as well.

A nightforce SHV in lower power might be a good compromise if you don't want the weight of a 5.5-20 or whatever larger scope.

 

[sitkastw]

I own Swarovski, kahles, nightforce, zeiss, meopta and a few older vxII leupold scopes. For low light there is a difference in light transmission from a 50mm objective to a 56mm objective in the same brand/power/model scopes ive been around. I would highly recommend European glass and going with a 50+mm (I have moved to 56mm on all my hunting rifles) objective if light transmission and clearity are top priority. At that you will also get a scope that dials exact every time. Ffp vs sfp - I would hesitate at buying ffp especially non illuminated for hunting under 400 yards. When you zoom out in low light the crosshairs can become almost invisible (they get very small in my ffp 25x scopes). I prefer all my sfp scopes over ffp for hunting. If your state allows illumination I would highly recommend it. Personally I have a swarovski x5i 5-25x56 on my hunting rifles for the exact reason you are asking about, low light dawn/dusk.

 

[bluedog69]

I own Swarovski, kahles, nightforce, zeiss, meopta and a few older vxII leupold scopes. For low light there is a difference in light transmission from a 50mm objective to a 56mm objective in the same brand/power/model scopes ive been around. I would highly recommend European glass and going with a 50+mm (I have moved to 56mm on all my hunting rifles) objective if light transmission and clearity are top priority. At that you will also get a scope that dials exact every time. Ffp vs sfp - I would hesitate at buying ffp especially non illuminated for hunting under 400 yards. When you zoom out in low light the crosshairs can become almost invisible (they get very small in my ffp 25x scopes). I prefer all my sfp scopes over ffp for hunting. If your state allows illumination I would highly recommend it. Personally I have a swarovski x5i 5-25x56 on my hunting rifles for the exact reason you are asking about, low light dawn/dusk.

Man this website is amazing!!! The amount of first hand knowledge here is great! Thanks for info. Our deer get hunted very hard here. Lots of pressure. Forty years ago I used to watch deer feed in the open fields with 45 minutes left before the sun even set. Now you often have to catch them back in the edges of the timbers with 5 minutes of legal shooting time left. New glass for me is a must!!!!!

 

[Paladin300]

For your intended purposes Leupold will be hard to beat. The older VX 3s (for go the new 3s and 3i for a 5 or 6), and the VX 5s and 6s have the same glass quality. The differences will be in the objective and main tube size. Conventional wisdom is the bigger the main tube and objective the more light it will gather, thus the VX 6 maybe worth the extra coin if low light use is the ultimate end game. You will want the lowest magnification possible as that is where you will want to use it in low light and it give you the best sight picture. For 400 and in a 10 power max would be sufficient, something in a 2.5-10 or 15X50-56 with a 30-35mm main tube. The lower power range may gather more light than the larger main tube if the range is low enough. The higher in power you go the less light you gather.

If you can put your hands on an older VX 3 euro (30mm main tube) 2.5-10x50 with the heavy duplex or German #1 reticle in the amber crosshairs version or a Zeiss Davaria you will not be disappointed. Those are both great low light hunting scopes but no longer offered. You can pick them up used for between $400 and $600.

In a new scopes I would look at the Leupold VX 5 3-15x56 or the VX 6 2-12x44.

 

[gvjm]

As I get older(pigment dispersion glaucoma and floaters) I really lack in dusk and dawn vision when compared to what I had when I was younger.

So have any of you had the opportunity to compare 3x9, 3x10, 3x12, 3x15, 3x18 etc scopes side by side in low light?

I saw a video on youtube where they guys were saying that the VX 3 and VX 6 Leupold had the same clarity the VX 6 just had a lot of other perks to get it to the price it was at.

I saw a Vortex Hog scope 56mm, but some said their "old" Leupolds were much better in low light.

From what searching I have done the VX 6 3x18 looks awesome but the price

This is not going to be an ELR scope, but more of a 0-400(0-200 mainly) whitetail scope.
Any first hand preferences on great dusk and dawn scope?

I have the same problem. I had to get rid of my FFP scopes because I couldn't see the reticle in low light conditions at the lowest magnifications. I started looking at illuminated reticles and stumbled upon a super cheap FFP scope from Monstrum with an illuminated reticle. With discounts it was under $150. For that price I figured I'd try it. I'm blown away!!!! It's a 3-9x40 with a 30 mm tube. I can see the reticle in low light and really see it clearly illuminated. Either way I was shocked how good it was in low light! I'm going to guess that the construction leaves something to be desired but it is awesome on my 300 Hamr for deer and hogs! I just hope it lasts!I out aged my Leopold and I have Nikon and Vortex scopes on my other rifles but to be honest the Monstrum may be my favorite.

 

[rackattack]

I own a bunch of glass from many manufacturers, as well as do a bunch of hunting that is very similar to your situation. If I had to pick one scope to do what you are looking to do it would be the Leupold VX5HD in 3-15x56 with the fire dot reticle. It's reasonable weight and size wise, has great glass (the same as vx6 as earlier stated), nice magnification range for what you are looking to do, plenty of objective lens as well as 30 mm tube, customizable CDS dial system if you choose to use it (but is still lockable and low profile), and fine illuminated center dot for when you want it. I really don't think you can beat it for your application anywhere near it's price point.

 

[Ed Loccisano]

look at the new Leupold VX-3's they save the same index lens matched system as the VX-6 you like, at a more reasonable price a magnification to fit the ranges you are shooting

 

[Frank Kalisz]

Consider the Tract Toric 3-15x50. It's got an easy eyebox to get behind at all magnifications, constant 4inch eye relief at all magnifications, amazing detail even at low light conditions, and most importantly it's sturdy and tracks perfectly. My first Tract scope beat the heck out of my old Leupold VX3i in view detail, and now I only buy Tract.

 

[VTbluegrass]

Sounds like a "Deer Gun" scope to me 3-9 or 3-10 x 40 or 50. My 270 sports a fairly new VX3i 3.5-10 x 40 and my 30-06 has a Swarovski Z3 3-10 x 42. You would be hard pressed to get much more low light quality especially for the money. Both will carry me easily to legal shooting light but the edge for clarity in low light definitely goes to the Swarovski but as much as you might think. I did not like my VX3i 4-12 x 40, exit pupil or something it just had no where near the light of the 3.5-10. I really like the Zeiss conquest like but the glass to me has a green cast to my eyes that hurts low light, Leupolds seem a touch yellow, Swarovski looks true to color. I've heard great things about Meopta but I have only looked at them in stores but I would be interest in the Meostar R2 1.7-10 for hunting your describing.
If 400yards is max and 200yards is more likely expected I'm not sure you're getting anything other than more price, weight, and mechanics with magnification over 12.

 

[amyjune]

I have a couple of 10 year old Nikon Buckmasters that are surprisingly good. I know these are lower end but they still shoot great.

 

[Carl McCants]

When I upgraded to the Swaro X5I, I got 15 more minutes of hunting than I had with my Trijicon Accupoint (a $1000) scope. So price isn't always the deciding factor, yes my Swaro is almost $3000, both are 30 mm tubes and 50mm plus objective. I have a buddy doing the same thing you are doing, trying to figure out what works best for his needs. I brought 4 different scopes to his house and he compared them at dusk shooting time. The 4 scopes were Swaro X5I, Nightforce ATACR, Trijicon Accupoint, and a Leupold VX6. His thoughts were that the Swaro was the best, but the Leupold was next and close to the Swarovski. He told me today he is going to buy the Leupold VX6, he will save around $1000 over the Swaro. I think the Swaro has better contrast at dusk than the other 3 scopes, that makes a big difference. If you can compare them side by side, that will help you a lot on making a decision. One more point, Illuminated reticles are a must have in dark situations, If you hunt in the thick woods like I do in SC, it gets hard to see the cross hair when it gets dark. Good luck, let us know what you decide on.

 

[Aled24]

S&B Polar -96% light transmission plus illuminated + BDC locking turrets.
£1,695 from Optics Warehouse