best twilight scope?

[LB]

stoke, if you're interested, you may want to check out an article I wrote for Huntseeks, a couple years ago. It gives you a more complete overview.
http://www.huntmastersbbs.com/cgi-ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000003

Good hunting. LB

 

[brian b]

stoke& LB,
I can see what you are talking about, a few
of us got a little side tracked from the main
topic, but we were trying to help stoke out.
On the other hand USAOPTICS-NET came
swinging in I'm TARZAN KING KING KING of the
JUNGLE chill just a little.
B
p.s.transmit dont gather

 

[Aussie]

Stoke ,
If I had to hazard a guess I'd say there is a lot more shooting done at night here in Australia than in the U.S.A. .I have shot literally thousands of feral and pest animals at night myself and there are plenty around here that have done a lot more than I .
IMHO whilst no doubt there are better scopes than Leupold around if you can't see well enough with your Leupold Vari X 111 then you need a better light not a better scope . The good thing about lights is that they are a lot cheaper than scopes . Have a look at the Lightforce range , far and away the most popular brand here . They are extremely light , yet robust , can be bought with remote vehicle mounts or scope mounts , battery packs and colour filters for light - sensitive species . Go with a 140 or 170mm model if scope mounting , otherwise 240mm .They are made here in Australia and are associated with the same people that make Nightforce scopes. Definitely available in the U.S. too .Here is their website :- http://www.lightforceusa.com/corded.html
FYI many of the professional fox and kangaroo shooters here use good european (Swarovski , Kahles , Zeiss , Pecar , S and B , Docter) fixed 8 x 56 scopes . I use a 6.5 - 20 x 50 VX111 using the low powers for target acquisition and the higher powers for long shots . It works very well with a good light .
Illuminated reticles seem to be taking off here but I've never used one so can't comment on them .

[ 10-06-2004: Message edited by: Aussie ]

 

[trader388]

I'll put in a vote or two for Nightforce! The very best is US Optics.

The gentlemen shouting about IOR...that's all he sells for scopes. Maybe he just likes them so much he decided to start selling them?

 

[stoke]

Aussie, thanks for the tip. I'm interested in the light force lights. On the battery operated corded model, how long does the battery last before it needs to be recharge?

 

[Coyote Hunter]

Stoke,
Listen to what Aussie is saying, for he is very correct on those night lights. I have been using two different models since 1994 for hunting coyotes.
These lights are superand I just use a 12v 12 amp SL battery (rechargable) and it works fantastic.
---------
Zod

 

[Aussie]

Stoke ,
Sorry , can't help with that one . Bearing in mind that Watts divided by Volts = Amps of draw the people at lightforce should be able to give you a good indication . Will also depend on how long and often you run at full power of course . Maybe better to go with a less powerful globe as with modern technology good 50 watt globes aren't far behind 100's .
I connect my light to the vehicle battery as most night shooting here is done from a vehicle . Often a long way between targets and may cover 60 miles or more in a 3-4 hour shoot .

 

[Steve Douglass]

Well, it sounds to me that everyone has their on opinion and that's the way it should be, unless test results can be provided for each. I purchased an IOR and returned it due to the unsatisfaction of both the glass and the reticle, but that doesn't mean I would not ever evaluate another. They are very good. As I have stated, I do believe all manufacturers provide at least one quality model. I also believe that you shouldn't over purchase your application. I believe in Leupold, but someone else may not.

--------------------------------------------

Experience the best, Judge the rest!!

 

[sakofan]

[ 10-18-2004: Message edited by: sakofan ]

 

[Pat S.]

Several years ago I was looking for the best scope I could find for hunting elk at dawn and dusk and found the Signature Series Burris 1.5X6 to be far superior to either a VX2 3X9(40 or 50 mm) or a 3.5X10 VX3 when the Burris was turned down to 1.5X. With each on 3X it was a toss up. The small objective lens on the Burris is no indicator as to how much light it will transmit on the lower power. As a note: I got the scope with a heavy plex which seems to help also under low light conditions.

Pat S.

 

[Rusty Holt]

You might check out the Night Hunting forum/message boards over at Predator Masters
There's also a great night hunting video for sale (link to it on the Predator Masters site) called "Hunting the Night Shift". I've personally hunted with these guys and they know their business when it comes to calling in predators at night.

Hope this helps!

predatorsniper

 

[stoke]

Thanks I'll check it out!!

 

[Longshot 300]

Stoke
The Nikon scopes do have good optics. I have had problems with their optics in survey instruments, but my Nikon Monarch 6.5-20x is nice and clear in daylight and dusk. The problem I ran into with the Nikon, mine being 1/8" adjustment clicks, was that they were not 1/8" but somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4". They were by no means an accurate adjustment turret. My latest is a Ziess Conquest and I have been very happy with this scope. Just another point of view.

 

[Guest]

Jeff In TX

It is not a fair comparision to compare a fixed 10x to a variable power. A quality fixed scope will always beat a variable due the nature of the design. More glass in the variable means greater light losses!