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I just happened on a review of the Maven Scope

You ask why 30 power?
While on a Colorado hunt my brother hunted with his boss and spotted elk at close to 1000 yards.He had a Nightforce(I think) that went to the high 20's power and then and only then they could see just how big of an elk they had spotted.
I most like would never use 30 power but if I spotted an elk at long range I would like to know it's a shooter before stalking 1/2 a day to get there.
Just my opinion
Did they not have a spotting scope?
 
Well, the Maven is FFP, the Leupold is SFP.
A world of a difference — depending on your shooting: ➔ How are you compensating for ranges other than your zero point? If using turrets, the SFP is fine. If using the reticle subtensions, an FFP offers the advantage of allowing you to use holdovers at any magnification.

Do you really need Maven's 30x magnification on the top end....?

The Leupold has a little more field of view (FoV) at the bottom end, but for a 4-20x the 28ft (@100y) isn't that great.

Matthias
 
Exellent explanation! Many people don't know the difference between FFP & SFP.

That goes for many personell at retail establisments. I've explained the difference & showed them using their wares. Of course, then there are those people that won't listen, or even get angry, because they are "experts".
 
IMO there's hardly any modern scopes that have poor enough optical clarity to be a deal breaker for a hunting scope.
Reliability trumps everything.

Out of the 2, I'd probably go maven. Can you swing stepping up to the mk5 leupolds? Have you looked at nightforce SHVs?
Man you hit the nail on the head here. It's actually insane what even low end "cheap" quality products are capable of nowadays. We've never had things this good!

They may be cheap, the most certainly are ugly, and I won't for a second claim that they're in the same league as some products that cost 3-4 times as much money….

But my "cheap" savage rifles and vortex scopes are already capable of greater things than, let's be honest, I will probably ever be, AND these lower end products off the shelf would SMOKE the overwhelming majority of rifles and optics from even a few decades ago I think (not all, I didn't say all!)

My only complaint with the cheaper optics where I start to "covet thy neighbours optics" 🤣 is light transmission. They're very clear optics, they track true, don't seem to break easily, hold zero, etc….but in low light that's when I can really tell I'm not running the higher end glass. One day when funds are more plentiful i for sure would like to run something better but in the meantime I'm not hard done by haha, I'm spoiled really that for this little money I can obtain this level of capability both in rifles and optics.

Good reminder buzby, we have blessings to count too
 
You ask why 30 power?
While on a Colorado hunt my brother hunted with his boss and spotted elk at close to 1000 yards.He had a Nightforce(I think) that went to the high 20's power and then and only then they could see just how big of an elk they had spotted.
I most like would never use 30 power but if I spotted an elk at long range I would like to know it's a shooter before stalking 1/2 a day to get there.
Just my opinion

Sounds like you need a spotting scope.
 
The guy seemed to put the scope through its paces and it held it's zero. It's in my price range. But I can get a Leupold for about the same. Which would be better?

He put it through it's paces? He spun the knobs back and forth. He most certainly did nothing to prove this scope will hold it's zero. He mentioned the "silver accents" at least 3 times, and NEVER fired a round through the rifle??

So the silver accents are more important than firing a few hundred rounds through the rifle to see if it retains zero? Recoil has a cumulative effect on scopes ability to stay zeroed. A scope that puts the bullet where you want it trumps everything else.
This was a typical utoob boob unboxing, with absolutely nothing substantial to predict the reliability of this scope. And it may very well be a decent scope, but only real use will show that.
 
You ask why 30 power?
While on a Colorado hunt my brother hunted with his boss and spotted elk at close to 1000 yards.He had a Nightforce(I think) that went to the high 20's power and then and only then they could see just how big of an elk they had spotted.
I most like would never use 30 power but if I spotted an elk at long range I would like to know it's a shooter before stalking 1/2 a day to get there.
Just my opinion
In a case like this, having a good quality spotting scope makes all the difference. If you are talking about a half day or day of stalking then you certainly have time to pull out a spotter (or Spektive, as the Germans call it) from your back pack and take the time to study the animal, the terrain, etc,

I or my stalkers typically carry a 15-30 power sporter in our pack as well as a good 10x binoculars. This has been the case in Scotland, Bavaria, and Africa.

Taking time to study the animals and terrain can save a lot of walking and disappointment.

Using your rifle scope to study animals is poor practice. You should use the right tool for the job. Anything your rifle scope is look yes at means your RIFLE is pointed there as well. It is an uncomfortable feeling squatting over an animal gutting it while someone across the valley study's you through their scope. I don't recommend it.

A good collapsible spotter or even a plain 30x or 10-30x x50 or larger spotter takes up small space and weight but makes a huge advantage for the Hunter and guide.

By the same token, many PHs I have hunted, particularly in Scotland use fixed power scopes for clients so they spend less time dorking around with the magnification ring. Shooting red stags at 150m doesn't need more than 6x anyway.

Horses for courses. My
Longest shots with a .30 Hembrook lobbing 180 grain Nosler Accubonds at 3100 fps was 505 on a South African Springbok, I cranked 8moa and held 1/2 a springbok into the wind. DRT. I was on 15x which was plenty of magnification.
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