Optics for aging eyes

[Orange Dust]

The resolution and clarity of the scope will help but your correction is the best thing to help, if you use glasses or contacts, unless your vision is near flawless.

I wear contacts vision is a little better than 2020. In bright light. Low light, heavy clouds, rain, late afternoon not so much

 

[Greyfox]

At 68, I have also become more selective with my hunting and competition scopes. I like the March 5x25x52 and NF ATACR for hunting; NF ATACR F1, and S&B PMII, both in 5x25x56 for competition/PRS.

 

[LDHunter]

I've got to agree with JE Custom. The Mark 4 Leupold scopes are not only quite good in low light and clarity but right now, since they're out of production, are a GREAT deal for someone with a lot of rifles to scope and with reasonable budgetary restrictions.

Also another very good and even cheaper option is to get one of the Bushnell 6500 series scopes which always had GREAT low light and clarity features and now you get can get one for a song. My favorite ones are the Elite 6500 2.5-16x42 scopes. The erectors aren't really dial friendly but once you have them set they'll stay set forever even on magnums on lightweight rifles.

BUT!!! Having said all that I'm a huge fan of the NightForce NXS and SHV scopes with 56mm lenses and intend to get at least one NF ATACR scope for ultimate low light performance.

My gunsmith has a lot of clients that have nearly unlimited scope budgets and he says that they almost all agree that the NF ATACR scopes have the low light and clarity edge on anything else they've ever tried.

Now to quit stalling and get one but it's painful knowing I can easily get 3 SHV scopes for the same money... LOL

 

[J E Custom]

I've got to agree with JE Custom. The Mark 4 Leupold scopes are not only quite good in low light and clarity but right now, since they're out of production, are a GREAT deal for someone with a lot of rifles to scope and with reasonable budgetary restrictions.

Also another very good and even cheaper option is to get one of the Bushnell 6500 series scopes which always had GREAT low light and clarity features and now you get can get one for a song. My favorite ones are the Elite 6500 2.5-16x42 scopes. The erectors aren't really dial friendly but once you have them set they'll stay set forever even on magnums on lightweight rifles.

BUT!!! Having said all that I'm a huge fan of the NightForce NXS and SHV scopes with 56mm lenses and intend to get at least one NF ATACR scope for ultimate low light performance.

My gunsmith has a lot of clients that have nearly unlimited scope budgets and he says that they almost all agree that the NF ATACR scopes have the low light and clarity edge on anything else they've ever tried.

Now to quit stalling and get one but it's painful knowing I can easily get 3 SHV scopes for the same money... LOL

I didn't know they were out of production. But they are on sale at Midway and I'm going to take advantage and get a spare.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...-scope-30mm-tube-85-25x-50mm-side-focus-matte

Hope nothing strange is going on.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Greyfox]

I have four Mark 4's, (3x9, 3.5x10, 4.5x14, and 8x25), I still own, purchased years ago when I first began shooting at the longer distances. They all have MOA turrets and variations of a MIL based reticles, typical at the time....but considered to be taboo today. In hindsight, it didn't bother me much, and was how I became proficient working with either MILs or MOA. They all have glass that I consider as good as my NSX's, but a couple needed to be serviced for tracking/turret issues as a result of heavy use. Otherwise, they have served me well, and I still use a couple of them on my mid-range rifles.

 

[LDHunter]

I didn't know they were out of production. But they are on sale at Midway and I'm going to take advantage and get a spare.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...-scope-30mm-tube-85-25x-50mm-side-focus-matte

Hope nothing strange is going on.

J E CUSTOM

I think they're just blowing out older versions of Leupold scopes that are now out of production. Here's a great deal on another Mark 4 if you like the 4.5-14x50 variety and they're small and light for their power. Please don't quote me on this but I' think that's the Tactical Milling reticle and I believe it's MOA but it's hard to check on an out of production scope.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/9...-scope-30mm-tube-45-14x-50mm-side-focus-matte

 

[J E Custom]

I think they're just blowing out older versions of Leupold scopes that are now out of production. Here's a great deal on another Mark 4 if you like the 4.5-14x50 variety and they're small and light for their power. Please don't quote me on this but I' think that's the Tactical Milling reticle and I believe it's MOA but it's hard to check on an out of production scope.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/9...-scope-30mm-tube-45-14x-50mm-side-focus-matte

Thanks !!!!

I'm Not pushing Leupold's because I have other brands of scopes and have traded or sold some of them. interestingly enough though, I still have Every Leupold I ever bought dating back to 1964 when I bought a 2x pistol scope for my 44 mag Black hawk.

I guess they just work.

J E CUSTOM

 

[LDHunter]

I always HATE it when this happens... When I look at a particular scope from a particular manufacturer I then always feel like I have to look at their "super premium" scope for my hunting applications and well.... <sigh>

Leupold makes the Mark 6HD in 4-24x52 power and frankly I'm crazy about all the specs and especially the level indicator for those LOOOONG shots. It also offers the CDS, ZL2 and illuminated reticle.

You may be able to get it cheaper than Midway's price but they offer a lot of info and are easy to deal with.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...24x-52mm-cds-zl2-side-focus-illuminated-matte

Here's the info from Leupold directly.
https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-6hd-4-24x52mm

There are a bunch of YouTube video reviews of this scope and not all of them are complimentary but after I wipe the drool off my keyboard I'll dive into them again. It seems that a couple of months ago I read some of the reviews of this scope and found a few negatives that drove me back to NF but now I can't remember what they were... LOL

 

[csgates]

I am starting to have trouble seeing also. I purchased a Leupold VX5HD, 3x15, 44MM, 30mm tube. I love it.

 

[340Wby-4-everything]

I hear you on the eyes and cost of tools as we grow older. Sucks doesn't it? I have always been a huge fan of Zeiss and have several (none of mine are illuminated). Maybe have a look at the Victory Illuminated models and I have used several Schmidt & Benders, but don't own one. They are excellent at twilight and have illuminated models as well.

 

[Michael Gratz]

Well, I'm only 49 but my eyesight definitely isn't as sharp as it once was. In the past 2 years I've traded up magnification and quality. A few years ago a VX3 or Zeiss Conquest was "good enough" for me. Now my rifles have Sightron S3's, Khales 525i, Leupold MK5hd's, and waiting for a Nightforce NX8 to arrive that's on order. I like as much "useable" magnification as I can get. All of the aforementioned are still crystal clear at max magnification, and do very well in lowlight hunting conditions. (NX8 is the only one I don't know that for sure about yet, but reliable friends reviews put them just under the ATACR line.)

 

[Hal The Slayer]

I've heard that. Was in cabelas in Dallas a couple of weeks ago. Wanted to look through an x5i. All they had was a DS. really cool scope but the glass seemed no better than the NF atacr I compared it to.

Orange Dust ,in the store and outside is 2 completely different worlds.I always make my comfirmations out in the elements where I am hunting or at least at a long target range.Just a thought,were all getting old but hang in there!

 

[PSLM23]

Guys, Looking for advice from you old guys. As we age our eyes change. I've noticed my eyes require better and more expensive scopes with better resolution to see well as I am getting older. I am having a new beanfield rifle built and need to choose a scope. We hunt big fields and the ranges can be pretty far. 900 is not unusual at all. Deer here are hunted hard and nearly nocturnal. Shots always come in poor light, usually just before dark. Have a little cateracts, and don't see as well in poor light as I used to. All that being said, looking for a scope with excellent tracking, 1min wind marks, and really great glass that stands out in class in low light. Needs to top out around 25X. Cost really isn't an issue as much as trying to get the most out of my old eyes, but would like to stay around $3k or so. The options are mind boggling. I do know a Vortex Razor won't cut it anymore so don't go there.

The last scope I purchased was a vortex viper HS 4x16x44 and I'm very happy with it at 59 YOA. I just started wearing glasses a few years ago and noticed that I needed a better scope. I cant go the $3000 route as that would be a hunting trip for me.

 

[Flyingdaddy]

This discussion is troubling for me. I shoot competition at 600 yds at age 70. Off a concrete bench with a 60x variable power scope I'm expecting to hold all rounds under 1moa. Now we have the question of what scope for cataract eyes to hit an 8inch kill zone at 900 yards (less than 1moa) while sitting (presumably) on a stool in a box blind propping his rifle stock on a window ledge.... What's wrong with this picture? At 900 there's a lot more to worry about than what reticle to look through. 1moa wind marks? You gotta be kidding!