Such a thing as too much glass (scope)?

[jaestridge]

So, I've been looking thru a Kahles 4x12x52mm 1" tube for these last 10-12 years on my Remington 7mm saum. The bigger tube diameter is what I'm wanting. Already made up my mind that the gold ring scope brand is what I'm going while. In all honest your weapon is only as good as the glass you're looking thru. Kinda narrowed it down to either a 3x15x56 30mm tube or 4x20x52 34mm tube. What's y'all's thoughts??

 

[Critter Picker]

Look through both,see what one YOU prefer. The 34 MM tube will most likely give you more adjustment if that is a factor. Both will get the job done.

In my humble opinion,you can turn a high power scope down, but when you hit the max, you can't go higher.

 

[jaestridge]

That's kinda my thinking. The 34mm just allows more travel but has 5X more magnification. How much more light is that 56mm gonna bring in vs the 52mm, that much more of a difference?

 

[Critter Picker]

Probably not, because the higher power will take away what you gain. All my scopes allow me to shoot legal hours. Sometimes thick Canopy can really test light gathering ability.

 

[Koda_]

How much more light is that 56mm gonna bring in vs the 52mm, that much more of a difference?

Most eyes will never be able to discern the light difference in such a small jump in objective size. The best guess is you might have 5 more minutes of light at the ends of each day if there is anything measurable by eye. Assuming glass quality is the same of course.

Keep in mind the larger the objective the higher the scope sits atop your rifle, the less "weildable" it is in brush or just carrying around, if that matters. If there's such a thing as "too much glass" then this is where it shows up. In my experience most quality glass scopes from 44 to 50mm objectives are plenty in low light.

 

[RichCoyle]

Right now I have a 4 1/2-30X50. Lord willing the next one will be 5-50X56.
5X is max for low power for me.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I can't say any of my high magnification scopes are usable at max power at first or last light and have or have had some good glass. I haven't had anything like a Tangent Theta or a Zero Compromise but I have a hard time believing their glass is that much better than what I've owned at least under the conditions stated above.

And IMO yes there is a such thing as too much glass. If I can fill my entire fov and/or quarter an animal in my scope that's plenty of magnification for me to see what I need to see, but more importantly spot my hit after the shot.

I suppose if I was shooting dots in rimfire competition I would want more magnification but for hunting an animal where you are trying to hit a 6"+ vital zone it's not needed.

 

[Dragoon300]

I thought I was going crazy when I ordered my 5-45x56 SB, but I love it, the magnification is there when I want it, don't have to use it when not needed or impractical.

 

[FEENIX]

So, I've been looking thru a Kahles 4x12x52mm 1" tube for these last 10-12 years on my Remington 7mm saum. The bigger tube diameter is what I'm wanting. Already made up my mind that the gold ring scope brand is what I'm going while. In all honest your weapon is only as good as the glass you're looking thru. Kinda narrowed it down to either a 3x15x56 30mm tube or 4x20x52 34mm tube. What's y'all's thoughts??

Yes, the quality of the scope is an important attribute to consider, but so is the quality of your vision. You cannot hit a target if you cannot see it. For instance, I have a 5-20 scope on my .300 WSM. I set up a target at 966Y, and my son hit the target at 5X, but I had to be at 14X to do the same. Determining what works best for you and your intended purpose and environment/situation would be best.

 

[rolltide]

Look through both,see what one YOU prefer. The 34 MM tube will most likely give you more adjustment if that is a factor. Both will get the job done.

In my humble opinion,you can turn a high power scope down, but when you hit the max, you can't go higher.

That's my thought as well.

After spending so much time behind 7-35 ATACRs on my comp rifles, I feel let down with a lower magnification scope when I'm hunting and want to zoom in for a closer look.

 

[Greyfox]

Over the past couple of decades I have run the full range of scope magnification capability for both hunting and competition….IME, depending on the circumstances both games have thresholds where the level of magnification level can reach a diminishing return, or even be a detriment to results. This is particularly true for LRH where it's hard to avoid having to "balance" magnification, size/bulk, weight, mechanical quality, glass quality, ergonomics, and cost. For my particular hunting methods that approximates 25% carry/75% stationary, 1000y max range, medium game/predators, and frequent low light conditions, my particular "sweet spot" is the mid-sized, tier 1 level scopes that fall in the 5x20x50mm range…give or take a couple of mm of each component. Magnification range has rarely, if ever been the detriment to success.

 

[Mark37082]

So, I've been looking thru a Kahles 4x12x52mm 1" tube for these last 10-12 years on my Remington 7mm saum. The bigger tube diameter is what I'm wanting. Already made up my mind that the gold ring scope brand is what I'm going while. In all honest your weapon is only as good as the glass you're looking thru. Kinda narrowed it down to either a 3x15x56 30mm tube or 4x20x52 34mm tube. What's y'all's thoughts??

For what it is worth, choosing a scope for me has always been a struggle between glass quality (low light capability), weight/size, and durability. Feenix's comments are spot on for me. There is a point where the individual's vision is the limiting factor. The most important factor for me is being able to quickly get behind the scope when in a hunting situation. When testing at the range top end magnification is very helpful, but finding the target without finicky eye relief or narrow FOV is critical when hunting.

 

[osok-1k]

I find that shooting near legal light requires somewhere around 6 power to maximize resolution. There is a sweet spot for every scope/ human eye and available light combination that maximizes what you can see clearly in low light. I know that low light is not the focus of the op so In my opinion, a hunting environment is not where high magnification has real value. A3-15 or 3-18x50 ish 30mm scope will be more than adequate given excellent glass. I still take most of my hunting shots on 6-8 power even out to 400-500 yards.

 

[BrentM]

So, I've been looking thru a Kahles 4x12x52mm 1" tube for these last 10-12 years on my Remington 7mm saum. The bigger tube diameter is what I'm wanting. Already made up my mind that the gold ring scope brand is what I'm going while. In all honest your weapon is only as good as the glass you're looking thru. Kinda narrowed it down to either a 3x15x56 30mm tube or 4x20x52 34mm tube. What's y'all's thoughts??

1" vs 34mm etc is only going to truly effect your total travel. If that's what you want, get ya sum.

For most hunting the scopes you are considering are plenty. I've hunted for quite a few years with a 18x max and have had several 22-24x. They all work just. I think the high power low end of a scope can be an issue in heavy and dark timber situations so I tend to max low end power at 6. Not convinced that is applicable to open country hunting tho.