New Glass recommendations

[shocktherapy01]

It’s time to upgrade my glass on my bolt gun. Looking for best low light scope, not looking for anything over 18x with a budget of 800-1200$

 

[Bodhi]

Leupold or Burris. Be sure and check flea-bay too.

 

[SAWMAN]

30mm main tube with a 50mm + objective and the third turret.
Buy as much glass as you can afford. ---- SAWMAN

 

[Sassie93]

I recommend meopta scopes

 

[BluesBrother]

30mm main tube with a 50mm + objective and the third turret.
Buy as much glass as you can afford. ---- SAWMAN

I mostly agree. However, I think the 50MM objective requires you to use a higher mount than I like to clear the barrel. IMO

 

[BowChamp]

I would take a hard look at Trijicon.

 

[SAWMAN]

BluesBrother, depends on your rifles drop at the comb.
I have some guns that will accept a 50mm objective pretty low on the rifle. Low enough to be able to use med height rings. --- SAWMAN

 

[WRM]

If you aren't a "dialer", and I assume you aren't, it's hard to go wrong with Leupold or Meopta.

I like Leupold fixed 6s. You get better light transmission than a variable power scope and the smaller objective can be had for under $300.00. With a lifetime warranty, it's a bargain. Pay $100 or so more and get the larger objective, if you really need it. Those don't come in 50s but I really don't think that is a detriment in a fixed scope due to inherently better light transmission.

Meopta has a wide array of scopes now. I have 2 pair of their binos and they are excellent. I've looked at several of their scopes and felt they were good glass for the money, but I just not did not quite find a need for them at the time.

If you do want to dial, then get into the scopes really designed to do that. Even Nightforce has a "budget' line now. I don't know what the longevity of that line will be, and I do question the wisdom of making a cheaper scope designed to be used that way. But, I don't use them and that's just my relatively un-informed opinion on NF.

 

[Tige]

Sawman is correct. Buy the most glass you can afford. You cannot hit what you cannot see. Personally, I am not opposed to mounting a $1000 scope on $100 22 rifle. It is like having 16-year-old eyes again. IMHO

 

[WRM]

Sawman is correct. Buy the most glass you can afford. You cannot hit what you cannot see. Personally, I am not opposed to mounting a $1000 scope on $100 22 rifle. It is like having 16-year-old eyes again. IMHO

True--many years ago. I bought my first Kahles in 1983 to replace a POS Bushnell that cost me a monster buck. I believe it was $700, which was a world of money to me then. I still have it.

There's so much competition in glass today you don't have to break the bank to get good glass. I was a firm believer in spend more on my scope than my rifle, until this much good glass became available at reasonable prices. I've got a $1k .22 with a $300ish Leupold on it which performs better than I can.

I bought a Konus the other day for a little over $200 and I gotta say I'm pretty darn impressed with it so far. It'll probably go in a QD mount that cost more than it to use on a S&W MP 15-22, but it'll be great for that. I may get another and put it on something stouter.

Bottom line-spend what you like and get what you want. Just don't believe that you "have" to spend at least $1k today in order to get a darn good scope.

 

[bman940]

Sassie is spot on with the Meopta suggestion. Meopta's MeoStar line is known to set the bar for low light visibility. That is easy to check with google. A MeoStar R1r RD with BDC-2 illuminated reticle can be found for $1100ish. I don't have this scope but I have 2 other MeoStar R1r RD scopes and they are top tier. We have shot feral swine with just moonlight. The binos also offer the same amazing performance. If you are LE/Mil/First Responder, Meopta offers a great program to help those folks out who help keep us safe every day. I have also used Optika6 scopes and they are also very good in low light, not MeoStar good, but still better than most options out there.

 

[WRM]

Sassie is spot on with the Meopta suggestion. Meopta's MeoStar line is known to set the bar for low light visibility. That is easy to check with google. A MeoStar R1r RD with BDC-2 illuminated reticle can be found for $1100ish. I don't have this scope but I have 2 other MeoStar R1r RD scopes and they are top tier. We have shot feral swine with just moonlight. The binos also offer the same amazing performance. If you are LE/Mil/First Responder, Meopta offers a great program to help those folks out who help keep us safe every day. I have also used Optika6 scopes and they are also very good in low light, not MeoStar good, but still better than most options out there.

Meopta has really splashed in the consumer optics world in the last few years. The company is 70 or so years old. They've made glass under contract for the bigs, including Zeiss. You may well have used Meopta glass and not even known it. They know what they are doing. You won't regret the glass, particularly at the price point. Mike's carries them and normally has several models in stock.

IF you are buying to dial expect their scopes to "die" before a Nightforce would. Tho, the issues normally can be fixed. I just don't use dial scopes and dislike the bulk associated with them, so I can't comment on them more specifically.

 

[BluesBrother]

BluesBrother, depends on your rifles drop at the comb.
I have some guns that will accept a 50mm objective pretty low on the rifle. Low enough to be able to use med height rings. --- SAWMAN

Again, I mostly agree. It might be that I have a bias because of the optics (pun intended). The 50MM objective looks out of proportion to the sleek lines of most rifle. IMO. Objective reticles have become larger to let in more light, right? However, I believe brightness can also be accomplished by using better glass. But better glass comes at a price. Case in point would be the brightness of many of the higher end 1X8 20MM scopes on the market. Another draw back I see to the larger OR is the bell hits the barrel at the point of the rear iron sight. If you want to use that bigger bell scope, you have to remove the rear iron sight and leave an unsightly dove tail cut into the barrel. Or higher rings. Ah, now I finally get to the point. All cosmetic and preference I suppose. I also think that 18-20 inch wide rear tires belong on top fuel funny cars at the drag strip. Hence the moniker "funny cars".

 

[WRM]

Again, I mostly agree. It might be that I have a bias because of the optics (pun intended). The 50MM objective looks out of proportion to the sleek lines of most rifle. IMO. Objective reticles have become larger to let in more light, right? However, I believe brightness can also be accomplished by using better glass. But better glass comes at a price. Case in point would be the brightness of many of the higher end 1X8 20MM scopes on the market. Another draw back I see to the larger OR is the bell hits the barrel at the point of the rear iron sight. If you want to use that bigger bell scope, you have to remove the rear iron sight and leave an unsightly dove tail cut into the barrel. Or higher rings. Ah, now I finally get to the point. All cosmetic and preference I suppose. I also think that 18-20 inch wide rear tires belong on top fuel funny cars at the drag strip. Hence the moniker "funny cars".

So....back to my comment on fixed powers, because I agree with your comment on the big azz objectives. I have exactly one scope with a 56mm objective--a Kahles mounted on a mountain rifle with no irons. It kinda doesn't look too crazy, but, to me, it's just this side of an espresso machine on an AR's pic rail. A fixed will let in plenty of light, at least for most any legitimate situation. A bean field shooter with 400 yard opportunities just after sundown might be an exception (depending on the moon phase). If you want to shoot after legal hours, then get a thermal or nightvision unit.

Yes, you are "limited" by a fixed power, but how often do you really turn up the volume on a high mag scope anyway? At one time, fixed was what you could get, and plenty of deer were killed with them. Way less stuff to go wrong with them too. My 2 cents and YMMV.

 

[shocktherapy01]

Thanks for the opinions, I need to go check out the Meoptas, the nightforce looks to be on the heavy side, and the Swarovski z5i has caught my eye as well

 

[shocktherapy01]

Went with the meopta meostar R1, seem to beat the others out and got a good deal on it

 

[WRM]

Went with the meopta meostar R1, seem to beat the others out and got a good deal on it

I doubt you'll regret it. Give us a report once you've put it thru the paces.

 

[Narrow Gap]

You made a very good choice in getting the Meopta Meostar R1. Scott’ Outdoors up in Jay, FL was running a great deal on them and I got one to add to the collection. It is bright under a half moon under clear skies. I have a set of Meopta Meostar B1 Plus 8X56mm binoculars and those things are extremely bright and clear and low light they are hard to beat especially for the price.

 

[shocktherapy01]

That’s where I picked mine up

 

[bman940]

You jumped to the top of the heap with that Meopta MeoStar R1 Glass. Where it will truly shine, pun intended, is in any low light situations. Great job weighing all your options and making the best choice for your needs. Post a pic and range report when you can.