Design your own scope

[Elwood]

I have been thinking about what attributes are required for a hunting/target scope. For arguments sake, lets say for hunting we want to shoot vermin to 500 yards and targets out to 1000. Obviously some concessions have to be made for either discipline.

 

My requirements would list as, Illuminated ret so long as the illumination isn’t a separate turret or if it is it's small, if possible I would have two settings for the brightness of illumination and one colour, red. Reticule type would be the NF NP-2DD, having used it on both paper and fur I know it works. Turrets would be externally adjustable and in MOA and in quarter inch adjustment, the elevation turret must have a zero stop. Side parallax with range increment marking.

 

I would have a 30mm tube with a 50mm objective lens with metal flip up scope covers like the Leopold’s and a zoom power between 24-32 and magnification of either 6 or 8.

 

Anyway I would be interested any other ideas or features that people would like to see on their scopes.

 

Please use the list below or just write what you would prefer and the reasons why. Remember this is a dual-purpose scope.

 

Illumination Yes/no

Illumination brightness control yes/no

Illumination colour?

Reticule type?

Turret adjustment internal or external?

Parallax, front or side?

Parallax increments marked? yes/no

MOA or Millrad?

¼ or 1/8 adjustments if MOA?

Zero stop? yes/no

Tube size?

Magnification?

Zoom power?

Objective lens size?

Any other feature?

[shrek]

NXS 5.5-22x56 Enough said

 

With either a NP-2DD or NP-R1 ladder ret

 

I am being bais here as i am a nightforce owner and user, changed all my S&B's for nightforce

 

The NXS series of scopes certainly (for me) have everything i'd expect and need from a longrange scope, the parrallax adjustment is abit finicy but you get use to that,

 

I also have a nightforce benchrest scope, which is equally as good, but the objective lens parrallax adjustment seems just that touch to far out of reach to get comfortably when your laying prone and also cants the rifle over slighty whilst turning (if fitted on a swivle bipod)

 

I have used both types of scopes for stalking, longrange targets, longrange vermin, lamping and the NXS fits the bill!

[sean c]

I'm with Shrek but i would have zero stop turrets.

[1967spud]

ditto shrek

[Alycidon]

The NSX and NP2DD is an excellent scope, combine that with optical quality of Ziess or S&B and there you are.

 

I have never had any issue withe NSX in low light but I was in a high seat with it last week, my Ziess would have given me another 10 minutes and that does not have an illumated ret.

 

A

[Ronin]

Think the answers you seek are to be found at USO.....

 

My spin

 

Illumination Yes

 

Illumination brightness control yes

 

Illumination colour - green, surprisingly easy to see.

 

Reticule type GAP Milrad (graduated scale)

 

Turret adjustment - internal

 

Parallax, side every time for ease

 

Parallax increments marked? no

 

Millrad

 

1/10 milrad

 

Zero stop? yes

 

Tube size at least 30mm preferably larger

 

Magnification - no more than 35 power personally thats enough

 

Zoom power - see above

 

Objective lens size 50 /56mm objective or 42 (if optics are ED glass)

 

Any other feature - less than 1500 GBP would be nice

[Elwood]

Elwoods been drooling on the USO site....

 

 

308Panther

 

Actually Pat I haven't, but I'm about to

 

Keep them coming please, there is a very good reason for this post and it's not so I can find the perfect scope, alas I can't say say anymore than that for the time being.

 

In my opening post I have basically described the NXS 5.5-22x50 with a few extra's that I would like to see. It would appear that the NXS is possibly the best all purpose scope out there at the moment.

I'm in agreement with Alycidon, they need German glass.

[menial 1]

Anybody that shoots fox/deer in ambient light requires glass that will allow you to see till virtual darknes, eye relief that allows fast target acquisition for those few moments a shot may be available when a deer or fox crosses a woodland ride or corner of a field. If NXS had better twilight factor I'd probably still own the two I had, if Loops had less critical eye relief I'd probably still own some of these I've had, the fact remains that the major European scope makers do build scopes that allow us put the rifle into the shoulder with your face virtually anywhere on the butt, even in the poorest light and get that shot away.

Hunting with high mag scopes is great if you remember to wind them back to sensible settings. I found the US scopes brilliant for static long range vermin/target use but don't fit the bill for general hunting.

The Europeans are slowly catching on as to what the paying public requires, and if they keep the prices reasonable we'll no longer need to buy our long range scopes from the US.

Till the NXS and Leupold have addressed these issues I'll stick with my S/B's.

I can't comment on the performance of USO as I've never had the opportunity to use one anger under all conditions, the others I have so I feel I have an honest opinion to offer.

I'm sure this will bring a flood of replies to the effect of "I don't struggle with my NXS or Loop" and like myself you're entitled to your opinion on items you've shelled out a lot of hard wedge to own.

Pete.

[Elwood]

Andy, green reticule, very interesting, thanks. But I have to ask why green and not red ? I would like to think I know you a bit and there wil be a very logical reason for this, and not just because green is/might be your favourite colour

 

Any one else like to add anything? To make it easier why not do a list for either a target or varmint scope, just title it accordingly.

[Ronin]

I like to think so too

 

 

Now, ive shot USO scopes quite lot with friends rifles (well one guy in particular), now the scopes I used were SN3's

 

One of the very scopes I used is this one:

 

http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/2007/...00-super-scope/

 

 

I shot it during the day and looked through it on a night "detail" in a comp in CZ

 

I was using a 5-25 S&B PM11

 

 

Apart from Robs scope being MOA which is only an option, I liked the USO scope alot.

 

 

Optical clarity at night was as good or slightly better with the USO than the PM11 - we were shooting black targets under flare exposure (5 seconds per flare)

 

I found it far easier to lock on to the target with a green cross hair than a red one (S&B is red)

 

Despite the rheostat ajustment the green is easier on the eye.

 

 

Had USO been available here easily, I would have bought USO over S&B.

 

However, they arn't.

 

 

Being "miltary" designation, makes getting them harder since Obama took over, I personaly have made the decision to go with S&B PM11 on all my rifles as and when I can afford to.

 

I have 10x42, 4-16x12 and 5-25 so far.

 

I use the 4-16 on the 338 and have engaged target out to 1600mtrs (fig 11) easily..

 

Yes I use a 32 power NF on my F Class gun, it suits the shooting style perfectly.

 

I wouldnt choose it for a tactical rifle though..

 

 

 

Probably going to get flamed at the last comment, but this is personal preferance only

[ds1]

Hi Ronin,

 

I share the same thoughts about USO having better resolution than S&B or NXS both at night or day. I played with Robs scope first then got several USO`s of my own.....in fact the sn3 ERGO (front parallax) is better than the TPAL (side parallax).

 

On a scope I would like to be able to select the options I want and over a series of scopes - learn one system for different rifles / applications.

 

 

I am a magnification junkie and there is not much that offers serious magnification without draw backs - March 10-60x52 comes close but the 5 year warranty sucks. Nightforce NXS 42x has only about 45moa of up, my USO sn9`s are about the size and weight of RPG`s, and the 12.5-50x56 S&B is made from unobtanium....otherwise that would fit the bill probably.

 

I think if anything was to take my interest it would have a 34mm tube in 10-50x60 mag range, parallax 25m to infinity, have a Premier Heritage type double turn elevation system, illuminated green Gen2 XR reticule FFP, illumination control as per Hensoldt and have at least 70moa of elevation, at leat 3" of eye relief sooner 4" if FOV is not sacrificed much, ED glass and ocular range of -3 to +3 diopters - euro style quick focus with rubber ring. Nice features would include 1 piece titanium tube construction and a decent set of accessories, ARD (like USO - metal not crappy plastic), various lengths of sunshades - or at least 2" or 4" and butler creek covers.

 

David.

[Elwood]

Right that's the two optics geeks done only joking Andy and David I really appreciate your input.

 

Now I would like to hear from some of your plinker's/varminters/foxers/occasional target shooters, come on you must have some ideas or features that you would like to have. The information you give might just benefit you in the long run.

[mildot]

I have had numerous Leups, Burris, Zeiss scopes etc the best i have had are my Zeiss Diavaris which i have used on wabbits, fox, deer, boar and also for target use. The only thing i think i would like is a finer ret for the target stuff. Both have illuminated Mildots but the ret are too thick for target use but great for hunting. Infact ive never needed the ill rets when out hunting except when sat in a german forest at night under the moon.

 

infact Zeiss fits the bill perfectly for me just need a different ret scope for target use.

[bluebell]

Ian

 

Being a weak and feeble girlie weight and size are something that I always look at and also the field of vision I find can make a lot of difference depending on the distance.

 

I know you fit blokes may not worry but if I have to spend 5 minutes catching my breath after climbing in to a tree seat or crawling through undergrowth I may have missed the opportunity.

Jan

[ChrisF]

I would like knob reset like the Premier Camlock levers , if possible , and a dual knob course / fine Elevation knob ( like 23 mils in one turn , 1 mil spacing ) and a fine knob under It , running just over 1 mil , in clicks of 0.05 , marked every 0.1 .

 

So to set Elevation , you would dail in the Full Mil value on the course knob , then under It , dail in the faction , ie 0.30 , 0.35 etc what ever it is down to 0.05 Mrad .

 

Both would NOT go past 360 , stop that YOU cannot be OUT on either , once adjusted .

 

Sort of like a expanded Mrad version of the Course/Fine knob on the Old Unertls that where made for the USMC M40A1s .

 

A P4F type reticle , but with numbering on the hozintol crosshair , FFP , 3-18x50mm , ED glass , all of the fine lines LIT , unlike the P4F , green or amber colour lit reticle , 4 inche eye relief .

34mm tube .

 

Later Chris

[Elwood]

Thank you for your replies Mildot, Bluebell and ChrisF.

 

Now come on the rest of you, I'm sure you're all not using the perfect scope, what features would you like to see on your near perfect scope?

 

Another one I thought of, would be the illumination brightness control on the side parallax turret, doesn't the MTC scope have this function?

[mildot]

Forgot to add

 

target turrets like the Swaro Z6 with its 4 preset markers! but with 6 markers would be great. That built into a normal adjustable turret would be ideal. Best of both worlds.