Thread: Best 3-9x40 scope under $800?

Match your scope to your Binos light gathering. The worst most heart sinking disappointment (apart from missing a sitter) is looking at a deer or pig on dusk through the binos and not being able to see it in the scope. Going from a 40 to 50mm objective is not a big difference - the housing is still the same thickness so they are really very close in size.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Match your scope to your Binos light gathering. The worst most heart sinking disappointment (apart from missing a sitter) is looking at a deer or pig on dusk through the binos and not being able to see it in the scope. Going from a 40 to 50mm objective is not a big difference - the housing is still the same thickness so they are really very close in size.

Had that happen. Sika stag at 550yds watching him in my steiners. Set up my gun and could just make out the white rump with my 2.5-8 vx3. Got a hard lesson in glass that day

@Sarvo....had brain flash today about this....there is a formular out there that says your human eye can ONLY use a 7mm exit pupil ...so a 4x32mm scope has more light than your eye can use...a 6x40 has nearly all and a 6x42 is perfect..... look back to what are considered great scops or binos and you will find they pretty close to this equation.....which tells me my 3x9x50mm will be best on 7 power....balance act between most magnification and enough light.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

@Sarvo....had brain flash today about this....there is a formular out there that says your human eye can ONLY use a 7mm exit pupil ...so a 4x32mm scope has more light than your eye can use...a 6x40 has nearly all and a 6x42 is perfect..... look back to what are considered great scops or binos and you will find they pretty close to this equation.....which tells me my 3x9x50mm will be best on 7 power....balance act between most magnification and enough light.

Moa Hunter the boy to explain that better

That is why the old favourite 4*32 were so clear. 32 divided by 4 = 8, which provides more light than a young eye needs or can use. Aged eyes have a decreasing factor, say 5 or 6. Anyway, if eye is healthy a 42 m objective provides optimum useable light at 6*, no more. A 56mm objective will optimise at only 8*. In most cases invery dull light you are best to wind down a varipower to 3* or so in order to best see the target. The formula assumes good glass / lenses and coatings. Mediocre lenses reduce the effective efficient light "gathering" even more. So, ideal choices are 4*28/32, 6*42. 8*56 in minimal dull conditions.

I’m tight but like quality, look out for a second hand Z3 3-9x or 3.5-10x, same for a zeiss conquest but probably avoid the z terra. Too many horror stories but no personal exp with them. Fallback position is the vx3i.

Bushnell Elite. Rainguard make a huge difference if you are hunting in drizzle or wet bush.
Nothing worse than not being able to see an animal through the scope when the lens is wet.
Had that happen with my old vx1. Never had a problem with my bushnell.

Bushnell Elite. Rainguard make a huge difference if you are hunting in drizzle or wet bush.
Nothing worse than not being able to see an animal through the scope when the lens is wet.
Had that happen with my old vx1. Never had a problem with my bushnell.

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

Bushnell Elite. Rainguard make a huge difference if you are hunting in drizzle or wet bush.
Nothing worse than not being able to see an animal through the scope when the lens is wet.
Had that happen with my old vx1. Never had a problem with my bushnell.

Agreed, the Bushnell elites were a great scope, really stood out on a wet day in the bush. Regretted selling my 4200

Graham Henry wrote great article years back spouting the virtues of a basic fixed power scope of low magnification......less to go wrong..smaller...lighter

yip still agree 100% with that.

But he ended up with a low power variable 1.5-6x swaro 30 mm tube on his open country rifle.

Originally Posted by Dicko

But he ended up with a low power variable 1.5-6x swaro 30 mm tube on his open country rifle.

He was a big fan of the 3x Leupold too.