Thread: Low light hunting scope circa 2021 ?

Had an opportunity to check the light gathering on my binos and Leupy VX3 3.5-10x44 in very low light this weekend. Binos won hands down...

Interested to head current recommendations for hunting type scopes that are excellent in very low light conditions.

Found this old thread on best scopes for low light hunting...

What is the current (2021) go ?

Medium hunting magnification 3-9, 3-15 etc, not talking about long range 25x scopes.
Would be fine with duplex reticle (currently using Windplex).
Dialable turrets a must
Firedot / illuminated reticle would be nice.

I’ve taken a punt on a vx3hd 3.5-10x50 twilight hunter illuminated reticle with 30mm tube... if it ever turns up. Hopefully it compares to vx5 in last light. All be it a bit cheaper

There are lots of different options. I like a 56mm objective, 30mm tube and low mag for low light.

You need to tell us how much you wanna spend. That narrows it down big time.

Exactly what Ground Control (Ken) said in the old thread still applies.
European scopes for the win. Likes of Swarovski Z6 & Z8, German Leicas and Zeiss Victory's are the leaders when it comes to low light hunting scopes

What advantage do you expect to gain with a 30mm tube??

A larger objective lens, certainly.

Binos will always win hands down (unless there is some magic to the very best euro glass I've never bothered peering through due to my Scottish blood). I had a Swaro Z5 3-18 here for a while and my Leica Geovids made it look very ordinary at dusk (and the Geovids are far from the best low light binos due to their design). The Swaro Z5 was on a par with a Leupold VX5HD so I think the margins have narrowed somewhat in the last 10 years.

I used a schmidt and bender polar? For a short while. Large objective designed for very low light hunting, as it’s common in Europe to hunt at night time from a high seat with just the moonlight. Was pretty impressive first and last light.


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Swaro Z5 2.4-12x50 if that fits the budget, has most of what you are asking for. Euro glass will win hands down in low light.

Originally Posted by Tahr

What advantage do you expect to gain with a 30mm tube??

A larger objective lens, certainly.

Yeah, curious about that as well.

Would a 50mm objective in 30mm tube be better than 50mm with a 1 inch tube ? Dial range, sure, 30 mm tube has big benefit, but not sure if it helps with light gathering as well ?

30mm tube won't give you any more light.

Gives room for more dialing.

devided by 7 is THE RULE for low light.....why a 4x32mm- 4 x28mm works well and 6x42mm does still work....it lets in the maximum amount of light your pupil can use...
Ive got similar scope to one EBF uses and if you leave it down below 8x...its still pretty good in low light.

Originally Posted by Woody

Gives room for more dialing.

yes

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

If you really want to shoot stuff when it's to dark to see them, keep the set up you have now and spend a couple of hundred on a Maxtoch.

That's really interesting, because for me some 'scopes perform better than others with a torch on top.

Thermal....