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Good low-light Hunting Scope?

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luke_duke View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote luke_duke Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Good low-light Hunting Scope?
    Posted: June/26/2015 at 18:03
Hi Folks!

This is my first post here, so please bear with me.
My name is Lukas and I live and hunt in Austria. Typical game here is roe deer,fox,badger (no wild boar).
I own a Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter in .30-06 and I am now looking for a good scope in the 800-1000$ range which will do the job also in low light situation. (I do not need the best equipment for low light conditions).

Since I am not really hunting that long, I have to make sure every dollar is well spent. I found out that most scopes that are available in the USA are much cheaper (including taxes customs) than here in Europe. There are even specific models which are not available at all. 

My Requierements would be:
- around 50mm objective diameter
- around 3-12x magnification
- good perfomance in bad light situations
- maybe illuminated dot (seems this will only be available on scopes which are out of my range)

I checked a few scopes which I think meet the specs.
- Zeiss Terra 4-12x50 ~550$
- Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 ~700$
- Vortex Viper VST 4-16x50 (this one is illuminated) ~700$
- Nikon Monarch 3 4-16x50 ~600$
- Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x50 (illuminated) ~800$

Since the Zeiss brand is well known here in Austria this would be my first choice, but I am not sure which model to pick.
The recticle is not that important for me as long as it is suitable for hunting.

I would really appreciate some oppinions on this topic.

Thanks very much!

Lukas
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saltydog235 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote saltydog235 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/26/2015 at 21:32
Trijicon Accupoint
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JLud Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 00:51
Meopta meostar would be worth looking at I believe.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 07:49


Welcome to the OT!!    





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 07:50
Meopta Meostar R1 has some excellent choices.  I have one on Voere Shikar 300WinMag… Love it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 08:38
Originally posted by saltydog235 saltydog235 wrote:

Trijicon Accupoint

That's a great suggestion. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 09:16



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyote95 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 09:17
http://swfa.com/Swarovski-4-12x50-Z3-Riflescope-P40819.aspx  this would probably make a good low light scope for hunting Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JLud Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/27/2015 at 10:26
Dug up this link from a past post....

http://tacticalgunreview.com/blog/2012/12/lowlight-hunting-scope-shootout-trijicon-accupoint-tr22-2-5-10x56-vs-meopta-meostar-3-12x56/%20


(activated hyperlink)


Edited by Kickboxer - June/27/2015 at 11:08
That thing on the left....my old ride, some days I miss her.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote luke_duke Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2015 at 11:02
Hi guys!

Thank you very much for the warm welcome and the tips!
After spending several hours on reading reviews, I think I will go for the Meopta Meostar R1 3-12x56.
It is around 900€ here in Austria so importing from USA would not save any money.

I already have the Leupold QR 30mm Rings on my rifle so I will not need any upgrade on the scope mount which is also a great benefit.

I really apreciate your help for making the decision a little bit easier for me!


Greets
Lukas

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2015 at 13:04

" Remember---Obama can't speak Austrian! "   











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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote graywolf.260 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/28/2015 at 23:12
Scopes may often be cheaper here but difficult or illegal for US sellers to export abroad. Does Zeiss sell the Terra line of scopes in Austria? Die sind leide beschissen. Crappy. I bet they would not be well received in Europe. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote luke_duke Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/29/2015 at 05:38
@ sonofed 
I don't get your post... could you explain to me?

@graywolf260

Yeah the terra line is also sold in Austria but there is not that much feedback yet. Online on the Conquest series which was not that bad dispite the fact that the US models are different in the objective diameter.

So is exporting a scope really that hard? I mean I am aware that exporting rifles and ammunition is quite hard and you have to be well prepared for the paper work but I dont have a clue why scopes require such export policy



Greets 
Lukas
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 338LM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/29/2015 at 18:55
I have a Steyr SSG04 in 308. I am using an IOR Valdada 2.5 x 10 - 56mm scope.

pros 
56mm will provide you more field of view and better light transmission at night.

cons
56mm will require high mounting rings. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Son of Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/29/2015 at 20:20
A couple of years ago President Obama did not know that Austrians speak German......   Whatever



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote graywolf.260 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/30/2015 at 00:18
Originally posted by luke_duke luke_duke wrote:

@graywolf260

Yeah the terra line is also sold in Austria but there is not that much feedback yet. Online on the Conquest series which was not that bad dispite the fact that the US models are different in the objective diameter.

So is exporting a scope really that hard? I mean I am aware that exporting rifles and ammunition is quite hard and you have to be well prepared for the paper work but I dont have a clue why scopes require such export policy



Greets 
Lukas

Yes, there is a federal law in the US that regulates export of virtually any technology that can be considered related to firearms, its called ITAR. I don't know how hard it is to satisfy the rules. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/30/2015 at 09:47
Originally posted by 338LM 338LM wrote:

pros 
56mm will provide you more field of view and better light transmission at night.


Objective size is not part of the field of view equation.  It does help with light though

If you compare the IOR 2.5-10x42 to the 2.5-10x56 they have the same FOV
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 338LM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/30/2015 at 18:12
With all do respect supertool73
That is not true, I have compared side by side with SWFA 3x15-42 (I don't have a 42mm IOR scope).
at 5x magnification IOR have more FOV than SWFA.  BUT, 10x magnification IOR still have more FOV not by much.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/30/2015 at 18:18
I don't think objective size and field of view have anything to do with one another. I think ST's right, or so I thought. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/30/2015 at 18:21
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