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1’’ or 30mm tube

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Category: Scopes
Forum Name: Rifle Scopes
Forum Description: Centerfire long gun scopes
URL: http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=804
Printed Date: March/28/2024 at 05:24
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Topic: 1’’ or 30mm tube
Posted By: crashfirepm53
Subject: 1’’ or 30mm tube
Date Posted: October/09/2004 at 17:24

Benifits of a 30mm tube over a 1''?




Replies:
Posted By: ranburr
Date Posted: October/09/2004 at 17:37

30mm is stronger, some people might say brighter.  I personally cannot tell a difference in the brightness.  30mm allows for more adjustment for long range shooting.  30mm slightly larger viewing area.  1" is just as good optically and the scope, rings, etc. cost a whole lot less.

 

ranburr



Posted By: cheaptrick
Date Posted: October/09/2004 at 18:22

30mm is the better of the two.

 

But, a 30mm tube is not brighter and has no benefits concerning the amount of light that it can let in.

 

Geesh, I thought that myth had been squashed years ago.

 

30mm tubes allow for more adjustments as the previous poster had suggested.



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Posted By: crashfirepm53
Date Posted: October/09/2004 at 19:16
I'm assuming you are saying that it does allow more light?


Posted By: ranburr
Date Posted: October/09/2004 at 21:44

The answer is maybe and it depends on who you believe.  Some will say that the larger surface area allows more light in and thus it will be brighter.  I have read where some say that an objective size is an objective size and the rest of the tube does not matter.  I have also seen claims that a 1" is actually brighter because the same amount of light is being forced down a narrower path.  Personally, if everything else is equal, I can tell no difference in the brightness of a 1" or a 30mm tube.  I think the answer from most everyone will be that they cannot tell any difference in brightness.  Where much of this debate comes from is the high-end euro 30mm scopes are usually brighter then the lower costing 1" economical scopes that are made to be price competitive in the U.S. market.  The difference here is not due to the size of the tube, but rather lense coatings.

 

ranburr



Posted By: tbone1
Date Posted: October/10/2004 at 02:26
The real question I have is who has actually compared for example a Swarovski 3.5-10x42 A-line and compared it to a 2.5-10x42 Profesional Hunter side by side or other equivalent models.  Not just for a few minutes in a store but compared them as the light fades for an hour or so and see if there is anything that starts to become noticable.  I have started testing scopes this way and have been able get a better idea of their performance.  I myself have been wondering whether the 30mm is any better than the 1" in comparable models (mainly Zeiss and Swarovski).  I see some people believe they are for one reason or another.  Others believe that the 1" are just as good.  I have not been able to compare them OBJECTIVELY OR FAIRLY yet so I can't really say.  But I would love to hear from someone who owns both of them, who has compared them side by side, numerous times and under different conditions and get their perspective.  I don't know that any rumor has been squashed just because someone has a good technical arguement one way or another.  I for one still have questions.


Posted By: tbone1
Date Posted: October/10/2004 at 03:09

Crashfire, I have several 30mm scopes and several 1".  A Zeiss VM/V 30mm and a Zeiss Conquest 1".  Also a Schmidt & Bender 30mm and a Leupold Long Range 30mm.  The Leupold 30mm is not much different than a Leupold 1" except that it does have a lot more adjustment range.  The Zeiss VM/V and the Schmidt & Bender are totally different scopes than the Leupold and the Zeiss conquest.  They Zeiss VM/V and the S&B are also much brighter than the Leupold or the Zeiss Conquest.  However like ranburr said, they have top of the line glass as well as a 30mm tube.  Is that what you wanted to know?



Posted By: crashfirepm53
Date Posted: October/10/2004 at 04:49
Yes.Spend the extra money on the scope with better glass.I think I have decided on the Elite 4200   in the 4-16x50. Still Considering the 40mm though.I've  found a great deal on them.


Posted By: Dale Clifford
Date Posted: October/10/2004 at 09:24
A 30 mm tube allows for more adjustment in the erectors of a variable scope. Thus 3x12 or a factor of 4 which is not possible in a 1 inch tube which can only be a 3x9 or a factor of 3. Scopes do not collect light they are passive devices and only work on what is there. The coatings on the lenses are more important at this point, for not allowing the light already in the device from bouncing around. Whether a scope is brighter or not (what ever that means) is more a function of an individual preception at the time of observation. Whether a lenses system has more resolution or contrast can be measured. And none of them have anything to do with how well the shooter has done his job.


Posted By: crashfirepm53
Date Posted: October/10/2004 at 13:56
Due to the extra cost of rings, I'll prob. stay away from the 30mm.Thanks for all the info.


Posted By: Chris Farris
Date Posted: October/11/2004 at 09:06

30mm scopes were first made in Europe years and years ago for two reasons.

1. Everything was done by hand and a large tube was needed to be able to build the scope.
2. They are on the metric system.

When we started building scopes in the U.S. technology had advanced some and being on the Standard system we built our scopes with 1" tubes.

The German scopes were and are superior because they use better glass, better coatings and better craftsmanship. Most people assume that bigger is better and that must be the reason why German 30mm scopes are brighter. It did not take long for U.S. and Asian scope makers to catch on to this and start offering 30mm scopes. It worked for a while but more and more people are learning the truth with the advent of the Internet. When Leupold first offered a 30mm tube in a hunting scope, they named it the Euro. 30. A competitor dissected one and said, B.S. that scope has 1" guts with a 30mm tube. Leupold's spin doctors quickly changed the name of the new 30mm line of scopes to LR or Long Range and released press releases stating that this new line of scopes has 1" internals with a 30mm tube to allow for more elevation adjustments.

Bottom line is 30mm scopes are 30mm because of the Metric system, they can be brighter than a 1" scope with all other things being equal (# of internal lenses and diameter of objective especially) if the maker takes advantage of the larger internal lenses in a manner that manages the light better (cutting down on distortion and stray light loss).  30mm scopes are also stronger and usually heavier.  Biggest advantage is more internal adjustment travel for long range shooting.



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