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Weaver RV4 field test

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wolfee View Drop Down
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Joined: October/21/2004
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    Posted: November/06/2004 at 17:26

Short version--good performance for this price point and class of scope.

 

Long version.  I purchased this scope for mounting on either a Ruger 77/22 or 10/22.  The eyepiece end proved too large to clear the bolt, with medium rings, on the 77/22 and was put to use on the 10/22.  My 10/22 was supplied with the old style scope base that only accepts tip off mounts. I returned the base to Ruger and requested the new type base as shown in their catalog and website.  In the meantime I acquired a Weaver no. TO9 base which accepts either tip offs or Weaver "big game" type rings.  This base installed satisfactorly but, by design, extends about a half inch beyond the front of the receiver.  It detracts from the clean lines of the gun. The scope was mounted to the base with Weaver "low" rings.  And they are LOW.  Indicated saddle height is less than .09 inch.  When installed, the objective end of the scope cleared the (folded) rear iron site by about the thickness of a sheet of paper.  The bottom of the adjustment knobs swell is only about an eigth of an inch off the top of the gun.  Quite low, and exactly the way I wanted it.  Line of sight is only about .7 inch higher than the iron sights.  The scope was positioned for eye relief and tighened.  This scope is a bit longer than most compact rimfire scopes, but it's trim lines make for a good looking combination with the Ruger. Eye relief is fairly short at 3.25 inches and seems a bit critical.  The field of view collapses quickly when the eye is moved forward or back by even a small amount.  View was clear, sharp and quite bright.  In fact, it seemed as bright as higher quality big game scopes.  Sharpness extended to the edges.  No noticeable distortion.  One of the two Leupold 4X rimfire compacts I have owned exhibited extreme "pincushion" distortion.  The dual x cross hair seemed a bit thicker than the Leupold 4X rimfire compact.  It looks more suitable for casual plinking and hunting than competitive target shooting.  Because this scope is about 2 inches longer than most compacts, it has a little longer depth of field.  When focused at infinity, it still exhibits useful focus inside of 15 yds.  I did casual tests for parrallex.  At 20 yards it was substantial.  By 60 yards you had to look very carefully to detect any.  I did not measure exactly the distance at which it dissapeared, but estimate it was about 75 yards.  The click adjustment dial is tiny but has a pretty positive "click".  It performed as advertised.  I would report to you the group sizes I obtained but this would only be a testimony to my poor shooting skills, not the quality of the scope.  All in all, the Weaver performed well, and I would consider it a better value than any of the other three 4X compacts I have owned.  2 Leupolds and a Burris.  On an absolute quality basis, disregarding price, I would rate the Burris as the best of the three.

 

I have 2 complaints with Weaver.  1.  Their dissemination of technical information is HORRIBLE.  Clearly they (Meade) are in the astronomy telescope business first and foremost, don't really have a clue what rifle shooters want, and make these things just as a side line business in their Jap optical plant just to keep people busy. I doubt you could find one single person in the entire Meade Corporation who could tell you the objective eyepiece diameter, crosshair substention dimensions , the distance set as parrallex free, maximum amount of adjustment in the windage/elevation dials etc.  They think we just buy the stuff coz we are old guys that get nostalgic about a scope that says Weaver on it.  Probably true, but they could indulge us a little bit.  2.  They rant and rave about what fabulous quality optics they have put in this scope.  Then, they supply the thing with ZERO lens protection.  Come on already, couldn't you at least put a pair of cheap little plastic caps on the thing?  Even Bushnell does this with the trash they sell at Walmart.  If you are so proud of your optics, you would want them protected, right? So supply the PROTECTION for them.  I can't stand these dorky "flip open" scope caps.  For the Weaver RV4, I can tell you that you can make your own using the top from a 35mm film canister for the objective end, and the top from a US Mint silver dollar tube for the eyepiece end.  Then you get a huge rubber band to hold the whole thing together.  Looks like hell but works like a charm.

 

 

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Chris Farris View Drop Down
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Joined: October/01/2003
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chris Farris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/18/2004 at 19:04
Good review......thanks for it.
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