Rifle Scope Recommendations

Not a fan of plastic guns but I plan to purchase one for rainy day hunts and to let my daughter use. Looking to top it with a good hunting scope and not looking for something to punch paper out to 1,000 yards. Like something that has great glass, low light performance and a 45-50 mm objective lens. I have always been a Leupold guy but wanted to see what else might equal or exceed those in the same price range ($500 - $1,000). I know asking this question is like pulling the pin on a grenade, but let's hear it.

Leupold

Vortex Viper HS series. The other models are tactical so don’t have the lowlight performance of the HS. You’ll be thrilled

Trijicon Accupoint, Leupold

Trijicon Accupoint by a mile. I don't own one at the moment but there isn't another manufacturer that can touch them at that price point and I've owned them all.

End of story

This. I currently have 2 accupoints. So in your price range i would go that route or meopta meostar. Personally i like to have illuminated dot reticle

There is a meopta meostar R1 in the classifieds that would be the best money for the glass for what he’s selling it for.

PM sent

Schmidt-Bender. Every other scope is competing for second place.

BCLC - PM returned

In the 80s early 90s not any more

I'm talking hunting optics, not target.

Hey what would you consider best now? I thought Schmidt and bender also.
Just curious.khales or Swarovski? March? zero compromise?
Just wondering

The best is subjective and any of the brands You have listed, You can’t go wrong in choosing. I have owned and do own several of what is considered top tier optics brands in riflescopes and binoculars and to be honest it is hard to tell a big difference unless You have a very keen eye and a lot of experience using top tier optics.

I understand but want to hear from someone in competition game.they have different insight .I probably have same scopes you do
Different ball game with f-class guys . different intell and logic ...
Not knocking you but I'm friends with bamashooter and was looking to his response? Just curious
You get surprised sometimes
I agree all my scopes are pretty close to being same but tracking and competition are my end goal
He knocked off Schmidt and Bender so got me thinking about what is best or better? Maybe he knows something

This right here is what I would buy in a heart beat. I’d stay far away from vortex. I know that’s not a popular opinion on this forum but I e had bad luck with them and honestly didn’t care for the glass at all.

I am not qualified to advise on long range target scopes. Would suggest that you check out snipershide.com

Lots of good info there. But for the record, if Schmidt-Bender scopes are so bad in that area, there are sure a bunch of non-sponsored people paying lots of money for them.

For hunting scopes, and the sheer volume I have used/tested/mounted, the finest I ever used was a Schmidt-Bender Zenith, and that's likely because I haven't tried their Polar model yet. And there is nothing less that $1500 that will touch a S-B Klassik for hunting. The 2.5-10 x 56mm is regularly available in the $1200 range

Yes, I own a Leupold VX6, and either own or have owned a number of Swarovski, Vortex, Zeiss, Leupold, Kahles, Dokter, Meopta, Burris, Redfield, ad nauseum, and none come close to the Schmidts, at least to my eye.

Leupold VX-5HD in 44 mm with firedot Duplex.

Meopta Meostar R1 or R2 series.

Nothing else I would consider.

Me too. Back in the day euro glass was the best now days japanese glass and some US is just as good or better S&B are still great optics but everybody else isn't competing for second place anymore. Looked through any high end leupolds lately? Euro optics are great glass most all of them I'm just saying other companies are making just as good of glass.

You saw where I own a Leupold VX6HD, right? Way better than they used to be, but still nowhere near a Schmidt-Bender. Might actually be equal to the S-B in bright sun on a range, but low light, in the woods?

No comparison.

Yeah I agree with Unc Huck. I own Schmidt & Bender and top of the line Zeiss and high end Minox. I’ve owned VX5HD and Vortex viper and top end GPO but sent them down the line. They can’t touch my Klassik or Polar or for that matter even my Trijicon Credos from a lowlight performance standpoint. Yes Leupold has improved but they still aren’t close. And a viper haha that’s comical

Yeah piss on Vortex

Vortex to me is very bright (in the daylight) but the edges of all them have that fishbowl effect. I just pulled the trigger on a Trijicon Huron 3-9x40. Reviews say glass is just as good as the Accupoint, so for $299 it was a no brainer. Fingers crossed.

Where did you find the Huron for $299 ?

https://www.eurooptic.com/Trijicon-...1-in-Satin-Black-Riflescope-2700006.aspx

Thanks

That’s a great deal on that scope.

I put that huron on a 30-30 i just bought a couple months ago. No complaints so far. I think i paid $100 more though. If i had $700 to spend, i would buy the accupoint. That dot is just hard to beat. I cant seem to leave mine in the safe. You can make the shot way after you can judge the deer.

"AT LEAST TO MY EYE." That VX6 even the MK5 is every bit as good as a S&B my tasco is great until last shooting light per the state of Alabama. Simply saying S&B is the best and everything else is second will not hold water anymore. I've hunted with both absolutely cannot tell the difference between them most can't either but if you think your S&B is better then so be it but like I said to start this dick measuring contest it ain't just euro optics leading the pack anymore...

There's a reason that I don't make these comments when someone is looking for a $300 scope. Once someone asks about one over $1000, then Schmidt-Bender, at least to me, is the clear choice. And no, the Leupold VX6HD ain't close, and costs more to boot.

Ain't got nothing to do with dick measuring. I have compared virtually every brand, from Athlon to Zeiss, side by side, in hunting situations. Probably looked through 50-60 scopes, maybe more, in the last 20 years. Only Swarovski (and older Kahles) comes close, and it ain't really that close at the last 5-10 minutes of legal light on a cloudy day.

I am fortunate to be able to own more than one, but if I could only have one hunting rifle, a Schmidt-Bender scope would be on it.

Edited to add - In the last 20 years or so, I have owned at least 100 scopes. I kept the best, and sold the rest. I have 2-3 Swarovski scopes left, 1 Kahles, and 1 Leupold, the VX6HD. All those could be bought or would trade for similar value S-B.

Good for you opinions are like assholes. You have a favorite it's euro optics it's like ford or Chevy YOU might think that S&B is the greatest of all times but for the majority that don't have an opinion on euro optics will not be able to tell the difference period. Therefore the great European optics are not as great as they once were again the dick measuring was nothing comes close to the S&B and that just isn't true anymore. Fan boys are gonna fan boy I guess

And I guess negative folks are gonna be negative. Have a great day!

For the $$ Meopta is really great glass !! Have them on all my rifles except one and it’s a Leupold !!