Buying a new scope?

40 or 50mm. Which one?

I like 50 but have a 30 something leupold on a old 280 that works great had a 44 for ever and ever that also worked great now for one reason or another I will only have 50

50

I have 4 scopes in the $200 to $400 range. I have 40, 44, and 50mm. The 50 mm being the most expensive of all. In a side by side the 50 is not better than the others that my eyes can see.

I cant speak to the difference between a 40 and 50 in a $1500 scope.

When I put the 50 on a few years ago, I did notice the extra bulk. If it was me, I would look at the best I could get in a 40. Best bang for the buck that way.

If you are hunting in dusk and dawn conditions the 50mm would be the better option. Hunting during conditions with plenty of light the 40mm would be all you would need in objective size. The coatings on the lenses has a whole lot to due with the amount of light that will be transmitted through the glass to your eye as well. Always go with the fully multi coated glass. Just my 2 cents.

I have a couple of 50 mm Leupold scopes and love them. I was researching to upgrade a cheap Simmons I have on a Savage .243 rifle. When I can afford to upgrade the other scope I'll get a 30 main tube Leupold for good low light transmission. I'll get another 50mm if I can swing it. I like the Leupold scopes for the money. Good scope & warranty. I want the lit reticle too. High quality without the high German prices.

Good glass and coatings trumps objective diameter every time.

Went up to a 50 mm with 30 mm tube from 400 mm with 1" tube and wouldn't go back for a million dollars.

And European optics are hard to beat

This^^^^^^^.

I went to a 30mm tube 56 bell vortex and love it. Good scope for the money.

If the field of view is important, go with the 50mm

Does going from 40mm to 50 mm add field of view with all other things being equal?

30mm tube does not yield a brighter scope. Main advantage to a bigger tube is more windage and elevation adjustment.

Ive got a meopta 50 mm on my 338. It is VERY clear and gathers light extremely well.

They have a really good deal at Camera Land on a 3.5x10x44 Meopta Meopro. I got one in last week and am really impressed with it. It was $302 and some change shipped to my door. SWFA sells a similar scope except with an illuminated dot reticle for over $700. This one has a regular plex reticle.

On a hunting rifle ,I find 42-44mm max objective to be the best all around. 40mm is a tad small and 50mm or larger to heavy , big, bulky and offers no improvement that I can detect.
Of course, the better the glass the smaller you can go. The 24mm objective on a 1-6x24 Swarovski Z6i or Leupold VX-6 looks much better and brighter then most midrange 50mm 's
Stay away from 56mm , not worth it IMHO