Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Guns N Gear Scope Light Gathering

What is the best light gathering scope in your opinion in the $1000 or less category?

Meopta Meostar is the best I've looked through in actual hunting conditions in that price range. The Bushnell Elite 6500 is just as good in low light but it's not as crisp edge to edge.

Scopes don't "gather" light. If you're anywhere near Tuscaloosa, go to Woods & Water and check out the Zeiss 3-12x56 Conquest. They had them on sale for $699.99. You won't beat that for under a grand.

Saturday evening after legal shooting light was gone I was watching deer thru my Nitrex TR2 (Weaver Super Slam) 3x15x50 that I could not see with just my eyes. The deer came out with plenty of light left and I used this specifically to check out my scope's late viewing capability. I was really, really surprised at how well I could see the deer well after sundown. These scopes were discontinued by Weaver (or ATN who owns Weaver) and I got 2 of them at a huge discount. Wish I had them on all my centerfire rifles.

Those are excellent choices and probably the best sub $300 scope I've ever owned. Natchez Shooters Supply had them (Weaver) on sale last week for $229 to $269.

Yep, good scopes.

I had one as well. 94% light transmission per weaver.

Most any scope will take you to legal shooting time. You need to pay special attention to your reticle if you are interested in low light shooting.

If you really want to spend $1000 this Kahles KX is optimized for low light while still being light weight.
http://www.scopelist.com/kahles-kxi-35-10x50-illuminated-4d-dot.aspx

A cheaper low light scope.
https://www.amazon.com/Meopta-3-5-10x44-Riflescope-Illuminated-Reticle/dp/B00PVGAB7K

Scopes only transmit available light that is present, if no light is present you can not see through a scope. This all depends on glass type, coatings and polishing.
Zeiss, meopta and kahles are going to be your best bets for 1k and under.

I like the meopta. I have a conquest that is oaky. Not as crisp as my Leupold VX3 at dusk. My VX3 is all I need and I can shoot later than I probably should with it. 50mm obj and 30mm tube.

Meopta R1 3-12x56 and the old steel Conquest 3-12x56 would get my vote. You could pick up either in the $7-8 hundy range.

Weaver Super Slam was made by LOW in Japan. I got one. That one was a sleeper. Everyone was trying to be a Vortex fanboy and those scopes got overlooked by most. I think I gave around $325 for mine. Stole it IMO.

Meopta 3 x 12 and the Zeiss Conquest 3 x 12 are the same scope, just different reticles. Meopta made the old Conquest line for Zeiss until Zeiss introduced the Conquest HD 5 line of scopes a few years ago.

Get the meostar R2

The optimal light reaching your retina will be influenced by the eye relief you set and the power you have dialed in.

A "normal" person's retina at late afternoon to dusk can range from about 5.5mm to 7.0mm depending on the light level outside. As you dial your scope, the focused light needs to match that width to be able to use all that light.

At your preferred eye relief, scope power will generally need to be decreased as the light diminishes, of course. It is possible to go too low on the power, so experiment for what your optimal low light power is for you.

I'm preaching to the choir, here. You guys could teach me a thing or two, I'm sure.

With a 3-9x50mm Zeiss, "MY" eye seems to work fine from 3 to 8-9, with a 3-12x56 Zeiss, "MY" eye works fine all the way up to 10 and diminishes on 11 and 12. This should be in the 5-5.5 range on exit pupil.

Exit pupil matters but so does glass quality and coatings matter most of all.

As I said before it doesn't matter how bright the scope if the reticle is crap for low light.

A high end Swaro may be brighter but have too thin a reticle. You might have a cheap 3X9 VX2 leupold with heavy duplex that allows you to actually see the reticle and shoot later than that $2000 Swaro that allows you to see the deer better but you can't see the reticle.

I agree and concur, it doesn't make a hoot how bright it is at dark if you can't see the reticle . Those first focal plane scopes are useless in the timber IMO, you must turn the power up higher to make the reticle thicker. I'll stick with my old Leupold VarX III 2.5-8 with heavies.

Something to think about; glass reflects light. Drive down the road and look at the windshields on a sunny day. Good scopes reflect less and absorb more.

All good advice ^^^

2Dogs:
MY FFP Zeiss Diavari Victory 2.5-10x42 is incredible in the woods.

That being said; my Swarovski fixed PF8x56 is THE best lowlight scope I owned or have looked through.

The old Zeiss Conquest 3-12x56 is a steel body scope. They sold them for years before they came out with the Conquest line. Meopta R1 is an aluminum scope. They are completely different but both have FFP reticle and are not illuminated. You can shoot a deer well after legal light with either.

However this would be true only if you are just shooting "deer"... Neither of those scopes or any other scope costing 3x as much can replace a good set of binoculars for low light. That's when you are trying to count points or judge an animal.

Not happening. Think about your binocular situation as well.

I'm sure it is , but what does the reticle look like at say 4 power and lower? FFP is bass akwards IMO for thick timber. Reticle should get bigger if power drops. Sad part is most of the Euro scopes are high power, big objective Hubble Telescopes.

My son has a VarX III 1.75-6 with heavies, very clear woods scope. I think you would have to go to a high end, high $ to beat it.