Missing Rifle Scope Features?

[DropTyne]

Sorry I am late to the party and reviving an old thread. I desperately want a lighter hunting scope that is rugged and reliable that will take the abuse of a true backcountry hunt. One that will be used for a hunting scope, not specialized for a long range target rifle. I only need adjustment to shoot reliability out to 700 yards or so, not a mile. Currently, the only scopes available that meet that criteria weigh 19oz or more.

Objective Size:
35mm to 40mm to reduce weight

Tube: 1" to reduce weight

Magnification: Low end 2-3, high end 7-10. I could live with a fixed 6 power.

Eye relief at least 3.5"

Reticle:
Must be a FFP with Mil adjustments and a mil based reticle that is useful throughout the variable power range, and usable in low light conditions. Reference the SWFA Mil-Dot or Mil-Quad reticle.

Weight: 15oz or less. Remove as much weight without sacrificing mechanical integrity.

Take everything Formidulosus says about reliability i.e. testing, tracking, maintaining zero, etc and apply.

I am thinking a FFP Mil reticle-Mil adjustment Toric 2-10×42 scaled down or something like a lighter SWFA 3-9×42 or 6x42 without losing mechanical reliability.

 

[35WhelenAI]

3-9 variable ala the 30 year young VX-IIc on my 300 Win all the way to the 19 year young VX-2 on my 35 Whelen AI. Set it and forget it with sensible low profile turrets. WTF is up with everything having a dial?

I accept the dial on the VX3HD I just picked up because it's the only way it comes. Didn't think to grab a VX3i before they went the way of the dodo. One day it was available in the next day it wasn't. Don't see going basically full price for a discontinued model. Unless it has been shown the VX3i is optically advantageous vs the VX3HD when used as a set it and forget it. Thoughts?


Sight the rifle in for maximum point blank range of an 8" vital zone, if the shot is past that range use holdover with the aid of a rangefinder. Boom. It is the best 12.5 ounces a gun will carry.

 

[Castle Rock]

View attachment 339146
On paper the Athlon 3-12 seems to tick a lot of my boxes
Only got it yesterday but I really like it so far, time will tell

Got a fair few miles on it and a decent amount of dialing and it has really impressed me so far

 

[Stu]

Got a fair few miles on it and a decent amount of dialing and it has really impressed me so farView attachment 382302

You rocking an import Toyota?

 

[Formidilosus]

You rocking an import Toyota?

I don’t think “he’s from round here”…

 

[Stu]

I don’t think “he’s from round here”…

Probably likes diesel and red meat.

 

[Castle Rock]

 

[260madman]

 

[ljalberta]

I missed this thread earlier. But I dig Form’s suggestion. I do have a couple LRHS at 24 or 25 oz, but if the package existed that provided everything set out at 20oz I’d be hooked.

Alternatively, if that is not achievable it would be nice to see the Form package at 24ish oz and then maybe a smaller offering in something like a 2.5-10 or 3-9 with a 36mm or 40mm objective that lands in the 18-20oz weight range.

Certainly though, FFP, and mil offering are a must in my book with a quality reticle. The THLR looks banger. But I would even be happy with something like the MQ from SWFA.

 

[Sled]

Not a bad offering

TORIC UHD 30mm 2.5-15X44 FFP MRAD/MRAD Hunting Rifle Scope

Featuring fully multi-coated SCHOTT high-transmission (HT) glass and extra-low dispersion (ED) lens, which make up TRACT’s advanced Ultra High Definition (UHD) optical system. The TORIC 30mm 2.5-15x44 provides the long range hunter with the perfect magnification and objective size to maximize...

tractoptics.com

 

[ericacymcdonald]

I just want the swfa ultralight 2.5-10x32 with enough eye relief to use on a ultralight mountain rifle. It is perfect other then that. 9.5oz, perfect power range, bdc reticle swfa reliability but the eye relief is a killer.

 

[ljalberta]

I just want the swfa ultralight 2.5-10x32 with enough eye relief to use on a ultralight mountain rifle. It is perfect other then that. 9.5oz, perfect power range, bdc reticle swfa reliability but the eye relief is a killer.

I haven’t heard anything about this scopes reliability before. I’d be very surprised if it was as reliable as their 30mm tube offerings.

But dang, that weight is amazing.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Not trying to be rude- but this is where it will get messed up. Once you get to 5x and especially 6x erectors complexity, weight, and fragility all go up, and usability goes down. There’s absolutely no need for a 3-18x. That 3x does not grant any functional value over a 4x in this example, nor does the 18x over 15 or 16x.

What I wrote is NOT a dedicated LR scope? It is a crossover scope and there is not a single scope on the market that does it right.

The NX8 has proven to be super reliable with the 8x erector hasn’t it?

 

[BjornF16]

@JW@TRACT

Are you still listening?

@Formidilosus formula, 3-12x44, THLR FFP reticle, über reliable/durable

 

[Ryan Avery]

@JW@TRACT

Are you still listening?

@Formidilosus formula, 3-12x44, THLR FFP reticle, über reliable/durable

Pretty sure you mean 4-16x44

 

[BjornF16]

Pretty sure you mean 4-16x44

How about both!

 

[Formidilosus]

The NX8 has proven to be super reliable with the 8x erector hasn’t it?

Yes, they are good. But they’re about the only ones. And there’s just no functional reason for an 8x ratio.

 

[sndmn11]

@JW@TRACT

Are you still listening?

@Formidilosus formula, 3-12x44, THLR FFP reticle, über reliable/durable

Tract is one of the companies who told me zero retention testing was abuse and unrealistic, among other things. I was going to buy one of their new scopes.

 

[Wrench]

Sorry I am late to the party and reviving an old thread. I desperately want a lighter hunting scope that is rugged and reliable that will take the abuse of a true backcountry hunt. One that will be used for a hunting scope, not specialized for a long range target rifle. I only need adjustment to shoot reliability out to 700 yards or so, not a mile. Currently, the only scopes available that meet that criteria weigh 19oz or more.

Objective Size:
35mm to 40mm to reduce weight

Tube: 1" to reduce weight

Magnification: Low end 2-3, high end 7-10. I could live with a fixed 6 power.

Eye relief at least 3.5"

Reticle:
Must be a FFP with Mil adjustments and a mil based reticle that is useful throughout the variable power range, and usable in low light conditions. Reference the SWFA Mil-Dot or Mil-Quad reticle.

Weight: 15oz or less. Remove as much weight without sacrificing mechanical integrity.

Take everything Formidulosus says about reliability i.e. testing, tracking, maintaining zero, etc and apply.

I am thinking a FFP Mil reticle-Mil adjustment Toric 2-10×42 scaled down or something like a lighter SWFA 3-9×42 or 6x42 without losing mechanical reliability.

There's plenty of lighter fixed 6's that fit the bill. The fixed scopes tend to have incredible optics and half of the stuff that moves in a scope isn't there to begin with.

 

[Castle Rock]

That scope already exists
Sightron 2-10
Had it on this 260AI for about 8 years and it never missed a beat, although it is a duplex

I just want the swfa ultralight 2.5-10x32 with enough eye relief to use on a ultralight mountain rifle. It is perfect other then that. 9.5oz, perfect power range, bdc reticle swfa reliability but the eye relief is a killer.