Rifle Scopes Best optics to date for low light hunting

[sirhitalot]

Hi. Im wondering if those of you who has experience with night time (dusk / dawn) hunting could share your optics prefs.
Night vision / thermals are illegal here, so its not an option. Im looking at hunting scopes (with external elevation turret if available).
I know that lower the zoom, less glass and better transmission, but i do not want a fixed scope.

Currently I have set my mind to a Zeiss Victory HT 2,5-10x50 with ASV ( external turret)
Anyone better?
Thanks

 

[The_FNG]

Zeiss, Swarovski, Khales, cant go wrong with any of them imo.

 

[Quickdraw40]

Steiner makes a line of hunting scopes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4

 

[shovelstrokeed]

Hi. Im wondering if those of you who has experience with night time (dusk / dawn) hunting could share your optics prefs.
Night vision / thermals are illegal here, so its not an option. Im looking at hunting scopes (with external elevation turret if available).
I know that lower the zoom, less glass and better transmission, but i do not want a fixed scope.

Currently I have set my mind to a Zeiss Victory HT 2,5-10x50 with ASV ( external turret)
Anyone better?
Thanks

Swarovski, is brighter in low light than the Zeiss, proven time and again at my buddies farm. Two guns next door to each other in the same blind. The guy with the Swarovski is counting hairs and the guy with the top end Zeiss is seeing blobs.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Zeiss, Swarovski, Khales, cant go wrong with any of them imo.

This with the exception of the conquest line. S&B is also a great option for a low light hunting scope as well.

 

[2G5MK]

Check out the Steiner 3-12x56. It is very good in terms of low light performance. It has a great reticle illuminatioon system. It has exposed target turrets, and is competitively priced. I have a Premier Reticle 5-25x56, a razor 5-20x50, and a Steiner 3-12x56. I use the steiner on my varmint rifle.

 

[ccoker]

Which models?

 

[jonthomps]

I've got a Kahles 624i for sale in the classifieds right now that's bad to the bone in low light. . .

 

[RHutch]

Swarovski, is brighter in low light than the Zeiss, proven time and again at my buddies farm. Two guns next door to each other in the same blind. The guy with the Swarovski is counting hairs and the guy with the top end Zeiss is seeing blobs.

I find this hard to believe as I have done a similar comparison with both companies highest end models and find the opposite holds true.

 

[sirhitalot]

Which swaro and zeiss optics did he compare?


Fra iPhone

 

[dieselten]

I find this hard to believe as I have done a similar comparison with both companies highest end models and find the opposite holds true.

I have reached the same results

 

[Glassaholic]

Is weight a factor? If so you're going to find few options in the FFP world, but you didn't say FFP was important to you. In regard to pure light transmission you will find few (if any) scopes better than the new Zeiss Victory HT so I think your choice is top notch; however, I highly doubt you'd be disappointed with any of the scopes mentioned above.

Since you are looking for the "most" in light transmission I would also maximize your exit pupil so I might say instead of the Victory HT in 2.5-10x50 I would recommend you look at the Victory HT in 3-12x56mm dress as the extra 6mm is going to help at all focal ranges when the light gets low.

 

[Nate O.]

Hi. Im wondering if those of you who has experience with night time (dusk / dawn) hunting could share your optics prefs.
Night vision / thermals are illegal here, so its not an option. Im looking at hunting scopes (with external elevation turret if available).
I know that lower the zoom, less glass and better transmission, but i do not want a fixed scope.

Currently I have set my mind to a Zeiss Victory HT 2,5-10x50 with ASV ( external turret)
Anyone better?
Thanks

I hunt alot at night with only moonlight and snow. For my situation, literally anything Nikon Monarch and better work great. I have killed coyote out to just shy of 300 yds in the middle of night with nothing but moon and snow. Other optics i've used are Leupy Mark 4, Nightforce and this winter i'll try my new 34mm tubed 3.5-21 g2dmr. They work fine at dawn and dusk also. I tried an eotech once at night, on snow, but it was just to bright and washed out the coyote.

 

[sirhitalot]

I had a situation recently, where i was able to see the deer in my 8x42 zeiss conquest HD ( the german made ones), but was not able to se them at all in my zeiss diavari classic 2,5-10x50. Although cheaper glass, like nikon and bushnell might work at most conditions, im seeking the scope that'll work when all others fail...i will add the 3-12x56 model to the list, but as the eye cant use any more than 7-8mm ish diameter exit pupiø, a 7x50 will give maximum light, just like the 8x56 will..


Fra iPhone

 

[EasternNChunter]

I was going to get the Swarovski Z6 2.5-15x56 for my hunting rifle that is being built but decided I wanted a light weight tactical scope that would be equivalent to the Z6 in terms of low light performance. I decided to go with the Premier Light Tactical 3-15x50. You can't find one with illumination at any of the vendors right now and according to them, it will be quite some time before they produce any more. I was told the Mil Dot reticle is thicker than the XR and would work better for low light hunting. I just put down a deposit on one with Mil turrets.

 

[Glassaholic]

I had a situation recently, where i was able to see the deer in my 8x42 zeiss conquest HD ( the german made ones), but was not able to se them at all in my zeiss diavari classic 2,5-10x50. Although cheaper glass, like nikon and bushnell might work at most conditions, im seeking the scope that'll work when all others fail...i will add the 3-12x56 model to the list, but as the eye cant use any more than 7-8mm ish diameter exit pupiø, a 7x50 will give maximum light, just like the 8x56 will..

Remember that your lighting conditions will have an effect on exit pupil as well. So while 8mm+ might be "too much" during the day, when the light starts fading you're going to want every bit of exit pupil you can get. So for the OP's situation with low light shooting he will actually use lower power to get as much light as possible coming through that rear objective.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

I can kill a deer with any of the MK4 scopes I have owned well past legal shooting time. I doubt my new MK6 will be any different, if reviews are true I expect to have to watch my clock any late evening in November. Uh, I think that is all that is needed unless you are hunting AT night.

 

[sirhitalot]

Here we dont have any legal shooting time, as long as it is safe to shoot.
Its the quality of the glass and coatings that mainly improve low light conditions, i.e the light transmission.
One will also need some magnification to cope with the low contrast. More zoom (not magnification) means more class and lower transmission in general. This is why a Zeiss 8x56 fixed scope is probably the best night hunting scope out there. However, i will use it for all kinds of hunting, and therefore want zoom...