Rifle Scopes Better Eye Box/Relief Near Top of Magnification Range

[WB300]

Looking to purchase a new (or used) scope, but it's impossible to find a single place where i can compare some side by side. So I've come to the Hide for opinions from those who have time behind the following scopes....

After considering glass, turrets, illumination, reticles...etc, the next priority for me is a forgiving/generous eye box/eye relief in the 20x-25x range, and forgiving parallax. I know eye box and eye relief get tighter as you near max magnification, but some get tighter sooner throughout the range than others. And some scopes need adjusting of the parallax about every 50 yards. The only scope below I've been able to finger-bang is the NF. Impressive for sure, but 7x is getting up there for the low end while hunting.

NF ATACR 7-35x56
Leica PRS 5-30x56
Steiner M7Xi 4-28x56
Steiner T6Xi 5-30x56
ZCO 5-27x56 (Only added to the list for future consideration)

Use will be range (1400 yds max), intro into PRS, and hunting. Budget is $3K max.

Any other scopes I should be considering? Please no Vortex or Leupold.

Thanks in advance.

Will

 

[carbonbased]

What are you hunting?

 

[Rob01]

Take a look at the Burris Pro also. It is a nice big eye box when you get behind it.

 

[WB300]

What are you hunting?

Magnification used for hunting will be on the lower end of the magnification range. Deer, hogs...etc from danger close on out. Hogs in GA swamps at 40 yards while moving is tough to get quick shots on higher magnification which is why the 7x on the NF is probably more than I want.

The reason for the thread is more about positional shooting on higher magnification while hunting steel. I figure most of my shooting will be under 20x, but i don't want a tight eye box and have to creep closer to the scope to shoot on 20x-25x if I needed to.

And the less I have to adjust the parallax to get a clear image on targets, the better.

 

[Obi-WanKannoli]

ZCO 420 might be a good fit.

 

[WB300]

I would love one of those, but it doesn't really fit what I want at this moment.... especially the budget requirement.

 

[Obi-WanKannoli]

I would love one of those, but it doesn't really fit what I want at this moment.... especially the budget requirement.

I think you'd be surprised, you're not far off if you're willing to go used. May be some Schmidts used in that range as well. I have the 3-20 PMII US for similar uses and love it.

 

[WB300]

How's the eye box at 20x?

 

[Obi-WanKannoli]

How's the eye box at 20x?

Beautiful. Forgiving enough that I can hold it up to my eyes free hand, off a rifle, like a telescope and use it just fine. On a rifle, 100% usable at 20x shooting. I did not understand what this tier of optics offered until I bought this...now I am ruined lol.

 

[carbonbased]

Magnification used for hunting will be on the lower end of the magnification range. Deer, hogs...etc from danger close on out. Hogs in GA swamps at 40 yards while moving is tough to get quick shots on higher magnification which is why the 7x on the NF is probably more than I want.

I dunno man…seems like you need two scopes. The only scope I know of that goes to 3x and past 20x is the S&B 3-27, but it gets so-so reviews around here.

The two scopes option would be like a 1-6x, 1-8x, 1-10x, or 2-10x etc for hunting and a higher mag scope for comps or steel. Close range stuff is not going to work with 5x, and 4x is marginal with a hog running at you (although maybe the ZCO 4-20 has enough FOV?).

March makes a 2.5x-25x52mm but it's only SFP. NF makes a 2.5-20x50mm NX8 that might work but is it high enough mag for you? Older versions were panned but new models seem to work well.

I'm sort of out of ideas.

 

[Obi-WanKannoli]

I dunno man…seems like you need two scopes. The only scope I know of that goes to 3x and past 20x is the S&B 3-27, but it gets so-so reviews around here.

The two scopes option would be like a 1-6x, 1-8x, 1-10x, or 2-10x etc for hunting and a higher mag scope for comps or steel. Close range stuff is not going to work with 5x, and 4x is marginal with a hog running at you (although maybe the ZCO 4-20 has enough FOV?).

March makes a 2.5x-25x52mm but it's only SFP. NF makes a 2.5-20x50mm NX8 that might work but is it high enough mag for you? Older versions were panned but new models seem to work well.

I'm sort of out of ideas.

Eyebox and FOV on NX8 line is tight. I found it tough to work with.

 

[carbonbased]

I guess you could use a higher mag scope and hang an RMR off the top or at ~45º for emergency close range shots? I have no experience with such a setup.

 

[carbonbased]

Eyebox and FOV on NX8 line is tight. I found it tough to work with.

Yeah, I've read that about the 2.5-20, especially near the top end. I own a very recent 4-32x NX8 and it's fine (and I'm eyebox sensitive).

 

[carbonbased]

What I'm getting at is what the OP seems to want is (almost) not in the marketplace. I wouldn't want to hunt anything close-up, let alone close and dangerous, with a 4x.

The 3-27 S&B is sorta the only one that meets the lower zoom range that I might be comfortable with for hunting…but I'd rather have a 2x for the sort of hunting the OP is talking about. And for for shooting pdogs I like having at least 25x on tap. That 3-27 is absurdly priced too.

 

[WB300]

Yea, I have other rigs for when I hunt swamps specifically for hogs. 3x-5x on the low end is preferred, but I wouldn't want to go above 7x like on the NF. The times I would be engaging hogs and deer this close would be a rare exception, not the norm.

My main focus is the higher mag range.

 

[Huskydriver]

Look at the exit pupil in the specs. It's not everything but is a leading indicator how tight scope a will be vs scope b.

 

[carbonbased]

Yea, I have other rigs for when I hunt swamps specifically for hogs. 3x-5x on the low end is preferred, but I wouldn't want to go above 7x like on the NF. The times I would be engaging hogs and deer this close would be a rare exception, not the norm.

My main focus is the higher mag range.

Oh, well shit, if 6x will do buy a Razor 6-36 Gen III. Koskin/ILya/Dark Lord of Optics has said it bats with the big boys like ZCO/TT. Look up Liberty Optics. You're not going to find anything else with that price to performance ratio.

Me? For a one-scope close hunting and longer range setup (more than 15x) it's gonna be a compromise but the 3-18x56 Steiner sounds interesting, or maybe a 2.5-20x50mm NX8 or 3-20 PM II (obscene price again).

 

[Rob01]

LOL If he wants a Gen III 6-36 I know someone right up the road in NC who has one at a good price.

 

[carbonbased]

Just noticed he said "no vortex or leupold" and "under $3k". OP has some tight specs, for sure.

 

[Rob01]

Yeah can't help who makes it but it's well under his price cap.

 

[WB300]

Just noticed he said "no vortex or leupold" and "under $3k". OP has some tight specs, for sure.

..... which is why I listed the scopes I'm considering and was looking for input from folks who have some time behind them.

I apologize if I wasn't clear in my original post.

Thank you for the responses.

 

[carbonbased]

..... which is why I listed the scopes I'm considering and was looking for input from folks who have some time behind them.

I apologize if I wasn't clear in my original post.

Thank you for the responses.

Me and the peanut gallery been answering your last question (but some of us, ahem, missed some of your early qualifications, sorry):

Any other scopes I should be considering? Please no Vortex or Leupold.

I think your initial selections have pretty much wrapped it up. I assume you have a line on a good deal on the NF 7-35 as it’s $3600 (yeah people I know you can get deals).

The only other scope I’ve heard good things about that fits inside your box is the Element Theos 6-36×56 (ILya said it was promising). Oh, the 4x20 ATACR as well.

You could join ILya/koshkin’s patreon-type site and ask him directly:

DarkLordOfOptics

Connect with ILya and other members of DarkLordOfOptics community

darklordofoptics.locals.com

He also runs opticsthoughts. Here’s his recommendation’s broken down by price: https://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=623

Search Dark Lord of Optics on YT.

You probably already know all this. Maybe it’ll help the next guy.

Just trying to help. Good luck.

 

[Denys]

I dunno man…seems like you need two scopes. The only scope I know of that goes to 3x and past 20x is the S&B 3-27, but it gets so-so reviews around here.

The two scopes option would be like a 1-6x, 1-8x, 1-10x, or 2-10x etc for hunting and a higher mag scope for comps or steel. Close range stuff is not going to work with 5x, and 4x is marginal with a hog running at you (although maybe the ZCO 4-20 has enough FOV?).

March makes a 2.5x-25x52mm but it's only SFP. NF makes a 2.5-20x50mm NX8 that might work but is it high enough mag for you? Older versions were panned but new models seem to work well.

I'm sort of out of ideas.

March also make a 3-24X42 and a 3-24X52 and those are FFP. They have ED glass, of course, and I think they are under $3k.

 

[fdkay]

Leica PRS scope is worth a look.
The issue, frequently, is the dual use idea.
Sounds great on paper, the execution is typically a different story.
To be honest, 18X is really sufficient for most PRS endeavors, most competitors are shooting between 18x and 20x anyway.
A really nice 3-18x or 4-20x would likely fit your stated goals
This would work, the only issue is the limited adjustment range.

TORIC UHD 30mm 4-20X50 FFP MRAD PRS Long Range Rifle Scope

The TORIC 30mm FFP 4-20X50 MRAD Long Range Rifle Scope is specifically designed for the shooter looking to maximize the performance of his cartridge.

tractoptics.com