AusVarmint

I'm a sambarman first n foremost & use Leupold VX3's & Zeiss Conquests exclusively, which work great for me. But I wanted to get some feedback/YO from varminters regarding these & other scopes(ones you recommend also) listed below.

The rifle is a Blaser R8 in 22-250Rem.

Looking at: Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42, Minox Z5 3-15x50, Minox Z5 3-15x42 OR Bushnell, Nikon. Or should I just buy another Leupy VX11, 3 or Conquest & be done with it?


PS-1" tube suggestions only. Cheers

I run a 5-15x40 Bushnell 3200 on my 22-250 and it works a treat, i dont spotlight with it so i cant comment on that part but for a daytime scope at a decent price its hard to beat.

Seddo, those 5-15 3200 Bushnells do look sweet. PM coming your way mate

I've got a Minox 4-20x50SF and it is a very nice scope for the price.

It is better than a Burris Black Diamond that I own.

It is better than the Viper Vortex scopes I've had a chance to look through - but they are a cheaper scope and remain good value for money.

I have not compared it to a Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20 yet, but expect it to be pretty much lineball.

The Minox scopes are good, but another Zeiss Conquest would not be a bad thing. IMHO the Leupold range does not represent good value for money.

Some bloody good info there ads, cheers mate

Hi tez,

I have an elite 3200 as the same as seddo. Great scope for varmints although i wish I had purchased something a little higher in power for load development. It just really helps when you can zoom right in to a particular spot on the target.

overall, great scope.

alex1 wrote:Hi tez,

I have an elite 3200 as the same as seddo. Great scope for varmints although i wish I had purchased something a little higher in power for load development. It just really helps when you can zoom right in to a particular spot on the target.

overall, great scope.

Great stuff Alex

Which reticle you blokes running?

I have a Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x50 and 3-9x40,Vortex Viper 6-20x44,Sightron S11 Bigsky 4-16x42 and 3-12x42.
And out of that list the Bushnell 6-24x50 rates the lowest with the Sightrons level pegging for first place.

James270 has a Ziess Conquest which is also a nice bit of glass.

One thing I have noticed is that people have different views of how good their optics are and I know a bloke who swears by his Nikko Stirlings and another swears at them.I think people try to justify there purchase by deriding other brands when at the end of the day it is what the user is happy with.

My advice would be to try as many as you can before passing over your hard earned.

so at the end of the day, how do you define a varmint scope. Definition, reticle, fixed or ao or price?
as for definition who's going to give a rats arse how a varmint looks in the scope( saying this i do like clear optics although most varminters are on a budget of some kind). Reticle means allot. And then you have the option between a fixed or adjustable objective. For varminting I personally like ao, although allot of guy's would object. And then you pay for what you get.

that's just my 2 cents. what do you guys like??

At the end of the day if i could pick one set of optics for a wide range of shooting disciplines it would be a nice nf( i would love to own one). You can never estimate enough power in a scope. Then again if you are only going to use factory ammo and factory firearms then spend money on a mid-ranged scope.

If only you hadn't said 1" only. My suggestion would be a bushnell 6500.

Could you go wrong with a VX3 or Conquest.
You are familiar with them and like them (otherwise you wouldn't use them exclusively).

Cheers lads, keep it coming.

Just been surfing the net on the Nikon Monarch 4-16x50(side focus). Looks bloody well priced for a 50mm Japanese made scope.
Any here have a Monarch or seen em. Thoughts.

MISSED wrote:I know a bloke who swears by his Nikko Stirlings and another swears at them.

ill go along with that...
7 sent back in 2 yrs,last one i got back is still in the box pos.
but...having said that i did like the clear optics and they were good under a spotlight.shame really.
the vortex crossfire 3.5-10x50 v-plex is a nice scope and is clearer in all conditions.

the nikko stirling platinum nighteater 3-10x42 that came with my howa 308 is nice and clear during the day,but for some reason whites out under a spotlight....

I am currently running a Conquest 6.5 -20 x 50 and my 204 and I am really impressed by it. Glass is very clear and it works exceptionally well under the light. Resolution starts to drop off at about 18x under the light but that really isnt an issue for me as I rarely use it over 12x when spotlighting.

Eye relief is good and the side focus is another advantage over standard AO when shooting prone. It has a #4 reticle which I find quite good. It didnt come with a sunshade and they are a pricy item to purchase seperately but to date I havent had an issue with sun flare. The Bushnell Elites I own and have used suffer terribly from sun flare and the lack of internal elevation adjustments have also been a cause of concern. The Elite 6500 series has a wide magnification range but my understanding is that they use the same glass as the 4200 series.

I am not a fan of the Vortex scopes but others seem to like them so I guess personal preference plays a big part. I havent used a S&B, Kahles, Z6 etc in anger and I am sure that the conquest would start to struggle in such esteemed company but for the price I paid I am very happy with it. As an added bonus I believe the Australian importer has recently revised the pricing structure to an extent where they provide excellent value for money.

horsley park were running a special on all Nikon scopes a few weeks ago. I picked up a 6-18x40 Mildot Buckmaster for under $350 posted. Very nice to look through and on par with the Bushnell 3200's. I will use it to 300y tomorrow and give it a propper go.

love my vortex scopes!! i think theres one second hand in the for sale section, would be a good bargin!