Hmmm, ok.
As most of the shots that I take are way less than 40 yards, I look first look at if a scope has either side or objective focus, the vast preference is for side focus.
I sight my scope in so it is hitting a square of black electrical tape on a white background, at 30 yards.
Clarity is not quite, but almost as important, weight or length don't come into the equation for me shooting out of the ute.
I like plenty of magnification, I use 8 power now, but used 6 power before and a nice big objective lens, 50mm is preferred.
I wont look at any of the American scopes, the ones that I have tried have all been next to useless to me.
I like a #4 reticule, but a wide duplex is pretty good as well, the #4 seem to have nice thick side bars and they really stand out well in the light. Click adjustments are way better than friction type in my opinion, and 1/4 inch or 6/7mm movements,, but you can get away with 1/2 inch movements if you have adjustable rings/mounts.
It doesn't make much difference if they are steel tube or aluminium to me.
The scope I have on my rifle now is a Ziess Conquest 4-14x50 side focus model. I like this one the best, and am glad that I got it. Was the most expensive scope I purchased at the time, balked a bit at the 1100.00 price tag, but I think its well worth it now. Got it from QGE, but that was before I discovered the joy of internet shopping, I would have got it from O/S if I had known how to go about it at the time. The light gathering ability on this one is very good, I can still see rabbits heads 90 degrees out the window using the little light I have set at about 40 degrees off front mounted under my mirror, where you cant see them with the naked eye.
In the past I have used a few others, all seem to be the Euro type scopes, I reckon that because they usually pay more attention to the light gathering abilities of their scopes than the yanks do.
Starting with an old Kahles 6x42, was a goodun, but had a chip in the ocular lens and some of the coating was starting to let go on the objective, the biggest trouble was it didn't have paralex focus available. I have had that one since the 70's along with my old Brno mod 2 rifle, its been retired, one day hope to get a new barrel in the rifle and scope fancied up a bit.
Had a Tasco Euro class 6x42, which I thought was a pretty good scope, on a par with the Kahles in my opinion,
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
it had a 30mm tube, worked well and I still have it in the cupboard. I reckon they were very good product and fantastic for the price they were selling for at the time, now I doubt if anyone would want to pay more than 50 bucks for it, Ill keep it. Again, no focus ability.
Got hold of a second hand Pecar 8x45 in very good condition and used that for 6 or so months, again a very good scope, but no focus ability, paralex at 40 yards was woeful, so I sold it to a mate who just had to have it to go with his other one he had.
Tried Leupold, Redfield and Weaver scopes at various times, but they aren't in the ball park as far as Im concerned. Might be different these days, but Im happy with the setup I have now and wont be changing anything unless something breaks. Would like to try some of the really top end Euro glass, but the price of them puts a dampener on that idea.
One of the main things I try and let people know is to get what suites you and your eyes. others may disagree, but hey, they are entitled to be wrong.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)