I can't wait to get my 17 WSM

[CBorg]

Am thinking a 4.5-14 but I'm worried that 4.5x isn't low enough magnification for daytime calling.
I am also thinking as to what obj? 50mm maybe for better light transmission of a night?
Maybe I should just get a 4-12x50?
What do you guys think?

the minox 3-15x50 might be the go then. cameralandny has open box scopes from $399 +post

[kjd]

Am thinking a 4.5-14 but I'm worried that 4.5x isn't low enough magnification for daytime calling.
I am also thinking as to what obj? 50mm maybe for better light transmission of a night?
Maybe I should just get a 4-12x50?
What do you guys think?

the minox 3-15x50 might be the go then. cameralandny has open box scopes from $399 +post

wow thats a good price. It might be a good choice indeed.

[andrewk]

The German engineer must have lied to me then

[louie the fly]

I see Minox make a 3-15 x 50 scope, might be worth a look?? They seem to be good value for money.

I have used a leupold 4.5-14 x 50 scope without the side focus, it was okay. I feel leupold are good overall scopes which have a huge range of good features but do nothing great (if that makes sense), particularly when compared to some European brands such as zeiss. I can definitely recommend zeiss conquest scopes as being an excellent scope in terms of build quality and optical clarity. I guess scope size and magnification can be determined by the desired purpose of your rifle and I think something with at least 3x magnification and a maximum around 14 x would fit the bill very nicely.

Bmag looks like an interesting rifle, can't say I like the aesthetics, but looks like a workhorse of a rifle. Looking forward to seeing some comparative reviews with the 17hmr, 22WMR and 17HH.

All the best.

[kjd]

The German engineer must have lied to me then

OR could have been mistaken or could have just had an opinion...

From the best I can tell the 30mm tubes would make a minimal difference and that is only if they are using internal lenses that suit a 30mm scope, most use the same lenses as 1" scopes so please tell me the physics of how it would be possible for a 30mm tube to transmit more light?

The larger 30mm main tubes on some tubes are most useful for allowing for a greater range of elevation adjustments, not greater light transmission. In fact, most 30mm scopes have the same size lenses that are in one inch tubes.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/how-to-choo ... .html#ch03

Tube diameter has no affect on "gathering" light. The incoming light is gathered by the front lens, which may be corrected by other lenses, then the light collimates (the focal crossover point) somewhere near the center of the scope. Then it continues to the eye piece where more corrective lenses are probably used. The image radiates away from the center in opposite directions (the incoming and outgoing image). The only effect the tube has is, as the cone diameter increases (both to the front and to the rear), its likelihood of blocking some of the edge image. What this means is wider diameter tubes allow for a wider field of view. The exit pupil may also be affected.

Edited for clarity. Also, another poster mentioned greater reticle adjustment, which is true. I'm not a scope guy but an old skool photo guy.

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/inde ... 07259.html

natman wrote:

I'd like to clear up what is probably a pretty basic point of scope light transmission. As I see it all scopes transmit some large percentage of available light and lose some small percentage. Larger lenses, larger tubes, better coatings can cause a scope to lose a smaller percentage, but no conventional scope can transmit ALL the light, much less make the image brighter than it is to the naked eye. Larger & clearer, yes - brighter, no.

Am I on the right track?
With everything but the tube size. Tube size has nothing to do with light transmission

http://www.opticstalk.com/basic-light-t ... 30276.html

[andrewk]

thanks Keith and now my personal experience has somehow no weight... now let me sell all my 30mil scopes

[r_j_t1982]

the biggest factor in 1" v 30mm scopes could be quality of lenses.

30mm tube scopes were designed for and marketed at the upper end of the market, thus many would have been made using better grade glass/coatings than many of the 1" tubes marketed at the mid range or mainstream segment of the market.

now that the market for 30mm tubes has expanded (cheaper and widespread access to 30mm rings, shady marketing re 'better light transmission' etc) we will of course see more and more 30mm tubes with the lower grade glass and coatings aimed at the lower segments of the market. These days products are first designed to a purpose then secondly engineered down to a variety of price points....