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Which scope for hunting?
Sighting devices on hunting rifles are becoming more and more advanced over time. While a few decades ago hunters mostly used open sights - so-called shooting via "rear sight and front sight", today there are various forms of aiming aids - mostly in the form of telescopic sights or red dot sights. Thus, over time, special types of these aiming aids and scopes for different types of hunting have emerged. Three types stand out in particular.
The classic: The typical and probably most commonly used riflescope is the gladly so-called "all-round glass". It is a solid rifle scope, which usually has a lens diameter of 56mm and a magnification range of 3-12 or 3-15 or 1,5-15. These scopes are also often referred to by the combination of these values - i.e.: 3-12 x 56. A dimmable illuminated dot in the center of the reticle has also become standard. This glass is an absolutely popular choice, especially with young hunters, as it can be used for stalking and raised hide hunting, as well as for twilight and night hunting with the moon. For this purpose, it can now often even be combined with a pre or post sight. Furthermore, it can also be used on movement hunts such as driven hunts. A true all-round riflescope.
The driven hunt scope: In order to perform well on movement hunts while keeping the overall weight of the rifle low and the level of balance high, many shooters - especially more experienced shooters - like to use a so-called driven hunt glass on movement hunts. These driven hunt binoculars usually have objective lens diameters between 22 and 42mm and a magnification range in the lower single digits (popular sizes are: 1-4x42, 2-6x36, 2-4x32, etc.). With these features, the scope should favor being able to cleanly stretch elusive game at short distances.
The red dot: The red dot sight, often simply called red dot, represents the absolute movement hunting glass. It usually consists of an optic with 1 to a maximum of 3 times magnification and shows only one (usually red glowing) dot in the reticle. It is also very popular in tactical shooting and sport shooting.
How much does a rifle scope cost?
The prices of rifle scopes vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and model. For beginners, there are all-round scopes starting at about 350-500€. The professionals prefer to fall back on brand quality and this has its price. 2000€ - 4000€ is the range that covers most high-quality branded riflescopes. In some cases you can spend even more for your optics. The price depends heavily on the requirements one has for his scope. These requirements, in turn, are based on one's personal pursuit of hunting. How often do you hunt? When do you hunt?
Especially online, you can get a good idea of the scopes on the market by comparing prices. Gunfinder is here to help you find the right scope for you. To do this, it is important that you pay close attention to your needs and thus also to the essential characteristics of the rifle scope in terms of mechanics, construction, image quality and magnification.
What does the reticle mean for rifle scopes?
In hunter's language, the so-called "reticle" refers to the crosshairs of an optical system. Over time, the reticles of rifle scopes have also evolved greatly. While there used to be only a handful of reticles, nowadays a wide variety of hunting optics are available with a wide variety of crosshairs. In addition to the type of reticle, which is often designated with a number (e.g. reticle No.4), modern rifle scopes also have a dimmable illuminated dot as standard. As mentioned above, red dot sights, which only have the illuminated red dot as an indicator in the optics, are very popular, especially for driven hunts. The reticle should also be chosen according to the type of hunting.
What does transmission/twilight figure mean for a riflescope?
Light transmission (transmittance)is the ability of optical glass or optical systems to "let through" as many light rays as possible.
In a good or fast riflescope, the light transmission should be more than 90 percent.
The transmission performance or transmission loss of optical devices, such as binoculars, riflescopes, etc., depends heavily on the optical coating of the lenses.
Another important factor for the level of transmission loss, e.g. of binoculars, is the type of lens used.
Basically, however, it can be stated that a riflescope works better in twilight if it has a higher lens diameter, since the light transmission generally increases proportionally to the lens diameter.
What scope mounts are available?
There are various mounting systems for rifle scopes and other hunting optics. Among the best known and most popular mounting types for rifle scopes are the EAW swivel mount, the Picatinny rail, the single-hook mount, the ring mount and the Hexalock mount. The mount types sometimes differ greatly in terms of their modularity, area of application, and also price.
Before you purchase a scope for a new or used gun, you should consider how you want to mount it on the gun and whether the two parts are compatible. Especially with used guns, you should pay attention to which base is already available for which mount. Even by gun manufacturer, the type of mount used varies, sometimes greatly.
What does the field of view mean for a riflescope?
The field of view of a binocular or riflescope is given either in degrees (angle of view) or in meters. The size of the field of view indicates the width of terrain that can be observed through the binoculars at a distance of 1000 meters.
In contrast, for riflescopes, the field of view is usually given for distances of 100 meters.
Binoculars without a wide-angle function have fields of view of up to 130 meters. A larger field of view makes it easier to observe large objects and to track moving objects. With increasing magnification, the field of view generally decreases for any optic, which also depends on the design of the optical system.
It happens time and again that even suppliers of inexpensive entry-level products make generous claims regarding the field of view, which hardly differ from those of the significantly more expensive brand-name products. It should be noted that this information is not necessarily incorrect, but the larger field of view is achieved at the expense of reduced edge sharpness. Other suppliers, on the other hand, advertise optimum edge sharpness, but conceal the fact that this was achieved by reducing the field of view.
Which manufacturers are there?
As mentioned above, there are many different rifle scopes from many different manufacturers that serve many different hunting needs. We would like to introduce you to a few brands below.
ZeissSince 1904, ZEISS has been a pioneer in the field of rifle scopes for hunting rifles. It secured this leading position through a multitude of innovations and an extremely high standard of quality. Milestones include the two hunting riflescopes with variable magnifications from 1922: the Zielmulti, or aiming mulitlar - and the Zielmacht, the first riflescope to combine high magnification with maximum twilight performance.
SvarowskiSwarovski Optik is without question one of the best-known manufacturers of high-quality rifle scopes and has enjoyed great popularity among hunters for many years. Swarovski rifle scopes all have one thing in common - the combination of state-of-the-art precision technology with robust construction and elegant design. Adverse conditions such as poor lighting, extreme temperatures or simply long distances are not an obstacle for the developers and designers of Swarovski rifle scopes, but an incentive to always make the perfect shot possible even in these situations. Flexible ballistic turrets, Swarolight and Flexchange are just a few examples of the technical innovations with which Swarovski continues to perfect its rifle scopes.
BlaserWorld-renowned and respected as a gun manufacturer, Blaser is now also trying its hand at rifle scopes and is not doing badly either. Blaser's credo here: "Only in conjunction with first-class riflescope optics can the hunter reliably utilize the performance of his rifle. It is therefore all the more important that the function and operation of the optics are perfectly geared to hunting practice. If, in addition, the design of the riflescope is matched to the rifle, the result is a combination of unique elegance and performance. "
Leica: Leica rifle scopes stand for passionate hunting and good technology. With its riflescope series, Leica has developed riflescopes that are intended to provide the hunter with both detailed viewing experiences and perfect aiming tools for safe, hunter-oriented shooting. Leica riflescopes are intended to be intuitive, stable value systems that support hunting with sharp image contrast, natural resolution and unrivaled fields of view.
Schmidt & Bender: Schmidt & Bender is a German company specializing in the production and development of high-quality riflescopes for hunting and sport, as well as police and military use. In particular, the Police Marksman series( PM and PM II for short) are used by many special forces worldwide.
These brands represent a sample of the brand pool of high-end riflescopes.
Meopta: Meopta is an internationally operating company with a long successful tradition in the development, design and manufacture of high-end optical, opto-mechanical and opto-electronic products. Meopta claims that its products are state of the art in design, engineering, manufacturing and assembly and guarantees products and customer service of the highest quality for industrial, military and private end users.
Minox: Minox riflescopes are consistently designed and developed to meet the fundamental requirements that exist in hunting and long range shooting. Minox riflescopes are designed to be rugged and resistant to all weather conditions. Minox will uncompromisingly emphasize the highest possible quality and fine mechanical precision in the design and manufacture. Quality, precision, solidity and longevity - these are the values to which the Minox brand subscribes.
Kahles: Austrian riflescope manufacturer, Kahles, has focused on two core areas: Hunting and Sport Shooting. In each case, well-aligned product lines are designed to provide the best possible support for hunters and sport shooters, respectively, in order to surpass individual limits and best performances. Since its founding in 1989, Kahles has focused on the production of riflescopes. It is hardly surprising that the models combine extensive experience and continuous development.
Steiner: Steiner is a traditional company founded in 1947 by Karl Steiner. Today, the company is a renowned international enterprise and has 150 employees in Bayreuth. Steiner-Optik is active in over 80 countries around the world. For more than 70 years, the name Steiner-Optik has stood for very high quality workmanship and precision craftsmanship. The vision of technically perfect binoculars that optimally inspire people in their experiences accompanied Karl Steiner throughout his life. This claim, which was continued by his son Carl Steiner, still stands as a credo for the company today. Steiner binoculars and rifle scopes symbolize optical innovation and embody the highest quality in their workmanship.
These brands represent a sample of the brand pool of riflescopes in the mid-price segment.
BushnellBushnell is the market leader for optical systems in the USA. Many years ago, the Bushnell Corporation, based in Southern Pennsylvania, began producing optical accessories for sport shooters. Gradually, the product range was expanded to include binoculars, spotting scopes, rifle scopes, night vision devices and much more. The optical quality of the systems should meet the highest demands and at the same time have an excellent price-performance ratio.
LeupoldLeupold and Stevens, Inc. is a fifth-generation American family-owned company that has been designing and manufacturing precision optics for more than 100 years. Leupold's success as a company is founded on its commitment to completely satisfy customer demands and provide the best optics for shooting sports, law enforcement and military purposes.
Geco: The Geco riflescope series is characterized primarily by its high zoom factors as well as good optical performance. Geco optics can be used in pretty much all hunting situations and deliver a good listing in terms of transmission, exit pupil and field of view even in low light conditions. These convincing results are possible because the Geco Gold riflescopes use state-of-the-art multi-layer coatings and optical calculations. During the development of the riflescopes, special emphasis was placed on the fine illuminated dot as well as the high adjustment travel and tool-free zeroing with integrated GECOtrac Target Turret. The compact design features an integrated lens thread and high-quality material.
These brands represent a sample of the pool of brands of rifle scopes in the lower price segment.
Where to buy a rifle scope?
A riflescope, especially one that fits your gun and needs, can be purchased very easily on the internet, or from the gunsmith you trust. Whereas the gunsmith usually offers the advantage of an assembly of the optics on site, you have the possibility on the Internet to compare different scopes and target optics according to different categories.
Of course, you can surf on the pages of the gun dealers for your suitable scope, or also - especially in the case of the acquisition of a used gun - search on the common portals on which used weapons are advertised.
But you can also be clever and use Gunfinder.de. Gunfinder offers you the great advantage that you can make your comparison with a large number of category options at your discretion. Furthermore, Gunfinder searches all of the above-mentioned common portals for you and compiles the best results in an overview.
Make the right choice
A good quality rifle scope is the key to success, whether shooting at the range or hunting. Scopes bring targets and objects in the environment closer to the hunter or sports shooter, allowing for better and more accurate marksmanship.
Through their lenses, rifle scopes collect and use available light. This makes it possible to shoot even in low-light conditions. As a result, with the right glass, the hunter can hunt effortlessly and be successful even at dawn or dusk.
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