opinions on scopes please

[flopduster]

I know this has been already been discussed here but I would like opinions before i change my scope. I have a springfield 6x20x56 and like it but it is not clear and it makes it difficult to shoot small group even at 100yds(it seems i can never eliminate the parallex, when i set the obj to 100 and focus the eyepiece, i run out of adjustment as it starts to get clear)
I am thinking about a burris black diamond 6x24x50 or pentax LS30 6x24x50, I will probably want to move up when the 35mm tube IOR become available. I know burris assembles the pentax, how much better is the pentax glass??? This scope is used for hunting mostly and the ability to see in near darkness is most important. I had a loopie varIII 6x20x50 and is was very clear but the fine hairs were hard to see late and is was not as bright as the springfield.I am not knocking leopold, but their scopes are not as good in low light as they should be. If leopold would get their light trasmission up to the level of some other scopes, I would buy one in a heartbeat.

Dreaming of a S&B with the 34mm tube.

 

[xring01]

The way I focus my eyepiece...

Set the paralax to infinity and then point the scope to "infinity" and focus the eyepiece....This may help you...

 

[jcpython357]

Flopduster, I was looking at the same Pentax you mentioned at Gander Mt. last week, looked like a very clear scope, had no problem reading a sign hundreds of yards away set on 16x, may go again tonight and compare it with the Burris Sig. they had sitting next to it, from my experience with Burris products, I'd have to recommend them wholeheartedly, I don't see a need to buy an overpriced scope like the S&B, albiet a fine scope, Black Diamond and Lightseeker scopes are very nice optics for any amount of money in my book. But everyone knows that by now.

Jay

 

[flopduster]

I really liked the clarity of my leopold, and I like the fact that the springfield is briter, I just wish i knew which of these(or maybe another scope I haven't considered) would give me both.

xring
I don't know what the problem is other than glass quality, I have tried to focus it every way I could think of. The image is blurry around the edges at its clearest setting, In no way can I read the print on targets at 100yds like I could with the leopold.

 

[H-BAR]

Flopduster the eye bell on a scope is for focusing the reticle. Point your scope at a white wall and look at the reticle only! Then adjust the eye bell until the reticle is clear. When you go outside you will find that the yardages will correspond with the proper distances and that you will not run out of parallax adjustment! If you do not do it in the correct manner you cannot expect the scope to function properly no matter what brand it is!

 

[Mark_in_utah]

I don't have any, but I've heard plenty of raves over the Bushnell 4200 Elite series of scopes.

Personally, I'm sold on Leupold, but that's just me.

Mark in Utah

 

[flopduster]

I understand how to focus a scope whether it is bringing the image to focus or eliminating paralex, the simple fact is that I can not get a clear image with this scope no matter what I do. I can get a relativly clear image of a target at 100(still hazy), but can not get the reticle and the image in the same focal plane. My simmons 4x12x40ao on my rem 597 22 is much clearer.

I would still like to hear opinions on the low light performance of the burris or pentax, is the pentax really better??

 

[jcpython357]

FD, OK, For instance, I was shooting my Cooper which is adorned with a 4-16x-44mm Burris Signature, my then shooting buddy had his wearing a Leupold 4.5-14x-40mm, although my scope was on 10x and his was set at 14x, I had the Light Collector fully closed, which if you know what the Light Collector does, it acts like the aperature on a camera, so being that it was dialed all the way in, the hole when you look inside is about the size of a nickel, when he had me look through his scope, it looked like somebody turned the lights off, another time, same guy different scope, me too, this time 6-24x-44mm Sig.(set on 20x) on my 6mm, his 243 wore a Leupold 6.5-20x-50mm(set at 20x), I was shooting on a snow covered field with a bright sunny day, so I had the Light collector closed again, when he came out to show me his new Jewell trigger and try it out, I had just got done shooting my 6mm and he had me shoot his 243, looked through the scope and my comment was, buddy, it's dark in here, from then on, I knew I bought the right scope over the scope that's supposed to be the "BEST" from my buddies thinking anyway, needless to say, I never looked back. Now I hear that Leupold wants all their retailers to sell their scopes for MSRP, I'm all done with them, though I do like the 3.5-10x on my 7mm08, hey, it was the first "high" quality scope I ever bought(1988). Jay

 

[Nate Haler]

flopduster, I've looked through both the Pentax LS-30 (own one as a matter of fact) in 8.5-32x50 and the Burris BD 8-32x50.

Don't ask why the 0.5 magnification difference between the models, it is irrelevant IMHO.

I'm pretty sure that all the internals in the scope, including the glass, is the same. The newest version of the BD looks much more like the Pentax than the previous BD (which was blockier and had an ocular assembly that moved instead of just the magnification ring).

Image quality, etc. is identical as far as I can tell. Suggest you buy whichever you can get for less. FWIW, the Burris BD is capable of competing with any scope there is at any price for things like varmint shooting, 1,000y BR, and F-Class. You can pay a lot more, but I don't think your dollar outlay will get you more results.

Bragging rights? Well, what I care about happens downrange, not as it sits on the bench.

If you want another option in the $600 or so price range, you might have a look at the Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50. It has a one inch tube, but it has 45 MOA of up (6 MOA more than the Burris/Pentax models mentioned), and can be had with a mildot reticle and bullet drop compensator. (Both, not either...) Cost from a Highland Gear in Quincy, IL (see their website) is $620 plus about $6.00 shipping. Optics are superb, warranty is forever and follows the scope, not just the original owner.

Target knobs, side focus. Maybe a worthy contender!

 

[Brent]

flopduster,

I know exactly what you mean on the clarity and parallax...

My dad is sending his SA Gen 3 scope back as the thing will not focus completely or remove all the parallax, trust me it won't, so I'm not surprised to hear yours won't either.

Last time out we were at 300 yards and I thought he had sent it back already and put one of the other SA scopes he has on it. I couldn't believe he was even trying to shoot with it again.

Even set on infinity, there's still a ton of parallax, you "must" center your eye in the ocular, and still it's so bad it's almost a waste of time to try and shoot a nice group...

I'd send it back, get it fixed and sell the thing.

I think all my dads SA scopes have an image that's blurry and distorted looking, they might be bright but if I had to look through one on a continual basis I'd rather shoot myself. My dad loves them.

He likes them better than his NF BR 8-32, so I tell him when you're ready to sell me it I'll take it.

He don't like them that much better tho.

I'll let you all see how Burris customer service, warranty and quality control have improved, or not. I'm definitely in no rush to lay money down for anything with their name on it at this point, but that's me...