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Best Compact Riflescope |
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Fishinado
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Posted: March/16/2008 at 19:40 |
I recently purchased a Ruger frontier rifle in .308. A very compact/short gun with a 16" barrel. I would appreciate some suggestions on which of the med-high end, compact scopes would be a good fit.
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Price range?
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Fishinado
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Under $750
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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In order of descending price:
Kahles CL 2-7x36 is probably at the top of the list. There are some floating around in your price range. Zeiss Conquest 2.5-8x32 is a good choice. Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36 is a nice compact scope that many people like. Vortex Viper 2-7x32 is a nice scope that is also available with a holdover reticle along with a regular plex. New Nikon Monarch 2-8x32 seemed very good to me and is another scope that has a holdover reticle as an option. Sightron S2 2.5-10x32 gives you bit more magnificaiton if you want it and is the cheapest of the bunch. There are a few other (cheaper) scopes that would work for you, but I think these are the best options in the "$250 and up" price range. I have the Kahles and played extensively with the Sightron, Leupold and Zeiss. Nikon and Vortex I have had some "hands on" time with, but not as much. I would be comfortable with any of these, but I went with the Kahles myself. I think Kahles CL is the best 1" tube scope currently on the market. ILya |
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Lawnfella
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 67 |
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I would go with the Kahles CL 2-7x36 or the Zeiss Conquest 2.5x832. You'll be happy with either one.
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Fishinado
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Spaceeba Ilya. I have a 2-7 Kahles, I agree, the best in it's class, I may go with it again, but wanted to know some other options. The Conquest is a bit long, and I don't think the Ruger bolt handle will clear the larger eye piece. I also have a 2.5-8 VXIII, also one of my favs, also too long. Seems like you gave me all the options. Where would we be without you? You are the man!!
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Pozhaluista (or if you prefer пожалуйста).
If you have concerns about the bolt handle clearing the eyepiece, Sightron S2 and Vortex Viper have comparatively compact eyepieces (a touch smaller than the Leupold). Also, there are a couple of Kahles American Hunter 2-7x36 scopes on the samplelist that have eyepieces a bit smaller than the CL. ILya Edited by koshkin - March/16/2008 at 21:28 |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Alternatively, you could also go with an even smaller scope. Something along the lines of Sightron S2 Big Sky 1.5-5x20.
ILya |
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Big Squeeze
Optics Master Extraordinaire GOOGLE NINJA Joined: August/30/2007 Location: Anaheim, Calif. Status: Offline Points: 3143 |
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Fishinado
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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My Frontier is not a scout. Some of the hunting I do requires jumping in and out of a vehicle, so I'm excited about the short, handiness aspect. I'd like to go with the Kahles, but doesn't look like the bolt will clear, and I want to mount it low. SO...what do you think guys, which one, S2, VX, or Viper?
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Big Squeeze
Optics Master Extraordinaire GOOGLE NINJA Joined: August/30/2007 Location: Anaheim, Calif. Status: Offline Points: 3143 |
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Fishinado,
Koshkin is correct. FYI, I have the 2-7X36 American Hunter and 2-7X36 CL as well as a 4X Conquest that has the same diameter eyepiece as the 2.5-8X36 model suggested. I just miked the eyepiece diameters of all 3. The AH eyepiece is 1.535" dia, the CL eyepiece is 1.675" dia, and the Conquest eyepiece is 1.610" dia. For comparison, I miked 2 of my Leupold eyepieces and both were 1.555" dia, so the Kahles AH 2-7X36 eyepiece is 0.020" smaller dia than a typical Leupold eyepiece. Hope this is helpful
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Vortex Viper eyepiece is supposedly 1.5" and Sightron S2 is 1.53 (according to manufacturers').
ILya |
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Fishinado
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Big Squeeze, it's a SS/laminated salt & pepper, and the tag on the gun said Frontier.
Ted, great info, thanks! I haven't measured anything yet, just eyeballing. The CL is choice #1, if it'll fit!
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Big Squeeze
Optics Master Extraordinaire GOOGLE NINJA Joined: August/30/2007 Location: Anaheim, Calif. Status: Offline Points: 3143 |
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The Kahles 2x7 has an ocular bell diameter of 43mm (1.69"). My Elite 4200 has an ocular bell diameter of 41mm. Before I went with the highest possible Ruger rings to clear the scout base, I used the Ruger large ring height at the rear and the medium height ring for the front.........I had no problem with bolt clearance. The height difference in the line of sight between the medium height (front) and a low for the front is a very minimal 1/10th of an inch or so!..........If you really want a 2x7 Kahles, you can do so! Use the Ruger (large height) for the rear and the medium height for the front!.......On my Frontier and as it should be on yours, the rear intregal mount is lower than the front. You can`t use the same height rings. The rear ring must be taller (by one size) than the front ring (closer to the muzzle). Using the lowest possible rings on your Ruger vs. the next size taller needed for the Kahles would not make hardly a difference in line of sight height!
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Big Squeeze
Optics Master Extraordinaire GOOGLE NINJA Joined: August/30/2007 Location: Anaheim, Calif. Status: Offline Points: 3143 |
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Big Squeeze
Optics Master Extraordinaire GOOGLE NINJA Joined: August/30/2007 Location: Anaheim, Calif. Status: Offline Points: 3143 |
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Fish!.................Here ya go! This will help you, if you haven`t done this yet!..........Go to the Ruger website.....Place arrow on "on-line store"......Click "firearms accessories"...Scroll down to "scope rings and scope base adapters" then click.......Hit "family" then choose "M77 Mark2 Bolt Action Rifles"........Do the same for "models" and hit "Frontier"..........................There you`ll find the recommended scope ring heights for the scope objective diameter dimensions.......Then click "view engineering drawing"..........There you`ll see the line of height difference measurements between the 3 possible choices! It`s actually in "eighth of an inch" increments between the stages!........If I had to go an additional eighth of an inch in height to get the 2x7 Kahles, I`d sure do it!..........If you have your scout scope base on the rifle barrel now, the medium height front ring should work ok and give enough clearance for the Kahles 42mm objective diameter!
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Fishinado
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/09/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Hmmm...It didn't have the scout base on display, and they didn't mention it. Either way, I don't think I'll use it. I'll probably use it the conventional way.
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Big Squeeze
Optics Master Extraordinaire GOOGLE NINJA Joined: August/30/2007 Location: Anaheim, Calif. Status: Offline Points: 3143 |
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Ed Connelly
Optics Retard God of no Chihuahua Joined: December/16/2007 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 24225 |
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