Which scope?

[HendrikSmith]

I have hunted my whole life with rifles that always had a good enough scope on them so never needed to shop for one. It also means all the scopes I know and are used to are long off the market. I now have a need as the Weaver K4-1 on my BRNO 30-06 is not adequate above 150m, by 200m small targets completely disappear behind the reticle. My use case is mix of Drakensberg walk and stalk 50-300m shots, Karoo 200-300m, Eastern Cape bush also anything from 30-100m. So I can't go too big as that makes the rifle unwieldy when walking. I already put in effort getting a reflex silencer made to keep it manageable for walk and stalk.
My thoughts on spec are along the lines of 4-12x44 or x50 and ideally a 30mm tube, but will settle for 25mm if it is a nice enough scope. I like the idea of 30mm tube as that would improve light and field of view. I'm also biased to 44mm objective just due to the size.

So my question is what do I buy? Which brands should I avoid?
Budget is under R10 000, ideally under R8000. Not looking for a rolls royce but also not for piece of crap.

Any suggestions? Dankie 👍

[Pirate]

Your BRNO really doesn't want a huge scope. A 30mm tube has no practical advantage above a 25mm tube on a hunting scope, and definitely not at the distances you mention above. All a larger diameter tube gives you is more travel on your reticle adjustments, that's useful for trget shooting to the next postcode, but unnecessary for hunting, and only adds bulk and weight to the scope. It is a common misconception that a larger tube gives more light transmission (that's purely a function of objective size).

I have a BRNO 308 and hunt mainly in the Karoo, hear me out: put a 3-9x40 or at max a 4-12x40 with a Plex reticle on it. Get yourself some medium-height Warne rings that mount directly to your action (Warne part# 1BM). I had a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 on my 308 for 10 years. This year I moved that scope to my newly acquired 9.3x62 CZ550. I put a Zeiss Terra 4-12x40 on the BRNO. If you zero at 200m, you'll very probably find that the bottom thick post of the Plex reticle is very close to 300m.

For you budget I'm sure you can find a nice Leupold hunting scope.

[TStone]

For the hunting you describe and close to your price, I'd look at the Leupold VX3-HD in either 3.5-10x40 or 4.5-14x40. Both have 1" tubes but that will not matter for your purpose. I've had the 3.5-10x40 on a working .30-'06 for a season, my wife has now claimed it for her 7x57, but it worked well for general hunting for game ranging from springbok to eland from close range out to 400m. It has a locked elevation turret which is very handy for those longer shots.

[Fish Hunter]

Have a look at the Rudolph H1 3.5-14x44mm T3 reticle

• 3.5-14x Magnification
• 44mm Objective Lens
• 25mm tube
• T3 reticle

You should be able to find one for under R7000

[shooty]

Have a look at the Rudolph H1 3.5-14x44mm T3 reticle

• 3.5-14x Magnification
• 44mm Objective Lens
• 25mm tube
• T3 reticle

You should be able to find one for under R7000

I have had the H1 and V1 Rudolph's before. Could not get them clear enough at 200m and up.

But have replaced them with the Rudolph T1's which are night and day above the H1 and V1. So love the T1's.

At 10 000 I would also look strongly at Vortex who's known for Great glass on all models.

[Heath Robinson]

Most modern scopes with 30mm and larger tubes have them to increase the amount the erector tube can move up and down in the scope, to increase the adjustment range, rather thsn increasing the light transmission.

Big objectives often require the scope to be mounted higher, which means that your cheeck weld is compromised unless you modify the stock.

Just some points to think about.

[HendrikSmith]

Thanks all, some very nice suggestions here so some reading for me to do tonight. Thanks also for the comments on not needing a 30mm tube, makes sense that it is there for more adjustment.

[Desperatezulu]

As an ex-K4 user myself, I can say that some wonderful treats are in store for you when you try something more modern. K4s are great scopes and robust but modern scopes offer huge benefits!

For weight reasonsons, you want a 25mm scope (remember that a 30mm or bigger scope requires commensurately bigger rings, so you're just adding more weight all over the place)

A 3-9x40mm plex scope will do the business - I think your E.Cape 30m shots require a scope with a minimum power of 3-4x and not more.
On the max end, a 300m shot at a springbok in the Karoo will benefit from a bit more magnification, maybe 12-15x.

The question of reticle type is of course a personal one. Do you dial or holdover? A BDC type reticle might be helpful with a loopy trajectory like a 30-06. There are simple BDC reticles and busy ones - again personal preference will dictate.

In your price bracket, you can find some very decent secondhand scopes that would check most of the boxes. The wider the magnification range, the greater the price tag. Some recommendations based on 25mm scopes I own and have used extensively:
- Zeiss 3-9x40 Conquest (basic plex reticle, fantastic clarity for the money - around R5k should land a 2nd hand one)
- Zeiss Terra 3-12x44 (R5k should be in the ballpark for 2nd hand, available in plex and BDC reticles)
- the Rolls Royce option would be a Swaro Z3 3-10x44 with a BRH reticle (with patience, luck and negotiating skills, you might be able to find one 2nd hand at your R10k limit)

To give an alternative opinion, in my experience/eyesight, I find Vortex and Leupold glass noticeably poorer in clarity than some of the competitors in the same price class. IMHO opinion their value proposition is lifetime guarantees which is what hooks buyers, and then confirmation bias kicks in... YMMV. Not saying they aren't good scopes in many ways but 'you gets what you pays for' - in this price range, there are compromises somewhere.

[ady]

[QUOTE=HendrikSmith;1502083Budget is under R10 000, ideally under R8000. Not looking for a rolls royce but also not for piece of crap.

Any suggestions? Dankie [/QUOTE]

For your budget. Have a look at the Lynx LX3 SA Hunt reticle.

I've been using one for a few years now on my 300WM and I'm very happy with it. Back up service, should you need it is very good.

[Mahomedy13]

I would recommend a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 or a Vortex Crossfire II 4-12x44.

Both under the R8k mark, will easily give up to 300m,and its good value for money. With the lifetime warranty.

I put the crossfire ii on my 30-06,and am quite happy with it, purchase was based on price, clarity, reticle, ease of use etc.

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