need help picking a scope

[kmg]

I just bought a 700 varmint 22.250. I do alot of full moon night hunting, so light transmission is a high priority. The gun is MO Brush camo stock, so i was thinking about a Nikon coyote special since they offer that same cammo pattern. The drawback is that i want a 30mm instead of a 1" because of better light trans. Is it true that a 30mm has better light trans? Im trying to decide between a Leupold VX-R 3-9x40 or 3-9x50 (30mm) or a Nikon coyote special. I like the firedot reticle because it is not clustered like the coyote special. The leupold is also 30mm where the coyote special is 1". Does the 30mm really offer more than a 1"? I would like to keep it under 500 bucks. Any other scope suggestions? I would like to hear some first hand night calling experience before i spend the $$. Im leaning toward the Leupold but i like the idea of having the scope match the gun.

[kmg]

Also, the hawke 30mm 4-16x50 side focus has all of my needs for a pretty good price. Anyone use Hawke??

[Tim Anderson]

Since you want to use it for night hunting I'd say No to the coyote special, you will have a hard time seeing the reticle and putting it on target. Good scope for day time though..
For night time calling you want a scope with the best glass or atleast close to it, you want the biggest bell lens you can get with a 30mm tube. Both will help collect what available light there is so you can see the target. Some type of lighted reticle would help also so you can hit what you see.. A coyote at nite will appear black when seeing it through the scope and will black out the cross-hairs..
A low powered scope would also be helpfull so look for one with a varible settings like a 4-12X.. Have fun...

[barebackjack]

I had the opportunity to use a Nikon Coyote Special this past week. I gotta say, everything about this scope is cheap and I was not a fan at all. Eye relief was very touchy, glass was not anywhere near what I expected, and that hookey reticle with the three circles just plain makes me angry.

I use a Leupold VXII 6-18x40mm. Its a 1" tube, but at lower powers (10x and down) it gathers a lot of light. For pure light gathering ability, it is tough to beat good glass in a big tube and big objective lens, but you'll pay for it.

[kmg]

yea i have heard people say the coyote special is basically a buckmasters with a different reticle. imtrying to decide between leupold xv r or hawke eclipse. the hawke has everything i want and is a decent price, but im sceptical of the quality since the price is lower than most. Anyone ever try Hawke scopes?

[lyonch]

I have never tried them myself, but i would stick with the tried and true Leupold line if your wallet allows it.

[NickNielsen]

Check out the Sightron SIII series. I just put one on my 243 WSSM and am very impressed with it. 30mm tube and 50 objective. I compared it to my buddies Vari X 3 in low light and it was ridiculously brighter.

[kmg]

i have an opportunity to buy a used Leupold Mark 4 for around 800. i dont really know anything else about it other than it is a 30mm tube. Do Mark 4's have good glass? I think it would be a good low light scope if the power isnt too high. It also comes with a set of turrets for 22.250 which i dont know too much about. but it sounds like a heck of a deal

[lyonch]

The mark 4 is leupolds top line scopes. Do you know the magnification range on the scope? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, but i would thoroughly check it through before purchasing it!

[Jeff Rheborg]

For what it's worth... I am testing a Hawke Sidewinder 30 Tactical, with illuminated reticle, 6.5x20x42. So far it seems to be working well. Very clear and easy to use. I have not tried the illuminated reticle, haven't been out at night or low enough light to use. One downfall I do see for it is the mil dot calibrated reticle. If you know the difference between a mil dot and moa then it shouldn't be a problem. If not then it will be kinda confusing... The scope seems to be holding up to what I expect, however I have only had it on for a short while. It seems to be priced well for the budget you want (479.00). Not trying to sell the scope just letting you know what I have found.

I have the Leupold 4.5x14x40 that I use on my coyote gun. The Hawke's clarity is very comparable. I don't know how it's toughness is YET but will by the end of the season. Gonna give it a workout.

Hope this helps.

Jeff.

[kmg]

thanks guys, let me know if you use the Hawke at night. How is the Mark 4 at night? I'm not sure exactly what the magnification or objective is that im looking at. I want to know more about using different brands of scopes at night right now. it soulnds like the turrets are calibrated for 22.250. So i would sight it in and then adj. the elev. turret for range? instead of holding high?