Need a scope

[Knobbies]

I've been looking at scopes online, and it looks like there's a wide range of price and (presumably) quality. I've got an older rifle that cost $300 so I don't want to spend a grand on a high-end rangefinder scope, but I don't want a foggy piece of crap either.

So what's the difference between, say, Bushnell's Banner Dusk & Dawn for $100, and something like a Zeiss Conquest for $1000? And more importantly, as a novice hunter with a WWII era .303, is it a difference I should be concerned with?

[303Brit]

Well views will vary, but in part price does reflect quality only to a extent after that your paying for a name. Lots you guys will tell you to spend up to as much on optics as you did on your rifle. That being said all you ready need to be concerned with is will it hand your rifles recoil and still hold zero, is it clear, does it have a open or closed eye relief distance, and what kind of shooting/hunting are you doing which will determine magnification. If you don't want to spend a fortune but are willing to spend around or a lil more then what you paid for your rifle my suggestion is a bushnell elite 3200 or 4200. Go to a store that has a wide selection and look through a bunch

what No enfield is it? how do you plan on mounting the scope? and has it been bubba'd?

303

[Knobbies]

Going though a bunch at a retailer sounds like a good idea, I'll do that.

The rifle is a P14 my grandpa bought when he came back from the war; it's recently had a new stock put on and looks pretty nice. I'll have to get a gunsmith to mount the scope as I have no idea how to go about doing that... or what a "bubba" is. :)

[303Brit]

I don't want to sound like an ass, But if there is no holes drilled in it yet then don't drill any into it. I mean it's your rifle, but those are becoming hard to find unbubba'd. Bubba'd means barrels cut down, recievers drilled, stocks cut apart. If the Receiver, bolt, and barrel serials match then your best bet is to kept the rifle that way. In the mean time before you take it to a gunsmith check out http://www.enfield-rifles.com/default.asp and there are many more enfield lovers there that can point you in the right direction, Look at S&K for a scope mount, and mayb numrich


303

[Bow Walker]

Go to our sponsor(s)....Grouse River and/or Omineca Source for Sports.

Check out the Vortex line of optics - es[ecially their Diamondback 3-9x40 scope. The warranty is the best in the business. Repair or Replacement with absolutely no questions asked. Service is quick too.

Plus - for only $229 - you cannot beat it.

[JeffR]

Check out the Nikon scopes. I have the Prostaff 3-9 and I really like it. Super clear and bright, and a good price.

[Knobbies]

Thanks guys, I'll take a look at Vortex and Nikon. Prostaffs seem to have lots of good reviews.

303Brit: I hear you about not drilling the receiver, but unfortunately this rifle has in fact been bubba'd as you say; the barrel has been chopped and crowned and new sights and a new stock have been put on. I'm not sure if there's a reason to avoid drilling the stock at this point as it's definitely not all-original and it's historical value is already diminished.

[BCBRAD]

A used Leupold is always a safe bet, I have one in 1.5x5

[303Brit]

Sorry to here that if you want to keep as a sporter you fine to drill it, but if the receiver isn't drill and in good shape you could rebarrel it one day so a no drill mount would still be the way to go. Whatever you choose to do I hope you continue to enjoy your P-14

303


Thanks guys, I'll take a look at Vortex and Nikon. Prostaffs seem to have lots of good reviews.

303Brit: I hear you about not drilling the receiver, but unfortunately this rifle has in fact been bubba'd as you say; the barrel has been chopped and crowned and new sights and a new stock have been put on. I'm not sure if there's a reason to avoid drilling the stock at this point as it's definitely not all-original and it's historical value is already diminished.

[MuleyStalker]

I have a zeiss conquest 3.5-10x44 and i love it but i paid for it. My younger brother bought a leupold rifleman 3-9x40 and only paid $200us for it. My zeiss has slightly better clarity but the leupold has much better eye relief. For the price, the leupold is hard to beat.

[30-06]

i just bought a bushnell elite 3200 3-9x40 for my tikka and i love it. paid 250$ and it's by far better than the 100$ scopes i use to use thats forsure

[Knobbies]

Here's a follow-up question: I've done a bit of research thanks to all the suggestions, and I'm seeing a lot of these "BDC" reticules with extra crosshairs for bullet drop at extended ranges. Stupid question: are these extra crosshairs adjustable?

[open-sights]

There are two different ways to make reticles, one is a wire reticle, basically it's a wire thats welded into a fitting and inserted into the tube between the erector set and the eyepiece. The other way of doing it is to have an etched lens, more common with the BDC type reticles and the illuminated style. Both are equal in performance, both are fixed, neither is able to move, however some manufacturers extend features that would help with caliber and/or range.

[brian]

So what's the difference between, say, Bushnell's Banner Dusk & Dawn for $100, and something like a Zeiss Conquest for $1000? And more importantly, as a novice hunter with a WWII era .303, is it a difference I should be concerned with?

Optics are all about lens quality and good lenses cost money. It doesn't matter whether it is camera lenses, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, binoculars or anything with magnification. The scope is your rifles eyes. You could have the most accurate rifle in the world, if the scope malfunctions in the field, it won't hit what your aiming at. Cheap scopes are generally less well made with cheaper lenses that react poorly in low light situations, they are less clear, more prone to not holding their zero under recoil or by being banged and dinged, and they are also generally more susceptible to fogging up. If you buy a decent reliable scope, you'll probably keep it when you sell the cheap gun.