Custom muzzleloader scope

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Scope

  • Night force

    Votes: 6 42.9%
  • Leupold

    Votes: 5 35.7%
  • Sig

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 21.4%

  • Total voters
    14

earnhard3

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Working on a custom muzzleloader.

My goal is 300-400 yard targets and 300 yard hunting shots once i feel comfortable. If money isnt a factor what would you go with? I have a custom rifle with a vx6 hd 4-24, so spending money isnt a problem. My two issues are durability and looking at a range of power from 3-15/18 power. What are your recommendations?
 
Zeiss - I love my Victory HT and Conquest DL - they both have the same #60 reticle, which is illuminated. I love the European reticle even when not illuminated though, as they don't hide what I'm shooting at too much - aim small, miss small. Finally, my Zeiss Conquest DL 2-8x42mm absolutely destroyed the Leupold VX6-HD 2-12x42mm when I compared them a few weeks ago at the end of legal light in some thicker timber.

I put an old set of antlers on top of a brush pile and walked ~50 yards away; I sat in my field chair from 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after legal light and compared the image I could see with my Zeiss versus the Leupold. Both scopes were set to 5 power to take advantage of a max exit pupil of ~8mm, and to even the playing field. There was no comparison. The Leupold gave up the ghost about 3 minutes before the end of legal light, and the Zeiss gave out about 8 minutes after legal light. I sent the Leupold back to MidwayUSA.

And by the way what I paid for the Zeiss two years ago was ~$150 less than I paid for the Leupold last month.
 
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Some of the German made Zeiss have a history of failing on really hard kickers. The Japanese made V4 though seem to be doing better. I would opt for a Sightron over a Sig. The SIIIs get very solid reviews from guys like HillBill on Hanks board. They only offer S-TACs in that magnification range though.

So that leaves you mainly with Nightforce or the VX6 HDs. You can save a nice chunk of change watching for the SHVs on sale. Glass probably is not as nice but its tough.

Have you considered the SWFA SS 3x15x42 FFP? Its a ton of scope for well under $800 and durability reviews are excellent.
https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-3-15x42-tactical-rifle-scope-11.html?___SID=U
 
I walk to the beat of a different drum . Saying that have you considered military brand scopes ?? Battlefield tough and nobody is there to lose . Very nice , durable stuff . Many state of the art features too . For less than you may think .....shop !!!!
 
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NF, Loopie and SWFA all have or had military contracts. The SWFA 10x was the old Tasco super sniper scope for the Navy. They still sell models today to various units. The HD line probably come out of the same plant in Japan as the NF SHV series. The price also reflects its higher quality. You wont get into a variable SWFA HD for under $1100 unless you luck out on a sale.

One of the best deals still going is the V4 for under $500 but its not FFP and the eye relief might be a bit tight for a hard kicker. It is however in the mag range the OP is considering.
 
NF, Loopie and SWFA all have or had military contracts. The SWFA 10x was the old Tasco super sniper scope for the Navy. They still sell models today to various units. The HD line probably come out of the same plant in Japan as the NF SHV series. The price also reflects its higher quality. You wont get into a variable SWFA HD for under $1100 unless you luck out on a sale.

One of the best deals still going is the V4 for under $500 but its not FFP and the eye relief might be a bit tight for a hard kicker. It is however in the mag range the OP is considering.
IDK my Zeiss Diavari has never failed but thats no guarentee for all of them . Better glass than Swarovski i had too . Same power ranges , 1.5 x 6 x42 . Nothing inexpensive about either one @ nearly $2k each at todays prices .
What i was refering to with military optics is UTG and the like brands . Hardcore military lines primarily for various countries . Cant remember the name but the most coveted sniper scope WE use is iirc a chech scope . Forget their name right now . Our boys LOVE THEM !!!! They (our boys) say that they are the best in the world --- @ nearly $6k they better ride piggy back guideing the bullet too LOL !!!
 
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Some of the German made Zeiss have a history of failing on really hard kickers.

In that case, here is a Google search on Nightforce failures, with one of the first results being an NXS failure on a heavy recoiling rifle.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mightforce failure&cad=h

In the end, all scopes can be said "to have a history of failing," but it all comes down to making an initial purchase based on what is, not what might be. It also comes down to how big the subset of deficient scopes is, which none of us can accurately answer.

I'm not throwing stones at anyone or any particular product, I'm just saying that we all have our favorites and reasons for them; a general statement about scopes having a history of failing gets no one anywhere, as they all can be found to have a history, somewhere on the web.

OP, if you are comparing them, go handle / manipulate, look through a VX6-HD and a relatively current German made Zeiss. I already know the answer to that question...
 
Choose wisely...……. One consideration is IF you have a problem, how long will the wait for a complete repair take?

Leupold states they have an 18 day review. They make every attempt to "look over" a returned scope within 18 days after receiving it. That doesn't mean that someone starts repairing it within 18 days. It can take many weeks before one receives their repaired scope back. That might suggest they have a back log of repairs. Been there, twice.

It appears that Nightforce has a pretty fast turn around, personal experience and that of others posting.
When I went through my little ordeal and NF giggled at me, I sent the scope in and had it back in one (1) week. Cleaned, turrets lubricated and a new parallax cover, with a new battery for the illuminated reticle, which by the way they set back to factory settings.

Any scope can fail. If it fails, how long will you be setting waiting for the return?
 
Choose wisely...……. One consideration is IF you have a problem, how long will the wait for a complete repair take?

Leupold states they have an 18 day review. They make every attempt to "look over" a returned scope within 18 days after receiving it. That doesn't mean that someone starts repairing it within 18 days. It can take many weeks before one receives their repaired scope back. That might suggest they have a back log of repairs. Been there, twice.

It appears that Nightforce has a pretty fast turn around, personal experience and that of others posting.
When I went through my little ordeal and NF giggled at me, I sent the scope in and had it back in one (1) week. Cleaned, turrets lubricated and a new parallax cover, with a new battery for the illuminated reticle, which by the way they set back to factory settings.

Any scope can fail. If it fails, how long will you be setting waiting for the return?
Boy thats good advice right there !!!!
 
The fact is, HillBill on Hanks has probably trashed more scopes than most of us have owned ON a hard kicking SML. Several guys shooting SMLs trashed Conquests. When in doubt ask Bill how well they are holding up. He has tortured scopes with loads you would never imagine shooting.
 
The fact is, HillBill on Hanks has probably trashed more scopes than most of us have owned ON a hard kicking SML. Several guys shooting SMLs trashed Conquests. When in doubt ask Bill how well they are holding up. He has tortured scopes with loads you would never imagine shooting.

I would imagine that "several guys shooting SMLs" have also "trashed (INSERT SCOPE BRAND/MODEL HERE)." I would also imagine, there are guys shooting scopes that some of us would consider of inferior build quality with no issues on their SMLs, much to our surprise.

It seems that many discussions here devolve into "I shoot a bigger gun than you" and "I know a guy" discussions when people are defending their favorite brands/choices, etc. I guess it just goes to show how passionate we all are about what we like/prefer. That said, yes, I am far too intelligent to shoot loads that punish me unnecessarily, which I have established in a previous thread...and I am also too intelligent to get any deeper into this "I know a guy" discussion after this post.

OP, since money is no object for you, and since Zeiss can't seemingly hold up to the recoil of the SML elephant guns, you may also want to consider a Schmidt & Bender, many of which are currently mounted on some of our nation's finest crew served weapons, employed by some our nation's finest Warriors. Lowest bidder BS stuff notwithstanding, S&B scopes are the real deal.

Auf Wiedersehen!
 
The fact is, HillBill on Hanks has probably trashed more scopes than most of us have owned ON a hard kicking SML. Several guys shooting SMLs trashed Conquests. When in doubt ask Bill how well they are holding up. He has tortured scopes with loads you would never imagine shooting.
Gm54--120 im not argueing but that would make at least some of those military scopes i mentioned a great buy . I have one that is guarenteed for life with 50bmg recoil . I have not nor plan to ever shoot a 50bmg bolt rifle but that aint bad !!! I also dont know their warrenty practices if they repair or send a new one . Iirc they said they sent a new one if it would break . I also dont know what recoil level some of those guys that shoot mega magnum sml are capable of but i do know a 50bmg is one big round !!! Worth a look i thought , good price , so i bought one . Its nice glass !!! Just loaded with cool features too . Just sayin........
Those brand names on many of them arent common like we are used to hearing about however .
 
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Kinda waiting to see what shot show 2020 has out. Basically if you eant a custom ml they offer a night force or a leupold. I like leupolds cause thats waht i have and looks more tactical. Seems NF can handle more from my research end, just dont have that 3-18 44mm
 
Zeiss has a V4 in that mag range. Under $800 for a 4x16 also but like i said....eye relief might be a tad tight...Not terrible. Sofar Bills has gone 100ish shots of loads in the 300gr@2700fps range. He likes them better than the V6. He has a 40cal custom Apex that is a scope muncher.
 
Nightforce on all 3 of my smokeless guns. Two are NXS and 1 SHV. To my eyes the NXS has better glass. The Sightron SIII I have has better glass than the SHV as well. The more I use the Sightron SIII the more I like it.

I had two Zeiss Conquest fail on these guns. I was present for the failure of a brand new Zeiss Hensoldt in less than 12 shots. I love Zeiss but not on these guns. The new V4 is hopefully going to more reliable.
 
Bill said he has been testing the Sightron S-TAC on one but its a higher end model. His first failed on that scope muncher but the replacement is doing ok. From what i can find, Sightron owns the factories that make their scopes so quality control is very good even the Philippine made models.

That one was a 2.5x17x56?...i think. Pretty expensive too from the couple prices i dug up. Like $900 which is way more than i would pay for a scope like that. The 3x16x42 is under $400.
 
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