A Muzzleloader Scope Worth Saving Your Money For

Last year I wrote two lengthy articles on scopes for our muzzleloaders (Muzzleloader Scopes: How to Choose? and 8 Considerations Before Purchasing a Muzzleloading Scope). I touched on two types of scopes, one type more than the other. The one I spent the most time on was the BDC type scopes, and in general, all brands of them. In those articles, if I remember correctly and I’m quite certain I do, I told you that I really don’t have that high of regard or use for any of them. I’m not going to re-hash that here, I’ll just refer you back to those articles for you to refresh yourself with why I think they’re not all they're cracked up to be.

 

But I did mention, briefly, a real solution to the issue of the tremendous amount of bullet drop we deal with as muzzleloading hunters. The scope I told you about and one I was testing at the time was the Leupold CDS (Control Dial System). I’ve got to tell ya, I’ve been using a CDS now since last November and I can now say for certain that in my opinion this is the very best scope available that truly addresses the needs of today’s muzzleloader! 

I can sum up why this is in 9 words:
     (1) “Leupold” and 
     (2-8) “true, point of aim, point of impact accuracy”. 

Of course with the Leupold brand comes two things: un-questioned quality and dependability  and (the hard part) sticker shock (they can be a little pricey).

But with this CDS scope comes the ability to put your cross hair where you want your bullet to hit all the way out to 250 yards (or more) and know that’s where it is going to hit. No hold over, no little all-but-useless hash marks or (even worse) little circles on the reticule of some BDC scopes. Just get the range to your target, make a QUICK adjustment to your CDS turret and put the cross hair where you want impact, and shoot. 

Here’s why I like it. When I went to the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, I was introduced to the Unertl scope. In short, this scope was built for the Marine Sniper Rifle by John Unertl. It was built for that rifle, using a certain ammo at a known and always constant muzzle velocity. The elevation turret had the numbers 1-10 around it, 1= 100 yards, 2= 200 yards and so on all the way to the big-boy yard line of 1000 yards and as you may have guessed, 10= 1000 yards. 

So, if your target was ranged at being 600 yards, you turned the turret to the number 6 and let’er rip. In the hands of a well-trained sniper who knew how to deal with the wind, it was deadly accurate. The Unertl scope turret would also not make more than one full revolution. It was fool proof and rugged, it had to be, it was in the hands of US Marines.

The Leupold CDS works the very same way, maybe even better due to the fact range finders are so available and affordable. Here’s how easy it is to get up and running with a Leupold CDS:  

First the hard part, and it does sting a bit, buy the scope. 

Then find a load for your rifle that you like and is accurate in your rifle and zero it for 100 yards with the supplied factory turret. Once you are happy with that load, you will need the below information: 

     •    Cartridge & Caliber
     •    Bullet Weight
     •    Bullet Make/Brand
     •    Bullet Type
     •    Ballistic Coefficient
     •    Muzzle Velocity
     •    Average Elevation
     •    Average Temperature


Don’t worry too much about this stuff, it can be had.  If you use a load from one of my new M.A.X. Load Data Books, everything you need is there. 

Then call Leupold, give them the info and in a few weeks they will send you a turret with your load data laser engraved around the top of the turret. 

This turret is only good for that load. At the time of this article (Right now! Go! Quick!) Leupold is still offering a free turret with your new scope.  If at the time you are reading this that offer is over, each turret is about $60.00. 

 To install the turret, simply loosen the three set screws, lift the factory turret off, replace it with your custom load turret, putting the zero range (in this case the number 1) to the mark on the scope and tighten the three set screws. The new turret will only turn 360°so there’s no way you’re going to lose track of what range your CDS is set to. You can have as many turrets for that scope and rifle as you want.

One of the things that I think will help sell these scopes (besides the above) is the fact that you don’t have the big, tall, target-type turrets normally associated with this type of scope. These are nice looking low-profile turrets, you hardly even know any difference.

Here’s how it works when you're hunting:

  

1) range the target, (let’s say it’s 150 yards)


2) turn the turret to 1.5


3) PUT THE CROSS HAIR WHERE YOU WANT YOUR BULLET TO HIT 


 4) shoot


Imagine that!!




Leupold offers this scope in their VX-3 and VX-R lines. They offer it in several magnification and objective lens diameter options. I’ve chosen the VX-3 3.5X10X40mm for all my rifles. Leupold can also fit the CDS dial on many of the scopes you may already own, you can call their custom shop to see if this is an option for you.

I’m sure there will be questions, so just ask away in the comment section below.  I’m pretty sure I have the answer, if not I know I can get you one.

This is without question, my choice of scopes for my muzzleloader.  If you try one you won’t be disappointed, I guarantee it, and yes it works that well and just that easy. 

And remember, I said it was the best solution, not the cheapest.  That’s why I titled it like I did, to give you time to save for one before this fall!!

MAX Approved Product: the AccuScope

We are all involved in a sport that we love, we love being a part of, and we love to pass on to others. But over the past 20 years or so, the industry has sure made our down-to-earth sport much more complex than it needs to be. It would appear that a simple "meat and potato diet" of deer sign & interpreting that deer-sign no longer cuts it in the woods!

Now it seems we need all kinds of STUFF! And trust me, the hunting industry has spent millions on marketing all kinds of widgets and gadgets that would lead us to believe that we can't be successful without them! In fact, if we don't carry a ton of this stuff to the woods with us, we are just wasting our time!

Well, it just ain't so. I know it and you know it.


But really, there are some neat, new products out there and we just need to sift through it all to find things that are sincerely beneficial to us. Some people might say it's even fun trying to sort the stupid stuff from the useful stuff, but it can sure get expensive (unless you are into passing it off on some unsuspecting newbie or pawning off worthless junk on eBay, or hopefully you have a conscience in which case the best thing to do is take it out in the backyard and kill it).


Now that I got that off my chest, I am someone who does try a LOT of new products, but will always tell the truth about what I find. When I find a useful product that works, I share it with you. And here's one I found and featured in my last video MAXimize Your CVA Accura & Accura V2: The AccuScope.

I found the Accuscope while walking the aisles at the NRA National Convention in Charlotte, NC last year. I looked over, saw it and in less than 30 seconds I knew exactly what it did, knew it would work, knew it would be useful and knew I had to have one. All before I ever even picked it up.


It sells itself, it's that simple.


I bought one at that show and found it more than worthy to pass on to all MAX Customers. The company is based out of Ankeny, Iowa and is owned by Steve Ugolini and Chris Schuling. Two great guys that had a great idea and took it all the way to production!


How useful is it? Very. After bore sighting to where the first shot hits paper, just ask the Accuscope what to do and if you are on your shooting game, your second shot is exactly where you want it.


How simple is it? Very. It doesn't even come with instructions. It's self-contained and self-explanatory. Everything you need to know comes printed on the Accuscope itself.


It comes in several models but the one most useful to us muzzleloaders is the 1/4 MOA & 1/2 MOA Scope Model. If your scope is 1/4 MOA adjustment, that info is on one side. For 1/2 MOA scope users, flip it over and your info is on the other side.


Here's how it works:


Measure the distance of your first shot, be it left or right, up or down from where you want it to be. When measuring elevation and you want your zero to be 2 inches high at 100 yards, add that in as well. To measure, use the grids on your target or use the ruler that is conveniently printed on the side of the AccuScope.

I'll use a target I shot a few weeks ago to show you how accurate the information from the AccuScope really is. In this case, I was using a Leupold 3x9x40mm CDS scope and was shooting from a range of 100 yards.

As you see, the first round was low and right. In fact, it was 2-1/2 inches low and 2-3/4 inches right from center. But for demonstration purposes, I decided to zero this rifle 2 inches high at 100 yards.


First I chose to let the AccuScope do the math for me for my elevation. I was 2-1/2 low so I added the 2 inches height I wanted: 4-1/2 inches total. But first I need to determine the click value of my scope.


You will find this information printed on the dial of your scope or inside the turrent caps.

  

Using the 1/4 MOA side of the AccuScope chart, I slid the card until I could read 4-1/2 in window "A". Next, I went to line "C" to find the yardage I was shooting from, which was "100". It told me the number of clicks to move in window "D", which read 18. So I added 18 clicks "up" on my Leupold.

Simple. 

Next, I repeated the process for windage. I slid the card to read 2-3/4 inches in window "A", found my yardage in line "C" and read the number of clicks I needed to move my impact left, which in window "D" was 11. So I moved the windage dial on the Leupold 11 clicks to the left.


Easy.






The next two shots, as you can see, hit exactly where I wanted them. That's how accurate the AccuScope can move a shot group or one single shot for you.

Then, just to see what the AccuScope (and my new rifle) was made of, I decided to go for the center of the target.

I measured from the center of the two shots to the center of the target. It was 2-1/4 inches. Again, I found 2-1/4 in window "A", then my yardage in line "C" (100 yards). Then I read my needed clicks in window "D", which was 9. So I came down 9 clicks on my elevation dial and you can see the result of my last three shots (I couldn't stop myself after seeing where the first one hit!).

As for the rifle that I was using for this demonstration, you'll have to wait until the summer to find that out. But I was impressed with it to say the least; you will be as well!

All I can say about the AccuScope is: get you one....NOW. It's a great tool that every shooter can use. It is very well built, it's printed on heavy card stock and is laminated for protection and durability. It's easy to read and is very easy to use.

The best way I can think to sum it up is:

          1. It works like they say it will.

          2. It is well worth the price.

          3. If I loose mine, I'll buy another.

You certainly won't see this on a table at a local yard sale, that is for sure!

Muzzleloader Scopes - How to Choose?

This post has not been an easy one to write for a few reasons:

1. The number of options available
2. Price range
3. Not wanting my readers to feel they may have made a bad selection

The reason for the last one is only because some of the rifle optic manufactures have made some options look a little more appealing than they actually are (imagine that).

Rifle scopes can make or break a hunt quickly! This is not the place to cut corners! But it’s also not an item we all need to go broke over either. As far as price range goes, only you know how much you can afford. I have always been the kind of person that tried to make it hurt when buying rifle scopes; I believe in quality optics.

The market has a lot of options for under $200.00 but I truly don’t believe you’re getting more than a tube that magnifies a target and has crosshairs; that’s about it. Most of the companies that offer a scope in this price range will give you a lifetime warranty on their products. But how satisfying is that guarantee when you’ve been sitting in the same stand hunting a particular buck all season and on the last day he walks out and you can’t find him in the scope? Truthfully, I’m not the one to review this type of scope - I’ve just never trusted them to one of my hunts. So moving on…

Now today’s market does offer a lot of good options in the $250 to $300 range. Some of the brands I really like for both quality and trustability are (in alphabetical order): Burris, Hawke, Konus, Leatherwood, and Nikon. If you can go above $350 to around $600, then add Leupold to the list. Leupold does have some lower priced options, but the one I really like is around $500 - $550. However, the others I listed are very serviceable scopes and should be considered – I would trust them to any hunt in North America.

Before going any further, you have to know a little something about the scopes I’ve chosen to write about. First, all are of one piece tube construction. All are also known as second focal plane scopes vs scopes on the first focal plane. Second focal scopes seem to be what the American market has accepted. The difference between the two is easy to recognize: the retical in the second focal plane scopes stays the same size when the power is changed and only the target changes. Scopes in the first focal plane design show the reticule growing in size with the target as the power is changed. Almost all scopes offered to American hunters are 2nd focal plane scopes.

The second focal plane design has a lot to do with the type of reticule we choose, but usually only when choosing BDC-type reticles. As far as what the reticule actually looks like is up to you, and what is available in the model of scope you’re looking at buying.

I’ve always just opted for the good ol’ duplex, thick to thin. For hunting and getting on game, sometimes quickly, I just don’t prefer a lot going on or too much to look at in my scopes. I really don’t care for the circle-type reticles in scopes such as the Nikon Omega. They do not provide a precise aiming point for zeroing and practicing with the rifle and cover up a lot of the vital area on big game. As far as Mil Dot reticles, I don’t find much use for them in hunting scopes, especially with the affordability of modern-day rangefinders.

All of this brings me to what I had asked you to research in my last post about what it was that all the manufacturers I had picked had in common. Well, the answer is: They all have True Point-of-Aim, Point-of-Impact capability. That’s right, as fast as you can read a range finder, you can adjust your scope as to where your bullet will impact the target at the same place your crosshairs have come to rest. The problem that most hunters have with the scopes needed to make this happen is that the turrets are too tall. In most cases I would agree that they are tall, but they come with true point-of-aim, point-of-impact results and to me are worth the extra height. The most compact version I’ve found in this type of scope is Leupold’s VX-3 CDS scope. Once you have the turrets on this scope engraved to your ballistics, it’s as simple as this:

1. Range the target
2. Turn the turret to the appropriate range
(example: if the target is 250 yards, turn the turrent from 0 to 2.5)
3. Aim & Fire

That is it.


The other scopes, Burris, Hawke, Konus & Leatherwood, also have this simple of a solution to the bullet drop problem inherent to muzzleloaders, just in a little taller package. I tested all of the above scopes to date, with the exception of Hawke, and that is on the way. I will have a future post as to how to get each of the others to do the same as Leupolds and just as easy at a later time. My instructions will be easy to understand.

Another option we have, and I’ve used for years, is simply good ol’ Kentucky windage or hold-over. Nothing special, just know what your bullet drop is out to any given range, know the range, lift the crosshairs up “bout” that much and fire. This is my second most favorite pick or option.

My last pick, if you haven’t noticed by now, is the second focal plane BDC reticule-type scopes. Here’s the reason (and I’ll give you the links to check behind me): First of all, keep in mind that the main crosshair will maintain the same impact no matter what the power of the scope is set on. i.e.; if your rifle is zeroed at 100 yards it will be good at any power setting within the scopes’ magnification range. Other than that main crosshair, the yardage hashmarks for the different ranges are only valid if the scopes are set on a specific power. Most are set-up to only work with your ballistics with the scope set on maximum power. Some of Leupolds’ scopes, such as the Ultimate Slam, do have different power ranges that fall within different ballistics ranges, but again, the bullet drop compensation (BDC) values are only valid at that power. If you read the links on Burris and Leopold web sites, they will tell you this. To get an idea as to how much lowering the power changes the bullet impact, go to Nikon Hunting Spot On. Spot On is an easy ballistic program to use and it allows you to see how much changing the power effects your impact (and it’s FREE!). Here’s an example according to Spot On:

1. Scope 3x9x40 Omega BDC 250
2. 250 gr. Shockwave at 1850 fps
3. Zero at 100 yards
4. First circle under main crosshair on 9x is 135 yards
5. Change the power to 3x, first circle zero is now 193 yards


Another point about these scopes is that they are designed to use 150 grains of pellets. The best accuracy from any manufacturers’ rifle is NEVER at it’s best with pellets, much less 150 grains!

The BDC reticle and concept sounds good and has been around a long time, but the truth be known: it wasn’t excepted back then and if you do your homework, you should make sure it’s what you really want now. Not to beat a dead horse, but there are just too many lines in those scopes. With the right deer walking out, you could get confused about which hash-mark to use real quick on maximum power unless you practice a lot.

Tube diameter is another option we need to look at. I prefer a 30 mm tube scope for three reasons:
1. It is more durable because it’s a bigger diameter,
2. They have a few more clicks of elevation or windage in them if needed,
3. I just believe the bigger tube lets more light get from the lens to eye.

But still, most of my scopes are 1 inch tubes.

Here is my normal speech about objective diameter since 50mm objective lens started getting popular: In most cases, you have to use higher mounts. The higher the mounts, the higher you have to lift your cheek off the stock. This destroys what is known in marksmanship skill terms as “stock weld”. The better the stockweld, the better control you have over the rifle. Also, with a 50 mm scope, people say that because it is larger it gathers more light. Well, the truth is a lens only transmits light, it does not gather it. In my opinion, it’s just not worth the trade-off. You will also hear that you get a better field-of-view from a 50mm. Again, not true. You actually get a few feet less. Here’s an example:

1. Burris FullField II 3x9x40mm – 1 inch tube, 33 ft on 3x and 13 ft on 9x at 100 yards
2. Burris FullField II 3x9x50mm – 30 ft on 3x and 11 ft on 9x at 100 yards

One option we’ve had for a long time that has always been a great one is the variable power scope. By far the most popular is the good ol’ 3x9 and on a muzzleloader, I believe it’s all we need. Or if you’re only hunting close cover, a good 2x7 power scope will serve you well and I own a few of these myself.

Remember a few things when picking a muzzleloader scope:

1. the range of a modern front-loader
2. the higher the power, the less field of view you have
3. we use a scope to shoot game, it’s not made to replace a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope

I hope this information can help you use your scope bucks wisely. We’ve done a lot of research on scopes, I’ve bought and used more scopes than I can count. I would urge all of you to take a look at all your options that will allow you to shoot Point-of-Aim, Point-of-Impact. I truly believe it’s the most simple and effective option of all.

I will have future posts on each of the scopes we’ve tested that will help you accomplish Point-of-Aim, Point-of-Impact as I get a chance to write them and
I will continue this Saving Your Buck$ series with future posts covering loads, bullets, powders and primers to help you achieve MAXimum accuracy from your modern, in-line muzzleloader.

8 Considerations Before Purchasing a Muzzleloading Rifle Scope

Per my last post, if you think there are multiple options for buying a muzzleloading rifle, then hold on to your hat cause we are about to start talking about optics!

The good news is, there are a lot of GREAT options that won’t empty your pockets of your hard-earned Buck$. These days, there are many companies in the rifle scope business, so it truly does make it hard to decide what to choose. To start with, let’s stay reasonable in what is truly necessary for the effective range of a modern in-line muzzleloader.

All of the data I’ve chosen to publish to date take the shooter out to 250 yards. Now that is a long way. But, 300 yards IS possible with the right set-up, to include the biggest variable: the marksman him -or her- self. If you can’t shoot, no amount of premium equipment will get your bullet on target. But in either case of range, a scope with a max of 9 power is more than enough. Most of my rifles are equipped with 3 x 9 x 40 or 42 mm variable scopes, but a few have less. Like 1.5 x 6 x 44 mm. Some have 30 mm tubes, but most are 1 inch.

A lot of what I’m looking for in a scope is not just what the power range may be, but more in the line of what my field of view is at any given power.

As we all know, the lower the power, the more ground we can see and visa versa. A larger field of view is always more important when the animal we’re trying to get on is not cooperating than when it is. I have always been more prone to want the options that a variable power scope offers, I’m just mindful of not wanting excessive, un-needed magnification due to the field of view restrictions that high magnification comes with.

Something to think about is objective lens diameter. Remember, no scope gathers light, it just transmits the available light that reaches it to your eye. If it’s dark, then that’s what it transmits.

Another consideration: a scope with a 40 mm to 44 mm lens can still be mounted low to the rifle, which promotes better marksmanship skills. More on that later.

In the past, there were not many options in getting quality optics at an affordable price, but that is not the case today. A muzzle loader can get into a nice, more than serviceable piece of glass for around $300. In order to get premium scopes for this money however, we have to get think “outside the box” when it comes to brands. Some of the brands I grew up with were Redfield and Weaver. In the past 20 years, I moved up to Nikon, Leupold and Burris. All of those have always been and will continue to be first-rate brands, but there are some great newcomers to the market.

One is Leatherwood/Hi-Lux. Leatherwood/Hi-Lux Optics are not new to the scope market, but they may have been overlooked by the general public. Here at MAX, we have been testing two of their scopes since returning from the 2010 Shot Show: the PR 1.5 x 6 x 42 x 30 mm tube and their Multi-Dial 3 x 9 x 40, also with 30 mm tube. I have found both of these to be of very high-quality and very reasonably priced.

Another scope MAX is working with is made by a lesser-known company named Konus. The scope I’ve chosen in this brand is their M30 1.5 x 6 x 44 mm with 30 mm tube, and I have found it to be a first-class scope at a very fair price.

This fall we begin testing scopes from Hawke Sport Optics. We met some of the folks from Hawke at the POMA Conference this year, but have been familiar with them since we started doing business with E. Arthur Brown Co. about two years ago. What I like about Hawke is that they are very knowledgeable about how to get their scope to work with your muzzleloading ballistics. I am really looking forward to putting some of their scopes to the MAX test and I’m sure they are going to perform very well.

I’ve just ordered a scope from Leupold that I hope to have in hand by weeks-end (U.P.S. willing). It’s their 3 x 9 x 40 CDS. I really believe this is going to be the way to go for point of aim - point of impact shooting. How easy does that sound? We will know soon! Reminds me of my Scout Sniper days!

If you go look at some of the scopes I’ve mentioned above, you’ll find they all have something in common. Do you know what it is? I’ll let you do some research on the web for a few days to see if you can discover the mutual correlation. Although I’m sure you’ll figure it out, if you don’t watch for my post in a few days…

Until then, think about the following 8 things while shopping for a new scope:

1. Price Range

2. Power Range

3. Reticule Type

4. Tube Diameter

5. Field of View

6. Point of Aim – Point of Impact Capable

7. BDC Capable

8. Objective Diameter

Getting answers to those 8 questions will be your first steps to saving your hunting & shooting Buck$ while getting the needed results.

Muzzleloader Rifle Scopes - Reviews from the Shot Show

As we’ve grown over the past year or so, MAX has started receiving more and more questions on a wider range of products than we ever expected. One of the most asked about products has been rifle scopes.

When I think back on my 35+ years of being a consumer of hunting products, one of the biggest changes I’ve noticed has been in rifle scopes. I do remember my first scope being a fixed 4x Weaver that I mounted on a Marlin 336 30/30 and my second, after being able to afford it, was a Redfield wide field 3 x 9 that I mounted on a Winchester Model 70 .270. That Redfield, for those who remember, was “the” scope to own” and for a while the one that all others were compared to. Since that time, I have purchased and used many scopes from different manufacturers and in all price ranges from $100 to $1,300. Most were worth what I paid, but some were not.

We have been getting so many requests by customers wanting to know what we thought was the best scope for a 200-250 yard muzzleloader, that we started looking at scopes more closely. Some of the questions we were getting were: what power, what size objective lens, what tube diameter, fixed or variable, BDC or not. And actually the list could go on and on. But one of the most frequentlyasked questions has been “do I have to spend a lot of money to get a quality scope?”. After attending the 2010 Shot Show, I can tell you without any doubt that the answer to that question is definitely NO.

As I walked around the Shot Show, there were so many companies, many of which I had never heard of, making inexpensive, high-quality rifle scopes that it was almost overwhelming. I spent the better part of 2 days looking at nothing but rifle scopes and the main thing I learned was to “think outside the box” as far as the brands we are all familiar with.

First of all, let me tell you what “I” believe the features would be for the perfect muzzleloader scope (if you think about a factory rifle being capable of shooting 200 to 250 yards):
1. variable power of 3 x 9 or 1.5x to 6x
2. 30 mm tube
3. eye piece or side focus
4. 1 piece tube
5. 40mm to 44mm objective
6. price: $280 - $320

1.) Variable power is a nice feature for a scope used on a muzzleloader because a muzzleloader would be considered a close to mid-range rifle. It’s just nice to be able to see the power on the scope meet the need for the type habitat/area you are hunting. Lower power for close or thick situations and more power for longer-range or open areas. I’m really leaning towards the 1.5 x 6 over the more traditional 3 x 9 because of the limited range in muzzleoading rifles, plus you get a bigger field-of-view with the lower power scopes, but with still enough magnification for the longer shots.

2.) I will probably catch a lot of flack from readers on this next feature, the 30mm tube, but here we go (try to remember, this is what “I” think...but then again, I do have a great deal of experience with both 30mm and 1 inch tube scopes). To start with, until recently, 30mm tube scopes were not common in the brand names we are all familiar with. Most were European scopes that came with big price tags. In the summer of 2009, before I started thinking outside the box, the only scope I found in the $300 range that had a 30 mm tube with one piece tube was a FullField 30, which is made by Burris. When I found it on the internet, I had never seen it before but had used several of Burris’ Fullfield II 1 inch tube scopes with great results. I bought the scope and used it last summer on a new rifle (muzzleloader) we were testing and hunted with it this past winter – and I would recommend it to anyone. As to why a 30mm tube, and this is where the flack will start, I really believe that the only way to really get more light to your eye is to have the light from the objective lens, no matter how big it is, pass through a larger diameter (30mm) tube. If you read enough about 30mm tubes vs 1 inch tubes, you will find a lot that supports my opinion (and some that won’t). One more quality in the 30mm tube that I like is that you will have more clicks available in both windage and elevation if needed.

3.) Having the ability to focus or adjust the paralex of the scope from the eye piece or with a knob from the left side of the turrent is a great option. In my opinion, if you have a scope on a muzzleloader where the focus is done by adjusting a knob on the objective lens, you’ve put too much slope on the rifle.

4.) There is not a lot to say on the one-piece tube, a one-piece tube will hold up better.

5.) My reasoning behind drawing the line with a rule about having a scope with an objective lens 44mm or smaller is easy: good marksmanship skills and habits. I’m a huge believer in having the scope mounted on the rifle as low as possible. By keeping the scope as low to the rifle as possible, it allows you to properly mount the rifle to your cheek with the stock, this is called “stock weld”. This puts the rifle in a more natural shooting position which allows better shot placement and also allows you to better accept, and recover from, the rifle’s recoil. As a general rule, a 40mm to 42mm scope can be mounted using low bases and up to a 44mm can be mounted with medium bases.

6.) And lastly is the price. I found all of the above features, plus a few more, in very well-built scopes for around $300, give or take $25 each way. All of the scopes I looked at during my visit to the Shot Show have limited lifetime warranties and seem very well-built.

One company, Konus, has a scope with all of the features I was looking for, plus it had a lit redical for low light. This is a high-quality scope, it has a great price and all of the Konus sales reps were very helpful and made sure that I understood all the features of their products. I like to see confidence and superior product-knowlege in a sales rep.

Another company, Leatherwood / Hi-Lux also had a great line of products of high-quality with good prices. I met Mr. John Wu, the company president, who was very proud of his company’s proudcts and it’s staff. We spoke for a while about both and I’m expecting great things from these scopes.

We will be testing scopes from both Konus and Leatherwood this spring and letting you all know the results by late summer.

In short, high quality does not come with a big price tag, but Konus and Leatherwood will have to pass the long and rigid MAX Tests before we pass it on to you , the consumer and our customers, as a product we recommend.