A specific Sporter scope - would you buy it?

P

PedroS

Active member
Dear Sporter shooters,

We (Ricardo and myself) are dealing with a top scope manufacturer to see the possibility to bring to market a dedicated Sporter scope.

Specifications:

Tube - 30mm
Weight - 590g
Clicks - 1/8 MOA
Crosshair reticle with 1/8 MOA dot

let us know your thoughts.

Thanks
 
PedroS said:
Dear Sporter shooters,

We (Ricardo and myself) are dealing with a top scope manufacturer to see the possibility to bring to market a dedicated Sporter scope.

Specifications:

Tube - 30mm
Weight - 590g
Clicks - 1/8 MOA
Crosshair reticle with 1/8 MOA dot

let us know your thoughts.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Pedro,

Sporter shooters over here need a replacement for the discontinued Leupold Mark 4. 4.5X X 14 X 40 mm. scope.

This scope had target adjustment knobs, Elevation/windage adjustments of 95 MOA, Relative brightness 4.5 =67.2 and 14X 7.3.

It weighted 454 grams. We need it light to make our 7.5 lb weight requirement.

It had to be ordered with the dot reticle and target knobs, most shooters opted for the same dot found in the Leupold Competition series scopes.

It is really hard to get shooters to step up and accept the challenge of shooting a sporter weight rifles, so I don't have any feel about the size of the current market.

Good luck.

TKH (4628)
 
Pedro,
I answered this same question on RA, but since some here do not participate over on RA, I will repeat here.

As mentioned by Tony, weight at 590g, is a bit 'fat' for IR Sporters here in the states. My current scope (now discontinued) is a Leupold VX3i 6.5-20 X 40 EFR Target. It weighs 17.8ozs, and needed to be ran through the custom shop for a fine hair target dot reticle. I 'just' make weight with it. The scope Tony mentioned was lighter, needed more mods (parallax adjustment and reticle) and was discontinued before I bought my current scope.

Reticle, Option of 3/32 floating dot with hash marked vertical and horizontal hairs. Similar to the NF DDR-2 and March MTR-2. While both of those reticles do not have vertical hair above the dot, it would be nice if a Sporter scope had them. 55-60X is a lot different than 6.5X in seeing hold off. Hash marks really help me, and several of my friends, in judging hold off because of the obvious extra reference points.

Though not mentioned in your specs, adjustable parallax I would think is in the mix.

Just my thoughts,
Scott
 
frey said:
Fixed power.
Variables have no place in a class with a magnification limit.
Click to expand...

If at the time, someone actually made a fixed power scope in the proper X power with the features for Sporter use, I would agree. As far as I know though, those scopes were discontinued quite sometime ago, even before the excellent variables that 'fit the bill' so to speak were discontinued. In the 'new' market, hardly any choices anymore, albeit, it's a small niche market. With that in mind, I disagree with the above quote.

Scott
 
doclu60 said:
If at the time, someone actually made a fixed power scope in the proper X power with the features for Sporter use, I would agree. As far as I know though, those scopes were discontinued quite sometime ago, even before the excellent variables that 'fit the bill' so to speak were discontinued. In the 'new' market, hardly any choices anymore, albeit, it's a small niche market. With that in mind, I disagree with the above quote.

Scott
Click to expand...

Scott,

You are right we simply don't have any fixed power scopes that meet the demands of IR 50/50 sporters.

The best we ever had was a special run of Night Force 6X scopes.

They had excellent glass, some even claimed they could actually see the scoring rings on the 50/50 target.

They were a bit heavy, but one could just make weight.

The only bad thing was they did not have an adjustable parallax. That feature alone kept many from ordering them when they were available.

If you see one on a range somewhere look through it. You will be impressed.

TKH (4628)
 
frey said:
Fixed power.
Variables have no place in a class with a magnification limit.
Click to expand...

The best sporter scopes on the line are just that….variables.
As far as no place…..why? You want a few stories about straight 6X’s that got boosted to 10X-12X.
If guys are going to cheat, they’re going to cheat.
 
tonykharper said:
Scott,

You are right we simply don't have any fixed power scopes that meet the demands of IR 50/50 sporters.

The best we ever had was a special run of Night Force 6X scopes.

They had excellent glass, some even claimed they could actually see the scoring rings on the 50/50 target.

They were a bit heavy, but one could just make weight.

The only bad thing was they did not have an adjustable parallax. That feature alone kept many from ordering them when they were available.

If you see one on a range somewhere look through it. You will be impressed.

TKH (4628)
Click to expand...

Tony, there were a couple guys that did March 1X-10X,world class pieces but big bucks.
 
I'd pay

the big money if March would make a run of 6X scopes that would weigh less than a pound and have all the features we need. $2k, no issues here.

Pete
 
Butch Lambert said:
I believe March offers 5-6 different 1x-10x scopes at about 505gr. or 17.8oz
Click to expand...

Butch, the problem is that they all have funky tactical reticules not really suited to BR.
It would be great in somebody out there could reliably swap out to a fine X hair and dot.
 
OK see what he says, although I shudder to think about shipping back to Japan these days.
 
tonykharper said:
Scott,

The only bad thing was they did not have an adjustable parallax. That feature alone kept many from ordering them when they were available.

TKH (4628)
Click to expand...

Tony,
Absolutely agree. I don't care what target you shoot, adjustable parallax is not just a 'want' on a target scope, but a necessity.

Scott
 
all this chatter has me thinking the old FX3s I have might be more desirable than I might have thought.
with the exception of the 30mm tube, it seems to have all the stuff being requested here.
and at 400g, well below everything else being mentioned here.
i didn't realize it was no longer available.
or maybe it is and is just not a desirable option.
 
tim said:
The best sporter scopes on the line are just that….variables.
As far as no place…..why? You want a few stories about straight 6X’s that got boosted to 10X-12X.
If guys are going to cheat, they’re going to cheat.
Click to expand...

i agree.
just feels like a variable makes it easier
i'm probably just jaded due to a couple of questionable scenarios from back when i used to shoot.
 
frey said:
all this chatter has me thinking the old FX3s I have might be more desirable than I might have thought.
with the exception of the 30mm tube, it seems to have all the stuff being requested here.
and at 400g, well below everything else being mentioned here.
i didn't realize it was no longer available.
or maybe it is and is just not a desirable option.
Click to expand...

No frey, not really that desirable. I just looked up the FX3's specs on Leuplod's website, and they are not good with consideration of the current conversation here. Parallax is set at 150yds and not adjustable. Those posting here in the states shoot competition at 50yds and 50 meters. Weight is excellent, but the reticle is really not compatible with what true rimfire benchrest competitors are looking for. Also, even though I have the same issue with my VX3i being the adjustments are 1/4" instead of 1/8", I can live with the adjustments, but not the reticle and lack of adjustable focus all together. Especially with a scope that the MFG says has 150yd fixed parallax.

You are talking apples to oranges in this conversation. While I am sure your FX3 scope is great for whatever you use it for, it does not meet the criteria of what a good/excellent rimfire Sporter competition scope should be.

Scott
 
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