Looking for a good 10X fixed power scope for a mountain rifle. 8X would be ok, but all the objectives are monstrous.

The best I have found is a 10x42 from Schmidt & Bender.

If there is something else that fits the bill in magnification, small objective, weight, and quality, let me know. I've seen some other higher magnification fixed power scopes, but they have tactical knobs and s$#& all over them.

Don't discount the inexpensive Bushnell Elite 3200 10X40. The Japanese made Bausch & Lomb lenses on my (several) variable power 3200's are very clear. I can't imagine the fixed power would be any different.

For the money, I would take a long look at the Leupold 12X40 with VX-3 glass.

Thanks. Looked at both of those and they have the bigger turrets on them.

True. Did you take a look at not-so-old vintage fixed power scopes? Might have to settle for gloss.

I think the S&B image quality is going to be hard to beat. I will check with Leupold's custom shop and see if they can change the turrets out for standard ones. That may be the way to go.

Haven't seen this one before. I wonder how it compares to S&B? This would be perfect.

http://www.leupold.com/tactica...lrt-10x40mm-30mm-m3/

Leupold sure has the bases covered on this one. Decent eye relief, low turrets, side focus, no AO to mess with. I wonder if the larger 30mm tube might even be a plus over the 1" for a bit extra light. No gold ring (reflection issue?). Recently, I had looked at a cheaper S&B Klassic which is made where the regular production lenses are made (nearby Euro-country) and heard that the customer service was not top shelf for those models. O'course hear-say is always trumped by a person with actual first hand knowledge so I hope someone chimes in on S&B. I didn't buy the Klassik (spelling) and hadn't delved any further into the CS on the standard quality scopes.

Thanks. I really like the lines of the Leupold and am sure if I wanted different reticle, I could custom order.

I hear you can get anything you want from Leupold and the service is top shelf. Let me know your final choice.

Look around for a used Kahles 10x mil-dot. Lower rifle 1" tubes and you can find them for $500-700 out there most of the time. It will also be the lightest of the bunch.

quote:

Originally posted by custombolt:
Don't discount the inexpensive Bushnell Elite 3200 10X40. The Japanese made Bausch & Lomb lenses on my (several) variable power 3200's are very clear. I can't imagine the fixed power would be any different.

I like mine very much.

I have the Schmidt-Bender PM 10x42 on my favorite rifle. I've used it to take game from just under 100 yards out to 320 yards. It is phenomenal in low light situations. It comes standard with a Mil-dot reticle but I ordered it with the P-1 Bryant reticle. I am partial to fixed power scopes and, in that regard, it is the best scope I have ever owned or used.

Leupold has the 8X and 10X fixed scopes, They were 33 or 40 mm as I recall. I think they were discontinued some number of years ago..I know they sure are in demand and sell like hotcakes if you can find one you'll be lucky..I had an 8x and it sold overnight and I must have got 50 callls for it..I could see no advantage to it over the 3x9 or 2x7 Leupold for big game hunting. For varmints it was nice.

Except possibly for a target or varmint rifle, I would feel very vulnerable walking around with a fixed-power scope that big.

What if you climb around a rock and find there, 20 yards away, the sheep, goat or muley of your dreams, too close to focus on? Worse still, what if you come up against one of the rare, belligerent mountain lions or black bears.

Not only do these big scopes pose focus and parallax issues but you will lose sight of around 10 times your field of view and that's just the linear measure. Convert this figure to the area of hidden field and you finish with a big donut of invisibility surrounding a very small hole of massively enlarged, shaking, target, possibly distorted by a moving mirage.

Our forebears used to shoot hundreds of yards with open and peep sights, despite the looping trajectories of black powder, and Elmer Keith never felt the need of much more than 4x, even to shoot game at 600 yards.

If big game can't be seen at sporting ranges with a 4 or 6x, maybe a new pair of prescription spectacles is the real need.

My recommandation is definetly NOT a fixed scope - NEVER, but especially not with a high magnifition...

I have myself a Swarovski Z6i 2,5-15x44 HD BT SR on my Remington 700 Titanium - it´s anything but cheap, but I have never regreted it. It´s optics is the best on market. Designis perfect for me and with the ballistic turrent you could reach out without any dificulties and estimations...