I would like to get a scope to shoot coyote during the day and night. Do I just need a lighted cross-hair reticle? Do I need a night vision scope? What is a good scope for both day and night shooting?

Hi Johnny,

we do lot´s of night hunting on pigs without artifial light here in Germany and my recomandation is a Swarovski Z6i 2-12x50 or the new upcoming 2,5-15x56 for this task with an illuminated reticle, so You could aim your target in lowlight conditions well.

If You are looking for any scope, PM me

Klaus

I have a Swaro 4-12x50 with a 4A reticle. If you have any ambient illumination, for example, moonlight, then the you can shoot with it. If you aren't going with night vision, then buy the best optics you can afford. You'll be shocked at what you can do with a European scope at night.

LWD

I do a lot of night calling for predators and we also hunt hogs at night. You will be using a light anyway. Any good quality scope will do the job. You do not need a lighted reticle either, although my calling parnter has one on each of his calling rifles and likes them.

We occasionally do "full moon" hog hunts where we hunt out of stands by moonlight. My Nikon Monarch does just fine, as does my Sightron SII.

Bob

I went through the same dilema. Tried using a quality day scope for night hunting with less than favorable results. I finally bit the bullet and bought a D-740 gen 3 with a long range IR illuminator along with a A.R.M.S. #19 quick release mount. Also hve a 6-18X50 dayscope mounted on Warne quick release rings. Both setups can be removed and re-mounted with no percievable zero change. If you could demo a Gen 3 U.S. made tube N.V. scope I am confident you would be saying "WOW" and know that you truly "own the night"

quote:

Originally posted by LWD:
I You'll be shocked at what you can do with a European scope at night.

LWD

You are absolutely right! When I do pig hunting, just light reflection on the clouds (from the far away city lights) is enough light for shooting with my Swarovski scope...

It sounds like the Z6i is excellent for day shooting and very good for night shooting at a cost of about $2300. The D-740 is excellent for night shooting at a cost of abour $3300, but I would need a day scope at a cost of say $500 and another $150 or so for mounts. Both of these systems are costly, but very good. Then TX Bob suggest a standard scope at about $500 to $600 would suffice. I guess I have something to think about. Thanks for your input guy, any other advice?

quote:

but I would need a day scope at a cost of say $500 and another $150 or so for mounts

At that price range, get a Nikon Monarch or Zeiss Conquest. Bob is right. The Nikon Monarch is a great scope, and for the money, one of the absolute best values around. I have one myself. I'd rate the Zeiss Conquest as even better, but they go up in price quite a bit for the higher magnification models. So if you are wanting more magnification, look at the Monarchs. The new Monarchs are excellent, but some great deals can be had on the previous series.

I have not used night vision so I can't comment on that.

LWD

I was going to suggest the 8X56 S&B as a scope that will do everything for you at a reasonable price. Then I looked at the price of the scope in the US and saw it was around $1,300 which with you folks being used to cheap gear is probably a pile of money for you to pay.

I picked up a 2nd hand one for about $400 in the UK and it is certainly all the scope I need: nothing to fiddle with, built like a tank and can see in the dark should that be important to you.

Even the cheaper Leupolds are quite adequate for night shooting as long as there is a little light such as moonlight. In fact, even on fairly dark nights I can see adequately to shoot to the far corner of my field (about 400 yards away).

My favorite scopes for night shooting though would be Nightforce. They all have a lighted reticle.

It´s always interesting to read and hear about how other hunters and shooters find optics to rate in low or no light situations.

I fore one find that no US brand can give decent performance at night, closest to it comes the NF, but those are still mostly a japanese product.

Leupolds just plain suck in low light. Yes ther are a few models x50 mm lenses and 30 mm tubes with il reticles but still they are light years behind in just this one departement, othervise they are most servicable.

Low and nolight shooting differs so much between where you are at and the weather conditions.

For instance, near cities there are about 5x more ambient light from the city it self, in rural areas there could be so much better starlight on clear nights, in open fields there is a lesser need for really good optics.

For me I shoot in the wood in low, to no light situations, foxes and wildboar.

When well in the woods there is only very little ambient light so one has to make good use if it.

I have a Swarovski 8x56 and a Ziess 6-24x56 ilum ret that does that kind of job for me, had I had the money a x72 Ziess would be optimal.

My conclusion is that there are need and there are needs, only a lot of time in the field will tell what ones personal need and otimal choice is.

BTW a 6x42 from any euro brand will do 90 % of all low light shooting, it that remaing 10% that is going to cost you.

Best regards Chris

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:
Even the cheaper Leupolds are quite adequate for night shooting as long as there is a little light such as moonlight. In fact, even on fairly dark nights I can see adequately to shoot to the far corner of my field (about 400 yards away).

My favorite scopes for night shooting though would be Nightforce. They all have a lighted reticle.

Grenadier, I know about US hunting regs, and the no no for night hunting for most parts.

Certainly US mad scopes would not be geared towards lowlight performance the, it´s quite selfexplanatory.

However if some one, look above states that Leupolds are the cats whiskers for lowlight use then I for one find that they either haw low expectations or are rather ill adviced then self.

Yes lowlight capability will cost you in weight, however going all the way for S&B PMII 5-25x56 is a bit ower board and yes the S&B are heavy as lead.

A 8x56 Swaro is about 400 grams lighter or similar. actually the new ones are about as light as a leupie Mark 4.

The idea of using NV-systems are beyond my level or area of knowledge, all I know is that you have adviced about the best make up of NV-system, one where the NV-part is set before a real scope.

Still the precision attained in these systems I used one in the military for the AK4 in the Swedish forces is limited, to shot people at 100 and max 250 meters yes, to shot a moving yote or fox, not so much, but perhaps systems are better today, still it´s been a decade and a half since I left the servide and the system was old then all ready.

I sceond the alternative option, QR-mounts and two scopes, one of wich is a 7-8x50-56 or even a 2,5-10x50, if one consistantly shoot at short ranges.

Best regards Chris

Just returned from a hunt where my 2.5-10x50 Zeiss got some use after Sundown .
A great scope for such uses and then with Illuminated reticle for dark bakground use makes it almost perfect.

Meopta has a 7x56mm with a 4a reticle and a 4a with a lighted dot in the middle. I think you can buy the lighted one new for about $800. That should be very bright. I have never seen one but was thinking it would be a great scope for a night Leopard hunt where one has a lot of money on the line.

quote:

Originally posted by army aviator:
Meopta has a 7x56mm with a 4a reticle and a 4a with a lighted dot in the middle. I think you can buy the lighted one new for about $800. That should be very bright. I have never seen one but was thinking it would be a great scope for a night Leopard hunt where one has a lot of money on the line.

I just checked my SWFA 07 catalog and the prices were under $500 and under $700 for the two scopes