I own a 30mm scope, ordered early last year, its a leupold of course!

Anyway, I would not recommend any 30mm for hunting, I use mine on a varmit / coyote rig, which I don't consider a real carrying rifle.

I don't see the need for the big 30mm scopes on a carry hunting rifle, its kinda like stickin a 2" pipe on there.

By the way were you guys aware that Buell is a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson. Nice going on that call sign!!!!

Mike
Eric Buell was a designer for HD for a number of years. His dream was to make a race bike and he finally left their employ and went off on his own to build his dream. It used a Harley engine and incorporated the mass of it as part of the frame. He tweeked 50% more HP out of the engine and the bike weighed in at half the sportsters weight (any HD folks feel free to correct me, I don't own one, but my brother in law does). After his venture started to fail financially because of needed funding, HD stepped in bought it and got him back as a designer. They are one amazing bike, top speed in the 180 range. Hard to get that around that fast here though with our highways.

Don't sell your scope short on hunting. The 30 mm won't give you much in the optics end (as is the case in my view in the Euro models) other than windage and elevation adjustment but they are fine scopes. Like the euro ones, I don't see the advantage of the extra bucks and the margin of improvement does not mean anything to me in a real world situation. I do agree that the 30's are not needed. They were not needed in Europe either. At one time the big manufacturers got together and set it as a standard. You can also find a 26 and a 35mm.

I've had better luck with 1" tubes,as far as cheek
weld on the stock.Don't like raising my head off
the stock to shoot.
I had a 3-12X56 Zeiss V/VM,and one advantage is you can see to shoot well past sunset.Almost dark.
But...since it is not legal here where I hunt,what good is it?
FWIW
Jeff

JeffP, that is the advantage of the 56mm objective, and not the 30mm. The 56 allows 25% more light to enter the scope. Big difference.

The 30mm tube is supposed to improve clarity. With a one inch tube you can look straight down on the top of the rifle and see the bolt clearly but with my 30mm tube scope I have to lean the gun to the left alittle to see the bolt clearly. But I do love that short-fat LPS 1.5-6x42mm.

Well, I just sent back my first leupold the other day (I have 8 or 9). It was a LPS 1.5X6X42 that I planned on taking to Tanzania this Sept as a backup. The 416 just destroyed the focus in about twenty rounds even though I'd used the scope on lesser calibers in the past couple of years without incident. My primary scope is the VX3 1.5X5X20mm. We'll now be using the exact same scope as a backup to replace the LPS even if leupold replaces or fixes it.

Gents,

I wasn't saying clarity wise or any other comparison that 30mm scopes aren't super clear. I just think they are too big for my idea of a carry gun. The 30mm i have is brighest and easiest on the eye , but it looks huge even on a custom heavy barrel varmit gun.

I admit I find humor in alot of the scope posting as of late.

And the more time I spend in the field hunting the more I agree with the really experienced hunters and smith's that post on this board.

I don't think some folks on here are shown enough respect!

I got mail recomeding www.longrangehunting.com when I asked about longrange shooting. (Thanks Holmes)

There I found tread about the differens on posiblity to adjust the elevation on scopes. Then the 30mm or even a 40mm tube is superior to a 1" tube as far as I understud it. Check it out you're selves.

Johan

.308, that is what I was talking about in reference to having more windage and elevation adjustment. One other thing you can do is get one of those bases that basically put your scope such that you can use all of the elevation adjustment in the vertical plane (it tilts the scope relative to the bore). If you have it centered the lower adjustment of the scope is worthless to you. I do not remember the name of the bases but they are available.

Chic

[ 08-05-2002, 20:54: Message edited by: Customstox ]

The 30 MM scope may or may not gather more light, it may be better and it may not...but from a hunting big game standpoint it makes no difference.....

All I require from a scope is a clear picture of the animal, I do not take time to count the ticks or hairs...I do not hunt at night, I sleep at night..I leave night hunting to vampires.....

I prefer 1" tubes, and my favorite 2.5X Leupold Alaskan that graces my 9.3x62 is a 7/8" tube and it has served me well for all big game hunting, and thats all that is required...

I can buy a good Leupold scope up to a 1.x5X used for about $250. tops, and many for less...The cheapest price I get on European scopes is $700 for a used Kahles or $1000 for a S&B here in the USA....

My preference is a less expensive Leupold and a expensive pair of Leica binocs....

I am not a sniper, benchrester, target shooter, and not much on varmints, I am a hunter of big game and that requires less than a precision instrument..It requires a tough usable instrument, and Leupold has served me well enough over the years.