I have used most of them,from Leups to The Best Germany/Austria can make...All have pros/cons..Someone needs to make something Special for us DG Hunters!....But for now,has anyone used the Leupold 30MM EURO line of scopes..Specs and prices are good,but do they Hold Up to the "Big Jolts" of the Cannons we love to shoot? (1-4 or 2-7 Euro 30mm)!(got one for sale?,Let me know)

When it comes to "hold up", they are as stout as any other Leupold. As for the use of the 30mm tube...
That is only a gimmic. 30mm tubes does not let trough any more light than 1" tubes. They DO give more room to sturdier mechanical solutions, but me thinks the 1" tube scopes have prooved sturdy enough.
They offer the german No.4 reticle, and that is the only good thing that gives it an edge over the regular 1" tube scopes made for the American market.

I have a 1x4 euro on my 9.3x62 but the gun is new and has not had more than 40 rounds fired at this point. On the heavy kickers I doubt any variable scope will last forever. I would stick with the fixed power 1" tube scopes if you want the most reliability. The smaller tube means less glass weight and therefore less inertia working against you. I think you are crazy trying to put a scope on that big stuff you shoot anyway….sounds like a good way to get cut around the eye!

I have the 3-9x50 Euro with the German #4 on my BBF. It works just fine,
I have been told though that the Euro Leupolds, while having a 30mm tube, actually have 1" glass in them.
Don't know if it's true, hopefully someone who does know for sure will chime in.

Toughest Scope Made...

I had the chance to play with this scope at the last Dallas Market Hall Gun show. I liked the Illuminated Duplex Reticle. You could turn it off and just have the crosshairs or you could turn it up till it looked like a red dot in the middle of your cross hairs. I have one in my wish list at Midway because they are on back order. I just love those “SEASONAL RUNSâ€.
So the Leupold VX-III Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 1.5-5x 20mm Illuminated Duplex Reticle gets my vote.
Bill

Tom,

While it's not a big bore per se, I have a Leupold 1.5~5 30mm [illuminated duplex] VX-III on a light .375. Well over 200 rounds under it with no issues what-so-ever. My main gripe with it is the variable eye releif, which as you know, is not the case with most Euro glass.

The Swarovski 1-6 has a 24m objective lens so in theory it should be brighter than a 20mm objective lens. It also has a 1 power setting which allows comfortable two-eyes-open aiming. I think it is the best scope I've looked through for a DG rifle. I haven't bought one yet but there might be some members who have.

If you need eye relief, Leupold is the way to go. I just removed a Swaro 1.5x6 from my Chapuis DR 9.3x74 and put a 2x7 Euro Leupy in its place. Yes, the Swaro eye relief never varies but at 3.15" it is not enough for me. The Leupy has from 4.9" (low power) to 3.8" (highest power)and is 5 ounces lighter. Also, Leupold has proven over and over that they are tough enough for the big bangers. I have 1" Leupolds on (2) .458s, (2) .375 H&Hs, (1) 416 Rigby, (1) 404 Jeffery, and never had a problem.

I have a Swarovski Z6i 1-6x on my 9.3x74R and I really like it. It's the brightest scope I have ever looked through and the circle dot works really fast.
If you need more than 3.74 inch eye relief, you can opt for the EE model (4.72 inch).

Nitehawk,that would be the perfect scope for me,form a low 1x for 100ft fov to 6x for longer shots and trophy examination,almost 5" of eye relief!..Just need to hock something to pay for it I like it! Thanks http://www.swfa.com/pc-8629-978-swarovski-1-6x24-z6-30mm-riflescope.aspx

quote:

Originally posted by Nitehawk:
I have a Swarovski Z6i 1-6x on my 9.3x74R and I really like it. It's the brightest scope I have ever looked through and the circle dot works really fast.
If you need more than 3.74 inch eye relief, you can opt for the EE model (4.72 inch).

I have a fixed 2.5X20mm Leupold Ultralight on my .500 Jeffery mounted in a set of Talley QD rings. It works great on the big guns and I think they stand up to recoil really well.

Dave

Yes,I agree on that,I have used them on my light 600s and they are tough,just the field of view and magnification is a little light for me...Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
I have a fixed 2.5X20mm Leupold Ultralight on my .500 Jeffery mounted in a set of Talley QD rings. It works great on the big guns and I think they stand up to recoil really well.

Dave

I can see no advantage to a 30MM and consider another shot at the hunters pocket book, this stuff is getting as bad a golf, it took me years to decide it was me not the clubs!

I am sure the toughest scope going is the 2.5 Leupold compact as the adjustments are in the center of the scope and not the lens..I used one on a 505 and a 458 Lott with complete success but in the end I decided I don't need a scope until the range exceeds 200 yards and then only depending on the target size..and I have seldom shot these big boys at extended ranges and when I did it was on a bet and by the way I won every bet!

I have not used it on a Big Bore but I have had a 3-9x40mm Euro Leupold with the german #4 reticle on My A-Bolt slug gun for the past 2 years and it has held up way past my expectations. I would definately say for the money they are great scopes.
Ben

In the beginning of scopes, Europeans setteled for 26mm tubes, and the US for 1"/25,4mm.
That was when the scopes were fixed at one power.
Then variables were made, they needed more gadgets inside the tube. The europeans built it out, resulting in the 30mm tube.
The US thought it would be nice with one standard tube, and built it in to the existing 1" tube.
In teory, european variables have more room inside and can be made sturdier, but there is nothing that indicate that they are sturdier than the US made quality optics. They do NOT transmit more light, as many seems to believe.
As a gippo, makers such as Leupold have starting to use 30mm tubes to conquor the European market, but they have the same inner mecanic as the 1" scopes.

I have a 2-7x on my 7x57, and it has been packed a bunch- no problems. I bought it when they were clearing out the Vari-x series, paid $259 for it, so I like it.

I have a Burris Safari 1.75 X 5 on my 458 Lott.
Its a great scope.

quote:

So the Leupold VX-III Rifle Scope 30mm Tube 1.5-5x 20mm Illuminated Duplex Reticle gets my vote.

It got mine too! After about 200 shots out of my 458Lott it Puked! All sorts of stuff rattlin' around inside, and all fuzzy.

I sent it back to leupold and they fixed and sent it back in short order but we'll have to see if it stays fixed.

Well,I guess there are alot of variables here(no Pun intended!)...It depends on the scope,some last,some dont(Leupolds for example) and fixed powers seem to be stronger(simpler) and then there is recoil of the gun and Really,How MUCH do you shoot it? I went with a Leupold 1.75-6 on the latest 600 and hope it works,it may see 100 rounds in the next few years,so it may last and last? The 5pd Lott,it may even kick more?,so I am thinking a 2.5x Fixed Leup,though I prefer a variable..I know this will last and last!...

quote:

Originally posted by Bent Fossdal:
In the beginning of scopes, Europeans setteled for 26mm tubes, and the US for 1"/25,4mm.
That was when the scopes were fixed at one power.
Then variables were made, they needed more gadgets inside the tube. The europeans built it out, resulting in the 30mm tube.
The US thought it would be nice with one standard tube, and built it in to the existing 1" tube.
In teory, european variables have more room inside and can be made sturdier, but there is nothing that indicate that they are sturdier than the US made quality optics. They do NOT transmit more light, as many seems to believe.
As a gippo, makers such as Leupold have starting to use 30mm tubes to conquor the European market, but they have the same inner mecanic as the 1" scopes.

Bent,

Yes Leupold and most other American made 30mm scopes have 1 inch inside parts. Most 30mm European scopes have 30mm inside parts, for the most part.

34mm and 35mm scopes have 30mm inside parts, and have heavier scope bodies resulting in more steel or aluminum in the frame of the scope. More metal means more strength.

Light transmission is based on 3 things.

1. Quality of lenses

2. Quality of refractors and mirrors.

3. Objective lense diameter.

So a poor quality 3-12x56mm scope will only have one posative factor influencing it's transmission.

A high quality one inch 3-9x42 scope will "probably" transmit more light than the 3-12x56 made by a inferior company. For instance a Kahles 3-9x42 versus a Barska 3-12x56. I say probably because the only way to know would to have an independant testing company that has the equipment to measure the ammount of light shown through a scope measure it.

Medium to high end Teutonic scopes in 30mm will always be be more brilliant than 1 inch scopes from Burris, Nikon, and Leupold.

You have to compare apples to apples, and most people don't do that. They usually compare the 3-9x42 Burris Fullfield or a similar Nikon or Leupold to a Swarovski, Zeiss, or Schmidt and Bender in 30mm. They rarely compare one inch Burris Signature or Leupold Vari-X III to a 30mm scope of a similar quality.

quote:

Someone needs to make something Special for us DG Hunters!

Someone already does!

Trijicon, whose combat sights are in use by the US Army and Marines in Iraq and Afhganistan, as we speak, make a range of hunting scopes and the 1.25-4x is perfect for DG rifles. The original 1.25-4x was, in fact, designed for the owner of Trijicon's .458WM - so this is a purpose-designed DG scope.

With a super long eye relief and an illuminated reticle (that does not require batteries and does not use On/Off switches) it is the "duck's guts", which is Aussia slang for the best, IMHO!

I have one on my Merkel 9.3x74R and will be fitting more of them onto my .375, .416 and .404 just as soon as finances allow.

These are great sights that allow you to shoot with both eyes open, even on 3 or 4x, and that is a great feature for a DG scope - in military terms, this means great 'situational awareness' so you won't have to worry about DG animals sneaking up on your one-eye-closed-blind-side because with both eyes open you can see to the limits of your peripheral vision while still taking an aimed shot!

In view of Trijicon's success on the battlefield, in US service, I am surprised that more Yanks aren't using them.

BwanaBob,

It's a matter of how new they are to the market. The price is certainly right.

I looked through a 3.5-10x56 30mm Trijicon at Cabelas a few weeks ago. I plan on putting this on a couple rifles, it is an amazing scope that is for sure.

I know a few folks that have them that also have Swarovski and Schmidt Bender 30mm and they say that the differences are slim. Cabelas in Maine doesn't have very many 30mm anything other than Leupold so I didn't have one to compare it to. It was as least as good as the one in Swarvski 3.5-10x50 A-line they had.

Hello!

have several leupold scopes,Vari-X III: 2,5-8X36,3,5-10X40. European: 3-9X40,4-12X40.
If mechanics,and lenses are the same in 1 inch,and 30 mm tubes,I just wonder what makes the BIG difference I see when I compare these scopes in bad light conditions. Last year while hunting roedeer in october,me and my hunting buddy compared my L.pold Euro. 3-9X40,and his L.pold Vari-X III 4-14X40. Big,big difference in favour of my Euro.30!. My choice is easy! Euro 30!!!

It puzzels me that Leupold, when they vent the "European way", kept the "American" configurations like 2-7x33, 3-9x40, 3-9x50 and 4-12x40.

Why not the all time European classic 1,5-6x42?
If this scope series are aimed at the European marked, such a scope would be really great on any moose,boar and bear rifle.

Also on driven roe, boar and red in tight spots, a low 1,5 with generous field of view and good eye relief should be an winner.
6 is plenty enough in the high end, and 42 mm give ample light gathering for day hour hunting even in dark timber.

I love a 1.5-6x scope on a hunting rifle. It has plenty of power for 300 yards or more and is great up close. Give me one of those with a No.4 reticle and I'm a happy hunter.

Anybody try anything from NightForce? I put a 2.5-10X24 on my medium bore-375H&H and absolutely love it. With 200gr GS HV it has become my 400yd elk rifle!!

Andy

Leupold VX I -- 4x fixed. I found the scope used in the shop, because fixed power doesn't shake loose, Leupold is good stuff, and the relief is ample.

Ruger No. 1 "Tropical" as I understand it. .458 Win. Mag.

Not me but a friend has only Leupold scopes on his Magnum Mauser rifles, he has several of them, if I remember well in .375, 10.75 mm, .404 and .416.

Another friend put a 3.5-10x50 for lion plus a smaller daylight scope on his Winchester 70 pre-64 for his big safari, he shot about 25 pieces of game, including several bufffaloes. The scopes performed absolutely flawless.