Right lads, the season is pretty much over and I am in the mood to swap some things around.

Currently I have a 222rem with a Swaro PF 8x50 on board and the 270win with a S&B 3-12x50 L7 on top.

Now over the next few months, I have a new 260rem arriving as a dedicated deer rifle and the 270 barrel will get swapped to a 30cal for my future travels. So far so good.

My current thought is to move the Swaro onto the new 260. Sell the S&B which is a fantastic scope, but just too heavy for a stalking rifle in my view. So I should have the proceeds from the S&B to put towards two new scopes.

I am pretty much set on a Swaro PV 1.5-6x42 IR for the big rifle, this will mainly be used as a travelling pig gun.

However, I want to play a bit at longer ranges this year with the 222, I am forming an idea that I need a variable with a higher end (14-16x), parallax adjust, maybe target turrets.

The 222 is used as a daylight paper and rabbit/magpie gun, plus lamping foxes. I have started to think I don't need top end German/Austrian optics for this job. I have been looking at Nikon Monarch, Zeiss Conquest, Bushnell Elite 6500 etc.

What does the panel advise for this purpose. I would like to limit the spend to around £500 for this.

Oh, and if anyone is interested in the big Schmidt, PM me, it is in "like new" condition.

quote:

Originally posted by Claret_Dabbler:

However, I want to play a bit at longer ranges this year with the 222, I am forming an idea that I need a variable with a higher end (14-16x), parallax adjust, maybe target turrets.

The 222 is used as a daylight paper and rabbit/magpie gun, plus lamping foxes. I have started to think I don't need top end German/Austrian optics for this job. I have been looking at Nikon Monarch, Zeiss Conquest, Bushnell Elite 6500 etc.

Brian, of the three scopes you mention as candidates for the .222, I'm very much partial to the Zeiss Conquest. For me, that series offer exceptional quality for the price - both optically and in terms of adjustments. In typical Zeiss fashion, the clicks move you in the right direction at (about) the right distance. Many, many other scope brands can't follow this act - even from manufacturers we normally think of as high quality.

For a .222 for the purpose you mention, I'd take a look at the 4.5-14x50 or 6.5-20x50. Both have parallax (side) adjustment, and the Z-Plex reticle is not a bad reticle, even for lowish light. They can also be had with a German #4 reticle, although I don't know if that reticle would defeat the purpose of accuracy shooting - albeit bring advantages in low light. I have a Germn #4 in a Conquest 3-9x50, and very much like it as a low light tool.

- mike

O.K Brian,

Let's start playing Checkers.

Put the 8x50 on the 270 that's gonna grow-up to be a .308". 50mm is for Continetal European night-time Piggie use about at the low end of the scale, but it'll suffice. If you put it in mounts that'll afford a switch to a 30mm Red Dot w/zeroX you'll be equipped for Sitting and Drive Hunting.

IMO the proposed 1.5-6x42 will make a good general all-purpose rifle scope but marginal Drive Hunt scope and won't cut it at all if you have to do any night-time work. With an IR; the Teutons put the recticles in the first focal plane so when you turn the X down to 1.5 the recticle is the smallest meaning your Red Dot has now become Pin-Prick. Not much use for Drive Hunts if that's what you're making the investment in an IR for.

Put the S&B 3-12x50 on your .222 Remington and you got the increased ranging ability with 12X top end.

The 260; if it's gonna be a stalking rifle (i.e., carry-rifle) can easily survive with a Leupy 3-9x38mm or 42mm or similar.

You asked......

Have fun with your decision.

Gerry, I did swap the S&B over onto the 222 a few years back, but it made the little rifle very top heavy. I might try this again for a few months, the 222 now has a moderator so the weight might be less of an issue.

The 260 will be almost entirely used for dawn and dusk deer shooting as in Baldock. I think the Swaro 8x50 would be erfect for that, or I can pick up a S&B 8x56 for not too much cash.

I can get a Zeiss Conquest from the States with all the whistles and bells for under £500 and leave the 3-12 S&B on the 270. My only objection to the S&B variable for a travelling pig gun is the same as yours. When you turn the magnification down to 3x for driven hunts, the reticle becomes very fine and the red X is too small. I end up cranking the power up to 5x just to give myself a clear reticle.

Decisions, decisions.

Brian,

I've got a Leupold 4.5-14x42 (or 50???)Long Range with the boon and crocket reticle. It's a great scope for the money as a daylight scope but suffers in the light gathering at very last light. I'm thinking of putting it on a lamping rifle or it might even go on the 308 for some longer range stuff we are doing in south africa this year.

FB

Hi B

Get the same feeling. As you can probably sense I am a sucker for these techi "things".

Most of the scopes mentioned in this thread you are very very welcome to borrow for a short period and evaluate.....

Just email me direct.

Hi B its me again. If you look back about a year ago I posted a thread about problems with accuracy with a Mauser 222 and you kindly gave me some advice. Well we did not crosss path again until recently.

Jsut to let you know that I got my chamber casted and there is a conical deformity in the factory chamber. Mauser has accepted it is a production error and offered to destroy my barrel and supply me with a replacement without cost.


After 2.5 years of doubting myself finally I can put this matter to bed.

Brian,

(Benjamin, Mikee & Kiri - Hi Guys!),

That's why I put a Zeiss 8x56 in EAW mounts on my 9.3x62 Piggie Basher. Didn't want an IR and the straight 8X is perfect for night-time work.

The EAW Mounts allow me to top the Pigggie Basher with a Millett 30mm Red dot for Drive Hunts.

Agree with you & Mikee. A Zeiss Conquest with a few frills would also be a nice scope for the 260 GP rifle.


Benjamin,

Which Mauser in .222 Remington? Glad you held your ground. Nothing worse than to be confronted daily with a factory defect.

Hi G,

You will be very very interested in this problem. I bought a Mauser 03 with a 222 solid 50cm barrel about 2.5 years ago.

fromt he start the rifle gun performs very eratically. i.e group changes from session to session. I could not work it out. Cost me 20 plus trips to the range. I changed powder, projectiles and primer without any consistency. Tried even different cases, lapua (whatever is left lapua and Norma cases)

I contacted the (then)importer they took the gun back and after 02 months of testing reported the gun to be "normal" and stated uin writing it was down to "me".

I basically gave up. Until recently when I got a bit more proficient with Reloading technique. I re-measured my fired cases. I found that there is a significnat difference between the top of the neck and the neck shoudler junction. I sent pictures to Mr. Robert Sajitz Technicial Director of Mauser. Still he does not believe me. In the end I send the fired cases to him and only then he accepted there is a problem.

Bottom line If I did not have advice and help from more experienced friends I would have sold the rifle and that will be it.

I understand it is quite a long procedure in GDR to destroy a barrel and cast another one with the same serial number. This is where I am now.

I will post pictures to confirm the problem.
This might be intereting to other members.
I hope nobody will blame me for being off topic.

PS For those who went pig shooting in January this year this is the same Mauser 03 I took with a 50cm 9.3 x 62 solid profile. It can group 0.6 inches 05 plus shots from bench with H4350 55.0 grain posting 2550 fps ES +/-30fps. Swift A frame

Brian, I use a Burris fulfield on my .222 it's a great scope for not much money and the b'plex reticle works realy well. you can pick up the 4-14x42 on ebay(from the States) for about £200.
what about the meopta you had talked about?

Aaron, the Meopta was gone when I phoned about it.

I shoot a very fine reticle (#4)Swaro PF 6x on my 22 centrefire and thicker reticle (#4a) Swaro PF 6x on my mid range. My 06 wears a Swaro PV 1.5-6x42 with a #4a

Recently I took a friend to the West country after reds. I could see the case for a bigger objective variable with IR as he saw reds on fields in the morning twice but could not shoot with his fixed 6x.

Selling second hand scopes makes bad business sense - you never get the value back.

I haven't drive hunted but I use a plain jane Swaro 1.5-6x42 with #4a for moose and find it excellent but that's not quite as frenetic as boar.

I'm in no real rush over this.

I am going to try it Gerry's way. I moved the S&B 3-12 onto the 222 last night and got it zeroed after work. I will put the 8x50 onto the 260rem if the cops ever get round to issuing the FAC.

Adam, judging by what I see on ebay, I could sell the S&B for a lot more than I paid for it.

I do agree that the 1.5-6x42 should be perfect for boar, and most day time hunting - with the right reticle. The big variable with the IR really comes into it's own at very low light.

If I was made of money I would have a S&B 3-12x56 or Swarovski Z6 1.7-10x56 on every rifle I own.

I am in the process of the higher quality rifles getting 3-12x56 or 2.5-10x56 scopes of good quality: Burris Euro, Trijicon, Kahles, Docter. I think the ones that really need it will get a Swaro or a S&B.

Hard to justify $2000 on every rifle you own in glass.