Just curious to know what scope brand is most popular in Australia as I was assured by a chap I met in a gunshop in Port Elizabeth that Burris leads the way. Is this guy talking nonsense or what?

I would say the 3-9 Leopold would be(or was) number one but not my number one. Light gathering is my most important factor with the mature game animals being nocturnal.

Well I don't know what he's on about, but the Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 would be THE aussie scope.

I reckon it would be a toss up between Tasco World Class & Leupold 3-9x40

It certaintly isn't Burris.

Yep, Leupold would be a clear favourite, followed by cheapies like Tasco and Bushnell. Fair few Zeiss Conquests getting around nowadays too.

blacks

Thanks Guys I thought so too, thanks for the confirmation.

I have racked up a few years in the hunting game and believe it or not IIRC I have seen ONE Burris scope on a rifle here.

Thanks guys cant wait to show him these replies!

I find the eye relief on leupolds too unforgiving. And I'm not convinced that their optics are any better than some of the more economical scopes that are available today.

I have always been a huge Leupold fan,but after using Swarovski and Zeiss on last light,i will be switching scopes on my main stalking rifles

But then Oz is a HUGE country, maybe where he comes from everybody has Burris.

I see a lot of Nikko Sterling scopes about mainly on newbie rifles or rimfires. Heaps of tascos, stacks of Leupolds. Leupolds I think would be the leading brand. I prefer Euro scopes or Nightforce
myself.

Burris I see them stocked in shops but don't see them at the range or in the field.

JMTBW - yes Oz is a big country and you have many kinds of shooters and hunters.

Here in NZ and (among Aussie mates) the beginners and guys who look at a rifle like a spade or a hammer (just a tool) the more common scopes are Niko & Tasco followed by Burris.

The more enthusiastic (knowledgable?) people tend to go for the Leupold & 3-9X is the most common.

The really choosy people who are happy to pay or the quality tend to go for the higher end - Khales, Swarovski, Ziess etc.

Interestingly the old rifles from the 50s to 70s often had Pecar or Nikel (German) scopes on them. These were the steel tube scopes.

Of the 25000 registered deer hunters in Victoria I reckon that you would be hard pressed to find a tasco or other el cheapo scope on their deer rifles.
Prob Leupolds are seen most but there is a big swing amongst the deer boys to get the added advantage of the better Euro optics for the early and late in the day situations.

You see Nikko Sterlings on guns because of package deals.

Tasco World Class would almost certainly be up there but Leupold's would almost certainly still be No 1 and agree with the 3 - 9 x 40 but would say that this may have moved up to the 3 - 10 x 50 now or some other 50mm scope as people are tending to up the power of scopes now.

.

Lynx get a flog around too but not as popular as Leupold. Lynx put their stock on consignment with stores which makes them popular in a lot of gun shops.

I have always been a huge Leupold fan,but after using Swarovski and Zeiss on last light,i will be switching scopes on my main stalking rifles

"Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few." Sir Winston Churchill



Finally, T.P is developing some taste !!!!! and some sense.
Now we will have to do something about your taste in rifles.

I think its whatever people can get a good deal on. Most average joe's would go the cheapies (I do, I have a bushnell on my 6.5x55 that has been great for the shooting I do) I can't justify dropping two grandish on a scope.

i reckon a nikko stirling of some sort would be hard to beat for sheer numbers........i reckon you see 3 of them to one of everything else at the ranges.......and in gunshops as well