Decent straight 4x for 22 Hornet [Contender for squirrels]

Elric

Elric

Well-Known Member
The rain this year is a deluge compared to last year. Should be a good nut crop.

Got the hankering to take a 21" tapered Contender out and aimlessly wander through a decent stand of mast trees this fall. The previous owner [and old hunting buddy for 40 yrs +] had a 3-9 Leupold on it, I guess for varmints [yeah, squirrels are as well].

What is out there for a decent 4x scope, 32mm objective, >not made by Red Chinese< ? I had looked at a Simmons a few years back, but names are swapped around like party favors.

EDIT: Lee Ho Snap! I don't need first focal plane or mils.
 
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Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Most low-end scopes, including entry Leupolds, are made overseas. China & Philippines, come to mind. I have an early silver fixed 4X Simmons (44 Mag model) that is swapped around for accuracy testing on newly purchased pistol carbines that end up with red dot sights. It's never let me down. Also have a more recent Vortex 4x with a small lighted dot reticle which I like a lot. However, Vortex is made overseas..................with a lifetime warranty.

My low-end glass is reserved for plinking or punching paper. My hunting optics are mostly Gold Ring Leupold Varx III's or Trijicon .
 
Elric

Elric

Well-Known Member
Found a Redfield 4x Tracker. A but larger than I was looking for, but... Got to look it up. Decent reticule.

Dow... Almost the same exact size [length, objective, turret] as the 3x9 power.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
If I needed a scope right now, I'd start looking at used Japanese or older Leupold/Burris/Redfield, but I'm pretty stuck on Japanese glass. I don't think I'd buy a new scope today. I searched for a few scopes a few years ago and went in circles trying to find something that was JUST A SCOPE, not something that looked like it came out of Star Wars and was some kind of fantasy ballistic control center.

I've looked at new scopes over the past few years and decided finding fixed-power or low-powered variables was futile. Finding something sleek and compact just makes it that much harder to find something at all. All the most popular stuff is so encumbered with bells and whistles, over-sized and sharp-edged turret caps, ridiculously high power and gargantuan objective bells, not to mention occulars sized and shaped like a WWII pineapple grenade. Christmas tree reticles,...

I'd consider any scope I bought today as "disposable," in that if I ever do have to turn it over for warranty work, the most likely solution will be to replace it with whatever current crap is being sold as an "equivalent." I dread the day I might have to send one of my older Leupolds in, because I know they will trash it and send me whatever new thing they're selling. I don't have high-end Leupolds - they're older Vari-X IIs (gold ring on the objective bell), so I'd get the latest "lower-end" Leupold and I was NOT impressed with the newer one I got a few years ago and gave up on.

So, if I ever need another scope, I'll look for an older Japanese scope. Honestly, my B&L Balvar 1.5-6x32 is the nicest, clearest and most useful scope I've owned. If that one ever started acting up, I think I'd seek out a repair shop, suck it up and pay the bill.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I agree on the Leupolds M8 or VXII or even a VXIII altho those are starting to get more costly and are not fixed powers.

My Mauser 8mm I was set to mount a 1-4. I didnt quite like its look and feel as I couldnt get it as low as I wanted.
I mounted a 4-12 Hawke. Nice glass on par with that VXII but much larger and heavier.

I have reason to suspect its ability to hold zero. I want to believe my rifle and its bedding are good and something is causing inaccuracy. So I swapped on a Older 3-9 Redfield. Much lighter then the Hawke, it is shorter too. I probably should have stayed with that Leupold... ill try this Redfield first.

CW
 
Cadillac Jeff

Cadillac Jeff

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah
Another vote for a m8 leupold, got one on a. Ahhhaaaa. Highpoint carbine, I had it for another project that never happened.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
IMHO, and you know what that is worth, if made in the last 30 years it is crap. My 1940's and 1950's Lyman's and Weaver still perfectly.
 
Rick H

Rick H

Well-Known Member
I have a brand new M8 Leupold 4x that they sent me to replace one I destroyed. Circa 1977-78. IMO it is a bit large for the contender carbine. My Contender wears a 2-7X Leupold Compact on the 7x30Waters barrel, 22RF barrel a Weaver 2-7 Rimfire, and the 22 Hornet a made in USA 2-7 Burris. The worst of the lot is the Burris. The eye relief is critical. I have a compact Leupold 4x on my .308 that would be perfect on the Contender Carbine. You don't want a long heavy scope on that Contender.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Rick H said:
I have a brand new M8 Leupold 4x that they sent me to replace one I destroyed. Circa 1977-78. IMO it is a bit large for the contender carbine. My Contender wears a 2-7X Leupold Compact on the 7x30Waters barrel, 22RF barrel a Weaver 2-7 Rimfire, and the 22 Hornet a made in USA 2-7 Burris. The worst of the lot is the Burris. The eye relief is critical. I have a compact Leupold 4x on my .308 that would be perfect on the Contender Carbine. You don't want a long heavy scope on that Contender.
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Is that what I am thinking of? Did they make an M8 2X and 4X Compact? I also have a nice tidy 2x7 that fits that bill. They are slim and trim with no extra do-dads hung on them. Ideal hunting scopes in my opinion.
 
P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
I have a couple of fixed 4 power Leupold scopes and I'm completely satisfied with them. The reticle is a fine crosshair and that may not be the best choice for hunting in the woods, if you can get the duplex reticle, that would be a better choice in heavily wooded areas.

I'm huge fan of fixed power scopes and it's sad that the market is so crowded with varible power scopes. It is just more weight, more complexity and often more bulk that you just never need. You may think that you'll need it or you may feel like you're giving up some advantage with a fixed power scope, but if you don't have the ability to change the power setting, you will quickly realize that.........you really don't need to change the power setting. :)

I agree with Jeff H that some of the older glass from Japan can be a good deal if you can find it.

I'll also repeat my old mantra about optics - when it comes to optics, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

You don't need to get a second mortgage to pay for a good enough scope but there is no such thing as a good, cheap scope. You can get a good one, or you can get a cheap one but you cannot get a good & cheap one.

A used scope may be as close as you can get to fullfilling the good and INEXPENSIVE (not cheap) criteria.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
Rick H said:
I have a brand new M8 Leupold 4x that they sent me to replace one I destroyed. Circa 1977-78. IMO it is a bit large for the contender carbine. My Contender wears a 2-7X Leupold Compact on the 7x30Waters barrel, 22RF barrel a Weaver 2-7 Rimfire, and the 22 Hornet a made in USA 2-7 Burris. The worst of the lot is the Burris. The eye relief is critical. I have a compact Leupold 4x on my .308 that would be perfect on the Contender Carbine. You don't want a long heavy scope on that Contender.
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How old is the brand new one? Was this one they replaced recently for one you bought in 77-78 or did they replace one in 77-78?

If it's a recent one, I'd be curious about your impression of the quality. That's what I'm afraid of - having one of my older Leupolds replaced with a newer, not-as-good model. The VX Freedom I had was probably the second-worst scope I've ever bought, the Philippine Sightron being number one.
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Petrol & Powder said:
...

You don't need to get a second mortgage to pay for a good enough scope but there is no such thing as a good, cheap scope. You can get a good one, or you can get a cheap one but you cannot get a good & cheap one.

A used scope may be as close as you can get to fullfilling the good and INEXPENSIVE (not cheap) criteria.
Click to expand...

What IS "cheap" these days anyway?

This is something that could be all over the map and different for each of us.

My standard 30 and 40 years ago was $100 for a "good enough" scope and many of them were excellent scopes, mostly Japanese or used Leupold or Redfields.

Since about 20 years ago, $200 would get me in the same level of scope, but I got lucky on some clearances (like the last of the Japanese Weavers), just before switching to another offshore supplier. I got a few of those for under $200.

After the VX Freedom incident, and the Philippine Sightron, both $200 scopes, I'm figuring $300 ought to be my new "cheap scope"/"good enough" price target. Never mind that the actual simple, unadorned scopes I've looked for are not to be found.

Full disclosure - I'm set on scopes and actually have a couple extras lying in the safe. One is a like-new Weaver Classic (Japanese again) fixed 6x32, which has a one-piece tube, low turret caps and is sleek and compact. I don't even have anything I'd want to put it on but have hung onto it, because it's too hard to find stuff like that these days.
 
P

popper

Well-Known Member
I've got a Nikon 4x 223 scope I like. Eye relief is decent, had it on a BO pistol. Probably larger than a real pistol scope.
 
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