good illuminated scopes

[vic2367]

can someone recommend a good illuminated scope for varmints,,25-35 yards max from my ruger 10/22 price range $ 200-300 ,,,thanks

vic

[vic2367]

forgot to mention would like night viz ,,may be my 300 budget isnt enough,,how bout $ 400- 600 ...

[Tomcat088]

I know of several scopes that have illuminated reticles in your price range. Are you looking to use this scope during the day as well? Do you have a preferred reticle type? will this scope only be used at 25-35 yards or will you end up taking it a little further? I'm just trying to figure out if you want the cheapest illuminated reticle that you can find, or something a little higher end? If you are thinking of ranges as close as you're talking about, you might not even want a "normal" scope and go with something like a reflex sight that is illuminated.

I know for a fact that if you want night vision, it's not even CLOSE to your price range. As far as I know, even the old old stuff (Generation 1) is barely above your $600 price range, then you'd still have to ship it. The generation stuff does not work in complete dark because it is a system that amplifies visible light. It also does not have very good resolution and has a very short range. Maybe I'm just spoiled because I know 2 guys that have generation 3 NVG's that I get to look through. That stuff is really awesome, but way out of most people's budget, including mine. I personally don't think that the Generation 1 stuff isn't worth the money. I'd rather pay for just better overall glass and use a spotlight. I realize this might not be legal in your state. I don't know the laws on spotlighting or hunting at night in PA, but I have heard that it's illegal and heard others say that it's illegal. I'm not sure if it's a county or statewide thing, but DEFINATELY look into it before you start shooting critters in the night.

[vic2367]

yeah 600 and above is kinda outta my price range,,am looking for a scope with night viz ,,

[vic2367]

ATN - MK 390 - Night Vision Rifle Scope - 1st Gen

but kinda expensive,,its like $ 629 without shipping

[Tomcat088]

Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you. As attractive and cool as night vision is, if you're on a tight budget, it's probably not gonna be the best option. You definately won't get even close to the night vision that you're used to seeing in films and stuff. http://www.mans-toys.com/home/nightvision . That is a link to kind of show some basic differences between the generations. It only briefly talks about the differences in ranges. For the resolution you're going to get from a generation 1 optic, I would personally rather purchase a medium range Leupold or you could get a Bushnell elite 3200 or 4200 and have better glass. Then you hold up a $40 spotlight with a red filter and the animal can't see it and you can. You'd probably still have the same range as that generation 1 night vision. Look at what they say about resolution on Gen 1 night vision, they say on a cloudy night you might be able to tell the difference between a deer and a dog a 75 yards. When you throw in smaller targets (varmints) you could see a coyote, but rabbits, foxes, bobcats, other smaller animals, the distance will decrease quite a bit, and will depend ALOT on the outside conditions like the moon, weather, etc.

On you're budget man, I'm not trying to be a downer, but you should probably kind of just forget about having a night vision scope. Later on when you can be a bit more serious about it, go for it. But for 25-35 yards, I don't even think it's close to worth the money.

[Tomcat088]

Oh and something else that I'm not sure if you're aware of. Night vision, particularly the Gen 0 and Gen 1 scopes, do NOT have nearly the tube life of some of the other night vision versions. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/nightvision4.htm Here's another link talking about night vision and kind of what to expect. At the bottom is a note about purchasing generation 1 night vision. Just want you to be aware of what you're getting yourself into.

[vic2367]

thanks tomcat,,,i think im gonna go the eotech 552 model with the eotech 3x magnifier,,i can get a used set up shipped for like $700,,,just need to save up a little more,,,

[Tomcat088]

Saving up for quality optics is never a bad idea. I'm not big into the reflex sights, but I do know that they are VERY hand for up close stuff, and even out to a distance. They are visible at night too, so that makes them handy. I think that other optics will probably fit you a bit better overall than a night vision scope that you can only use in one setting and probably won't offer the resolution that you want. I wish that others would have chimed in. If you're seriously considering a reflex type sight, I would post something up on the AR area and do some searching. There is lots of talks of different sights, which one's people prefer and why. They can maybe help you out with some best bang for your buck, etc. Best of luck to you and holler if I can help in any way.

[vic2367]

you have been a big help tomcat,,thanks,,,just thinking of the reflex route,,not sure yet,,i have some time too save up some more $$$ and read up more ,,