Unlimited power hunting rifle suggestions please

[vjanda]

That's too dear for me at present.
How do 200 pound scopes like the Hawke Eclipse 30, Bushnell Banner and MTC Mamba or Viper compare?

[Accuspell]

Viper is a good scope.

It doesn't matter what the rifle is, you can still only shoot what you can see. If all you can see is a blurred kaleidoscope of coloured dots, you can't shoot. I learned that which is why I have now put good scopes on all but oneof my air rifles. The remaining one will get a good one too. An FAC power .22 will need a scope that allows sighting at longer range than a sub 12ft-lb one, but if it grains out or whites out you still cannot see to shoot. In daylight, fine, anything will do, but as th elight gets tricky, inside a barn at twilight, for instance, with the low sun streaming in through the Yorkshire boarding at an angle to the front, a cheap scope will flare or white out, even my Nikon Prostaff does to some extent, but it probably twice as good as either the Nikko Gameking I had on the AA s410, yet that is only £150 brand new, an extension lens shade would help a great deal.

"It is only an air rifle", which means the margin for error is even less, so precision has ot be better. A .22LR or even an FAC power air rifle has more leeway for erroneous placement of shot with the additional impact force. A sub 12 needs to go in the right place to avoid wounding. A better scope will allow you to see to shoot for longer in the evening and earlier in the morning. You don't have to spend a fortune, but you do need to know optics and light physics to pick out the better lens designs from the rubbish. Coatings also make a heck of a difference, standard coated optics are coated on one side only, multicoating on both sides can increase light transmission greatly. Burris are not that expensive, but they are pretty good, just not popular this side of the Atlantic.

there is also the sheep menatlity, where "my mate uses one so I'll get one" an dpeople either don't know, or can't bebothered to go and pick their own. The competiton scene seems to be great for this - follow the winner!

[Pinpoint]

My old Simmons whitetail classic was a superb cope. Perfectly clear past 100yards.

[Accuspell]

Pinpoint, other people rated the WTC too, so I bought a 3.5-10x50 WTC, crinkle finish, Phillipines made one. It resides on top of my SLR. For the money I paid used it is pretty good. Out of interest I called TAC as they have the last few in stock - £230 It is only a 30/30 reticle and not a patch on the Nikon Prostaff which has the BDC reticle and retails at £150, the difference is the 50mm lens and a longer zoom range. I won't get rid of it because it is a period scope for the rifle and is OK for what I use it for and being a .22 I limit my range. For an FAC power rifle tough I tink there are better scopes out there, especially for that money - the Viper with SC reticle being one of them. In the years since the WTC was made/designed the advances in optics have been many fold, just like in phones and computers.

I really think we need to know more about the hunting in Croatia,the ranges and the kind of territory it is going to be used in, time of day all that kind of thing. For me I need twilight performance in the woods - we don't have any rabbits. I wish we did.

[Pinpoint]

Do you rate the Vipers then? I have heard good things about all the features they offer and for the price they are pretty good but similar priced Bushnells et el although more basic have far better optics

[Accuspell]

As I said, it depends on the shooting. The Viper is Ok in light! Twilight is not so clear and the illuminated reticle simply obliterates all vision beyond it! It is too bright on the minimum setting. I had a friend up this wekeend with his Air Wolf and Viper. He had to pack up early, the Nikon (Prostaff, nothing fancy) was still clear to shoot, well after he had to give up because the lenses simply didn't transmit the light. Amazing reticle though, but better to be able to see to use it!

[secretagentmole]

I use Hawke Nite Eyes in ver low light conditions, no problems with light transmission! Had pheasants and pigeons 40 minutes after sundown on overcast nights!