40mm or 50mm?

[fishnate]

When it comes down to it you just cant go wrong with a leupold 40 or 50 or whatever, all will be a good purchase.

[KillerMiller]

When it comes down to it you just cant go wrong with a leupold 40 or 50 or whatever, all will be a good purchase.

x2

[Sporting_Man]

42mm is the maximum I would go with for all the reasons stated above. Check SIGHTRON Big Sky models. I love mine.

[carpsniperg2]

depends on the gun and what i am using it on.

[bobcat]

It does depend on the gun, and the stock, but for most rifles I wouldn't go above 40mm, or possibly up to 42 as Sporting Man suggests. With a 50 you will usually have to mount the scope so high that to see through it, you will have to raise your cheek above the stock, and that won't help your shooting any.

[wildmanoutdoors]

As far as a 50 goes I just sold my VX-L. Even though it sat on a low mount it was just too dam big for my Lightweight BLR 300wsm. Its my brush gun and the scope just was bulky, caught on everything and I was too darn worried about hurting that 700 dollar scope. Plus i carried it in my hands most of the time and it made it top heavy and would add too much side to side strain on my arm as well the added weight.

However, if I had east side gun or was into long range with a bolt gun it would have been fine i suppose. But its a west side brush gun for deer only as I bow hunt for Elk.

So it really does matter what your intended purpose is for the gun. But for me, Im looking at a light weight 32 to 36 and spending the money on quality glass.

[addicted]

yes the larger diameters allow more light to pass through but since a majority of the optics companies use the darn duplex or some other thin reticle, in a true very low light situation(like hunting off the moon) you cant pick up the crosshairs even though you can make out every stump, rock and critter in the feild.  it is really irritating.  i bought my wife a 3-9x50 nikon BDC for pig and fox hunting at night here in germany and she can see everything but the crosshairs.  Hence the #4 reticle is also known as the "German #4 reticle"