littlebass
New member
Since there's not enough of these types of threads on here already, thought I'd ask. Going on a varmint rig 223 for calling after dark. I'm on a budget that's why the title isn't Nightforce vs Swaro.
Leupy VX1 4-12 vs Nikon BM 4.5-14
- Thread starter littlebass
- Start date
TXCOONDOG
Well-known member
For the money a 4200 glass is hard to beat.
I just got my first Trijicon and the the 4200 is right there with it and the raingaurd is a plus.
I also have a Nikon Monarch and the 4200 is a tad better and did I mention the raingaurd. JMO
80% of my hunting is at night.
Why are you going with such a high magnification range if this is a night rig?
Some information that is good to know:
A 50mm objective does not gather or transmit more light to your eye than a 40/42mm objective in a 1" tube. It is the the exit pupil and the light transmission quality of the glass that determines low light visibility and what you can see at sunrise, sunset, and at night. The exit pupil should be as large as the human eye under the same conditions. The exit pupil is calculated by dividing the objective diameter by the power setting on the scope. At night a 42mm objective scope set on 6 power will give you a 7mm exit pupil which is optimal and matches your eye and transmits the maximum light the eye can see.
From Nikon: "As far as 30mm vs. 1", they do not gather or transmit any more light than a 1" scope, but they provide a larger sweet spot to enhance resolution."
From Leupold: "The key to a scope providing a bright image to the shooter is not how much light it "gathers" but how much usable light it transmits. "Gathers, transmits, what's the difference?" Quite a lot, actually. First of all, rifle scope do not "gather" light, they transmit it. Yes, large objective scopes allow more light to enter the scope, but that by itself does not guarantee that the image will be any brighter than a smaller objective scope's. In other words, the better the glass and coatings you get, the better your night hunting."
Since a healthy eye pupil is 7, think in numbers of 7:
First number represents magnification setting, 7 represents healthy exit pupil, last number is your objective lens size.
1X7= 7MM
2X7= 14MM
3X7= 21MM
4X7=28MM
5X7=35MM
6X7=42MM
7X7=49MM
7X8=56MM
FYI- The quality of the glass and the size/type of the reticle make a big difference in what you can see in low light conditions as well.
I just got my first Trijicon and the the 4200 is right there with it and the raingaurd is a plus.
I also have a Nikon Monarch and the 4200 is a tad better and did I mention the raingaurd. JMO
80% of my hunting is at night.
Why are you going with such a high magnification range if this is a night rig?
Some information that is good to know:
A 50mm objective does not gather or transmit more light to your eye than a 40/42mm objective in a 1" tube. It is the the exit pupil and the light transmission quality of the glass that determines low light visibility and what you can see at sunrise, sunset, and at night. The exit pupil should be as large as the human eye under the same conditions. The exit pupil is calculated by dividing the objective diameter by the power setting on the scope. At night a 42mm objective scope set on 6 power will give you a 7mm exit pupil which is optimal and matches your eye and transmits the maximum light the eye can see.
From Nikon: "As far as 30mm vs. 1", they do not gather or transmit any more light than a 1" scope, but they provide a larger sweet spot to enhance resolution."
From Leupold: "The key to a scope providing a bright image to the shooter is not how much light it "gathers" but how much usable light it transmits. "Gathers, transmits, what's the difference?" Quite a lot, actually. First of all, rifle scope do not "gather" light, they transmit it. Yes, large objective scopes allow more light to enter the scope, but that by itself does not guarantee that the image will be any brighter than a smaller objective scope's. In other words, the better the glass and coatings you get, the better your night hunting."
Since a healthy eye pupil is 7, think in numbers of 7:
First number represents magnification setting, 7 represents healthy exit pupil, last number is your objective lens size.
1X7= 7MM
2X7= 14MM
3X7= 21MM
4X7=28MM
5X7=35MM
6X7=42MM
7X7=49MM
7X8=56MM
FYI- The quality of the glass and the size/type of the reticle make a big difference in what you can see in low light conditions as well.
Last edited:
littlebass
New member
I own several Leupys, Nikons, Burris, and Weavers but they all occupy rifles right now. While hunting at night my scope generally doesn't leave 6x but I'm gonna put a variable on this rifle because I may also do some day calling and paper punching with it at some point. I have a Nikon Monarch 3-12x42sf that I may rob from my daughters rifle to put on my night gun but if I do I'll get her a BM or vx1. Any opinion on which has better quality glass and coatings, Buckmaster or VX1?
littlebass,
Might I suggest you find a nearby store that has both of those scopes in stock. Then look through each one and see, FIRST HAND what the optics look like for YOU. Sure you can get all sorts of opinions and advice on which is better, etc. But ultimately, none of those folks will be out there in dark hunting with you. I have various different scopes on several different rifles including Leupolds, Nikons, Weavers, Muellers and others. Each is on a specific rifle for a reason, one of which is can see the best with that particular scope atop that particular rifle. Just something to consider when comparing scopes.
Might I suggest you find a nearby store that has both of those scopes in stock. Then look through each one and see, FIRST HAND what the optics look like for YOU. Sure you can get all sorts of opinions and advice on which is better, etc. But ultimately, none of those folks will be out there in dark hunting with you. I have various different scopes on several different rifles including Leupolds, Nikons, Weavers, Muellers and others. Each is on a specific rifle for a reason, one of which is can see the best with that particular scope atop that particular rifle. Just something to consider when comparing scopes.