3 scope choices...opinions wanted please

Id go Meopta after hours and hours of research I think it fits what you want for deer hunting as far as light transmission goes.

Eta I just bought a 6-18x50 meopro and couldn't be happier.

I am a vortex guy - 4x16x50 is as big as I would go unless you are planning long shots (500+ yards that require high magnification). I shoot the Diamondback HP 3x12x42, and it is a better low light scope than any of the 50mm objectives, in fact I am switching most of them over to the Diamondback series (1" tube).

A little about objectives and better low light visibility - Exit Pupil (diameter of available light at the optic nerve) is calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the power of magnification. So a 3-9x40mm scope has an exit pupil of 13.333 at 3x, 6.667 at 6x and 4.444 at 9x; while the 3-9x50 scope has an exit pupil of 16.667 at 3x, 8.333 at 6x and 5.556 at 9x. Even if you have great eyesight your eyes can not use all of the light provide by either scope at 3x. The reality is that this difference is so small that it's almost insignificant.

Exception / Big Exception......at 9x the 50mm scope has a 25% larger exit pupil than the 40mm scope. This is significant! since our eyes allow in an approximate circle of light. A 50mm scope provides 56% more available and useable (by our eyes) light than the 40mm scope at 9x! However, this is only useful if you hunt at 9x power. If you hunt at any magnification less your not getting the benefit of this 56% greater light. But if you hunt at dusk at 9x, then 56% additional light is a big benefit!

So wt the vortex. Do you think the 6x24 is overkill?

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Vortex viper pst 4x16x50

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Since its for hunting. Id probably skip the PST and do the Vortex HS or HS LR, the HS has capped turrets and the HS LR has a capped windage turret.

For a hunting scope I dont really like exposed turrets, if you get a scope with exposed turrets at the very least it must have a zero stop. Riding around on 4 wheelers and running around the woods its pretty easy to bump a turret and throw off a shot.

Hell, I went to a match and was prepared. Still managed to get a full revolution of the turret off and zeroed the stage because I was only shooting like 7 feet high at 700.

Just a thought. Cant go wrong with any of those scopes.

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I'm a leupold whore. Buy the leupold.

Made in America, lifetime warranty, great glass.

Those will all carry you beyond legal shooting hours.

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The Meopta MeoPro is also made in America.

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I do not have a meopta but I would put their glass quality very close to vortex.

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Negative ghost rider. Vortex and Leupold (generally speaking) coat their glass for the same spectrum of light. 570-590nm which is yellow red light. Meopta coats for 380-570nm (blue green spectrum).

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I am partial to vortex so I would go with that, some extras you get with vortex that I am not sure about with the meopta include the 30 MM tube

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30mm main tube doesn't do anything for light transmission especially in Vortex rifle scopes. They still use a 1" erector. You will get more range of adjustment but no better light performance. The lens coatings are the same and the hole that the shaft of light traveling through the scope is the same diameter no matter the tube size.

Now in most european scopes (depending on what the scope is made for) 30mm main body scopes will have a larger erector tube. Less internal travel but larger exit pupil equaling a perceived brighter image because more rods and cones are being exposed to light.

Don't confuse light transmission with low light performance. The two are not the same. You can thank the marketing department for scope manufacturers for the confusion.

What the companies aren't telling you is the spectrum of light being transmitted at the percentage they are advertising. This is an extremely important but overlooked piece of information.

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A little about objectives and better low light visibility - Exit Pupil (diameter of available light at the optic nerve) is calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the power of magnification. So a 3-9x40mm scope has an exit pupil of 13.333 at 3x, 6.667 at 6x and 4.444 at 9x; while the 3-9x50 scope has an exit pupil of 16.667 at 3x, 8.333 at 6x and 5.556 at 9x. Even if you have great eyesight your eyes can not use all of the light provide by either scope at 3x. The reality is that this difference is so small that it's almost insignificant.

Exception / Big Exception......at 9x the 50mm scope has a 25% larger exit pupil than the 40mm scope. This is significant! since our eyes allow in an approximate circle of light. A 50mm scope provides 56% more available and useable (by our eyes) light than the 40mm scope at 9x! However, this is only useful if you hunt at 9x power. If you hunt at any magnification less your not getting the benefit of this 56% greater light. But if you hunt at dusk at 9x, then 56% additional light is a big benefit!

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Generally speaking this is correct. However you really should take the erector tube diameter into consideration because it does make a difference. Shine a light through say a Vortex 30mm tube scope then shine one through a Meopta Meostar or a Swaro Z6 and you'll see the difference. While there is a threshold of usable exit pupil, having some excess is nice because it allows you to get loosey goosey behind of scope. If you think about it, exit pupil is really how we see through the scope. The larger the window the easier it is to "get behind" the scope.

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Meopta meopro 4.5x14x50
Vortex viper pst 4x16x50 or 6x24x50
leupold vx-3 4.5x14x50

For whitetail hunting and pig hunting. Mule deer, elk, and pronghorn are on agenda as well. On a 7 rem mag. Clarity and low light visibility are my most important factors. What are yalls opinions? Thanks.

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Given your parameters I would go with the MeoPro. UNLESS you want to dial for elevation. Then the Leupold with CDS would be the way to go.

All 3 companies make a good product. However they are built for different purposes.

U tha man. Thank u.

Zeiss scope 3x15,50mm, sale $599 normally $1,150

Come on. My treat!