40mm vs 50mm objective for hunting scope.

[Talks2elk2]

Hey all, lookin for a decent scope for my 300 win mag. Is a 50mm objective a must?

 

[Rich M]

I have a Redfield Illuminator with a 56 mm bell - too danged high. I had to raise the cheek piece on the stock to get a good cheek weld.

Personally prefer 40 mm scopes and low scope mounts.

If yer gonna dial, then 30mm tube seems preferable.

 

[Djacker]

I have several of both, I believe it's personal preference. Pros and cons either way you go.

 

[Dirtbag]

I also prefer 40mm. The premise of a larger objective is to allow more light in during the twilight hours. Anymore, quality scopes with 40mm and even smaller will take you past legal shooting anyway.

 

[wapitibob]

I won’t go below 50mm and use low (.885) rings on both 50 and 56mm.

 

[Dented]

I finally upgraded to a 56mm scope, specifically because of my frustration with low light performance of my previous scope. It's unreal just what a difference it made. That being said, I think Djacker nailed it. It's personal preference. I fit a 56mm scope in low rings on my rifle. It works just fine.

 

[Boarmaster]

I like a 40 or 42 for my hunting rifles.

 

[ZAK13]

With a 50mm objective, you get about 12-15 minutes more of useable light than with a 40mm objective when it comes to the end of the day, or the twilight hours of hunting. The difference between 44mm & 50mm is on average 2-3 minutes more with the 50mm. For most hunting situations, a 40mm objective will be all a hunter needs.

 

[ih784]

Hey all, lookin for a decent scope for my 300 win mag. Is a 50mm objective a must?

Bigger for me. 50mm for light gathering.

 

[KenLee]

Depends on the quality of glass you buy and how late you can legally hunt.

 

[Honyock]

50mm for me as well. 4 oz weight penalty between the Zeiss V4 44mm and the 50mm.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I heard that with a 30mm tube the light transmission maxes out around 44mm. Past that, you’re not gaining anything. Not sure if that’s true?

 

[wapitibob]

no idea but would be good to know

 

[MuleyFever]

I think it would depend on where you are hunting too. In dark timber you lose light much faster. In open country I have never had any issue seeing just fine up to the end of legal hunting time with a 42mm scope.

 

[KoolBreeze]

My understanding is that, assuming the glass is equal, it makes 0 difference until the scope is magnified to the point that the exit pupil in the scope is lower than that the shooter's eye. For example, take VX5-HD 3-15x44 and a VX5-HD 3-15x56, set them both to 6x, and they will both be equally bright to most shooters because the exit pupil on both will be larger than most shooters' exit pupils. Set them both to 15x and the 44 would have a 2.93mm exit pupil and the 56 would have a 3.73mm exit pupil, at which point the 56 would be brighter.

So it seems to me that it depends on your hunting senario. In the woods, on a stand where you'll rarely magnify your scope above 6-8x, I don't see any benefit. But if you're hunting somewhere with opportunities of long range shots at dawn/dusk, where you needed higher magnification you would benefit from the larger objective.

The field of view is also larger on some of scopes with the larger objectives, but such is not the case with the VX5-HD according to the specs on Leupold's website at least.

 

[KenLee]

I heard that with a 30mm tube the light transmission maxes out around 44mm. Past that, you’re not gaining anything. Not sure if that’s true?

Not true with my old eyes. Can't make that assessment for your eyes

 

[Ucsdryder]

Not true with my old eyes. Can't make that assessment for your eyes

Like I said, just what i heard. I think it was on back country podcast. I prefer a 44mm so I can get a lower mount and better cheek weld.

 

[KenLee]

I d

Like I said, just what i heard. I think it was on back country podcast. I prefer a 44mm so I can get a lower mount and better cheek weld.

I do also. I wouldn't be running 50 and 56mm scopes if I couldn't legally deer hunt an hour before sunrise and hour after sunset.

 

[sdupontjr]

Depends on the quality of glass you buy and how late you can legally hunt.

Exactly. I will never own another scope that isn't 56mm and that is strictly due to my hunting conditions. My thick hardwoods will block out the sun before legal time. So, during legal times, it gets tough to see, much less when legal time ends.

 

[Samson7x]

I like the weight savings in most cases with smaller objectives.