Need a low light scope

[Glendine]

Zeiss V8 - 2.3-20x56

 

[Xycod]

Indeed the v8 is top of the mountain imo.

 

[KenLee]

Indeed the v8 is top of the mountain imo.

Magnus i and Polar are better imo, but you won't find any of the 3 for even 3x the OP's $700 budget.

 

[Glendine]

Magnus i and Polar are better imo, but you won't find any of the 3 for even 3x the OP's $700 budget.

Alas! omitted in my comment the persons budget.
S&B 8x56mm is a decent option if one could get it in an illumined reticule

Glendine.

 

[WannaBeRambo]

Buy both scopes and take to your hunting area to compare, then return the one you like the least.
This avoids wondering if you made the right choice. Any costs to do this should be regarded as the cost of buying some certainty.

In my opinion, a scope is the one thing you don’t want to economize on. If you can’t see them you can’t shoot them.

May want to save more money and get something in the $1k range, although I have a trijicon accupower 2.5-12x56 (I think) which was a lot better than a Leupold vx3 in marginal light. The Leupold vx5 beats the trijicon , glass is just better. I have no experience with meopta. Anything else I can think of is out of your $$ range.

 

[Luison]

If the question is to have maximum clarity in low-light situations, it is certainly necessary to think of a European product. Zeiss as well as Swarovski, Schmid&Bender... In Europe we hunt a lot of wild boars at night, without thermal aids and without a doubt the above mentioned brands are the best. Evidently the maximum size of bell, i.e. 56 give maximum clarity. Regarding the number of magnifications, from 7 magnification onwards you will notice lack of clarity, therefore it is not necessary to have excess of magnifications, a lens with 3-12x56, 3-15 is sufficient.
Obviously we are talking about high prices, it is difficult to find something below US$2,000.

 

[KenLee]

Buy both scopes and take to your hunting area to compare, then return the one you like the least.
This avoids wondering if you made the right choice. Any costs to do this should be regarded as the cost of buying some certainty.

In my opinion, a scope is the one thing you don’t want to economize on. If you can’t see them you can’t shoot them.

May want to save more money and get something in the $1k range, although I have a trijicon accupower 2.5-12x56 (I think) which was a lot better than a Leupold vx3 in marginal light. The Leupold vx5 beats the trijicon , glass is just better. I have no experience with meopta. Anything else I can think of is out of your $$ range.

Glass may be a little better on vx-5hd than accupoint, but accupoint illumination and reliability are better.

 

[WannaBeRambo]

Glass may be a little better on vx-5hd than accupoint, but accupoint illumination and reliability are better.

From personal experience, neither will eventually prove satisfactory.

Luison‘s Advice above is where I ended up after economizing on cheaper scopes before eventually buying the Swaro. I probably would have spent much less overall if I bought the best to begin with​

When you buy great quality scopes, you can usually get at least 50% of price back when you sell it. That’s for a beat up one. Not uncommon to get even more.
With the price points he cited, I initially didn’t want to push him into blowing past his budget constraints.
A lot of deer are killed with cheaper scopes too. Just harder.

 

[KenLee]

From personal experience, neither will eventually prove satisfactory.

Luison‘s Advice above is where I ended up after economizing on cheaper scopes before eventually buying the Swaro. I probably would have spent much less overall if I bought the best to begin with​

When you buy great quality scopes, you can usually get at least 50% of price back when you sell it. That’s for a beat up one. Not uncommon to get even more.
With the price points he cited, I initially didn’t want to push him into blowing past his budget constraints.
A lot of deer are killed with cheaper scopes too. Just harder.

If I could only hunt to 30 minutes after sunset, I might use all 56mm Accupoints.
I get an hour, so I own some higher $ Leica , Swaro and Zeiss.
Wish I'd bought 4 magnus I 56mm instead of one before they quit selling in USA.

 

[ETtikka]

Meopta or cabelas euro (meopta), are excellent for the money

 

[RockAndSage]

This is a pretty good review and comparison of Euro low-light scopes, by price range: