Vintage Scopes with Modern Quality

[JDZ]

I have plenty of fixed Leupolds of older vintage - their advantage is good eye relief and fairly good lens coatings.

My second choice would be fixed Nikon or Burris

Third would be a fixed Weaver.

Tied for fourth would be fixed Redfield and fixed B&L

I have to ask…no variable power scopes on the list? If forced to add one, what would it be and where would it be in the hierarchy?

 

[TaperPin]

I have to ask…no variable power scopes on the list? If forced to add one, what would it be and where would it be in the hierarchy?

I’m probably not the best person for info on vintage variable power scopes. By the 1980’s, the reputation of variable scopes in general suffered from decades of rather problematic designs and poor construction. It was usually best to set the scope at a single power and keep it there.

Shooting 1980’s vintage Leupold VX-II variables (2x7, 3x9, 4x12) side by side with fixed scopes, there was a noticeable difference in how often the variables were out of whack. A stripped down variable scope tube shows the substantial cut in the tube for the power selector ring - that weak point is probably responsible for most of the VX-II’s problems.

The VX-III has a power selector cut, but it’s been reinforced much more than on the VX-II. I couldn’t remember when the VX-III came out, but a 1980 ad shows them, so that would be my choice for an old variable. Many early/mid 1980’s competition silhouette rifles in Wyoming had the 6.5x20 VX-III because turned down to 6.5 it was still a good hunting magnification, and turned up it could compete with the 24x fixed scopes.

The go-to coyote/prairie dog/rock chuck gun out of the early 1980’s is a 22-250 wearing a fixed 12x with target knobs. Once you get used to shooting little critters with the 12x, it makes a good open country deer/antelope scope. Toward the end of the 1980’s a 6x18 VX-II, or 6.5x20 VX-III had overtaken the fixed scopes for varmints. I still use a fixed 20x for small beady eyed varmints, but that’s because I’m a dinosaur, even by 1989 standards.

Burris was also a popular scope in some places, although I have no idea what they look like on the inside and few were seen on shelves - maybe the town I’m from just didn’t have a good Burris dealer, but they were mostly absent from our area.

My experience with Bushnell variables was short lived - a light 22 lr tipped over in relatively soft dirt and bent the rear bell a noticeable amount on my 4x12.

Steel tubed Weaver variables were rare - at least some of the designs were odd then and haven’t aged well since. When Weaver went all in on Japanese aluminum scopes, the eye relief wasn’t great so they weren’t a first choice of anyone I knew.

Redfield variables had good reputations for a little less money than a Leupold and those weird TV shaped rear objectives were seen quite often on hunting rifles. The eye relief wasn’t great and I don’t remember the image quality being anything special. The long variable power target scopes are quite interesting - a number of them popped up on varmint rifles.

I don’t know if that helped much. It might not have a vintage feel, but a 3.5x10 with target knobs pops up on eBay once in a while. The problem when trying to dial old variables is they don’t have the amount of travel that a 30 mm scope has. 1” fixed scopes have significantly more adjustment range.

 

[Stickandrudder]

I have a 50s m70 in 3006 I’ve been thinking about doing this too. I always hear about K4s. Never had one.

 

[TaperPin]

I have a 50s m70 in 3006 I’ve been thinking about doing this too. I always hear about K4s. Never had one.

The prices on Weavers are great.

Those built prior to 1977 have a rather primitive windage and elevation adjustment screw, but the newer Microtrac system is still regarded as a good system.

In 1979 Weaver went with a one piece tube and better moisture proofing. Older scopes prior to that will sometimes have a haze caused by a fungus growing on the inside of the glass, that etches the surface and can’t be clean off. There’s a YouTube video of a guy taking apart a k4 and cleaning the lenses, but he never shows the final product, because he didn’t understand the haze was etched and couldn’t be cleaned. I have a few older scopes and they are clear, but I wouldn’t start out with one.

 

[Stickandrudder]

Thanks for the info! I was thinking of just getting something through vintage scopes to avoid getting something not usable, but they charge a premium for it it seems. Do you like old redfield bear cub 3x9s?

 

[TaperPin]

Thanks for the info! I was thinking of just getting something through vintage scopes to avoid getting something not usable, but they charge a premium for it it seems. Do you like old redfield bear cub 3x9s?

I don’t really know - I’ve never owned a bear cub.

Vintage scopes in near new condition are dirt cheap right now, but about 1 out of 4 I’ve bought off eBay have a significant issue of some kind, so it would save a lot of hassle to go through a dealer that looks them over. I’ve been having a lot of fun buying scopes out of the 1980’s that I passed up as a kid for budget reasons, just to see what they were like. When each one is mounted and shot it’s like a time machine and feels like being a teenager with a new toy. Lol

 

[Stickandrudder]

lol I bet! Thanks for the info on your failure rate.ill def just get one that’s been gone through by a dealer then. I’m excited too!

 

[JDZ]

IlVintage scopes in near new condition are dirt cheap right now

Gosh. I was looking on eBay and Gun Broker, and I could buy brand new VX-3HDs cheaper than what most sellers want for their 1980s Vari-X III gloss scopes. The Vari-X II scopes from the 1970s and 80s are only slightly less expensive. Where are you finding the good deals?

 

[TaperPin]

Gosh. I was looking on eBay and Gun Broker, and I could buy brand new VX-3HDs cheaper than what most sellers want for their 1980s Vari-X III gloss scopes. The Vari-X II scopes from the 1970s and 80s are only slightly less expensive. Where are you finding the good deals?

You’re right about the Leupolds - their prices are way higher than they should be for 40 to 50 year old scopes. What I wrote about good price was more about the old Weavers, Readfields, and other misc. weird brands. Although there are a few good deals of all kinds that pop up and go quickly. eBay is strange at times - some listings don’t come up with a rather specific brand search. A few of my better buys were “buy it now” listings rather hidden from searches.

 

[tracker12]

Vortex or Burris. Leupold if you feel like splurging, although they have some cheaper options too.

Vortex is far from being a vintage scope unless u are 12 lol

 

[Wrench]

If I had to pick a uber good optically scope from the day....it would be a Khales in fixed 6 or 3-9....in that order or a pentax lightseeker. The lightseeker was one of the most impressive to me. I still have one that's been on at lest a dozen rifles.

 

[Wrench]

.....and an original B&L 4000 is quite a nice scope. I ran a 4200 for a long time because I refused to have the bushnell name on a fine rifle.....ironically bushnell is now one of my favorites.

 

[jfk69]

If I had to pick a uber good optically scope from the day....it would be a Khales in fixed 6 or 3-9....in that order or a pentax lightseeker. The lightseeker was one of the most impressive to me. I still have one that's been on at lest a dozen rifles.

I have an original Pentax 3-9x43 (yes 43) Lightseeker that is absolutely phenomenal. It too has been on multiple rifles. Optics on it are crazy good. With that said, it’s only from the very late 90’s, very early 2000’s time period. Probably not old enough to be a “vintage” scope yet.

 

[Wrench]

I have an original Pentax 3-9x43 (yes 43) Lightseeker that is absolutely phenomenal. It too has been on multiple rifles. Optics on it are crazy good. With that said, it’s only from the very late 90’s, very early 2000’s time period. Probably not old enough to be a “vintage” scope yet.

I had that scope too. The story is they used pentax glass in burris tubes. They were a highly underrated scope.

 

[Reed104R]

Redfield Bear Cubs are great scopes, but some have 26mm tubes, so beware! They are essentially rebranded Kollmorgens. Redfield bought Kollmorgen.

 

[Blockcaver]

I bought a used Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x40 AO that has 5 custom dots (think LR reticule) in it many years ago. The scope has been on several different varmint rifles including a .222 Remington, a .204 Ruger, two or 3 .17 HMRs, a .260 Remington and probably a couple I have likely forgotten. It always held zero and had decent enough glass to shoot small varmints out to 500 yards or more. The aluminum tube anodizing is turning a purplish plum huu. Nice classic scope in my mind.

Another favorite is a Leupold fixed 8X AO scope. It presently resides on an accurate 10-22 and has done service on a Cooper 57M .22LR and CZ 455 .22LR. OK optically, holds zero and is also turning the plum hue. Would do well as a classic scope on an old .22 Hornet, .222 etc as well as a .17 HMR or .22 Mag. They made them in 10X and 12X if you like more power.