FIXED OR ADJUSTABLE RIFLE SCOPE

[marine one]

Hi Everyone, Talking to some of the guys at the gun club about scopes, they don't have many
views on the matter so I'm coming to you, I'm looking at Weaver T36 and a Sightron S2 36x42 which are fixed. Also a variety of
Adjustable scopes. Is there an advantage, one over the other for bench-rest shooters?
The distance that I shoot is between 100 to 250 yards, my targets are 5 inch and 8 targets to a sheet.
What say you!...

 

[BigBL87]

I like a little more magnification than most, but that seems a little excessive for your distances. I think 20x would be plenty, and perhaps still a little much.

 

[Walkalong]

I'm looking at Weaver T36 and a Sightron S2 36x42 which are fixed. Also a variety of
Adjustable scopes. Is there an advantage, one over the other for bench-rest shooters?

Back when I shot Benchrest everyone almost used fixed 36X scopes (Some had Leupolds bumped higher), but now there are also some great choices in adjustable scopes for that discipline.

Occasionally there was so much mirage it blurred out the target, but not often (Like once in a blue moon), so I suppose for those time an adjustable would be good.

If you are trying to aim very fine, and expect to shoot tiny groups (Like in the 1/4" range) 20X isn't enough IMHO. 36X and a fine cross hair is where it is at. All we shot was 100 & 200.
Five inch targets? Most any quality scope will work, just buy good glass.

 

[edwardware]

The distance that I shoot is between 100 to 250 yards, my targets are 5 inch and 8 targets to a sheet.

I shoot a 3" bull, with a Leupold 3-9x40 scope at 300 yards. It's a little small, but ok with good eyesight and good glass. It's noticeably better than a cheaper Vortex 12x scope.

Certainly low magnification inhibits group size at some point, but I doubt that many people with factory hunting rifles can outshoot a 9x scope.

 

[Sniper66]

I think there is a reason so many people use the Weaver 36X. Certainly there are some excellent variable options out there. I shoot 300 yd gongs and paper with 4 different rifles and can manage fairly tidy groups with Leupold VX III 4.5-14X, Bushnell 4500 Elite 4-16X, Leupold VX III 4-12X, and Bushnell Elite 6-24X. Some will depend on your eyesight. At age 73, mine ain't what it used to be. When I'm targeting 200-300yd prairie dogs I find myself reaching for more magnification and select my Kimber 84M with the Bushnell 6-24X. I see the Weaver 36X come up used on line periodically and they are not real expensive scopes, but do sell quickly.

 

[jmr40]

I've shot some 4" groups at 600 yards with a fixed 6X scope. Above 10X and you start having a lot of negatives. A fixed 4X will be plenty for 5"-8" targets at only 250 yards

There isn't a lot of difference in quality anymore between QUALITY variable scopes and QUALITY fixed power scopes. At the same price point the fixed power might have a little better glass, but the difference isn't huge. For what you want to do a fixed 6X or 10X is all you need. Or if you want the versatility of lower magnification a variable with 2-3X on the low end and 9-10X on the upper end would be OK too.

Quality trumps a lot of X's every time.

 

[Varminterror]

Outside of benchrest competition, you couldn’t GIVE me a fixed power scope.

 

[Sniper66]

One more comment about the utility of fixed power scopes. My older brother has a Remington 541S .22 with a fixed 6X German Pecar scope. He's had both rifle and scope for about 50 years. We've hunted squirrels together many, many times over those 50 years. I don't think he has made an adjustment in many years and has killed squirrels at 10yds and 100yds+. That scope is all steel and clear glass. Cannot beat it.

 

[rkittine]

I have a number of Bemchrest Scopes that are Fixed Power. 36 or 40X Weaver, Leupold and Sightron. For 100 / 200 yard shooting they are great. For me though, as pointed out, when shooting really long range, if there is mirage, it is great to be able to crank them down. My variable scopes are Sightron and NightForce and I have 8x32, 12x42 and 15x55 varieties. On a real hot day with changing conditions, when shooting 1,000 yards at Williamsport, I sometimes have to crank down to 12 or 15 power to see the target clearly. Other times, 55 X is nice.

Bob

 

[Walkalong]

Outside of benchrest competition, you couldn’t GIVE me a fixed power scope.

I am 99% with you.

 

[rkittine]

As you said 99%. I am happy with a 4X fixed power scope on my .44 Magnum brush gun. Want the field of view as much as some magnification and correction for my need for reading glasses.

Bob

 

[I6turbo]

Hi Everyone, Talking to some of the guys at the gun club about scopes, they don't have many
views on the matter so I'm coming to you, I'm looking at Weaver T36 and a Sightron S2 36x42 which are fixed. Also a variety of
Adjustable scopes. Is there an advantage, one over the other for bench-rest shooters?
The distance that I shoot is between 100 to 250 yards, my targets are 5 inch and 8 targets to a sheet.
What say you!...

If you haven't done so already, be sure you try a 36x before you buy that much magnification in a fixed power scope. They are great for aiming precisely from a bench, but that much magnification can almost turn into "work" instead of fun sometimes.

I have the following scopes in the range that you are considering, and I've compared them side-by-side very carefully.
- Sightron SII Big Sky 36x42
- Weaver T-36 (multiples)
- Weaver T-24 (multiples)
- Sightron SII 6-24x42 (multiples)
- Weaver V-24 (multiples)

For the purposes you are describing, my overall preference among the above scopes that I have would be the V-24, with the SII 6-24x42 just slightly less desirable. There are certainly times when the Big Sky 36 or the not-quite-as-good T-36 would be even better, but the variable will give you a lot more flexibility that will come in handy at times.

Reticle choice is important to me as well, but that's another discussion.

A scope that I don't have, but that I think I'd enjoy and use a lot, is a good 8-32x.

 

[marine one]

If you haven't done so already, be sure you try a 36x before you buy that much magnification in a fixed power scope. They are great for aiming precisely from a bench, but that much magnification can almost turn into "work" instead of fun sometimes.

I have the following scopes in the range that you are considering, and I've compared them side-by-side very carefully.
- Sightron SII Big Sky 36x42
- Weaver T-36 (multiples)
- Weaver T-24 (multiples)
- Sightron SII 6-24x42 (multiples)
- Weaver V-24 (multiples)

For the purposes you are describing, my overall preference among the above scopes that I have would be the V-24, with the SII 6-24x42 just slightly less desirable. There are certainly times when the Big Sky 36 or the not-quite-as-good T-36 would be even better, but the variable will give you a lot more flexibility that will come in handy at times.

Reticle choice is important to me as well, but that's another discussion.

A scope that I don't have, but that I think I'd enjoy and use a lot, is a good 8-32x.

Hi16tube, thank you for your run-down on your scopes, you certainly have enough. Between the Sightron and T36 which would you say you to use at 100 to 200 yards?

 

[I6turbo]

Hi16tube, thank you for your run-down on your scopes, you certainly have enough. Between the Sightron and T36 which would you say you to use at 100 to 200 yards?

The Big Sky 36 is optically a better scope than the T-36, but that should be expected given the typical cost (Big Sky 36 will typically cost about 50% more than a T-36).
I don't use the 36x scopes much, due to the reason that I mentioned above -- they have so much magnification that it almost becomes work in some cases instead of fun. It's kind of like shooting off-hand with a high magnification scope where your small movements are so magnified that it just becomes annoying. If I know that I'm going to be shooting at 100 yards and maybe more, and will be on a good bench type setup, I'm happy with a 36x. But for general purpose use, and especially if it's at 100 yards and less, I tend to like the 6-24x scopes because I might want to dial them down if I'm not on a bench or other really stable setup. Or if I'm plinking instead of target shooting for groups. I hope that makes sense, not too vague of an answer.

 

[Walkalong]

and will be on a good bench type setup, I'm happy with a 36x. But for general purpose use

Oh absolutely, the 36X scope are a bench rested type of scope, not very suitable for free hand shooting.

 

[I6turbo]

Oh absolutely, the 36X scope are a bench rested type of scope, not very suitable for free hand shooting.

Agreed. What I was meaning there is that I want a good bench type setup to use that high magnification. A portable bench/shooting table, a truck hood and bags, etc. sometimes isn't stable enough for that much magnification, so I'd rather go out with a 24x or a variable of some sort.

 

[Walkalong]

Gotcha, and agree.

 

[marine one]

The Big Sky 36 is optically a better scope than the T-36, but that should be expected given the typical cost (Big Sky 36 will typically cost about 50% more than a T-36).
I don't use the 36x scopes much, due to the reason that I mentioned above -- they have so much magnification that it almost becomes work in some cases instead of fun. It's kind of like shooting off-hand with a high magnification scope where your small movements are so magnified that it just becomes annoying. If I know that I'm going to be shooting at 100 yards and maybe more, and will be on a good bench type setup, I'm happy with a 36x. But for general purpose use, and especially if it's at 100 yards and less, I tend to like the 6-24x scopes because I might want to dial them down if I'm not on a bench or other really stable setup. Or if I'm plinking instead of target shooting for groups. I hope that makes sense, not too vague of an answer.

I've been looking on the internet reviews and scopes for sale, they talk about S3, but nothing about the so-called " Blue Sky "

 

[Nature Boy]

High fixed power scopes have no variation in shot to shot point of aim because they are less complicated mechanically. This attribute is valued in short range bench rest where shooting groups in the “ones and zeros” is the goal. I can’t think of a reason outside of that discipline where you’d want one.

 

[I6turbo]

I've been looking on the internet reviews and scopes for sale, they talk about S3, but nothing about the so-called " Blue Sky "

It's the SII 36x42 Big Sky. They show up once in a while but not too often. Here's one that sold a few weeks ago.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sightron-S...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Here's mine on my CZ 453 Varmint.


There's also an SII 36x42 that isn't the Big Sky model that's usually a lot easier to find. That one is optically pretty similar to a Weaver T-36.

 

[rkittine]

The SIIIs are prefered for Benchrest, but I have had great results with SIIs.

Bob

 

[daniel craig]

I have a 3-9x40 on my hunting rifle that I pretty much always keep at 5. I find if I need more magnification than that to hit what I’m shooting at, especially since I can do 200m with irons, I probably shouldn’t be shooting at it. That’s just a factor of my skill and my primary use (hunting) and the entices therein/thereof. Your situation may differ.

 

[tlf65]

I use a Weaver T36 for 100-200 HD score benchrest the scope I used before the T36 is a Burris 8-32 x 40 which is a great scope that I use for pest shooting on my AR. To bad they stopped making it.

 

[Hookeye]

I like a fixed 10 or 12x w AO for chucks.
Load development, shooting paper at 100 yds......12x or maybe a little more

 

[Hookeye]

700 VS in .222......the old 24".
A fixed 12x Leupold would be fine