DougMD

I can afford a nicer one. Let me look at the Leopolds and see what they have in variable. I noticed that the 1.5 x 4x type scopes only seem to come in 32 mm objective, and I was hoping for 40 to maximize light.

Thanks for all the information!!!

Paul L Mohr

You don't need the bigger objective, so they don't waste the money putting them on the lower power scopes. Your eye can only utilize so much light, anything more is a waste. I can see at night with my Trophy as long as there is some ambient light.

Paul

G2 Shooter

DougMD, I would recommend the Bushnell Banner Dusk to Dawn 3x9x40 with the extended eye relief. The eye relief is about 6 inches so you won't have to worry about recoil as much. I have one on my Encore slug barrel and love it. I also have the Banner 3x9x40 with 3" of eye relief on my 209x50 barrel. If you watch the ads, Bass Pro has them on sale sometimes for around $90 and they are right down the road from you.

As a side note, I also own 2 Leupolds, 2 Simmons and a Bushnell Elite. Under 150 yards, I really cannot say that these higher priced scopes offer any advantages over the Banner scopes.

G2 Shooter

Don't know why it posted twice. [&:]

DougMD

My buddy just recommended the Bushnell Elite 3200, 3x9x40 riflescope with RainGuard. He says it is brighter than the Nikon Monarch, cost at least $100 less and won't fog or anything. He also doesn't dial it up above 5x but would rather have that than fixed too.

I don't mind paying $200 for a scope that won't screw me up in the rain/wet and is even morebright than the Monarch in low light.

G2 Shooter

The Elite is a very nice scope. I bet they go on sale soon. BPS has had them on sale the last two years before gun season in Md. The Rain Guard is a nice feature especially since it has rained or snowed on opening day the last three years. The only drawback is I don't believe the eye relief is very long on those. I have never shot a slug gun with a cantilever mount so I don't know how far forward it sits.

I have never understood why most people will drop $300+ to put a scope on the rifle but buy the cheapest junk they can find for a shotgun or ML. Not talking about you DougMD, just people in general. The Banners ARE inexpensive, but I wouldn't call them CHEAP. (just a CYA)

DougMD

I might just wait then. I'm in no hurry really. I just like to get stuff done when it's on my mind and I have the time, but can wait to see if they go on sale. They have them listed at BassPro for $199 on the site NOT ON SALE, but the guy there says they are $229. So the lady at the place told me to print off the site price and they will honor it.

BTW, I notice you live nearby. I have a brother who lives even closer to where you are (Elkridge). He coaches hockey at Mount Hebron.

G2 Shooter

BPS will honor the web price. Just bring in a print out. Also, if you get a sale add from Cabelas or Dick's, they will match that price. I'm in that store so much I know most of the people there on a first name basis. If you want to talk scopes, ask for Tim, Scott or Pete. They're all good guys.

I grew up in Columbia and went to Howard High. Where do you hunt?

DougMD

We grew up in PG County and went to DeMatha. Had to move away from there though. I wasn't bringing up a family in what was once a nice place to live, but morphed intoacrime ridden area as DC expanded into it.

I hunt at Fort Meade (North Tract), and at my 120 acres in West Virginia. I had a cabin shell builtthere two years ago and have been working to finish the inside, with some help fromfriends andsome nice guys that I met through thisforum.

How about yourself, where do you hunt?

G2 Shooter

The last few years I have been hunting some public land in Carrol County called Slacks, Raincliff and Woodbrook. I just started hunting Ft. Meade this year. I have gone out to D and want to try P. Will be going to D this Friday. I am going to try to get on Schaeffer's farm this Saturday. I also have a friend with 11 acres in Woodbine. It is surrounded by farm and large plots. We have taken some really nice 8 pointers out of there the last couple of years.

Are you hunting this weekend?

I wanted to buy some land in WV but the wife said no. [:@] I found a couple of nice plots that were around $800-1000/acre. I wanted 100+ acres but she only wanted to spend about 50K so I dropped it. You are lucky to have that.