Can someone explain optics?
- Thread starter bspillman
- Start date
3x9x40 means 3x to 9x magnification with a 40mm front lens. Way too big for a .22 LR Marlin Model 60.
However, firearm optics is far too big a subject for one wee post on a forum. There's a fairly decent 'start' on the terms etc. for center fire optics here though.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/guns/rifles/2014/06/complete-guide-riflescopes
However, firearm optics is far too big a subject for one wee post on a forum. There's a fairly decent 'start' on the terms etc. for center fire optics here though.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/guns/rifles/2014/06/complete-guide-riflescopes
madmo44mag
New member
I have a Marlin 60 with a 3x3x33 that is a bit over kill but I love it.
When I want to show off I can make smiley faces on a 2 in round target.
When I want to show off I can make smiley faces on a 2 in round target.
g.willikers
New member
Around a four power is probably plenty for a .22.
But it depends on the size of and distance to the target.
Mine has a 4x12 power, but I rarely use more than the six power setting.
To finish answering your question, the last number, the 40 in your example, refers to the size of the lens.
Generally, the bigger the lens the better for seeing in dim light.
But it depends on the size of and distance to the target.
Mine has a 4x12 power, but I rarely use more than the six power setting.
To finish answering your question, the last number, the 40 in your example, refers to the size of the lens.
Generally, the bigger the lens the better for seeing in dim light.
A 3X9X40 is a high powered rifle scope and when you put one on a .22 you run into a thing called parallax when you shoot under 100 yards. What that means is if you don't have your eye perfectly centered in the eyepiece your bullet doesn't go exactly where the crosshairs say it will. I use a cheap Bushnell 4X .22 scope on my 60 and it does all I need it to.
it's always in the details !!!
That is the wrong expression as well as 4X12. The correct expression is 3-9 X 40 and 4-12 X 40. ......
As far as your Model-60, the 3-9 X 32, is more than adequate. The 3 -9 represent the Variable power. and the 32, 40 or whatever represents the size of the field or area you will see. .....
Be Safe !!!
,
That is the wrong expression as well as 4X12. The correct expression is 3-9 X 40 and 4-12 X 40. ......
As far as your Model-60, the 3-9 X 32, is more than adequate. The 3 -9 represent the Variable power. and the 32, 40 or whatever represents the size of the field or area you will see. .....
Be Safe !!!
My neighbor bought a Keystone Cricket for his young daughter to learn on.
A Davey Cricket scope came as part of the package.
Straight 4 power scope, has somewhat large cross hairs, with mid-dots.
I was thinking it was gonna be a piece of dumpster fodder, but when I looked through it, the glass was crystal clear.
Have since bought one ($40) for my daughters Browning 22 takedown.
A Davey Cricket scope came as part of the package.
Straight 4 power scope, has somewhat large cross hairs, with mid-dots.
I was thinking it was gonna be a piece of dumpster fodder, but when I looked through it, the glass was crystal clear.
Have since bought one ($40) for my daughters Browning 22 takedown.
I don't. Gun rags used to sell the newest and bestest new magnum rifles. But even when gun mags were in full swing (in the 1970s), people would still ask what the numbers meant. I had people come into the store I worked at and tell me they wanted a "3 to 9 scope" and thought that meant they could shoot it until 9 o' clock, others just came in and told me to put a scope on their rifle with no idea what they would get. But those stories get old . . .
There is no such scope.
There are 3-9X40 scopes. With variable power scopes the lowest magnification is listed 1st with a dash then the highest magnification is listed followed by an "X" to signify the magnification. The 3rd number is the size of the front objective lense in millimeters. Often the objective size is left off and it would be listed as a 3-9X or 4-12X etc.
With fixed power optics you only use 1 or 2 numbers. Many binoculars or fixed power scopes may be listed as 4X, 6X, or 10X etc. If the objective size is included you'd have 4X32, 6X40 or 10X50 etc.
The magnification listed is approximate and will change depending on how it is focused for different people. A scope listed as 3-9X may actually be 3.3-9.5X when focused for you, but be 2.9-8.7X when focused for me. This is why most of the time manufacturers round off.
Objective size along with magnification determine the diameter of a beam of light that passes from the front of the scope to your eye. Divide the front objective by the scopes magnification to determine this in millimeters. A 40mm objective set on 8X will allow a 5mm beam of light through to your eye. The same scope set on 4X will allow a 10mm beam of light through.
The more light reaching the eye, the better you can see in poor light. At least up to a point. The human eye cannot process more than 5-7 mm. Any more is wasted. Common binocular and scopes objective lenses are no accident. A 7X35 or 10X50 binocular both let 5mm of light through, which is ideal for most people on poor light. Some binoculars with lenses of 8X24 etc. only let in about 3mm of light. They work well in good light, but not at dawn or dusk.
Someone here said 3-9 X 40 istoo much for a 22? Tonight I shot silly wets with a fixed weavere KT-15 x 40. My other 22 carries a weaver classic 4-16 X 42. Just enough scope for me. Last year I shot sporter rifle (50 feet) with the KT-15. Its a rifle scope of good quality. I want to shoot my 22 as well as my 223. What is the difference if its on a rimfire or center fire?
David
I was using a Bushnell 4-12 X 40 and upgraded to the weaver and my scores went up. Clearer, smaller dot and of course all have adjustable Objective (paralax).
Its more of what works for you.
David
David
I was using a Bushnell 4-12 X 40 and upgraded to the weaver and my scores went up. Clearer, smaller dot and of course all have adjustable Objective (paralax).
Its more of what works for you.
David
I also have a Weaver classic 4-16 on my .22 Savage MKII TR that I competed with and it fit the rifle very well, so a 3x9x40 is not necessarily overkill on a .22. My other two .22 rifles wear a Leupold and Browning 2-7x32, and they work very well. Just depends on the intended purpose of the rifle.
bamaranger
New member
too much scope
There are different aspects regards "too much scope".
One is overall size and weight. As an example, I had an acquaintance that had a 4-12 x 50 on a Rem Model 7. Not only did it look goofy, the giant optic pretty much wrecked the handling and pointing qualities of a dandy carbine. I think the standard Ruger 10/22 looks a bit awkward with any scope with a bell over 32mm, Leupold's 4x28mm looks about right on the Ruger auto. Same with the Henry rimfires......they look and handle best with smaller scopes. The Marlin 60 has a bit more length to it, so a full size 40mm bell might look OK, but I would not go any bigger.
The other aspect is magnification. For general field use on typical rifles, a tidy 4x32 , or a simple variable, 2-7x or even a small belled 3-9x, is about all most folks need on a .22. But....I have a monster 4-16 x 50 on a MK II TR, which previously wore a fixed 10x, that is shot from a bipod at 100-200 on most occassions, and the extra magnification is very useful.
There are different aspects regards "too much scope".
One is overall size and weight. As an example, I had an acquaintance that had a 4-12 x 50 on a Rem Model 7. Not only did it look goofy, the giant optic pretty much wrecked the handling and pointing qualities of a dandy carbine. I think the standard Ruger 10/22 looks a bit awkward with any scope with a bell over 32mm, Leupold's 4x28mm looks about right on the Ruger auto. Same with the Henry rimfires......they look and handle best with smaller scopes. The Marlin 60 has a bit more length to it, so a full size 40mm bell might look OK, but I would not go any bigger.
The other aspect is magnification. For general field use on typical rifles, a tidy 4x32 , or a simple variable, 2-7x or even a small belled 3-9x, is about all most folks need on a .22. But....I have a monster 4-16 x 50 on a MK II TR, which previously wore a fixed 10x, that is shot from a bipod at 100-200 on most occassions, and the extra magnification is very useful.
OK. Nuff.
The first numbers, as stated above, are the approximate minimum and maximum magnification of the scope. If you read rifle scope technical information, the minimum magnification may be 3X, but it might also be 3.2X, or 2.9X, or any other number close to 3. Often, the true magnification is different because lenses are expensive and some scope manufacturers just want to get "close enough".
The last number is the diameter in millimeters of the objective lens of the scope, not the scope body or tube at that point.
math teacher
New member
All scopes are affected by parallax. Each scope is parallax free at some distance. Scopes designed for 22s are supposed to be designed to be parallax free at about 50 yards while scopes for high power rifles are usually parallax free at about a hundred. Scopes over 10 power usually have an adjustment so that they can be set parallax free for whatever distance you are shooting. It is easy to tell. Resting the rifle on a good rest, move your eye a little side to side. If the cross hairs move on the target, that is parallax.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
FWIW.
Some of us Olde Pharts go back to the earliest days of variable scopes. We grew up with lumber expressed as a "two by four", written as 2x4.
So, a variable scope was a three by nine by forty. And we'd write 3x9x40.
I guess my recommendation is to not get all huffy and exercised over trivia.
Some of us Olde Pharts go back to the earliest days of variable scopes. We grew up with lumber expressed as a "two by four", written as 2x4.
So, a variable scope was a three by nine by forty. And we'd write 3x9x40.
I guess my recommendation is to not get all huffy and exercised over trivia.
I'm with ART.
I grew up using the meaning of "X" in this case to mean "BY". What's more, I still do.
Also, I too, miss the pre-internet days of the Gun Mags. In those days if you accidently referred to a Magazine as a Clip, you weren't likely classed as an Anti-Gun Commie.
You know what they are talking about, no since getting all huffy and be-littleing a fellow shooter.
Normally when people correct others, the correction itself is wrong. Lets take the OPs variable scope. 3X9X40 was corrected to 3-9X40. That isn't right either. That would mean 3 to 9 variable TIMES 40. You don't times noting by 40. If we are gonna get picky we can really get picky.
But why, we all know what he was talking about.
The bickering tends to confuse the person asking the question.
Maybe the Internet needs a Terminology Checker to go with the Spell Checker.
I grew up using the meaning of "X" in this case to mean "BY". What's more, I still do.
Also, I too, miss the pre-internet days of the Gun Mags. In those days if you accidently referred to a Magazine as a Clip, you weren't likely classed as an Anti-Gun Commie.
You know what they are talking about, no since getting all huffy and be-littleing a fellow shooter.
Normally when people correct others, the correction itself is wrong. Lets take the OPs variable scope. 3X9X40 was corrected to 3-9X40. That isn't right either. That would mean 3 to 9 variable TIMES 40. You don't times noting by 40. If we are gonna get picky we can really get picky.
But why, we all know what he was talking about.
The bickering tends to confuse the person asking the question.
Maybe the Internet needs a Terminology Checker to go with the Spell Checker.
It is what it is
Be Safe !!!
Of course we do but you need to keep in mind that a person starting out on a learning curve, will not, which is the case in point. Not only that, he goes into a Walmart and asks to see a 3X9X40 and both will do their share of head scratching. Eventually, they :may"' get it right. ......
Be Safe !!!