Help me pick a low light scope

I would not get a x50 scope, raise's the height above the barrel and adds bulk to the rifle. I would go max 3-9x40. Myself I would go 2-7x40. you don't need all that power, especially for 250yd shooting. Was out with my son a while back and had my 30-06. We found a rock about 10" to 12" on a hill side. My 30-06 has a straight 2 3/4x Denver Redfield on it. Shooting at the rock, measured 330yds, I shot six time's and centered the rock every time. A lot of people get those high power scope's because they think they will shoot better with them, ya know, the better you see the better you shoot. Right to some degree! If the target is a 1" circle at 300 yds, yep, high power let' you see better. But if the target is 8" at that same range, the rule change's. Get out there with even just a straight 4x and you have plenty of scope. One thing you need to be able to do at the longer ranges is find the target quickly. Compare the field of view between a 2x and a 6x at 300 yds! Better yet if you think you need to see better, compare the 2x or even the 4x against the 16x end of a scope.

I think if a guy got into a shooting match with someone with one of those high power scope's using his 2x scope or even a 4x scope, don't bet the farm you can best him. At the target you'll be shooting in a match, it is possible, even probable that your cross wire's will hide the aiming. Go to the same distance and make the target 8". The ability of the shooter then is more necessary than the power of the scope! Decide what you want from your rifle then choose your scope. There's a reason my scope on my 30-06 is what it is. My 308 has a 1-4x Denver Redfield, My 6.5x06 has a target scope on it but I haven't hunted it in years.. My 6.5x55 has a 2-7x and I would not consider changing it, 25-06 a 3-9x. one 243 a 2-7x and the other another 3-9x power. I have never felt the need with any of them to use over 6x much and on the 6.5x06 I have never gone over 8x with it, it' a 4 1/2x14x
 
Lots of difference between wide open spaces and a pine plantation or Carolina bay where you’re in a tunnel basically and you need an optic that gathers all the light you can get. I don’t have a 40mm scope that comes close to the performance level of one of my 50 or 56mm optics in those places. And while they may have 15 or 20X Mag on the high end, I rarely hunt above 6X. The times I do are when I’ve got good light and am head shooting a sookie from a good rest.

As to raising the height, a simple stock pack or riser eliminates that issue.
 
We in New Zealand have a different situation. I am onto a thermal image scope as we shoot all through the night in virgin Forest and nowhere near any other shooters. Since we are shooting for meat and Deer are in plague proportions we are not interested in heads and go for a spiker. (Yearling Buck) Using a thermal image sight is far safer than Spot-lighting as you cant identify if the shiny eyes are a Deer, wild boar a person with a lazer headlight or just pesky possums unless your 50 metre range.
Yes thought I throw in another slant on night shooting.
No rules here in NZ. Deer are on the Noxious Pest list. 365 days and No limits.
 
Objective diameter and exit pupil are but part of the equation. Coatings count for a lot. It's a pretty long read, but worthwhile, particularly near the end. The author wrote this freelance and does not take money from any advertisers.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/
 
"Something no one has mentioned yet is stalking closer to your prey."

Most hunters in my area don't "stalk" anything except their deer blind. The OP is wanting a "magical optic" that will make the last 5 minutes of shooting light usable.
My suggestion is to ditch the 6-18X optic and get something in the 3-9 or 4-12 range with a 40mm front lens in order to get as much light gathering capability as possible w/o encumbering himself with such an obnoxious scope as he's currently using.
I shoot right up to the "30 minutes past sundown" quite often with 3-9x40 and 2-7x32 scopes w/o much problems.
 
The OP has a good 6-18x40 now. He says it's bright enough at 6X, but not powerful enough at 6X to see the rack. At 18X he can see the racks in daylight, but it's too dim near quitin' time. He doesn't say whether he's tried an intermediate powers between 6X and 18X. If he has tried other “between” settings and they don't work, buying a 3-9X40 or 4-12X40 isn't likely to get him much since the objective diameter (40mm) is the biggest limiting factor.

The VX-2 scopes have good optics/coatings, but not the best. He may gain a little with 40mm objective scope with “better” optics/coatings, but I wouldn't advise that approach as one you could count on.
 
You guys are right about lower power scopes. I have low power scopes on all of my hunting rifles ( 2X7`s and 3X9`s Leupold. The VX 2 is an excellent scope and can be had sometimes for $230. In my neck of the woods shots are rarely over 60 yards so the lower power scopes are the ticket, but being closer to your prey helps in those low light situations.
 
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Objective size and magnification go hand in hand in low light. Divide the front objective size by the magnification you are using to determine the diameter of the light beam exiting the rear of the scope. Around 5mm is optimal. Any less and you don't have enough light. For most people they can't use any more.

Your current scope when set on 8X should be the optimal setting for low light use. Going up to a 50mm scope will only allow you to move up to 9X and get more light than you can get with your 40mm scope. The 50mm scope will allow exactly the same amount of light at 10X as your 40mm scope will at 8X. The 50mm lense will allow more light through at lower magnifications than the 40mm scope. But your eyes can't use it.

But this only measures the size of the light beam, not how much light is getting through. Budget scopes selling under $300 typically allow 85%-90% of the light entering the front objective to exit the rear. The mid range $300-$1000 scopes are in the 90%-95% range. Above $1000 and you get light transmissions at 95%+

A Leupold VX-2 or 3 is going to be very near 95% light transmission and even with a 40mm objective will leave PLENTY of light for shooting during legal times. I took a buck a couple of weeks 5 minutes after legal shooting time, still 25 minutes before sunrise, with a 1-4X20 scope set on 4X. It wouldn't have been legal, but I could have made that shot 15 minutes earlier.
 
Outlaws around here moonlight. They hunt a bright moon at all hours of the night. Even as little as a bright quarter moon can give enough light to identify and accurately shoot a good buck. When I hunt in the early morning or late evening, I can always make the shot at the ranges I hunt at during the legal shooting hours. That's with 3-9x40 scopes. But the OP is talking about extended ranges. I don't have those opportunities.
 
Didn’t realize a 6-18 was “obnoxious” for deer hunting. I only use this rifle/scope setup out of 2 box stands that have 300 yard+ shots. I like the high magnification for identifying deer. Hard to tell some times if it’s a doe or buttonhead out past 200 sometimes. Or a 5-1/2 year old 8pt or 3-1/2. Rest of my rifle hunting is done out of a climber with a rem700 308bdl with a 2.5-8x36 scope and yes I’ve killed plenty of deer with it right up to dark. As far as stalking- I am an avid bow hunter so I totally get people saying just move closer. Gets hard to do late season like this when there’s no cover.

I realize I’m asking for opinions for maybe a magical cure to a minuscule problem. Only reason I even brought this up is cause this buck I’m hunting is a 6-1/2 year old 8pt me and my cousin have been trying to kill for 3 years. He’s totally nocturnal until here lately he’s been coming out on that one food plot right at dark about 250 yards from the stand. Coming out of a bedding area and usually there’s already 10-15 deer that have come out which is why I really don’t want to try and get closer. Tomorrow is the last day of gun season so I wouldn’t be using this new scope til next year anyways. Hell I started rifle hunting with a 270 with a 4power Tasco scope on it and killled plenty of deer with it. I just happen to be at a point financially where I can afford a nicer scope so I figured I’d pick y’all a brains.

Definitely appreciate all the comments though. I’ve learned a couple things from y’all. Keep them coming
 
This is a big scope, and it would probably be a little much in a lot if ways, but I love the idea of it and just wish I had something to put one on!

Trijicon Accupower 2.5-10x56

Now THAT would be a pretty neat low light scope! Huge objective, good glass, and reliable battery powered illuminated reticle.
 
But your eyes can't use it.
Click to expand...

This keeps being repeated and is a misunderstanding of the article and the function of the iris and pupil in your eye.

Yes, when too much light enters your eye your iris contracts and closes down your pupil so that too much light doesn’t hit your retina and it isn’t dammaged. Big objective lenses will overload your eye in full sunlight and your iris will compensate and your pupil will shrink to a dot. This DOES NOT HAPPEN till full light. When it’s dark and you’re looking through a dark scope your iris is holding your pupil wide open, and it will stay that way till it has full light. Adding light in the dark is NOT going to make your iris contract, period. It may allow you to see though when it’s too dark to see with the naked eye.

Great if 40mm is plenty for you. Everyone’s eyes are not the same. I prefer a brighter scope at twilight. Maybe your eyes are better than mine. Good for you. Count your blessings. I would hunt a 1-9X60 if they made one, because I have found myself on a cloudy morning or afternoon at twilight bringing the rifle up on a deer, and not taking the shot because it was too dark, and I was not 100% on the deer with a 40mm scope.

May this never happen to you, and may peace be upon your head! However, in low light your eye is not going to shut out light because it comes from a scope with a larger objective. Almost all my hunting scopes are 3-9x40 SFP, which are generally ideal...but not always.
 
Divide the magnification setting into the exit bell size, such as 4 into 40. Naturally, that gives you a 10, which in theory is great. Unfortunately, depending on your age, you can’t use all of that anyway. Everybody’s eyes are different, but about 5 is all you can utilize, and at my age maybe 4. Play with the scope a bit and you will be able to find where your brightest magnification setting will be.
 
Quality of glass also enters into the equation. A 40mm of one scope in a certain price range may not have the quality of coatings for LT that another has. For instance a Leupold VX3 doesn’t compare to a Trijicon or Meopta per se.

Also, you ever wonder why you don’t see too many S&B, Ziess, NF, Leica 40’s compared to the 50-56 offerings? And, many manufacturers use their own LT formulas to cook their numbers. For instance Nikon claims something like 98% LT in a Prostaff yet my Leica and S&B claim 90-92%. Which do you think are better in low light? I can tell you it isn’t the Nikon, I’m still sitting and seeing while that fellow is eating dinner at home.

If you’re hiking and stalking, smaller and lighter and slimmer is better. If you’re in a stand and looking over a beanfield or down a dark tunnel of trees or firebreak, mounting a Hubble on top of your rifle isn’t a bad idea. I personally don’t hunt a rifle in the evenings with less than a 50 on it. My Leica and S&B are 56’s. I can guarantee you, I’ll be in the stand and IDing deer long after you’re done with your 40. Or lower end 50’s.
 
"Didn’t realize a 6-18 was “obnoxious” for deer hunting."

A matter of perception. A hunter does not have to "see every hair" on the game to make his shot and often too much magnification is a hindrance rather than an advantage.
 
No such thing as too much magnification when you can dial it down to a point that it's not too much magnification.
 
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