Please help me decide and teach me

[jackD]

   I am looking for a scope for a new .300wsm. I have Nikon Monarchs and Elite 4200's and a 3200 on my other rifles and are very happy. But a friend just recommended a Meopta, he said he really likes the 30mm tube. Is a 30mm tube that much better for light transmission? I have been looking at the Zeiss conquest, Nikon monarch and monarch gold. Thinking around 10x max and 44 to 56mm objective. Any opinions or comments are welcome. Thanks for the help

[JimFromTN]

30mm tubes do not help with light transmission.  30mm tubes give you more windage and elevation and are more durable than 1 inch tubes.  The nikon monarch and the monarch gold have the same light transmission.  Light transmission is based on a combination of Obj lens and lens coatings.  

As for the objective size, you need to weigh your options.  Is a 56mm objective worth the extra weight, extra money, and the fact that you are going to have to raise your head up off the stock to look thru it or get a comb raiser for proper cheek weld?  The 56mm obj is not going to have any value to you unless you are shooting in low light conditions with the scope on at least 8x.  I have the nikon monarch gold in 2.5-10x56.  Its a great scope and I love it but I would much rather have the 2.5-10x50 but I got such a good deal on it that I went ahead and got it.  

[drdougrx]

I for one don't think there's that great a need for a 30mm tube and huge objective lenses.  The europeans use them because they are generally permitted to hunt later than we can in the states.  Also...objective lenses greater than 40 or 44mm require high rings which change cheek position on the stock.  Again, the europeans generally use an off the stock shooting stance more than we do in the states.

I have a Leupold 4x12x50 with a 1" tube that I got new for $325.  It was and is a royal PITA to get rings that made the rig work for me.  The jury is still out on this one...I'd rather have a 40 or 44mm scope and medium rings, so, I may change things...yet again.

I'm not saying NOT to get the big objective or 30mm tube...they just complicate things and can be ungainly on the rifle.

[diggler1833]

Light transmission is going to come from overall lens quality and exit pupil (measured by dividing the objective diameter by the magnification). 

Jim hit the nail on the head about the advantages of a 30mm.  The additional elevation/windage adjustment USUALLY gained makes them more desireable for long range rifles (aside from benchrest).

Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to get behind a Meopta, so I can't comment on those.  Only heard from a few guys in the know that they are a good optic.

[Brithunter]

Oh dear it's now time to upset a few folks 


get the Meopta  .......................... but unless you really want the 30mm tube get the normal 1" one  the Meopta has far better optics than a Leupold IMHO and yep I have two Leupolds and funny enough two Meoptas and I would opt for the Meopta very time.

As for the 30mm tubes giving more adjustment  ........................ well TRUE 30mm scopes do but unfortuneatly some makers put the innerds of a 1" scope in a 30mm tube and just charge more for the scope 

Now both of my Meoptas are older models, one is much older probably being 50 or 60 years old as it a 3x Prepov in a one piece dedicated mount to fit the brno rifles and it's currently fitted to my Brno Model 2  the other is the 7x50A:-



Seen here on my sporterised Swedish Mauser and this is it's reticle:-


Sorry about the poor photo of it 


I believe the "A" refers to the reticle as it has those hash marks in the bottom right quadrant which help judge range when Roe Stalking. I say Roe becasue they're worked out on the average height of a Roe Buck  The 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser is one of my rifles listed for Fox shooting so the 7x50 comes in handy for that as it's often done at night by lamping.

Now the 7x50 is a large scope and I picked this one up S/H. It seems it was one used in some Magazine write ups or that is what I was told, I was looking for a decent scope and the price was right, normally I would have prefered a 6x42 scope but  The Leupolds I am comparing the Meopta's too are a M8 Compact 4x and a Vari X 111 in 2.5-8 and they were both used as well. The recticles are bit light for first and last light use. The VX-3 is on a 7.92mm Parker-Hale 1200 Super and the M8 is currently fitted to Baikal MH 18 break action rifle in .222 Rem.

[jimmyp50]

   I am looking for a scope for a new .300wsm. I have Nikon Monarchs and Elite 4200's and a 3200 on my other rifles and are very happy. But a friend just recommended a Meopta, he said he really likes the 30mm tube. Is a 30mm tube that much better for light transmission? I have been looking at the Zeiss conquest, Nikon monarch and monarch gold. Thinking around 10x max and 44 to 56mm objective. Any opinions or comments are welcome. Thanks for the help

You might wait until Mid January, Doug at Cameraland is supposed to be getting in a new series of Minox rifle scopes. The prices look good and the 2-10X is very interesting.  I personally would not put anything over a 40ish objective scope on a 300WSM, its rumored that large objective belled-heavier objective lensed rifle scopes don't last quite as long under heavier recoil stress.   

[Badnews Bob]

I have a meopta, and I love it it has the best picture of any other scope I own. Mine is a 2.5x7 with the 30mm tube. Great scopes.

[anweis]

   I am looking for a scope for a new .300wsm. I have Nikon Monarchs and Elite 4200's and a 3200 on my other rifles and are very happy. But a friend just recommended a Meopta, he said he really likes the 30mm tube. Is a 30mm tube that much better for light transmission? I have been looking at the Zeiss conquest, Nikon monarch and monarch gold. Thinking around 10x max and 44 to 56mm objective. Any opinions or comments are welcome. Thanks for the help

In my opinion, 44 mm would be the largest diameter i would put on a hunting rifle. Actually i prefer less, more like 32 or 36 mm, for better balance, shooting stance, and fit of stock. Less weight also.
Meopta scopes are very nice, optically nicer than the Leupold VX 3. I don't know if they are much better than the Conquest; i use a 2-8x32 Conquest and a 4x32 Conquest for hunting and i am very happy, even on 250 yard shots in low light. Brightness or sharpness should not be different  between 1" and 30mm.