Too much scope?

[Rifletom]

That is some solid advice/knowledge that NCG just posted there Sumaru. Well stated NCG.

[North Country Gal]

Thank-you, tom. Appreciate it.

[pennsylvaniapete]

I also recommended buying the hammer extension from Henry. I got the one that sticks out both left and right side of the hammer.

It has a slot right in the middle of it…and seems to be more stable than the standard one that just extends out of one side.

A touch of blue thread locker will keep the set screw from loosening up.

[Sumaru]

way back in time (AKA - my younger days) the rule of thumb we followed for selecting the magnification power of a scope was 1 power per every 10 yards you anticipated shooting .... for us, our Henry 357 and 44 Mags are 100 yard guns .... so good 3 X 9 scopes works well

That's what I'm running, a 3-9. Any take on the 50mm vs 40mm objective? Is 50mm overkill?

Sumaro, as a gal who made a living selling optical equipment - binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, spotting scopes and riflescopes - my advice is to not overplay the importance of objective (front lens) diameter for the purposes of image brightness. Yes, it is an important part of image brightness, but it is not the only factor, not by a long shot. You can't just take one feature and assume all scopes are the same. It's just not that easy when comparing different scopes. Other factors are very important. I don't want to start a mini course on optics, but assuming the same 6x magnification, a 40mm lens with high grade lenses and top of the line lens coatings can appear every bit as bright in low light as a cheap 50mm scope at 6x with cheap lenses and coatings. And that's just the beginning of the conversation.

Okay, if the science of optics is not your thing, I also used to hunt back in the day, early morning, late evening. I can't think of a single low light situation where a quality 40mm scope was not bright enough to make a legal/ethical shot. Emphasis is on quality, here. Never underestimate the importance of optical quality.

PS. I never had a customer who ever came back and complained that I sold them too good a quality optic.

Thank you NGC..I can appreciate the science of optics- used to be a service/support engineer for theodolites/total stations/laser trackers where optical alignments were paramount to instrument accuracy. I picked up the Vortex Crossfire 3-9x50 Straight Wall model. Hoping this one makes the cut. Leupold & such is just not in the budget at the moment, but have read good things about this manufacturer/model (internet...take it with a grain of salt)!

[Sumaru]

I also recommended buying the hammer extension from Henry. I got the one that sticks out both left and right side of the hammer.

It has a slot right in the middle of it…and seems to be more stable than the standard one that just extends out of one side.

A touch of blue thread locker will keep the set screw from loosening up.

Got that one on order as well! I thought maybe the symmetry of the part might be better for even wearing.

[Sir Henry]

I’ve always thought I should spend as much on the scope as I do the rifle. Of course I don’t always do as I think.

[North Country Gal]

Sumaru, during my time as an optics expert for an internet optics dealer, I personally visited the folks at Vortex. They are based right here in Wisconsin, in fact. Great people totally committed to good customer service. You chose well.

Gene, I can't always spend as much on a scope as the rifle/pistol, either, but my favorite guns do get the good stuff. Given how many guns you and I both own and shoot, it would be pretty hard to put an expensive premium grade scope on all of them. Even the guns we don't shoot much, though, get decent scopes for the money.

[Sir Henry]

I hear you Joanie. Sometimes I have to rob rifle Peter to pay rifle Paul.

[North Country Gal]

Yeah, I've played the scope musical chair game many times.

[Hatchdog]

Personally I like smaller scopes on my Big Boy’s. 2-7x33 works great and so far I have not had to use a hammer extension. I do find that even with a small scope like mine I need to use a strap on cheek riser. I would imagine your 3-9x50 is mounted at a height that a riser would help.

[Luv the lever]

50mm seems large and and optics will require hammer extension install.

After mounting it, I have to agree, it seems too large. Is there any appreciable difference between 40 & 50mm where light gathering and field of view is concerned?

Running with a 3-9 x 30 on a 30-30. Saving a touch with the 30mm let me spend more on quality optics. I didn't but could have, LOL. This is all a new hobby for me and I've been told that accuracy is found mounting closer to the barrel so the easiest way to stay lower was using a smaller scope.

[North Country Gal]

Let me add that field of view is not determined by the size of the objective. A 6x32 scope can have as wide a field of view as a 6x50 scope. My little 10x25 binoculars haver the same field of view as my 10x42 binoculars.

Field of view is a function of two things.

The first is magnification, of course. Most of us understand this. One of the most basic laws of optics states that as magnification goes up, field of view goes down.

The second, though, is not widely understood. It's actually eyepiece design that determined FOV at a given magnification.

Anyway, if you doubt this, just look at a variety of riflescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and so on and check the specs for field of view, remembering to compare the published figures at the same magnification. For example, the Leupold Freedom 3-9x40 has the exact same field of view at 3 and 9x as the Leupold Freedom 3-9x50 at 3 and 9x because Leupold uses the same eyepiece for both scopes. The 50mm version gets you the advantages (and disadvantages) of a larger objective, but a wider field of view is not something you get by bumping up to the 50.

In the real world, eyepieces in riflescopes are fairly simple designs to keep weight and size reasonable. You won't find a lot of variation between brands and models as far as eyepiece internal lens design. What this means is that FOV in a riflescope will be pretty similar at any given magnification for the various brands. If you need/want a wide field of view in a riflescope, then, you'll have do it via the magnification route of going to a lower magnification. That's why scopes for dangerous game are low power.

Different story in optics like a spotting scope or telescope, however, especially telescopes. Telescope eyepieces are immensely varied in design, field of view, sophistication, size and price. A single wide angle telescope eyepiece can cost much more than even a good riflescope. My best wide angle telescope eyepieces run about $400 each, but there are even more sophisticated eyepieces that cost more than twice that.

[Hatchdog]

^^^^^

Thanks NCG, I didn’t know any of that.

[North Country Gal]

You are very welcome. Glad to help.

[pennsylvaniapete]

I just found another advantage of the Henry ambidextrous hammer extension.

It helps you hold the hammer down so that you can get the bolt out easily!

No more trying to get your thumb between the scope and the hammer.

[tcpip95]

I put a Leupold VX-5HD 1-5x24 on my Henry Classic 45-70. I don't expect to take a shot beyond 150 yards with it, and I get plenty of light through it. As North Country Gal said, it's all about the quality of the optics.

[North Country Gal]

And that sure is a quality scope. Should serve you well.