Riflescopes with Variable magnification

Introduction

People enjoy going outdoor and observing life outside of four walls. You do not need any particular skill to get in touch with the nature that surrounds you. However, for you to properly observe the subtle happenings you would otherwise miss and to successfully hit a target when hunting, experience, as well as proper gear, is definitely needed.

That is where variable magnification rifle scopes can come in handy, particularly when hunting in a smaller area, as they let the user adjust the magnification so as to focus on the target when moving closer or farther away from it. These rifle scopes can be recognized by the range in their specification, not a particular number. This setting is endless, signifying that the magnification of the rifle scope is not locked.

History

In the beginning, only rifle scopes with fixed magnification were manufactured but as time has moved forward, rifle scopes with variable magnification were produced. As a matter of fact, Kahles was among the first manufacturer to introduce variable magnification rifle scopes and later, all major manufacturers followed in its footsteps.

Now the tables have turned, fixed scopes have fallen out of flavor, and at the moment, only a few manufacturers still produce fixed magnifications rifle scopes and later on, you will be able to see why. We would not call ourselves psychic, but we can certainly predict what the future holds in this scenario and that is that variable magnification scopes will prevail. Let us see why:

Pros

The use of these scopes is extremely versatile. When observing on shorter ranges, the magnification should be turned down, and up when observing on longer ranges. Also, these rifle scopes tend to have a wider field of view, which provides less restriction when observing, which is always an advantage.

Even experienced hunters can get sidetracked and lose focus, but with variable magnification rifle scopes, you get complete and utter control of the device. If the target moves closer, you can just adjust the magnification and regain the focus, so there is no need to worry.

These rifle scopes offer you multiple options – hence the name. On the one hand, at high magnification, you are able to observe the animals as you please and observe the fine details on the target. On the other hand, at lower magnification, you are able to take a shot even if the rifle scope is rested on a shooting stick, or even without support.

Cons

In spite of its many excellent features, the variable magnification rifle scope still has a few drawbacks. The first one is that these scopes do not produce the same light transmission rate as the fixed ones. Because adjustments cannot be made on the latter, they feature only one glass, in comparison to variable magnification scopes, which have numerous glasses in front of the lens, resulting in a lower light transmission rate.

These optics are also bigger in size, as well as weight, and they also sport a bigger tube diameter, usually at least 30 mm. That is why you should always make sure you choose the rifle scope you are comfortable using. Also, you need to set one more setting before the shot, which can prove to be troublesome. There may also be times where the cheaper second focal plane scopes have the option of a movable point of interest when magnification is changed.

Kahles K1050 10-50x56

Zoom Factor

Variable magnification rifle scopes have come a long way, as the zoom ratio they started off with was 2 x and 3 x, now there are scopes with a 10 x zoom ratio. It used to be a standard to have a 3 x zoom in 1-inch tube scopes and a 4 x zoom in 30 mm tube rifle scopes.

More and more manufacturers like Swarovski and IOR began producing rifle scopes with a much wider zoom ratio. Soon after, others, such as Zeiss, Leica, Schmidt & Bender followed. Today, even a 10 x zoom factor is not uncommon, thus the versatility of the rifle scopes is greatly enhanced.

Conclusion

Variable magnification rifle scopes are of great help when wanting to dodge the ongoing debate about which magnification should be used for your hunt, as they provide a lot of diversity in said magnification. It can be adjusted based on where you are at, and what you are after.

These scopes are great for hunting in smaller areas, and for those who love a good challenge of chasing. Even though these scopes may be a bit pricier, they make up for it, as they can be used anywhere. But remember: at the end of the day, pick the scope that meets your level of experience and the intended use.

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VIDEO

Wide-angle riflescopes are built to offer the widest possible field of view for rapid target acquisition. Such scopes are used for close range shooting on driven hunts, while stalking, on dynamic shooting competitions or in close quarter tactical situations. Many of the wide-angle riflescopes also offer the option to use both eyes open when aiming and in this way have an unlimited field of view. Illuminated reticle gives further advantage to the shooter in fast target acquisition; however, such illumination has to be in bright daytime. Common features of wide-angle scopes are:

Magnification of 1.0x (or 1.1x as less ideal)
Field of view greater than 35m/100m
Illuminated reticle with daytime intensity
30 mm tube diameter (hunting models can be mounted with rails)
4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 zoom factor
Capped or tactical turrets
• Parallax fixed at 100m

Riflescopes with Variable magnification