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Scope Objective 44mm vs 50mm

peteherbst

peteherbst

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Messages
1,090
Location
Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Putting a new rifle scope on my gun this year and really been debating between 3x9 50mm vortex crossfire vs 4x12 44mm vortex crossfire.

More magnification or larger objective? Does the larger objective help in a quick draw scenario? Is the 6mm that big of a difference to justify sacrificing 3x magnification?
 
I seldom hunt with a rifle anymore but here is what I know about scopes and my opinions. A lot of it is going to come down to 1. How far do you foresee shots? and 2. Do you see taking running shots? (the quick draw you mentioned). And 3, how important is light gathering?

A 40mm objective matches most rifles better size wise, in my opinion. They also weigh less. My favorite scope is a 3-9x40 Zeiss and I keep it set most of the time at 6 power. That is a good balance of magnification and field of view. I have a 2-10x50 Leika I got for a smoking price. The optical quality of the scope is unbelievable, but had it not been a Leika and a great price, I would have opted for a scope with a 40mm objective. The 50mm is a bit large for my tastes, but it has a German #4 reticle that I really like. I keep it set at 6 power also for the same reason.

The biggest advantage of a large objective bell is light gathering. So, if you get shots at last light, then it can help you there for sure. Fast target acquisition is more, in my opinion, about keeping the magnification set low enough you can get on the animal quickly. That's why I set my scopes at 6 power.
 
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As stated above, the 50mm will allow you to see better at last light. It’s really your decision based on if you want a bit more magnification due to your hunting areas, your eyesight, weight of the optic added to the rifle, or whatever other things apply to your decision. If you are shooting say 300 and closer go with the 50 for more light gathering when that deer pops out of nowhere.
 
I would Consider exit pupil, 50/9=5.55 and 44/11=3.66 I prefer a little bigger myself but that's a personal preference. Also what size are the main tubes? That light gathering advantage can be negated by too small of tube, it can only transmit so much light to your eye no matter how much it gathers. I looked this up again, and I was mistaken. It seems a bigger tube can help with resolution if it has larger lenses though.

As mentioned what ranges do you think you'll be shooting?

With such similar scopes i doubt you could go wrong. I would head to the store and try them out on the dummy stocks, one might just speak to you!
 
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peteherbst said:
Putting a new rifle scope on my gun this year and really been debating between 3x9 50mm vortex crossfire vs 4x12 44mm vortex crossfire.

More magnification or larger objective? Does the larger objective help in a quick draw scenario? Is the 6mm that big of a difference to justify sacrificing 3x magnification?
Click to expand...

i have a vortex Diamond back 3.5-10x50 and a vortex diamond back 4-12x44. I’ve found that I can see with either scope well after last shooting light. But I feel the image clarity is better at 10 power than the 12 power so I run them both at 10 power when I have time to dial in.
 
Horn said:
I would Consider exit pupil, 50/9=5.55 and 44/11=3.66 I prefer a little bigger myself but that's a personal preference. Also what size are the main tubes? That light gathering advantage can be negated by too small of tube, it can only transmit so much light to your eye no matter how much it gathers.

As mentioned what ranges do you think you'll be shooting?

With such similar scopes i doubt you could go wrong. I would head to the store and try them out on the dummy stocks, one might just speak to you!
Click to expand...
Tubes are 1inch for both and I probably wouldn’t need to shoot past 200 yards. I just know when zooming into 9x with my current 40mm scope, it gets pretty tough.
 
ketch22 said:
i have a vortex Diamond back 3.5-10x50 and a vortex diamond back 4-12x44. I’ve found that I can see with either scope well after last shooting light. But I feel the image clarity is better at 10 power than the 12 power so I run them both at 10 power when I have time to dial in.
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Would you say target acquisition is easier with the 50mm vs your 44? At full magnification, does the extra 2x between your two make a big difference?
 
peteherbst said:
Would you say target acquisition is easier with the 50mm vs your 44? At full magnification, does the extra 2x between your two make a big difference?
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i don’t run the 44 at 12 because I feel it’s too much and the edges tend to get blurry. When running at ten the 44 is much easier because it’s easier to get a good scope height. The 50 is too large for medium rings on my rifle but highs are too much so getting a consistent cheekweld to the stock is much more difficult. I’m still looking for a base/ring combo to get a perfect height.
 
I prefer a low magnification and larger objective where I hunt because shots are often at last light/under canopy cover and also the deer can pop up quickly and I need to find it in the scope.

I have seen a buck weaving through mountain laurel towards a small opening and had to find that small opening quickly and be ready when he steps into it to take the shot while he was walking by.

For shots under 300 yards in the woods, I prefer 2 to 7 power and would not go higher than 3 to 9.

Now, if I was hunting pronghorn out west, then bring on the higher magnification.
 
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Quality of glass should be the biggest deciding factor but with both being vortex that’s a mute point. I have from 2-7x33 to 2.5-15x56 scopes. The big bell plus great glass is worth the extra weight to me on the rifle it’s on. The 2-7 is on a MZ and is a rugged as hell. That little Leupold has held zero for many many years and is plenty for that gun. I personally would use the largest objective you can and still get a good purchase on the stock.
 
Another factor is, the larger the bell, the taller the rings you will need. This might alter your cheek weld, or you might need to add a riser. It might even slow you down a fraction of a second if you don't get a lot of dry-fire practice with it before you hunt with it. Granted, if you're looking at a max 12x scope, you're probably planning on reaching out far enough that snap-shots aren't much of a concern.
 
I have both of the crossfire scopes you are debating between. I think you would be happy with either one. As others have said the 3x9x50 may require higher rings depending on what gun you are mounting it on.

I have the 3x9x50 on a muzzle loader and the 4x12x44 on my 308. I am happy with both combos. For what it is worth, I have a need for another scope on a 223 and I plan to buy another 4x12x44 crossfire scope for that gun.
 
Went to cabelas today to just check them out and see them side by side. Think I’m going to end up with the 50mm. After checking them both out, seems sort of silly to even ask the question since they are so close. Appreciate the help and input from everyone.
 
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