Scoping Your Hunting Handgun
I am fortunate enough to have a hardcover edition of the 1969 Guns and Ammo Annual in my book collection. Every year or so I take it down from the bookshelf and take a little trip back in time, turning the yellowed pages ever so carefully so as not to tear one. Like the more recent editions, it contains a complete listing, more or less, of guns and scopes available for the coming year. In the old G&A book, a Remington XP-100 is listed at the whopping retail price of $99.00 (with case). If you wanted a handgun scope to go with it you could get the 1.3x Bushnell Phantom for another $24.50 and if you were into "long range" handgunning they also offered a 2.5x model.
The author killed this buck very late in the evening. The large objective of the 2.5x7 Burris made a difficult shot possible whereas a scope with a small objective, like those in the early 70's, would likely have come up short. Photo Gary Smith
Apparently the author of the section on optics, Ron Terrell, was a fan of the Bushnell line of handgun scopes as he only made a passing mention of the Leupold M8-2X EER, a scope that's still with us today. Terrell also noted that Redfield had a scope that could be used on a handgun, I suppose if your arms were short enough. Designed for the top-ejecting Winchester 94 rifle it only had six to ten inches of eye relief. Terrell wrote, "in a two hand hold position, a full field of view is easily obtained". Another scope of the era was the tiny 1x Hutson Handgunner purported by Hal Swiggett to be a favorite in his writings. The scope choices back then were very limited but fortunately for those of us addicted to handgun hunting, such is not the case today. With at least 25 different models, not counting the numerous red-dot scopes, nearly every major manufacturer offers something for the handgunner.
Handgun scopes fall into the two categories of fixed power and variable, both having advantages and disadvantages and both filling a need for the handgun hunter. While a straight 2x scope might be just the ticket for hunting whitetails or other big game where shots are close, the same scope would be almost useless for hunting varmints like prairie dogs where shots can easily exceed 200 yards. Choosing the right scope for your gun and for the type of hunting you do is one of the keys to successful handgun hunting.
All of my single-shot pistols equipped with scopes have at least 7x magnification and most have 9x to 12x available at the upper limit. Naturally when I'm hunting the lowest setting is used until the extra power is needed for a long or otherwise difficult shot. Increasing the magnification to six or seven can allow the bullet to be placed more precisely than with a scope set on 2x, primarily because the target and any obstructions are better defined. Like the old saying goes, "you can't hit what you can't see". The photo below shows one of my favorite deer stands. It has everything needed to be a consistent producer year after year, food, cover, and water all within a few acres of the old stump I sit beside.
Without removing the sights on this Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter an 8.5" scope is the longest that will fit. The 2x Leupold was selected for its reputation for durability, size and weight. Photo Gary Smith
It's fairly common to catch deer feeding and moving about on the oak ridge in the left side of the picture. The distance is about 175 yards to the side of the ridge and because they blend so well with the cover, deer are nearly impossible to see clearly with less than 6x-7x magnification.
Shooting big game at extended range isn't the only time high powered scopes may be necessary for the handgunner. Hunters after varmints of the hole digging variety rely almost exclusively on high magnification to make their targets visible. I shoot a fair number of groundhogs each year and nothing less than 7x is acceptable if you're serious about this long range game. Burris, quite simply, has the lock on scopes for the serious varmint hunter. Their 3x12 and their 10x models are the two most powerful handgun scopes being produced and both are a varmint handgunners dream. However, they are the heavy weights. Tipping the scales at 16 ounces their high-power variables are also the longest and have the largest objective diameters in the industry. While a big Burris is a top choice for a single shot like the T/C Encore, Contender, or Savage Striker their size and weight must be seriously considered if you intend to mount one on a revolver.
When evaluating a handgun scope it's important to consider how well it will fit on your gun. A scope that is overly large for the gun or ill positioned may make it difficult to shoot well in hunting situations. This is not usually a problem the rifle guys face and is often overlooked by novice handgun hunters. Short barrels, heavy ribs, or forward mounted scopes like on the Ruger Redhawk and Super Blackhawk place certain limits on the choice of scope. SSK Industries has an optional full length rib that looks great on their handcannons but don't expect to mount a scope like the Burris 3x12 with its large diameter objective. The Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter (shown above) is rather unique in that it has Ruger's integral scope base milled into the barrel rib; this setup handles extremely well and is no doubt why it is in such demand. Many times scopes being mounted on big hunting revolvers require some amount of gunsmithing and semi-custom bases because they weren't really designed to be scoped. Freedom Arms recognizes that their premium hunting revolvers will be scoped by many customers and offer an optional scope base on some models. Shown below is a Freedom 454 with a Bausch & Lomb 2x6 mounted on the top strap. Even on this big revolver the scope seems rather large but its owner has made good choice.
Freedom Arms 454 Casull with a 2x6 Bausch & Lomb variable. A combination capable of taking everything from trophy whitetails to the mighty cape buffalo - in the right hands. Photo Rob Millette
The Bausch & Lomb Elite 3200 is an excellent scope both mechanically and optically. It's also one of the smaller variables on the market so it works well on revolvers. Its only drawback is a rather narrow field of view for the level of magnification it offers.
Burris Optics produces more models with more features than any other manufacturer. They have seven different handgun scope models and some have features usually only associated with high-end rifle scopes. Burris offers scopes with adjustable objectives, target turrets, and one feature uniquely Burris, the posi-lock. Adjustable objectives are a useful feature in long-range hunting situations or precision target shooting because the parallax can be adjusted based on the distance to the target. Target knobs and adjustable objectives seem to be a natural paring - if you need one you're probably going to need the other and the fine-plex crosshairs. The posi-lock is another innovative feature from Burris that allows the reticle to be locked in position preventing any possible shift of the crosshairs under heavy recoil. Some may argue the posi-lock is a solution without a problem but I consider it very desirable on guns like the 375 JDJ which can generate significant recoil.
When discussing handgun scopes, despite all the bells and whistles, it isn't too long before the conversation turns to durability. They do take a tremendous beating and I don't know of any scope brand that hasn't seen some failures. Like all mechanical devices, scopes can and do fail but you can generally expect to get what you pay for. Just as you wouldn't expect a fifty dollar scope to hold up on a magnum rifle neither should you expect one to hold up on a hard-kicking handgun. The good news is that for about three hundred fifty dollars you can get the best handgun scope money can buy. Top quality fixed power scopes are usually a bit less expensive than variables and can be easily purchased for under two hundred dollars.
Notice the branches obscuring the front shoulder of this buck? They would be difficult to see in a low power scope and could cost you this animal if the bullet struck one of the branches. Photo Gary Smith
As a general rule I believe magnification is one of the most important features to consider when choosing a handgun scope, even those intended for big game hunting. Nothing is more frustrating than getting the opportunity to kill a trophy animal only to have it slip away because you didn't have enough power to see where the shot should be placed. Other important features to consider when choosing a scope are the field of view (FOV) and eye relief. The FOV of a handgun scope is considerably smaller than that of a rifle scope of similar power. A 3x9 rifle scope set on 3x will often have a FOV of 30-35 feet at 100 yards whereas a 3x9 handgun scope will provide less than 15 feet of visible real estate. This can present problems in the field actually finding your target in the scope. Eye relief also presents a challenge for some, especially if a variable is mounted atop your favorite handcannon. Unlike a rifle scope, handgun scopes are designed with an extended eye relief and are intended to be held one to two feet away from the eye. Most variables have eye relief values that change, sometimes significantly, as the magnification is changed becoming shorter at higher powers and longer at lower powers. What this means for most of us is that we have to bring the gun closer to our face as the power ring is turned up. Adding the stress of not being to find the target or having the scope black-out because the FOV just changed when you adjusted the power ring adds stress to the situation of trying to take a shot at a game animal already pushing your buck-fever buttons. These frustrations dissuade many from using scopes and if you've yet to master a scoped handgun the answer to your problems can be found in three simple words, practice, practice, practice. When the setup becomes an extension of the body everything comes together and your effective range and success will be increased dramatically.
The charts below list most of the pertinent specifications for the different models of handgun scopes in production in 2002. All of the manufacturers have websites but some provide more information than others. Leupold and Burris provide the most comprehensive online information although Leupold provides some of the more obscure data, like reticle subtensions, in PDF format which requires a rather lengthy download of the catalog.
1Field of view measured at 50 yards.
Fixed Power Scopes
Manuf.
Power
FOV
EyeRelief
Length
Obj.Dia.
BellDia.
Weight
Burris 1x 27ft. 4-24" 8.9" 20mm 27mm 7oz Burris 2x 21ft. 10-24" 8.9" 20mm 27mm 7oz Bushnell 2x 20ft. 9-26" 8.7" 32mm 39.9mm 7.7oz Leupold 2x 21.2ft. 18" 8.0" 20mm 25.4mm 6oz Nikon 2x 22ft. 10.5-26.4" 8.1" 20mm 25.4mm 6.6oz Simmons 2x 22ft. 9-17" 8.75" 20mm 25.4mm 7oz Tasco 2x 22ft.1 10-21" 8.0" 20mm 25.4mm 6.5oz Weaver 2x 21ft. 4-29" 8.5" 28mm 35.6mm 6.7oz Burris 4x 11ft. 12-20" 9.7" 26mm 34mm 9oz. Leupold 4x 9ft. 18" 8.43" 28mm 35mm 7oz Simmons 4x 15ft. 12-18" 9.0" 32mm 38.5mm 7oz Weaver 4x 9ft. 12-18" 8.5" 28mm 35.6mm 6.7oz Burris 10x 4ft. 9-12" 10.6" 32mm 45mm 14oz.
1The Bausch&Lomb Elite 3200 is made by Bushnell, however it is a very different scope than the 2x6 Bushnell Trophy.2Eye relief is constant through the power range.
Variable Power Scopes
Manuf.
Power
FOV
EyeRelief
Length
Obj. Dia.
Bell Dia.
Weight
Burris (L)1.5x(H) 4x 21ft.11ft. 11-24"11-18" 11.1" 20mm 27mm 11oz. Burris (L) 2x(H) 7x 21ft.7ft. 11-24"10-15" 9.7" 32mm 39mm 13oz. Burris (L) 3x(H) 9x 13ft.6ft. 10-19"10-13" 10.8" 32mm 44mm 16oz. Burris (L) 3x(H) 12x 14ft.4ft. 10-19"10-12.5" 10.8" 32mm 44mm 16oz. Bausch &Lomb1 (L) 2x(H) 6x 10ft.4ft. 20"2 9.0" 32mm 39.9mm 10oz Bushnell (L) 2x(H) 6x 11ft.4ft. 18"2 9.1" 32mm 39.9mm 10.9oz Leupold (L)2.5x(H) 8x 13ft.4.3ft. 22"-10" 9.67" 32mm 42mm 8.3oz Thompson/Center (L)1.25x(H) 4x 24ft.8ft. 23"15" 9.38" 28mm 33.3mm 8.9oz Thompson/Center (L)2.5x(H) 7x 15ft.5ft. 8-21"8-11" 9.25" 28mm 36.5mm 9.2oz Thompson/CenterLighted (L)2.5x(H) 7x 15ft.5ft. 8-21"8-11" 9.25" 28mm 36.5mm 10.5oz Thompson/Center (L) 3x(H) 9x 10ft.4ft. 14-20"13.5-19" 10.38" 28mm 38.1mm 9.4oz Weaver (L)1.5x(H) 4x 13.6ft.5.8ft. 12-24"11-17" 8.6" 20mm 25.4mm 8.1oz Weaver (L)2.5x(H) 8x 8.5ft.3.7ft. 16-24"12-16" 9.3" 28mm 35.6mm 8.3oz
Author: GunMuse Date: Wednesday Sep 22 2004 19:56:27 pm
