Wich scope to choose?

pduran · Post by **pduran** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:43 am

hi all

I have a Phoenix and want to by a scope. Is it possible to do day hunting with the lumi zone or it only works fine when its dark/night?
Do i have to have both scopes, for day and night?

Thanks
Paulo

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:21 am

The Lumi-zone is a dual purpose scope, works just like a regular scope during the day and in low light conditions you can light the reticles. You will be extremely pleased with one.

Rich

awshucks · Post by **awshucks** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:26 am

The L-zone works fine in day light. It has a dial that you can use to 11 or 12 different levels of brightness to light up the reticules as needed. Like the Varizone, you can sight it in and have accurate aim points for ranges from 10 to 50 yds regardless of arrow used or Excal bow you mount it on. I've been shooting scoped rifles for close to 50 years and am constantly amazed by these scopes.

motuna · Post by **motuna** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:59 am

Check your state regulations, some states like Alabama do not allow any magnification to be used on crossbows.

pduran · Post by **pduran** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:13 pm

thank u all for your replyes.

I hunt in Portugal, mostly rabbits and Javalis (!? wild pigs)

I think the lumi zone will be my choice!

Paulo

Matthias72 · Post by **Matthias72** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:10 pm

Hello Paulo,
on my opinion the lumizones and the varizones are nice scopes not expansive and they do their work.
However, especially here in Europe, many persons prefere use some more luminous and precise optics, principally Meopta, Leupold and Nightforce, aiming always with the center cross, changing the optic inclination with a special optic/rings mount.
This is my Exomax with my new Meopta Artemis 2000 3-12x50.

I done some pics on low luminosity condition with this Meopta and with my Varizone. I used a normal camera watching through the optic without flash for 2 sec without support, so the images are a little moved but you can see at the same the difference:

This is the Meopta:

This is the Varizone:

On this pic you can better notice the difference on luminosity (on the rectangle the Meopta):

As you can see the Meopta, I calculed, has nearby 170% more luminosity than Varizone and also the image is more detailed. That means you can increase your hunting at the sunset of 20-30 minutes and for my hunting needs that is very very important.

Regards

Matthias

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:08 pm

Matthias, I agree with your type of scope choice. I like as bright and clear picture as possible.

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pokynojoe · Post by **pokynojoe** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:35 pm

For Boo
How have your experiences been with the Vari-X III? I have one, but I have been under the impression that they won't hold up to the eccentric recoil characteristics of the crossbow. The luminescence(sic) is greater than the typical crossbow scopes that one can purchase, but I have been reluctant to use it. Also, how do you compensate for elevation changes? Do you just use "holdover", or do you use an adjustable mount? I'm very interested in your experiences. Thank you.

Regards
Joe

hotburn · Post by **hotburn** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:00 am

The lumizone is top notch and a great scope IMO. I love the fact that it will work even when turned off or the batteries go dead! I have been having a good time with mine!

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:10 am

There is no way anyone can imagine just how good a high end scope can be without using one. Just from the aspect of durability as well as clarity, resolution and light management the better scope are quantum steps ahead of scopes like the Lumizone. The Leupolds are built to with stand the forces of rifles that detach retinas and while I understand that the crossbow submits recoil to scopes in different directions they are insignificant by comparison. I once had a Bushnell Scope Chief on a 50 cal muzzle loader that had a broken reticle after the gun fell from leaning against a wall. My 300 win mag has been knocked over a couple of times in my 13 years of ownership with not even a change of POI. None of this is meant to trash the Lumizone but to extol the virtues of buying scope that costs much more than the object that it is being put on. I think that the Lumizone is the best crossbow scope that has ever been offered, but you pay for what you get. Pokynoloe, I see no evidence to prevent me from using the Leupold or my B&L 4200 or my Nikon Monarch Gold on anything I shoot. I even have a B&L on my Diana air rifle that spits out pellets at 1100 ft/sec.
They are all guaranteed for life with no stipulation as to what it is to be used on.
I have shot rifles for so long that hold over is natural and the only time I hold over is when I am shooting past 30 yards.
Sorry for the long post.

pduran · Post by **pduran** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:33 am

thanks! great answers i got here!

I hunt at night, waiting for pigs but also during the day i walk a lot and as you know, carrying the xbow is not very pleasant... i wonder how it would be with the extra weight of the scope!
after one hour i cant almost feel my arms!

Paulo

TPM · Post by **TPM** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:14 am

Great post Boo. I come from a rifle background and have been "spoiled" by high end scopes. The Vari-zone and Lumi-zone scopes are very good crossbow scopes but they in no way have the clarity and light gathering capabilties of a high end rifle scope. They also don't cost near as much. I really don't think there is much of a market for a $500 plus dedicated crossbow scope.
Having said all that my Phoenix wears a Vari-zone and that's probably what will stay on it because it works.

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:21 am

One good light weight solution but without magnification is the Bushnell Halo. It is a Laser driven HUD with no magnification. If used with both eyes open you can hit a target fairly well in very low light. It uses a one minute of angle dot unlike most red-dot scopes which helps in precision shooting. The are awesome when no magnification is needed.
http://www.bushnell.com/general/riflesc ... on=Hunting

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:54 am

You are correct about parallax but I find no affect as long as my eye is aligned with the scope tube. But then again maybe I do not appreciate the precision from the lack of parallax correction.

Hi5 · Post by **Hi5** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:02 pm

It may seem inconsistent for me to extoll the Leica Rangefinder on the thread about rangefinders, but pan the better scopes on this thread.

The thing is, where I hunt, legal hunting time begins 1/2 hour before sunrise and ends 1/2 hour after sunset. So, the improved optics don't have any practical benefit for me. In fact, the reticle which has distance markings is more valuable to me than brighter glass.

Each to his own....