from Charles Meyer crmeyer@physics.ucsb.edu

>I saw an ad in a magazine describing a new scope ring / base set for the TC contender. Its unique feature is that the rings and the base are all one part. This has some attraction in that you in theory would not need to lap in the scope rings to assure proper alignment. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the brand (Swift? Simmons?). Anyone heard of this or seen one? 

from Bernie

Are you aware that T/C makes such a mount? It's their Duo-Ring Mount, and sells for about $50. I have one on my .44 magnum barrel, and it's working fine.

engel@San-Jose.ate.slb.com Mike Engelhardt

I'm thinking of getting a scope for my 14" .30-30 barrel. I've not (stuff deleted) Anyway, my questions are,

1. Is it true that most handgun scopes don't have enough eye relief to allow a shooter with a 32/33 shirt sleeve size to shoot without bringing the head forward or bending the elbow!?

2. Would I be happy with the optical quality of the TC scopes compared to, say, the Leupold ones? The price difference is not that great in handgun scopes.

3. Should I forget the scope and get a red-dot sight in the interest of bright sight picture? TC's No. 8650 is the same price or cheaper than other options. Has anyone used this sight? How do you like it?

From: Steve Ellis <se.e@ix.netcom.com>

I wear a 32/33 and have a Leupold 2.5x scope that works fine on my .357 barrel and frame. I am able to use it with fully extended arms with no trouble.

> 2. Would I be happy with the optical quality of the TC scopes > compared to, say, the Leupold ones? The price difference is > not that great in handgun scopes.

I would guess that depends on what you are going too be using the gun for.

From: glenn@arraytech.com Glenn Tefft

I have used the TC scopes and think that they are just as good as other scopes.(Burris) The 2x7 TC scope gave me trouble. I had trouble seeing through on 6x 7x settings. I find that a 2.5x or 3x 4x is the quickest to acquire your target. The rail mount has a couple of mounting positions and you can remount quickly to a another barrel! 

Mike,

> I notice that the eye relief of handgun scopes varies a great deal. > I think I need 24" in order to shoot with my arm fully extended. > Noticing that the TC labeled scopes are spec'ed with a longer eye > relief than those of Leupold and others, and in the interest of a > bright picture, I'm inclined to get the 2x fixed power scope. The > rail mount scope doesn't seem to have enough eye relief.

Get the scope manufacturer's catalog and use the spec pages to get a true comparison.

> Would I be happy with the optical quality of the TC scopes > compared to, say, the Leupold ones? The price difference is > not that great in handgun scopes.

I use two Leupolds (a 2x and a 4x) and two Bushnell 2.5x Phantom Magnums, which I suspect are identical to the T/C rail mounted Recoil Proof scopes, on my Contenders. I am not able to distinguish differences in optical quality as used in target shooting or in the field.

> Should I forget the scope and get a red-dot sight in the > interest of bright sight picture? TC's No. 8650 is the same > price or cheaper than other options. Has anyone used this > sight? How do you like it?

I use the Aimpoint dot sight (3000, I believe) on a couple of Smith .44's. Target acquisition using these dot sights is MUCH faster on a running target. Most running deer that I have seen are long gone before I can get them in the glass on the Leupolds and Bushnells. I have found no magnification need for deer size critters to at least 100 yards. For target shooting it does not matter.

God Bless!

Norm

Douglas Jernigan djernigan@VNET.IBM.COM

In general, the eye relief gets shorter as the power goes up.

I have a 1.5-4.5X Nikon with a 24mm objective(objective diameter is from my memory which isn't always accurate). I wear a 33/34 shirt sleeve size. I can keep a full field of view up to about 3.5 power, above that I have to bend my arms. The scope is on a 7x30 Waters and I can shoot it on 4.5 from a rest with my arms bent without hitting myself in the head (so far anyway). If you are going to shoot long distances from a rest the higher power is nice.

> 2. Would I be happy with the optical quality of the TC scopes > compared to, say, the Leupold ones? The price difference is > not that great in handgun scopes.

Sorry, I don't have a TC or Leupold. When I buy another scope it will be a Burris or Leupold. Their variable power scopes have a larger objective and I have trouble seeing my crosshairs as it gets towards dusk.

b&dlynch@macline.com

You've gotten a lot of good responses already, but I thought a little more wouldn't hurt. First, I'm 6'8". My one shirt which has the sleeve length marked on it (37") is a little short for me! When I hold a measuring tape in my shooting hand, it measures 31" from web to eye, 23" with a two hand hold. No, my knuckles don't quite drag, but now you have something to compare to.

I have a Leupold M8-2x which is OK with one hand. But, with my Burris 2-7x, (at 2x) the view is starting to get restricted. But then I don't shoot one handed that much, anyway. Still, the Burris is a lot quicker on target @ 2x than the Leupold is. With a 2-hand hold, its great to about 4x. The Burris catalog says at 2x this scopes optimum eye relief is out to 27".

My experiences with the red-dot sights agrees with Norms'. They are a lot faster on target than anything else I've tried. But don't get one for a brighter view than a regular scope, its not--and that's most noticeable around dawn & dusk, when you really want the extra brightness.

I had a 4x rail mount T/C scope on my old .22 barrel. I thought it was a very good scope. The eye relief wasn't that great, as I remember. But I used it either for target shooting or braced for squirrels

Hope this helps somewhat. Good luck. Happy shopping & shooting.

From: Laurence_D_Fath@rohmhaas.com Laurence D Fath

I've used a couple different manufacturers scopes and have had only a little eye relief trouble. I too have a long reach. The T/C rail mounted 2.5x scope I had on a 6.5TCU was a little short, but due to the light recoil there wasn't a problem. I found that the low power T/C scope was pretty bright. I have a Burris 3-9x on a .223 that I can keep out at the limits of my reach with no problems. The Simmons 1.5-4x that I had on a 358JDJ was a little shy on eye relief, but I lost so little on the edges that it never bothered me. I shot that one fully extended for fear of putting dents in my skull. I also have an Ultra Dot on a 10" 357Max. that has a 10 MOA dot that I like alot. Even with the large dot, I can shoot 3-4" groups at 100 yds. The large dot also makes picking up the dot in the woods a bit easier when the target is moving. I was able to track game as they ran fairly easily at 35-75 yards. When I was looking to replace the Tasco World Class 4X (looking for more power) on the .223 I looked at the Burris and Leupold of equal pricing and found the Burris a lot brighter and less critical for eye placement. YMMV.