Choosing a Riflescope There are many things to consider when choosing a riflescope. The First thing one must consider is the type of hunting that you primarily do. This includes the species hunted, the climate, and habitat you are hunting in. With the variety of riflescopes available today you want to make sure that the scope you choose is conducive to your particular style of hunting. Fixed vs. Variable power riflescopesThe first choice when choosing a hunting scope is whether or not you need a fixed power scope or a variable power scope. Variable power scopes are a popular choice because they are adaptive and can be versatile for short and long-range shots. With a variable power scope you can adjust the magnification to suit the needs of your particular shot. Fixed power scopes have one magnification setting. Maine Vue Optics offers fixed power scopes in the 2.5x20mm, the 4x32mm, and the 4x40mm. Our fixed power scopes are available in these relatively low magnifications to allow easy target acquisition on short range targets with the larger field of view available in a lower magnification. Variable powered riflescopesVariable powered riflescopes come in a variety of magnification choices. From the compact model 1.5-4.5x to the 6-24x riflescopes it all depends on the range you expect to be shooting. Maine Vue offers variable power scopes in the 1.5-4.5x26IR, the 2-7x32AO, the 3-9x32mm and 3-9x40mm, the 3-10x44 (fast focus) and 3-10x44IR, the 3-12x40mm and 3-12x50AO, and the largest the 6-24x50AO. Objective lensThe objective lens is the glass lens closest to the end of your gun barrel. The size of the lens varies in the Maine Vue Scope lines from 20mm to 50mm. The size of this lens affects the field of view of the scope as well as the light transmission of the scope. The larger the objective lens is the greater the field of view will be, and the more light your scope will transmit. This does not always mean that bigger is better. A low magnification on the scope requires less objective lens size for light transmission while still providing adequate field of view. Reticle TypesChoosing a reticle is a personal preference. When choosing your scope you should look at several different reticle styles and determine which one you feel most comfortable using. Maine Vue Optics offers five different reticle styles. These styles and scope model availability can be viewed on the Big Woods and Maine Guide Series' scope pages. Quality vs. PriceNow we'll attack the quality and price issues. Quality is very import. You want to choose a well-built riflescope that isn't going to fail when the shot of a lifetime presents itself. Maine Vue Optics is dedicated to providing an excellent quality riflescope, at an affordable price, but you don't have to take our word for it. Visit either one of the following links to view the online product reviews conducted on some of the Maine Vue Optics riflescopes, or if you have the March 2006 issue of the Northwoods Sporting Journal laying around you can read Peter Anderson's evaluation of three Maine Vue scope models. On-line Product Reviews
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