Putting Objectives in Focus

At first glance, a larger objective (or forward lens of a scope) seems to make sense. After all, larger objectives gather more light, which in turn makes for a brighter view—especially in low-light conditions. Yet, many experienced shooters object to super-size objectives, claiming those extra millimeters are meaningless.

When all is said and done, 40mm seems to be as big as you want to go. At dusk or daybreak, any good scope will gather enough light to allow you to sight into dark, brushy areas and see much more detail than you can see with the naked eye. What's more, larger objectives have a some drawbacks (because the line of sight is higher, the scope must be mounted higher on the gun—this makes the gun top-heavy, more difficult to sight and tougher to handle).