in2anity, I don't think that scope gets closer than 50 yards focus. The 3-9x33 efr target has an adjustable objective that goes down to 10 yards - but apparently the objective is smaller than 33 (someone measured it), which seems too small. It's weird, hawke vortex and bucket loads of other manufacturers all go down to 10 yards or even less; and leupold has one scope with a tiny objective - sheesh. Nikon has an awesome bang for buck scope but again it's really strange. In the states it will focus down to 10 yards. The model here is 50 yards - nikon.com.au says 10 yards, but all sellers and suppliers say 50yards (one shop showed me the min 50yd mark on the objective adjuster)? It's a 3-9x40 target efr ao (the model names vary; in US it is now the p3 I think, here it's all sorts of things including ps2?). The other strange thing with Leupold side focus is, apparently it's not really a focus, or you don't use it to focus, it's used to remove parallax and the routine sounds like too much trouble
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/side-focus-parallax-help-needed-leupold-4-5-14.82191/ . I did read this on leupold too but too much trouble to find where.
So I really wanted an adjustable front objective - one less lens (more light, less complex), really basic, and you do focus. Meopta has an awesome scope with great reviews (not many) and the glass has has been compared to zeiss victory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQUykptFD0c, but $1600. The dude reviewing in youtube has a 6-24 (he shoots bunnies at 700 yards
), but I was considering the 4-16x44 and was thinking the quality would be similar. But after saying all that, it sounds like you are both recommending a 40mm objective? I think the local rifle shop will put up with me changing the order, especially if they get to keep the difference
I think I'm going to ask them to change the rifle order too - I don't want the threaded barrel.
As an aside, my friend is on a club committee and he went to a meeting (gov, police, hunters, clubs etc) for the whole of Tassie discussing the recent changes that the liberals were proposing - no changes. So no silencers in the foreseeable future. And really, I'd probably get a 16" barreled rifle for a silencer.