Weaver Classic V-Series Rifle Scope 1-3x 20mm

Regolith · May 6, 2010, 10:17 PM

Anyone have any experience with one of these?

I want to put a compact scope on my Mini-14 without paying a whole lot, and wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with them.

draggon · May 6, 2010, 10:21 PM

Got one on a 45-70 Ruger No.1. Good eye relief, satisfactory optics and not broken yet after about 100 max loads and lots of milder loads.

dwwhite · May 15, 2010, 09:37 PM

I had one on a .45-70 as well, though mine was a Marlin 1895. I also had several hundred rounds of STOUT loads through the gun and never had a single problem.

If I had a Ranch Rifle instead of a standard Mini, I'd have kept the scope when I sold the Marlin, but alas, no easy, solid mounts for the older Mini's.

The only thing, don't expect the light gathering capabilties of a 50mm scope with this thing. It's a great little scope, and if you've read the reviews on the Midway site, I think a lot of people agree, it's just not built for precision shooting at long ranges in low light.

That said, if you take a 20mm lens, divide by 3 power, you still have an exit pupil of 6-7 mm, this is about as big as the pupil of your eye is going to get, even in low light, so even discounting some light loss through the lens, you've still got just about as much light as your eye can handle, even at the highest power.

Regolith · May 15, 2010, 09:42 PM

Quote:

it's just not built for precision shooting at long ranges in low light.

Neither is the Mini.

Thanks for the reviews; they help confirm what I was seeing on Midway.

griz · May 16, 2010, 08:45 PM

I have one mounted on a Savage 12/223 combo gun. It's seen maybe a few dozen 3 inch mags (mostly turkey loads) and several hundred 223 rounds and the zero has never drifted. I'm happy with it and it strikes me as perfect for a Mini.

lmccrock · May 17, 2010, 06:12 AM

Never used one, but they are popular as a beginning scope for 3-gun competitions on 223 rifles.

Lee

bamaranger · May 22, 2010, 03:25 AM

I put a Leu 1-4, bought used from ebay, on my Mini-30. I don't know what Weavers policy is, or the price of a new weaver, but I figure the Leu was a bargain and lifetime speedy repair.

The mini's have a rep as scope eaters, that bolt and op rod running back and forth I guess. My mini-30 has destructed several bushnells and a Tasco.

bamaranger · May 22, 2010, 03:28 AM

I just looked at your OP and the add, and that's about what I paid for the used Leu. I rather have the USA Leu used, than the import weaver.

Leu will upgrade the reticule to your choosing for about $55 bucks down the road later if you want, also.

dksac2 · May 22, 2010, 09:52 AM

For the money, the Weaver scopes are pretty decent.
I have several older Weavers sitting in a box.
The other day I pulled them out and looked at them.
Not bad optics for old scopes.
Weaver has made thousands of scopes and many of us grew up with a weaver on our rifles.
Should hold up on your mini just fine.
Put a 45 auto type recoil buffer on the spring righ up against the receiver. It helps cut down on shock by the OP rod.
Some people also put buffers over the gas piston to lessen shock when the op rod makes contact with the gas block.
I don't care for them as they sometimes stop the rifle from going into battery.
Shaving them to about half width is popular, but I still won't use them.
I want my Mini to be 100% reliable (thats why I bought a mini. not an AR:barf

, so I don't use a front buffer. The rear buffer has never caused a problem.

Best Regards, John K

May 6, 2010, 10:17 PM	#1
Regolith Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 400	Weaver Classic V-Series Rifle Scope 1-3x 20mm Anyone have any experience with one of these? I want to put a compact scope on my Mini-14 without paying a whole lot, and wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with them. Last edited by Regolith; May 6, 2010 at 10:18 PM. Reason: title fix

May 22, 2010, 03:25 AM	#7
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,308	No weaver but....... I put a Leu 1-4, bought used from ebay, on my Mini-30. I don't know what Weavers policy is, or the price of a new weaver, but I figure the Leu was a bargain and lifetime speedy repair. The mini's have a rep as scope eaters, that bolt and op rod running back and forth I guess. My mini-30 has destructed several bushnells and a Tasco.

May 22, 2010, 03:28 AM	#8
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,308	same same I just looked at your OP and the add, and that's about what I paid for the used Leu. I rather have the USA Leu used, than the import weaver. Leu will upgrade the reticule to your choosing for about $55 bucks down the road later if you want, also.

May 22, 2010, 09:52 AM	#9
dksac2 Member Join Date: May 17, 2010 Posts: 62	For the money, the Weaver scopes are pretty decent. I have several older Weavers sitting in a box. The other day I pulled them out and looked at them. Not bad optics for old scopes. Weaver has made thousands of scopes and many of us grew up with a weaver on our rifles. Should hold up on your mini just fine. Put a 45 auto type recoil buffer on the spring righ up against the receiver. It helps cut down on shock by the OP rod. Some people also put buffers over the gas piston to lessen shock when the op rod makes contact with the gas block. I don't care for them as they sometimes stop the rifle from going into battery. Shaving them to about half width is popular, but I still won't use them. I want my Mini to be 100% reliable (thats why I bought a mini. not an AR:barf, so I don't use a front buffer. The rear buffer has never caused a problem. Best Regards, John K

May 6, 2010, 10:21 PM	#2
draggon Member Join Date: April 16, 2009 Posts: 96	Got one on a 45-70 Ruger No.1. Good eye relief, satisfactory optics and not broken yet after about 100 max loads and lots of milder loads.

May 15, 2010, 09:37 PM	#3
dwwhite Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2008 Location: Southwest Tx Posts: 187	I had one on a .45-70 as well, though mine was a Marlin 1895. I also had several hundred rounds of STOUT loads through the gun and never had a single problem. If I had a Ranch Rifle instead of a standard Mini, I'd have kept the scope when I sold the Marlin, but alas, no easy, solid mounts for the older Mini's. The only thing, don't expect the light gathering capabilties of a 50mm scope with this thing. It's a great little scope, and if you've read the reviews on the Midway site, I think a lot of people agree, it's just not built for precision shooting at long ranges in low light. That said, if you take a 20mm lens, divide by 3 power, you still have an exit pupil of 6-7 mm, this is about as big as the pupil of your eye is going to get, even in low light, so even discounting some light loss through the lens, you've still got just about as much light as your eye can handle, even at the highest power.

May 16, 2010, 08:45 PM	#5
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	I have one mounted on a Savage 12/223 combo gun. It's seen maybe a few dozen 3 inch mags (mostly turkey loads) and several hundred 223 rounds and the zero has never drifted. I'm happy with it and it strikes me as perfect for a Mini.

May 17, 2010, 06:12 AM	#6
lmccrock Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2007 Location: Red Rock. TX Posts: 820	Never used one, but they are popular as a beginning scope for 3-gun competitions on 223 rifles. Lee