Weaver Classic Exteme ill ret scope review

got the scope in and did some testing
first impressions were VERY good

I have had a ton of scopes from Nikons, Burris, Elite 4200s, Leupold VX3s, Zeiss Conquests and on up to IOR, Swarovski and Kahles

My favorite scope for hunting and what is on my Sako 270 is a Kahles 3-10x50 with a German #4 reticle


that scope has spoiled me with it's extremely clear glass, etched reticle, high resolution and excellent contrast and the #4 reticle is easily seen in very low light and I could easily take shots well past legal hunting time.
I can read license plates at 300 yards down our street with just minimal street lights and can easily read street signs at 300 yards that I can't even see with my naked eye

There's a big field behind our house and always deer in the evenings out there, so, last night about 7:15, well past dark I scanned the area with my eyes and could see a silhoette of a deer about 125 yards out due to the lighting of a bldg about 250 yards away.

The field itself has no artificial lighting and there was no moon to speak of last night..
Once the deer moved to the right where there was no backlighting it disappered to my naked eye yet I could have easily done done a neck shot on it with the Weaver and the ill ret on it's lowest setting.
Excellent..
I grabbed my Sako to check it against the Kahles, I could clearly see the deer of course and I could have taken a heart/lung shot, though the exact crosshair intersection couldn't be clearly seen and a neck shot I wouldn't take... with the ill ret of the Weaver I could have easily popped the doe right behind the ear..

Switched back the AR with the Weaver and got back on the deer, about that same time it took off at a run and with the red dot of the ill ret I was able to follow it and could have shot it on the run. I practice dry firing and my dad drilled it in us to keep both eyes open, don't flinch and call the shot.. no problem, when the gun went "click" the red dot was right behind the shoulder

I checked the street sign at the end of our street, right at 300 yards, I easily could read the street letters. The sign was completely invisible to my naked eye.

I didn't do any hard resolution testing, like trying to read newspaper print at 100 yards, but from first impressions I would say this Weaver is very, very impressive and I am kind of shocked to admit I really couldn't see any glaring differences between it and the Kahles..


I did a little whacking on the scope with the ill ret turned on to make sure it stayed on after a bad experience recently with 2 Burris ill ret scopes that wouldn't stay lit after a shot or with any minor bumping of the scope and that are at Burris being repaired... the Weaver held fine.


now, they were selling these for 600 bucks or so and the closeout at 289 bucks makes this scope a STEAL in my mind

being a 56mm objective scope it's a BIG scope and wouldn't want to put it on a nice light and trim bolt action if I were going to be out walking much with the gun, but for my purposes, being on a quick detatch (ADM) mount and used for night hog hunting on my 6.8 out of a blind and having an Aimpoint on a quick detach mount for day / stalk hunting I am very happy with it. Of course, we will have to see about long term durability....