Scope for Buckmark Pistol

[razor19110]

I'd like to put a scope on my buckmark pistol to make long range plinking a little more fun. I haven't been able to find a lot of info on pistol scopes (lots of rifle ones, just no pistol).

Anyone have any experience/recommendations on this kind of optics?

[wildcard]

Here's a whole section dedicated to handgun scopes: http://www.swfa.com/c-192-handgun-scopes.aspx

I'd go for a Nikon if I'm balancing cost with function. But for cheap plinking fun.. I'd go for a Simmons. No experience with their handgun scopes.. But I have mounted their product on my 10/22 and it has served me very well plinking and hunting.

[maxicon]

With pistol scopes, weight is more important than with rifle scopes, IMO.

The ones I use have flexible eye relief, which is important, since everyone will hold their pistols at various distances due to arm length, and you often can't move a scope as far on a pistol as on a rifle. You don't want to have to struggle for a good sight picture with a scoped pistol, as the whole eye to scope alignment is more variable than with a rifle.

I've got 3 scopes that I use on pistols - a Leupold M8 2x (no longer made, but still available on ebay), a Burris 1.5-4x EER scope, and an Ultradot red dot. The Leupold is my favorite, and at 2x, I can still shoot with both eyes open without my brain getting baffled. The Burris is also good, though not as bright as the Leupold, but fixed-mag scopes are usually optically superior to variable scopes, all else being equal.

The Ultradot lives on my Ruger MK512, and it's great for shorter-range shooting. It's the one I use the most, partly because it's on a pistol that's cheap to shoot, and partly because it's light and small.

Update - I weighed my Leupold M8 and my Burris EER last night. The Leupold is 6.1 oz, and the Burris is 11.3 oz, both without rings. The Leupold is also much more compact and sleek. The Ultradot 30 is 6.6 oz with rings - don't have the weight without.

[ibanezfoo]

I put a Leupold red dot on mine. Not sure of the model, it just says Leupold Gilmore on it. I have the Buckmark 5.5 Field model. Just about drives tacks at 25 yards.

-Bryan

[maxicon]

I have a Leupold Gilmore 35 (bigger than the standard LG) on my Ruger PC9, and it's a great red dot too.

Not as slim as the Ultradots, but accurate and reliable, and quicker to pick up the target than the Ultradot. It weighs 6.8 oz with rings and flip caps, which is just 0.2 oz more than my Ultradot 30 with Leupold Rifleman rings.

[MrTuffPaws]

Have a BSA 30mm red dot that I use on mine when it is not on my SKS. Works great for things out to 25 yards. I don't really shoot pistol beyond that, so no biggy to me.

If you want magnification, you might want to consider some of the x2 and x4 red dots out there. They are small and light and give you all the benefits of the classic scope and they red dot in one.