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Otherwise an 4x32 early West German Zeiss DIATAL, if you can find a good example for around $4-600

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Here seems to be some confusion about the Hensoldt, Wetzlar and Zeiss, West Germany, scope line. As the Hensoldt factory was owned by Zeiss West for many years anyhow, the company name you find on these scopes was changed from "Hensoldt" to "Zeiss" in the late 1960s, without any design changes. So you will see the same scopes marked either "Hensoldt" or "Zeiss". Their 1960s -70s 4x32 scopes are named either
DIASTA with 26 mm STAhl = steel tube or
DIATAL with an ALuminum tube, always with integral mounting rail.
Usually these came with internal elevation adjustment only, windage adjustment by opposing screws in the mount. Much rarer are the more expensive variations DIASTA-D and DIATAL-D with internal adjustments for both elevation and windage. All four models feature the same excellent optics. The photo shows, top to bottom, DIASTA-D, DIASTA, DIATAL, all three still marked "Hensoldt" and all 4x32.

IMHO these old Hensoldt/Zeiss scopes are still optically the best 4x scopes ever made. As they are much more compact than "modern" scopes with their huge ocular bells and 30mm tubes, they are perfect for mounting on slim, compact vintage hunting rifles. As they contain fewer lenses than any variable scope, even less than modern ones with centered reticles, their low light capabilities are astounding. Their 4x magnification is low enough to make short range shots at running game possible (once stopped a charging wounded boar at about ten feet). On the other hand 4x is high enough for nearly all practical long range shots at big game. As someone wrote years ago: "If you have to enlarge a game animal more than four times to hit the boiler room, you should think about the range being a bit long."
These old Diatal and Diasta scopes appear frequently on German ebay and egun. 4x Diatals usually go for Euro 50-70.-, Diatal-Ds for 80 - 130, Diastas 70 - 100, Diasta-D 80 - 120.

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4x36 imo, a classic.

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4x sounds perfect for a 7x57.

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Every person , rifle and situation are different

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Some of us post pics, some just talk about what they have.

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Perhaps some don't require the constant affirmation and adulation of our purchases and toys. The behavior typically comes off as being an attention whore.


However, for those interested, here's a couple pictures of my daughters M70 7x57mm

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