[antsi]

Do any of you have a favorite brand for "economy" or mid-priced rifle scopes? Or is this one of those areas where spending less gets you nothing but garbage?

[cslinger]

I have had great luck with Sightron scopes.

Chris

[Clipper]

I recently bought a BEC 3-12X44 w/lighted mil-dot reticle & paralax adjustment from Sportsman's guide for $70.00 delivered. My buddy says they make pretty good scopes.

[rbernie]

Been there, done that. It's been my sad experience that you'll not be happy in the long run with anything that costs less than $150 NIB. You can buy less, but it'll either not hold up to field use or not have repeatable zero settings or not have very sharp glass, and so forth. Oh, and I'll never buy another Simmons or BSA - period.

If you can't afford it new, save your pennies and buy it used.

[Lex]

I've read good stuff about Nikon scopes (never personally owned one though).

Some seem to be in the $150 range.


Save the $$$ and get a good quality scope...you won't regret that purchase.



Lex in NC

[browningguy]

I've got a Bushnell 1.5-4.5 on my SU16 and it's worked out really well. I bought it because of an older Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5 that came on a Ruger 77 RSI in 308 I bought quite a few years ago. I had always intended to replace that scope but year after year it just keeps working. They run around $70-100 for the different models in the Banner range, seems like a decent scope for that price.

Moving up in price, but staying under $200 I like the 3-9 FullField II from Burris with the ballistic plex recticle, I've got a couple of those on two '06's and a 270. Around the same price Bushnell 3200 and Nikon Buckmaster are also decent, I've got one of the 3200's and two Buckmasters.

[CoastieTech]

I bought a Bushnell 3-9x 40mm for my Savage .22 and it had worked out good. It's not anything to call home about but it does the job. I've never changed the zoom on it so I don't know if it will screw up my zero or not. I've heard people say that the zoom on cheap scopes often mess up your zero. Furthest I've shot with my .22 is 100 yards so I don't need anything more than 3x anyway.

[Cueball]

I've had good luck with the Bushnell Banner and Trophy series of scopes. I got 4-12X40 AO scopes and they were in the $100-175 range. I have some cheaper (sub $100) scopes and they are taking up space in the closet.

[USSR]

Do any of you have a favorite brand for "economy" or mid-priced rifle scopes? Or is this one of those areas where spending less gets you nothing but garbage?

antsi,

Words like "economy" and "mid-priced" mean different things to different people. That being said, I would recommend the previously mentioned Sightron SII scopes as being a good "economy" ($350-$400) scope. Unlike some things, you get what you pay for in optics.

Don

[Ash]

A Burris Fullfield II is an excellent scope and not too expensive.

Ash

[one eye joe]

Swift makes some nice scopes in the "lower mid" price range. They offer an over the counter exchange warranty. I have had good luck with them.

[possum]

super sniper scopes are very nice for the money, they are fixed power scopes, which i don't mind but others might. $299 to $399 on riflescopes.com check them out!

[rangerruck]

well, for target,paper, varmint i very muich like the Tasco varmint or the Barska clone. they are both 6.24.42 I have 2 of each, and i have them on everything from a 22lr to a parker hale 308 ultralite. the 308 has plenty of kick, but that zero has stayed over a year now, and i target shoot with it quite a bit.

[Rexrider]

I've read good stuff about Nikon scopes (never personally owned one though).

Some seem to be in the $150 range.


Save the $$$ and get a good quality scope...you won't regret that purchase.

I had a Nikon 1.5 pwr handgun scope on a S&W 629 (.44 mag). It took a pounding on a regular basis and never lost it's zero. I don't remember what I paid for it but I think it was around the $100 mark.

[ugaarguy]

What power range are you looking for? I loved the Burris Fullfield II I had that went away with a rifle trade. I've seen the 3-9x40 models for around $200 online. A friend of mine has been hunting with a Simmons scope on his 270 for...gosh it must be 9 or 10 years now.

[trickyasafox]

nikon prostaff 3-9 great scope for 150 bucks
bushnell has a 4-12 for about 180 i just got, i'll post back with how it performs.

[shootinstudent]

I look around for used leupolds if I need to go cheap.

I had a simmons scope for a while, got rid of it...I'm sure some carnival game operator has it on one of his guns now, frustrating player after player with it's magic "zero".

[rockstar.esq]

This is always a bit of a controversial topic. Thankfully most of the replies are suggesting cost effective scopes. The "you get what you pay for" mantra lost its significance for me given that the majority of shooters I know have found cheaper scopes to be very serviceable. The mechanisms on cheaper scopes are admittedly less precise and certainly less repeatable than their costlier brethren however if you set a zero at a predetermined range, most of the time there won't be a change due to recoil. A tie in to this topic is acceptable accuracy from a hunting rifle. To that end, pie plate precision is fine for average deer hunting and a cheap scope will almost certainly work better than factory iron sights. I have found the NC Star line of scopes from CDNN to be absolutely fine. And they cost under $100.00 new. Make sure your mounts are set up correctly as that often has more to do with things working improperly than anything else. My personal pet peeve is reticles that are set catawumpy thus leaving your rfle canted when the shot is fired. Very uncool.

[Don't Tread On Me]

You need to spend enough money to get into the following:

Leupold VXI
Burris FFII
Bushnell Elite 3200

All of these have lifetime no BS warranties. All have great glass. All of them are tough.

You can find some 3200's and FFII's for under $200 (like around $180 if you shop around). That is your best bet in cheap optics. Shop around. Check Natchezz, Midway, SWFA, SWFA's sample list, and of course - EBAY. Ebay is great at finding optics at nearly cost.


Below that, I'd say the only choice is Simmons. They have some decent scopes for a good price, but they are not in the same league as the ones listed above. For example, the WTC can be bought for $99. Has nice glass for the money and most people report it is robust. I have an ATV, which is essentially the WTC but a special run made for Walmart. It isn't made anymore. The optics on it are very, very good for a $79 scope. It's pretty close to the scopes listed above, but not quite. See if you can find a Nikon for cheap. They are very good too, but I believe the only low cost ones are the 4x rimfire prostaff models at Walmart ($99).

[Impala]

I have had luck with the mid-range Bushnell scopes stick to a standardized type of power and reticle when it comes to these, A Bushnell sportsman 3-9x40 with fine duplex reticle is a great scope to put on any low cost gun, I have one on a 10/22 that has served me great, for $45 you can't beat it.

[combatpreacher]

Two that I have not tried but have researched and heard only good things about:

Konus...etched reticle...lifetime gaurantee

Famous Maker...Lifetime Gaurantee

Both under 200 bucks and both have info sights on the web...check them out.

[waterhouse]

I like Sightrons, but I guess it depends on your definition of mid-line cost.

[michael_aos]

I've purchased a bunch of "cheap" scopes and a few good ones.

The cheap ones seem to hold a zero, once you get them zeroed. If that's all you want, you might be OK.

The cool thing about GOOD scopes, is that they actually move the amount they're supposed to. 1/4 MOA clicks actually move the point of impact 1/4 MOA. Each time. Every time. Makes the initial zero much easier.

And you can dial the range into the scope. For me, I can set a 100yd zero. Dial 1 MOA for 200yds. Dial 3 MOA for 300yds. Dial 7.5 MOA for 500yds.

And then dial right back to my 100yd zero.

It all "just works". That's worth the extra $$$ to me.

Mike

[USSR]

The "you get what you pay for" mantra lost its significance for me given that the majority of shooters I know have found cheaper scopes to be very serviceable. The mechanisms on cheaper scopes are admittedly less precise and certainly less repeatable than their costlier brethren however if you set a zero at a predetermined range, most of the time there won't be a change due to recoil.

I would be willing to bet that the "majority of shooters" have never performed the box test to determine if their scope tracks properly. In addition to optical quality, the maintenance and repeatability of adjustments is what sets a good scope apart from a cheap scope. Having a scope that maintains it's zero and tracks precisely "most of the time", is like having a rifle that fires most of the time. Completely unacceptable to the serious marksman.

Don

[rbernie]

The "you get what you pay for" mantra lost its significance for me given that the majority of shooters I know have found cheaper scopes to be very serviceable.Serviceable for how long? Two range outings a year? Three? For how many years? Thru how many zero changes as loads are switched and POI changes?

To me, it's more than just repeatability and clarity. It's about how badly the scope flares (or doesn't) as I'm taking a shot at game into the setting/riding sun. It's about how well the scope's body holds up and the erector holds zero when I drop my rifle as I slide down an embankment, or when it falls off the bench at the range, or gets slammed into the trunk of the car. It's about not worrying that the cement that holds the glass elements together has a viable lifespan of eight years or five hard knocks, whichever comes first. It's about knowing that the reticle will be reset and/or replaced under warranty for as long as the scope exists should anything untoward happen to it. It's about being able to take the scope from a warm cabin/truck into subfreezing weather or vice versa without worrying that the seals that hold the moisture out are mostly cheap butyl rubber and silicone grease. It's about not watching dust accumulate on the inside of the objective lense. It's about being able to sit behind the scope and stare through the glass for hours and hours without getting a headache from the eye strain. It's about being able to set the eye relief at 4x and know that it'll still work without having to shift my head at 12x.

I'm tired of buying things and throwing them away or giving them away after a few years because they are no longer servicable or because (as I expand my use of them) I find out all of the ways in which they simply suck. If I could take all the $$ that I spent on Simmons and BSAs and NCStars and have it back, I could probably outfit every one of my rifles with a VXII or SII or better.

Penny wise and pound foolish is as it does. I was not a believer. I am now.

[priv8ter]

I have a 2-7X Nikon Pro-staff on my wifes .270, and I think it is a great scope...I paid around 180ish I think.

One my .35 Whelen, I went up a little bit and bought a Bushnell 3200 Firefly, and yes, it's better than the Nikon...but I think it's just the larger objective lens. I can't really tell a 'crispness' difference.

So...I am happy with what I consider these moderate priced scopes.

That being said, I have never owned a gun with a Swarovski, so...It might be that I don't know what I'm missing.

greg

[bearmgc]

I've had good experiences with the Bushnell Trophey on 2 of my rifles. All the rest have Nikon, Leupold and Burris on them, my favorites.

[T.R.]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/rushmoreman/Ruger_96.jpg

This carbine wears a TASCO 2.5X shotgun scope. Paid $29.95 at Sportsman's guide 11 years ago. I've heard some unkind things about this scope company but it goes in one ear and out the other. This scope holds it zero year after year. Its a keeper!

I clobbered this dandy 3X3 buck at about 80 yards or so with one shot through the chest. A long stalk along the Grande River in Perkins County. Hunted with Hornady Custom 240 grain XTP ammo. The bullet made a ghastly exit wound and was never recovered.
TR

[30-06 lover]

I would say Nikon is my favorite. Nikon has been the scope that meets my needs the best, and it is realativly cheap. I am by no means a hardcore target shooter, just a guy who likes to shoot nice groups and animals, so Nikon works great for me. I have a prostaff that has good clearity and held zero really good on my 30-06, but now the scope rests on my new 6mm. I plan to put a Buckmasters on a .308 Rem SPS I am going to get. Take care.
-Mike

[GRIFFIN1]

If you want to try some of the cheaper scopes, then check out Walmart.com.

http://www.walmart.com/search/browse-ng.do?ics=20&ico=0&ref=125872.220600

They don't have the best prices, but you can return a scope to your local Walmart that you buy online. You will not get a refund on the shipping charge though, but that's only about $7.

[tangodown]

Dont think anyone mentioned them, but IOR Valdada makes some nice scopes in the middle price range. Especially if you shop around. Great quality glass. Anybody whos got one will atest to that.

[Lebben-B]

Swift makes some nice scopes in the "lower mid" price range. They offer an over the counter exchange warranty. I have had good luck with them

+1! A great scope for the money.

[lawson]

my Marlin 336 currently wears a Burris Fullfield II 3-9, which replaced an old Redfield Tracker 3-9 which was broken in an unfortunate incident. i'm very impressed with the Burris, i bought it new for under $200 and it came with free binoculars. i actually like it better than the Redfield, which i used for the past 6 years.

[MikeH]

http://www.muelleroptics.com/

If $300 or less still counts as less expensive, Mueller is one of the best deals comparable to brand name scopes twice the price.

[Terrierman]

As others have already said, I'm quite happy with my Elite 3200 Firefly, and my Sightron SII. I also have a $99.00 Nikon Rimfire Classic on a 77/22 and it seems to fill the bill pretty well. I've had Simmons and Tasco scopes that were on used rifles I bought break. Obviously won't be buying any of them...

[MCgunner]

I've got a Bushnell 1.5-4.5 on my SU16 and it's worked out really well.

I have a 1.5x4.5 20mm sportview that I LOVE. It's got decent optics and love the power range. It cost me all of 50 bucks some time back. Generally, I agree with the sentiment to stay away from anything under $150, but I've had good luck with the Bushnells. I have one I don't care for the optical quality on, but the windage and elevation are repeatable quarter minute click and they're sturdy enough for belted magnum recoil levels.

My favorite scopes for value are Weaver. For about $200, you get more scope than a VariX 2 Leupold ever dreamed of being. Mine's a 2x10x40 and very versatile, very mechanically strong, and excellent optics. I don't know of ANY scope that can top it for the price and some that can't for twice the price.

I bought a Chinese rifle scope at one of those equipment sales things, under 40 bucks. Figured I'd try it on an SKS since I moved that 1.5x4.5 to another rifle. I'm glad I bought it. It's got amazingly good optics. I can't swear by the mechanicals of it. It'll never be mounted on a heavy recoil gun and the SKS hasn't bothered it. It seems rugged, doesn't bump off with normal jolts. It has a lighted reticle which is kinda cool. It's a 3x9x44. I've been favorable impressed, but it's sort of a no name scope. If it breaks, I guess it hits the trash cause there ain't no place that's gonna fix it. LOL Just bought it cause I wanted to buy something and didn't see anything else at that sale I wanted, LOL. That SKS is not a serious hunting rifle. I wouldn't put such a scope on a serious hunting rifle unless or until it proved itself to me. I've been let down by a Simmons. I'm another one that will never waste a dime on Simmons again. They're junk. Won't get a BSA either except for maybe another non-serious rifle, but I wouldn't put a Simmons on a rubber band gun...:rolleyes:

My favorite rifle scope is no longer made, don't think. It's a Weatherby badged "Supreme", 3x9x44. Wow, is that thing bright and clear! It's as impressive as any Zeiss, honest! It's got the Euro style focus ring on it, kinda heavy, but I've got it on a heavy rifle in 7 mag. It's got the best optical quality of anything I have, even call it a "night scope" if the moon is more'n a quarter. A lighted reticle on THAT thing and you could night hunt with it. I paid $150 on a sell out. I shoulda gotten THREE of 'em at the time. Amazing scope for a hundred fifty bucks.

The absolute best quality scopes I've ever looked through are this old feller's guns in our gun club. Now, he won't own anything else, Schmitt and Bender. Great if you have the scratch I guess, but I don't know if I got that much money in every scoped rifle I own. :D Nice if you can afford it, though.

[Ol` Joe]

I have and like the Burris Fullfield 11s and B/L 32 & 4200s, now Bushnell. The only Tasco I`ve had had the reticual shoot loose in less then 100 rds on a 6.5 Swede. One Simmons on a 308 wouldn`t track in response to the amount of adjustment given and went also. I do though have a Simmons 22 Mag on a 77/22 that so far has been a good one.
The low priced scopes I`ve had the best luck with are Weavers. They seem to combine decent glass and the tracking has been quite good.

[MCgunner]

The only Tasco I`ve had had the reticual shoot loose in less then 100 rds on a 6.5 Swede.

I have a Tasco Pro Point 30mm handgun scope that did that on a .45 colt TC barrel. I put it on my .30-30 barrel after having it fixed. The .30-30 has a compensator, TC's "hunter 12 inch" barrel. It's very mild in recoil and so far the Tasco has been okay on it. It will bump off fairly easily, though, so you can't bump it around. I'll never buy another. I'd like to replace that one sometime with a Bushnell variable. The Tasco is a 2x fixed.

[phoglund]

+1 on Mueller. I'm not an optics expert nor do I play one on TV but I'm mighty pleased with my 3x9x40 Mueller Sport-Dot I paid $170 for. Mounted on a Savage .17HMR I have 14 confirmed kills on ground squirrels off my back deck out to 150 yards. Before fall I'll have another on a 30.06 I'm workin' on. Elk steak anyone? :)

[Terrierman]

Yes please on the elk steak. Tenderloin preferably.... Have to suffer through plain old venison burger tonight...

[rbernie]

We're eatin' slow-cooked pork shoulder tonite, courtesy of a Leupold 2.5x scout scope and a Sierra 150gr FN.

[BruceB]

I do a LOT of rifle shooting and load development of various types, but the vast majority of my recreational shooting (as opposed to hunting) involves cast bullets. Most cast loads are considerably less energetic than all-out hunting loads, thus placing less strain on sights, and I find that I've divided my optics into "fun" and "serious" categories.

There are at least twenty scope sights around my place. Tasco target scopes see plenty of use for working up cast-bullet loads, and the 36X fixed-magnification scopes, plus a couple of 6-24s of the same make, work very well for playing around with my self-cast bullets. So do some Bushnells, etc. My hunting rifles carry Leupolds when actually heading into the game fields.

One thing I've noticed in my routine, not really planned but sorta "just happened", is that I switch scopes around from rifle to rifle with what amounts to gay abandon.....until hunting time arrives, when the rifle in question will get its regular scope back, and be zeroed, tested etc etc.

It's a question of practicality. Load development in my .404 using a 1.5X scope with post reticle is not very easy. Putting a 3-9X on that rifle makes accuracy assessments much easier, just because I can see to shoot smaller groups. For hunting, the little K-1.5 is a superb and dependable device, well-proven on that rifle in the field.

Buy quality optics for jobs that really NEED quality, and you can save a lot of money buying very useable cheaper scopes for less-serious purposes.

[JNewell]

Bought the "bottom" level Nikon last fall to mount on a Savage ML. It's not a Leupy VX-III but it is quite bright and clear and actually took some whacks with no apparent problems. For the money, I'd say it was an excellent value.

[ArmedBear]

Burris Fullfield II

3-9x40 from Cabela's with a nice set of rubber-armored binocs with flip-down lenscaps for $220, with Ballistic Plex reticle.

Nice optics, solid scope.

[chrisTx]

i second the burris ff2. steel on steel, clear all the way across. it's an awesome scope.

[danurve]

I also have a Sportview on my 700. Ok so it's low end but friggin it has held it's own. I think Busnell has chopped this line but the banner is the same. I am trying to budget better glass mostly for better morning/evening light gathering, eye releif etc. But I guess I am one of those cheap guys who struggles with the idea of spending as much on glass as I did on the rifle.

[BozemanMT]

I've read good stuff about Nikon scopes (never personally owned one though).

Some seem to be in the $150 range.


Save the $$$ and get a good quality scope...you won't regret that purchase.

I've got a couple Nikon's on both .308's and .223 and they work fine.
I've also got a Leopuld and it's amazing, but it's also 4x the price.

I'd buy more Nikon's ($150 to 300)
I don't think I'd buy anything cheaper than that though.

[gazpacho]

Just bought a Leupold 2-7x33 from BassPro for $200. This is my first scope, and I"m downright pleased with it.

[gila_dog]

Take a look at the Leupold Rifleman series. They have a lifetime warranty and are made in the US. Cabela's sells a 2-7x33 for about $180. I bought one last year and put it on my old Rem 700 30-06. The elk I killed with it last winter looked sharp and clear at 250 yards thru the timber.