Ncstar Cheap or affordable?

You can't be serious?

Shudder....

I heartily suggest you don't go in harm's way with that. Do you really want to trust your life to an el-cheapo sight? You also would be risking the lives of your squad. You're better off with issue irons unless you can cough up the $$ for ACOG/Aimpoint/EoTech.

I have had two because I was hard headed. They will not hold zero on an AR. Maybe on a 22 rimfire but not even sure about that. Save you money, "they are not what you are looking for, move along".

P.S. The NCstars were the 3x9 $150 scopes.

I had a ncstar pistol scope for a mosin, and the front objective kept unscrewing. If its any indication of the overall quality of the rest of their scopes, I definitely would not recommend it. There is no way they can be waterproof: both the front and rear objectives simply screw on the rest of the scope body with no o rings or any other seals. Also, after a while some of the paint/coating came off and rested on the inner lenses, and I accidentally "cleaned" off my reticule when I tried to remove the debris with compressed air (they have flimsy wire reticules). So, if you are planning on putting it on a cheap range gun, sure, but if your life depended on it, no way.

CHEAPis a grand understatement..................I've only bought one and it wound up at the bottom of a water filled ditch just so I wouldnt have to lay eyes on it. I bought the 3-9X40 compact for the AR, it was going to be moounted on my Stag 6.8, but it wouldnt focus and eye relief was an exercise in frustration, so I cut my losses and to the bottom of the ditch it went.

Friendly advice is dont waste your money, save it to get a good optic.

NCStar is garbage. If you want good optics that won't break the bank, look at Simmons and ADCO.

Get to know the supply guy and the XO, once you get in country, the money gets a little better, so they may be able to preorder, also, it helps if every one of your guys can pick a gnat off a bulls but... then point out that you need the extra range an optic gives, the 68 is nice, for closer in, not further out.

For those who dont know me i will be deploying in the next 14 days. YEY anyway my unit cannot provide my company with optics other then the m68 unless your a Lt or senior NCO. So I set aside a little under a grand to buy 6 optics for myself and 5 men of my squad. Would the Ncstar 3-9 be an acceptable short gap until my men could get something better. Anyone with practical experience with this sight? Or similar optics cheap enough for me to get?

Click to expand...

Absolutely, 100%, no. It would be stupid bordering on negligent to issue those scopes to your soldiers.

What kind of unit are you deploying with? What kind of weapons are you trying to put optics on? What's your MTOE show for weapons? You should at least have some 249's with ACOG's for AR duty. Hell, we had those in a trans unit.

For actual combat you probably want an ACOG. Your supply section can get them for you. Do you need the NSN?

I used mine for a few trips to the range and then it broke. I'd never want my life to depend on an NcStar product.

1. You don't need optics. An M68 will do you just fine. You're a medic who will probably not have to engage at distance. Don't worry.
2. You will likely not be authorized to carry the scope on your weapon.
3. Don't worry about it. A MEDIC WILL NOT BE SNIPING!

I shudder to think of anyone trusting their life to a NC Star.

I really don't even want to offer advice, here as I personally don't think I'd trust my life to any optic in this price range. If I was being deployed and had to buy my own scope, I'd really be trying to find a deal on a S&B.

That being said, I'm not in the military, but as far as hunting has gone for me the two best cheapest scopes I've had are the older Nikon Prostaff's in 3-9x40 and the Burris Fullfield II's. I'm not sure if Cabela's still has the Prostaff's for $100 or not, but that's the cheapest scope I'd trust at all, and I'd not trust my life to it, although I didn't ever have it lose zero and I wasn't easy on it. The glass wasn't all that great, and the turrets sucked, but it was always reliable for me and I did a poll online for them, and it was something like 40-50 people that said they never had a problem with them, with just a couple that voted they'd had a problem, but most of them admitted they'd caused the problem.

The Burris FFII has a lot better glass, and slightly better turrets, and it seems durable too, but they are closer to $160-200 for new ones.


If you have to have a tactical scope, Camera Land NY is offering the Bushnell Elite 3200 Tactical 10x for $150. I had one and it tracked well, and the glass was decent. Not great, but decent and they have a pretty good reputation. I never put this one through any abuse though so I can't comment on that, and Bushnell doesn't have a great customer service rep, so I'd normally not recommend them because of that either, and all the rest of the Bushnell products I've used, have been pieces of junk imo including the regular Elite non tactical series scopes, so I really hate to recommend them, but it does get good reviews and did track well for me.

The best option, but will be out of your price range would be the SWFA SS fixed power scopes in the power range of your choice. You can get the basic one for $300. These are more expensive, but get great reviews for being super durable, and many guys that are extremely hard on scopes have tested this with no issues. This is probably the cheapest I'd even halfway trust if I wanted a scope that was durable and tracked well, but it's a little over your price range.

IMO these are the absolute cheapest I'd consider, and I'd trust them for a hunt, but I'd not trust my life to any of them except possibly the SWFA SS and that's a big possibly, so take this advice at your own risk. I'd not even trust a hunt to a NC Star, BSA, Barska, other Bushnells etc.

For your tight budget and considering you get provided with an Aimpoint for free, have you considered just the magnifier? The aimpoint does all the real work for sighting. So a magnifier would not have to hold zero or have the best mount. It just needs to hold together and not fall apart. The glass doesn't have to be the best, but would offer better clarity. So you can get away with a cheaper optic i think.

I would get a magnifier and a flip to side mount. Primary arms sells 3x and 7x magnifiers and flip to side mounts as well. Not sure of the quality though. There are other brands that offer 3x and 4x magnifiers as well, cheaper than eotech or aimpoint.

Here's a little review of a more expensive aimpoint combo. But you get the idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjqZTCQYn2I

Cheap! You'd be better off with irons than a cheap optic. As most shooters would but unfortunately, it's a lesson many have to learn the hard way.

Hej Chad!

I was in charge of a S&S (service and supply) company computer system in Vietman (Two 48' refer trailers worth back the 60's), and we could get a lot of stuff for other companies troops, if they asked.

I don't know about today, but back then there were requirements as to who/how anything was ordered, and there was de facto what happens (not the same thing)

If you need issue optics, find out who your service and support company is, find out who the OIC and NCOIC in charge of ordering such optics is, and start trading favors...(no money!!!! you could get your self in trouble). If you work it correctly, you will get the optics you need as "replacements" for the optics you should have.

Ya, I know, you don't have any to replace, but that is irrelevent. The Army OWES!! you the proper equipment to do you job. Can be done, has been done many times in the past, will be done again in the future...ABSOLUTELY!!!remember...NO MONEY!!!!

Dude, you're an E4 and a medic. You and the other medics will not be sniping. You'll get gear in-country. Stop worrying about mall ninja crap and buy yourself an IOTV support (the one I got from London Bridge Trading Co is good), nice sunglasses, sunscreen and good boots. Burn a bit more ammo practicing if you need to.

I just came back from the backyard range where I put a brand new NcStar Mark III 6x Illuminated to the test on my WASR-10 7.62x39. I mounted the scope with an aluminum, quick detach side mount rail (to get a solid platform) and let the lead fly.

The Scope Survived! - granted... I did not empty half a dozen mags as quickly as possible, nor run it through a rain storm, or drag it through brush and bang it against rocks

I fired about 50 rounds TOTAL, never more than five or six in rapid succession. Changed distances and kept watching for changes in the point of impact. The scope worked fine.

So This was NO Battlefield test!

What I Learned.... The zero point held (50 Rds) no problem. There were no new wiggles, jiggles or funny noises. HOWEVER..there was slight yet notable blurriness in the reticle. When viewed slightly off-angle I could see a double verticle line on the top half. Something inside didn't like the recoil.

So...IMHO...For the money the NcStar is a fine product When Used Appropriately ( .22 or .17 HMR is what I'll try it on next, think it will do fine there)

Would I hand a military weapon with NcStar Optics, to My SON, and expect him to risk/defend his life and/or the lives of others with it.? NO..NO..NO..NO..HECK NO!!

Real Jobs Demand REAL TOOLS

I think triple G had the best idea so far with the magnifiers.

If you still want to look at scopes. I have been told by a few people, as well as looking at the reviews on-line, that for the money Vortex optics are damn hard to beat.

Here is a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 for two bills. Are they combat worthy? Hell if I know, but look at the reviews and decide for yourself.

Best of luck and stay safe.
Shawn