A cheap scope can work....sometimes

[e rex]

I got a nice little 6.5x55 Swede, everything was neat except the beat up Tasco Pronghorn scope that had been stuck on it. This scope has dents, scratches and the little discs under the adjustment caps that show the direction of adjustment both had come un-glued and were gone. I started shooting and thought my goodness this scope won't hold zero. Then I glass bedded the action and by golly the thing adjusted as it should and held zero just fine.
Talk about a surprise, I'd like a nice scope but can't afford it right now.

 

[jmorris]

I have had some of the cheap ones work fine returning a few here and there that didn't track or hold correctly. The last batch I went through I finally gave up 6 of 6 were bad.

My oldest Tasco (blued finish) even held up on my 50 BMG one weekend after it turned a more expensive optic into a kaleidoscope.

 

[jmr40]

In my experience they tend to work pretty well, at least for a while. Some hold up very well even long term. But you just never know when they might stop working. On a gun used at the range for punching paper why not. Maybe for a casual hunter just interested in harvesting meat, but if I'm driving 5000 miles round trip to Colorado and spending $600 for an elk tag a better scope will give piece of mind.

 

[Mike J]

I used a Tasco world class 3-9x44 on my deer rifle for years. A few years ago I replaced it with a Vortex Diamondback. The Tasco always held zero & worked fine but the difference in the glass is amazing.

 

[jmorris]

That would be pretty sound advice, if I were driving 5000 miles I would likely have at least one entire backup rifle, even if both had glass that cost more than the rifle on them.

 

[MCgunner]

I'm convinced one is best to rely on a scope in the 200 dollar and up range. Lots of GREAT scopes at or around 200 bucks, Weaver, Nikon come to mind.

As to CHEAP, me and Simmons and Tasco don't get along unless it's on a .22. I had a 7 mag's recoil tear up a Simmons Whitetail. I missed a doe, got back to camp and noticed every time I went from 3 to 9 power, somewhere about 7 the reticle would jump. I got a doe that trip since I had brought along my Bushnell scoped .257 Roberts (tried and true)

I took a perfectly good Bushnell off that 7 to put that Simmons on it believing the advertising hype thinking I was stepping up. Bushnell used to have sorta poor optics, but you couldn't break one in normal use, are rugged. The newer Bushell Trophys, got one on a .22 magnum I traded for, have a good bit improved optics and are rugged, but they're up around 100 bills.

I still have that Bushnell on my old .257 Roberts, have a very nice Weatherby Supreme on my 7 mag, and a Weaver 2x10x40KV I love on my .308. I don't have anything in the $1000 range, not capable of paying for such in cash and my credit card is 18 percent. Bushnell, Weaver, and the Weatherby haven't broke, still going after all the years.

I've shot with the absolute best optics available on the planet, better than Zeiss, better than anything Leupold ever made, better than any other scope ever made. The brand is called Schmidt and Bender, a German optic, and they run up around $4000 minimum now days. I knew an old man in the club that had S&Bs on several of his rifles, all high dollar stuff, Weatherby and Kleingunther rifles. He handloaded and was real proud of his stuff. He often let me bench his stuff when I'd meet him at the range. We had a club benchrest shoot for "deer rifles" one day and I beat him using my 1/2 MOA old Remington M722 .257 Roberts and 4x12 Bushnell. Miffed him off, packed up and left without saying a word. LOL His guns could shoot better, but he was getting along in years and wasn't as steady as he had been in years past. I will concede his had some NICE hardware, but ya know, that old .257 has done the job since I shot my first deer with it in 1963. It wore a Weaver 3x5x32KV back then, one of the old steel body scopes. I had to replace it the second time the seals failed in the 80s, have had that Bushnell on it ever since. I often think of upgrading that gun to a new Weaver, but haven't. I want a Weaver only because that's what it had on it originally, all-be-it not the same scope or company anymore. I took a deer with it in 2013, 50 years after I'd shot my first one.

 

[ku4hx]

Cheap scopes are like cheap shoes. They'll be fine for a while but sooner more likely than later they'll let you down.

A friend of mine just took his teenage daughter on her first Elk hunt; she bagged a nice bull. It would have been a shame to have blown the shot on that bad boy under any circumstances. But to come home empty handed because the scope failed at a critical moment would have been unthinkable.

Unless you can simply walk out into your back yard to bag your game, it's false economy to bet your [expensive] hunt on cheap equipment.

 

[RainDodger]

I completely agree. I cheaped-out once with a Simmons "Whitetail Classic" for the sale price of $109.

It shot fine until you tried to adjust it. You never knew quite where the reticle was going to end up... like Forrest Gump said about a box of chocolates - you never know quite what you're gonna get. Once I finaljy got it hitting the point of aim, I was afraid to move it anymore, so I never readjusted it until I sold it to my neighbor. With complete disclosure, by the way.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

It is a buyer beware. I got a Tasco from the 1980s that still fine but Dad has a Simmons that went south riding in the rack behind the Truck. Shop when you don't need one. I found an old stock Redfield in a rural GUN shop all for 80 bucks a few years ago.

 

[Nature Boy]

My definition of "cheap" keeps changing. Not having good luck with the Nikons and Vortexs in the $200-500 range. I'll keep the ones I have, but not buying any more.

 

[docsleepy]

$69 4-16X
centerpoints still going strong on 50bmg, 7mm08 and others. They don't "count turns" but otherwise have been fine

 

[OpticsPlanet]

In the lower priced scopes, I have had good luck with Weaver's V-3, the Redfield Revolution line, and I've not had a bad experience with any Vortex product, at any price point.

Of the three, Vortex has an outstanding warranty -

Our VIP warranty is about you, not us. It's about taking care of you after the sale.

VIP stands for a Very Important Promise to you, our customer. We will repair or replace your Vortex product in the event it becomes damaged or defective—at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition.

You see, it doesn't matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it. You can count on the VIP Warranty for all Vortex Optics riflescopes, prism scopes, red dots, rangefinders, binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, and monoculars.

Unlimited Lifetime Warranty
Fully transferable
No warranty card to fill out
No receipt needed to hang on to

If you ever have a problem, no matter the cause, we promise to take care of you.

There are more expensive optics with lesser warranties.

Mark H.

 

[Hookeye]

I've had two new Leupolds bad from the factory (4-12X AO VX2 and 3-9XAO VX2). They were fixed fast and no problems after.

Tasco...........old K mart gangly 4X, shot many a 12 ga slug gun with 'em.
Zero problems. $20 deal of the century.

But then I thought I needed a 42 mm front version, this in the early 90's.
Yeah, total POS, brand new the eyebell would slide off.

I hammered the concrete floor in my basement with it (worked so-so as a hammer) and never bought another.

Simmons? I had a super cool 2-7X target turret AO scope, used. It worked fine.
Have not found another since.

Buddy had a bronze 4X that worked great.

Have seen tons of other Simmons go back for fix/replace. Bushnell Banner was an OK risk back in the day, since they moved production I can't recommend them anymore.

Cheapest scope I run anymore is the Redfield Revolution. Had 5 of them, no probs.

 

[bluzman]

$69 4-16X
centerpoints still going strong on 50bmg, 7mm08 and others. They don't "count turns" but otherwise have been fine

I have two CenterPoints - a 2-7x32mm on my .223 CZ 527 Carbine and 3-9x32mm on my 581 Series Ruger Mini 14. Both scopes hold zero and continue to work without issues. Reminds me of the Timex watches the late John Cameron Swayze used to advertise in those old black and white TV commercials - they "take a lickin' and keep on tickin'".

 

[docsleepy]

Maybe Walmart has some data (customer complaint/return data?) that caused them to select these scopes for sale? Their turrets seem different from some others to me...

 

[godale]

center point scopes are highly thought of at rimfire central. i have one i bought used off flea bay for a savage mark 2 seems to be working pretty good.

 

[docsleepy]

My only real experience is with the 4–16 X. Centerpoint. I have I think three on rifles, no problem so far, and I have three spares --I thought they were such a great deal. I was just blown away when it worked fine on the 50 Cal. Shirley that is a pretty rigorous test!

 

[godale]

wow update after 300 rounds of 17 hmr my bsa sweet 3x12x40 has kicked the bucket. bought it new in 2012 for 159.00 too. not sure if i want to try to send it back.

 

[CaliCoastie]

i think the opening statement is accurate "a cheap scope can work.......sometimes"
ive had one gun with lapped rings, torqued to spec and havent found a scope for her yet, had one burris fail(havent sent it back yet), first scope came off(best way to describe it) a vortex diamond back HP, the vaulted CS was a complete waste of time. Eventually after sending it in and then having it returned (as they said everything was normal) I sent an email that got some attention from the company. they made it right but it was anything but a pleasent experince. however that was still heads and tails over a nikon experince i had with a scope(never buying a piece of glass from them again).

What you want to do with it plays a big part, putting food on the table? hard hunting? these days im leaning towards Leupold(havent failed me yet) havent written off vortex or burris but..... gun shy from this last 6 months, the gun i have been working on scoping i wasnt able to take on my brown bear hunt due to the burris scope( ruger m77 mk2 in 350 rem mag). after i get to try the vortex and the burris again ill assess the scopes again.