Helping out a buddy by bore sighting and then zeroing in a couple rifles for him. The first, a 110 in .270 with a Bushnell 3-9X was a piece of cake. Scope took each correction and held them. Next, a Mossberg 308 with a 6-24X Barska. I have had a couple and found them fragile. This one let me walk the hits in for about ten shots and then went nuts. Shots went up to six inches high and left and no corrections would take. If I'm going to buy a cheap scope it will be a Bushnell.
Barska strikes again, out that is.
- Thread starter PapaG
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WestKentucky
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Gotta look at the parent company. Bushnell is owned by the same folks as Tasco and a few others. They are all essentially the same with very minor differences. Functionally GTG.
Barskas one of the cheap scope brands i tend to avoid, ive not had much luck with them. My experience is that if your going to buy a cheap scope, from any maker, stick with the most basic models they offer. ANY added complexity is another possibility of a failure.
imashooter
Member
Go Field Sport or go home.
VoodooMountain
Member
I have had very little luck with any of the cheap optics regardless of brand. Anything under $100 is a real crapshoot.
MachIVshooter
Member
They are overwhelmingly cheap crap, but do have some "better" models that are decent. I have this one on my AR-50, and it's been fine:
https://www.barska.com/6-24x60-ir-swat-rifle-scope-by-barska.html
https://www.barska.com/6-24x60-ir-swat-rifle-scope-by-barska.html
Mowgli Terry
Member
I was on a rant about entry level scopes being about nothing. One of my friends, a patient listener, waited until I took a breath. He explained that those scopes were not designed for us. They were made for a person who zeroed the rifle and left it that way. The rifle would see little use. Under those conditions the scope may last for years. That may be but round my house junk is on the junk pile. This good scope business is also interesting. Have you noticed how the Gold Ring scopes have fallen out of favor in some circles?
sparkyv
Member
I have had good experiences with low to mid range Bushnells and Simmons. But as Mowgli Terry pointed out, I pretty much zero-in at 200yds and leave it. I make elevation changes by learning how much to hold over. Works for me. YMMV
doubleh
Member
I learned to shoot back in the dark ages with iron sights on a 22. Get it set a little high at 25 yards and leave the sights alone. Learn how to hold over for windage and elevation which makes me think of John Wane in a movie I can'r remember the name of telling one of the women "windage and elevation". I killed a lot of prariedogs with a Ruger single six using that method over the years. Even with modern scopes I do that still except for a couple of rifles with scopes I can be a knob twister with.
. They don’t offer what many of us turret twisters want unless you spend $1000+, at that point they are just one of many good choices.
The number of guys just wanting a clear, rugged 3-9x32 that will last a lifetime but has no features is declining. They also have alot more competent competition in that market now too than 10 years ago. A lot of it has to do with the long range shooting craze. I only have one rifle left with a basic 3-9. The rest have turret scopes for reaching out there or tactical scopes for speed work up close. Nothing bad about Leupold, but their specialty optics are at the top end of the price range of substitutes.
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Mowgli Terry
Member
Have you tried to find a quality fixed power scope lately? .An example of extinction? Wonder how many people are really shooting much with these hundred dollar scopes with lights and knobs everywhere. The low end scope companies will take good care of their customers. To date that has been with Bushnell, BSA, and Simmons. These scopes were on second hand rifles. I have gotten good service with. some of these brands on rimfire rifles. I'm not going to push my luck!
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AABEN
Member
For cheep scopes go I like the BSA and Simmons I have then on about all of my long guns more BSA. I payed a little more and got Bushnell AR I think they are 2 by 18 they do not the ones that I have now. They have and up grade to them I have one long rang Bushnell on my varmint AR it is the cost the most of all the scopes that I have 300.00+
My 1953 Model 70 still wears its 4X Weaver of the same approximate vintage. I have Bushnells, Weavers, Nikons, and a couple of Tasco(World Class) models on others plus a Millett on my 220 Savage. Oh yeah, a Simmons on a Contender carbine. No Wal-Mart scopes other than the Nikon and it wasn't cheap. They have all held up well. I've had several low end T scopes and S scopes give up on 10-22s and springer pellet guns.
Until pretty recently I never recommended a cheap scope, or an expensive non-spring rated scope, for a spring air rifle . Especially the magnums we tend to have on this side of the pond.
Now theres a number that have good life expectancy on even the heaviest springer.
TTv2
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I've had good luck with Barska, I have two 4-16x Ridgelines that came mounted on two H&R/NEF barrels when I bought the gun. The optics perform great and I got them for practically nothing. For the $120+ they cost new, they're worth the money. I feel the more time that passes the better the cheap scopes are going to improve.
Simmons is great for rimfire and stuff like .38/.357. I'm thinking of putting a 6-18x on my .327 Henry. With how well the Barska's work for me tho, I may go and get one of them instead.
sparkyv
Member
I have a cheeep Chinese Scout Rifle scope that's not very good and is in need of replacing. Can anyone recommend a decent, low to mid range Scout Rifle (long eye relief) scope?
cdb1
Member
Take the odds of cheap scopes crapping out, out of the equation and I still won’t have one. Why? Because of the glass. I can look through a Barska, BSA, Millett, Simmons, Tasco, etc. and the glass is so inferior to a Burris Fullfield II, at least to my eyes that it isn’t worth it. YMMV.
Mowgli Terry
Member
Here's the most recent deal on low end scopes here on the hill. Sent back two Bushnell's. One was an entry level promo scope. That other was a Trophy. This scope was the better of the two. The promo scope belonged to a friend. The Trophy had come on a second hand rifle. I had learned the hard way that the inside and outside of a scope don't necessarily match. Bubba may have been at work. Yesterday, two new replacement scopes came in the brown truck. Same with a BSA several month back. The low end scope sellers take first class care of their customers. However, I'm not a big risk taker.
How can I figure when the point of diminishing returns buying a name brand scope. When are the extras simply not worth the extra money? Of the name brands where do I stop spending money. Is there a point where there's really nothing to gain for this user?
How can I figure when the point of diminishing returns buying a name brand scope. When are the extras simply not worth the extra money? Of the name brands where do I stop spending money. Is there a point where there's really nothing to gain for this user?
If your doing precision shooting at long range I’m not sure that there’s ever nothing left to gain. If you a basic shooter looking for a quality optic you’ll never go past 300 yards or twist a turret then around $5-600 there’s not much left to gain.
I believe $600 is the sweet spot for diminishing returns for most folks. You get more and more quality for “cheap” up to that point. Beyond that increases in quality are expensive and few people other than competition target shooter need to pay for it.
cdb1
Member
For hunting deer size game the low end is about $160.00 IMO.
I agree with SamT1.
I buy the best scopes I can afford which isn’t a whole lot. My scopes other than Rimfire cost between $300.00-$700.00. My two Rimfire scopes cost $120.00 and $220.00 respectively.
I agree with SamT1.
I buy the best scopes I can afford which isn’t a whole lot. My scopes other than Rimfire cost between $300.00-$700.00. My two Rimfire scopes cost $120.00 and $220.00 respectively.
TTv2
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I think when it comes to purpose and intentional use is where you have to come up with your own cut off point where the returns will continue to diminish. I have a Simmons on a Marlin .22 that is a 4 MOA gun with every scope I've tried, so because it's not worth putting a $200 scope on, the Simmons is the scope for it. My Charger tho, that is a sub MOA .22, so it gets a much better scope on it. I don't shoot competition, so the price for my .22 scopes isn't going above $150.
As previously stated, the NEF/H&R Handi rifle has Barska's and they work well on it; I doubt that I would get much improvement upgrading scopes, the NEF/H&R's were never precision rifles.
So it's very dependent on what gun you have and what you'll be using it for. If you have a $1000 bolt gun or a $2000 AR with the orgasmic trigger, then there's no sense putting a $100-200 scope on it. If it's a Savage Axis or Ruger American, you'll see little improvement putting on a scope that's more expensive than the gun.
I've got a lightweight AR build that I'm not sure what scope I want to put on it, but it has to be light and a scope for my .327 Henry that I'll be limiting to 200 yards max, so scopes are on my mind a lot right now.
As previously stated, the NEF/H&R Handi rifle has Barska's and they work well on it; I doubt that I would get much improvement upgrading scopes, the NEF/H&R's were never precision rifles.
So it's very dependent on what gun you have and what you'll be using it for. If you have a $1000 bolt gun or a $2000 AR with the orgasmic trigger, then there's no sense putting a $100-200 scope on it. If it's a Savage Axis or Ruger American, you'll see little improvement putting on a scope that's more expensive than the gun.
I've got a lightweight AR build that I'm not sure what scope I want to put on it, but it has to be light and a scope for my .327 Henry that I'll be limiting to 200 yards max, so scopes are on my mind a lot right now.
Mowgli Terry
Member
I have not bought a new scope lately. The new ones are factory replacements The low end of the more reliable makes do well. Yesterday, I was shooting my Ruger American .308 using an older Nikon Buckmaster 3x9. The scope was clear and worked well. Adjustments were accurate. Ditto, the Prostaff's. The Fullfield II scopes are also a good value. There's some good stuff our there if people are willing to spend a few more bucks. My go to for a top end scope is a Leupold. That is a few more bucks-by some distance. I wonder if the more expensive models of the low end scopes are a good value? That would be Simmons, Tasco, and the others.
cdb1
Member
To me they are not.
In general i very much agree...
IMO there are some note able exceptions, tho they are all older.
The original Simmons Aetecs were excellent scopes, as were the Whitetail Expeditions. Tascos Titans, custom shop, and theres one more model i cant remember off hand, were/are very good scopes.
Bushnells higher end models ARE excellent scopes, but generally Bushnell isnt considered one of the "cheap" cheap scopes, tho they do have them in their line.
Honestly the world of lower cost scopes is quite interesting, but there are way more pitfalls than windfall. For some applications there is NOTHING at the lower cost range that i would consider acceptable. For some applications nearly any scope will work.
What I like about them is finding the jewels in the rough. In that quest, Ive found a pile from most manufacturers that I wouldnt recommend, a few from each i would, and only a few brands that I avoid completely.
Barskas, and BSAs are on that list for me, most of the ones ive seen have been iffy to bad. Other folks have had great success with them, just as many have had poor success with some of the brands im pretty confident in.
Mowgli Terry
Member
Bushnell now being seen as a promo scope has not helped their reputation. We talked about this early on. These promo scopes were not for "knob twisters."
Add to you list of better scopes the Intensity. That scope has been known under three different names.
Add to you list of better scopes the Intensity. That scope has been known under three different names.
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