Cheapish hunting scope?

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Mauser lover said:
I think I'm going to get that refurbished ProStaff and that Bushnell Trophy... And... I'll keep the one I like better and probably give the other one away! Or put it someplace in the archives...
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Be sure to let us know how it turns out!

I almost got the Bushnell Trophy for my new .308, but ended up getting this instead. The side parallax, "target" turrets, and illuminated reticle were just too good to pass up for the price and with the Weaver name/warranty behind it. It's going to be used a couple times a year at most for hog hunting, so really didn't need a higher end scope but the illuminated reticle will be nice for dawn/dusk.

https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-ka...reticle-37-7-10-4-fov-3-74-3-15-er-matte.html
 
Mauser lover said:
Called on the Nikon take off... it is the one that comes on the Savage Trophy Hunter... and I can't find which one it is. So... I'm just going to pass on that one.

I think I'm going to get that refurbished ProStaff and that Bushnell Trophy... And... I'll keep the one I like better and probably give the other one away! Or put it someplace in the archives...

On second thought... all the information I could find said that the refurbished scopes carry only 90-day warranties.
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It does have a BDC reticle which I don’t care for either but the Minox ZV 3 blows the two scopes above out of the water, not even close IMO. I also believe the Burris Fullfield II is quite a bit better.
 
Okay, I took a second look at that Minox, saw it was made in Germany and USA, saw that the BDC reticle was really not that busy... looked at it again... saw the 30 year warranty, and promptly purchased it.

I'll probably pick up a Bushnell Trophy at Academy on my next trip into town, or at least look at it, but I'm thinking that I'll be happy enough with the Minox that I'll end up giving away the Bushnell.
 
Hey ML...I had a Nikon Prostaff and they can be had for about $120. I got rid of it because I disliked the cheap crap windage/elevation adjustment markings were almost like paper and meaningless. Be careful about hanging on to price as the primary determining factor in your buying decisions. Having done too much of that myself, I am painfully aware of the pitfalls. Put most of your energy and research toward learning what suits your unique needs. Everyone is different.
 
Yeah, I've contemplated some fixed power scopes. While I like simple, I think a 3-9x variable is just about right for me on this rifle. So that's what I got.

I got the Bushnell Trophy already, looks nicely clear, nice simple reticle. Haven't shot it yet, so don't know how it will hold up, but for $60 I don't think it'll break the bank if it is a lemon. And I don't expect it to be a lemon. It looks really nice. No (noticeable) distortion around the edges at any magnification. Well... none yet. We'll see if staring through it at distant targets for long periods of time makes my eyes go bloodshot or anything like that.

Haven't gotten the Minox in the mail yet.
 
For cheap scopes I like Redfield and Weaver. They seem to be of good quality and more importantly, durable. I avoid brands like Bushnell and Simmons because they have failed me at critical times. The internal parts are crap. If you can't afford Leupold, I would stick with name brands with a lifetime warrantee. Natchez sometimes has great prices on closeouts and refurbished scope, especially Nikon if you like them.
I think the Redfield is a good buy. Some scopes by Weaver and others are made in other countries but seem to be of higher quality and better quality control than Chinese scopes made to spec for really cheap brands.
 
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d2wing said:
I avoid brands like Bushnell and Simmons because they have failed me at critical times. The internal parts are crap.
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I agree about Simmons but totally disagree about Bushnell. There are a bunch of people including myself who have Elite 4200’s and believe they are excellent. Some of their newer scopes are great too but Bushnell also puts out some low end stuff I wouldn’t touch. Some of our august members seem to like the low end Bushnell scopes though.

Postscript: since this thread is about cheapish scopes forget everything I said above.
 
In the real world where most guys chop open Walmart blister pack scopes and mount them caddywompus I’d bet my life savings Bushnell Banner scopes still harvest more deer every year than any other brand.

I don’t buy them anymore because I can afford and appreciate better, but I know I still own 5 Tasco and 2 Simmons scopes that all work fine. Still no shame in choosing what you can afford so long as you educate yourself on what to expect.
 
cdb1 said:
Postscript: since this thread is about cheapish scopes forget everything I said above.
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I would hesitate to recommend Bushnell Banner 3-9x40mm when Trophy 3-9x40mm could be bought for $59.99. And as many posted, I believe Trophy line is a significant jump in quality.

Having said that, I am very happy with Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 6-18x50mm AO around $100, which for my eyes provides better low light view than Trophy 3-9x40mm or Leupold American Marksman 3-9x40mm.

As you recommended, I bought Minox ZV3 3-9x40mm for $110 (bought 3) and look forward to doing side-by-side comparison with Trophy and Marksman.
 
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For cheap scopes I like Redfield and Weaver. They seem to be of good quality and more importantly, durable. I avoid brands like Bushnell and Simmons because they have failed me at critical times.
Click to expand...

Bushnell Outdoors is the parent company of Simmons, Tasco, etc. along with Uncle Mike's and Butler Creek, Millett and Hoppes. Previously, it was owned by ATK which also owned Weaver and RCBS. I'm not sure of the present relationships since Bushnell was spun off into Vista Outdoors, but Weaver scopes and RCBS are both sold right alongside the Bushnell and Simmons scopes out of the Bushnell Outlet in Kansas City.

Except for the Leupold/Redfield combination, most of the others are made somewhere across the Pacific Ocean...Japan, Philippines, China, Korea...and some of the Redfields are made overseas as well.

see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushnell_Corporation
 
Vista Outdoor (formally ATK) optics brands - https://vistaoutdoor.com/brands/
  • Redfield
  • Bushnell
  • Weaver
  • Millett
  • Night Optics
  • Simmons
  • Tasco
Along with these ammunition brands:
  • Federal
  • CCI
  • Speer
  • Blazer
  • American Eagle
  • Independence
  • Estate Cartridges
And these other companies:
  • Alliant powders
  • RCBS
  • Hoppes
  • ButlerCreek
  • Uncle Mike's
  • Bell
  • Savage
  • Stevens
  • BlackHawk!
  • CamelBak
  • Camp Chef
  • Etc., etc.
 
40+ years ago when I was young and spent most of my money raising children. I had little to spend on hunting equipment. I had a decent 30-06 that needed optics. I bought a Monkey Ward 4X "Western Field" for less than $25. It had Japanese glass and was uncommonly clear. I used that thing for many years without one problem. A lady friend of our family's husband died about a year ago. He was a man's man, a hunter and fisher and a good one. He drowned while fishing from a boat in winter weather. She was left with 2 small boys one of which is autistic... she has a hard life ahead of her. Someone at one of the many fund raisers given for her gave her an AR15. One day she was over showing me that rifle. She said "I'd like to put a scope on it" I said good bye to my Monkey Ward scope and handed it to her. She's quite an outdoor woman herself. She likes the scope.

BTW I seldom read scope suggestion threads
 
The cheapest scope I own, which I really wanted to hate, is a CenterPoint 4-16x40. Think I paid like $70 for it at Walmart. I've had it on numerous rifles over the past 7 years. .223, .270, .308, 30-06. It holds zero perfect and has never failed me. Eye relief is pretty trash, that's the only fault I can find.

Bought while waiting for an ACOG to arrive. I had no intentions on keeping this thing, but I just can't seem to let myself get rid of it since it's worked so well.

Otherwise, in that $150 range I'd go with a Nikon Buckmaster II.
 
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