Has a cheap scope ever cost you an animal?

[slowr1der]

I know that many of us have used cheap scopes in their life. This made me wonder, has a cheap scope ever cost you an animal? If so, why? Did it fog up, had it lost zero since the last time you shot it, did the crosshairs come apart while sitting in the stand? What happened, and what type of scope was it?

The main reason I got to thinking of this is I was at a friends tonight, and several of them have a ton of guns and use Simmons or Tasco's on 99% of them. They were telling me again today how much they loved their scopes, and one of them had bought another Simmons and was showing it to me. I realized that while I don't really care for cheap optics like that, that the two biggest deer I've ever killed in my life were both with a Tasco that was $30 from Walmart. I've never missed a deer because of a cheap scope failing. I've just learned to like better glass, better tracking, and even though I've never had a cheap scope fail, I worry about that when using them. I still do have a cheap scope on my muzzle loader and I've thought about changing it, but it's never really given me a reason to and for the couple of times a year I shoot it, it seems to work fine.

 

[R.W.Dale]

My last experience hunting with a cheap scope didn't cost me an animal (coyote) but it did cost me a lot of blood, cussing and a scar I'll wear till the end of my days.

Strange to me 30/06 package gun fitted with one of those marginally suitable for a rimfire red ring Simmons


Tapatalk post via IPhone.

 

[Fullboar1]

Yes a cheap scope and mounts has cost me an animal. It was a fox and the gun was a cheap Stirling M1500 22mag and the scope and mounts were Nikko Gold Crown 4x40. That gun use to live behind the seat of my truck (with all my 4x4 Bog recovery gear) so it really copped a beating. I am not sure a better scopes POI wouldn't move with the same abuse (I know it is easier to shift your POI with cheap scope and mounts then it is with dearer high quality scope and mounts).
IMO costing an animal isn't the problem with cheap scopes and mounts, it's all the ammo and time you waste not to mention the hastle of resighting your scope and worrying if it will keep it's POI when you are using it.

 

[LoonWulf]

i dont THINK ive ever lost an animal do to a cheap scope...and thats pretty much all i have, my top end is a pair of prostaffs, and a 6.5-20x50 simmons. Ive never looked thru the trully expensive glass, but between Leupold VX-2, 3, high end burris, and a couple low end swarovskis, My eyes cant realy see much of a differance in decent sunlight. I dont night hunt anymore, or even push twilight or dawn by much. The only cheap scope ive had fail was a Simmons Aetec, one of the early ones. Ill stick to my lower end scopes for now, maybe if i get a realy special rifle ill pony up for something nicer.

 

[TheCracker]

YES! I learned the hard way that you get what you pay for in optics.

I had a Tasco "world class" on my .270 and missed a big 200+lb hog at 35 yards. He was eating under a feeder and I had plenty of time for the shot. The shot felt perfect and I knew I had drilled him. No blood no squealing pig as they usually do when shot.

I was thinking "NO WAY I MISSED" and decided to test my gun on paper. My group was at least 18" @ 100 yards and a couple bullets didn't even hit the paper(thats why I say at least). So I estimate that the tasco had 1 too many shots to handle the recoil of my .270 and the reticle came lose.

I checked all the hardware for loose screws but there were none. I've been a loyal Nikon user ever since. I believe they are one of the best values in optics and have a lifetime warranty if I ever had a problem.

Luckily I found out in September and I dis not miss a trophy deer!

 

[DM~]

The reason you don't see any cheeeeeeep scopes on my serious hunting guns is, i've seen them shift POI numerous times. I've seen many of them fog in the harsh conditions i spent much of my hunting career hunting in. And it really bugs me to be sitting at last light and not beable to make out what's in the shadows... I do have some cheaper scopes on my 22's though.

Back when i was in retail, i saw a LOT of returns of cheep scopes that had problems.

DM

 

[Ian Sean]

I voted "no" but I busted the cheap scope (Simmons) while breaking in/sighting in the rifle, so I had it replaced with quality optics before my hunt. The Simmons came with the rifle, so it was no real loss on my end.

There is an old adage I try to adhere to, "Buy cheap...Buy twice".

 

[MMCSRET]

I voted "NO" because the only deer I ever lost due to a scope was a high end scope but it was not the scopes fault. It was a sling swivel breaking that allowed the muzzle to hit the ground. I cleaned everything, was hunting the next day and couldn't even hit the hill side. When I sighted it in again thats when I figured that the shock had jarred the elevation in the scope. That was in 1982 and the scope had cost a little less than 400$ the year before. I went back to Tasco after that and never had another problem.

 

[CraigC]

Don't remember losing a critter but I've had several cheap scopes give up the ghost. Never gain. Good glass is cheap insurance. Unfortunately, most are determined to learn this lesson the hard way.

 

[chas08]

I voted yes, and I don't know if your definition of cheap is the same as mine but, I had a Burris fullfield II ($200><) come apart inside and cost me a Doe Whitetail at 50 yds with a .270 win. Burris's Customer Service was top notch, with a quick turn around, a letter of apology, an explanation of what they repaired, and a complimentary neoprene scope cover. I moved that scope to a .243 and have had no trouble since. I topped the .270 with a leupold VX-II and have never looked back. I own and trust a total of three Burris scopes and wouldn't hesitate to own another, because they stand behind their product. As far as the $30-50$ "bubble wrapped" scopes from Wal-Mart, I have one on a .22lr and it so far has been fine, but I wouldn't top a serious "deer rifle" with one.

 

[slicksleeve]

I once had a deer coming toward me, I could hear it for about 30 minutes prior to last light. As old bucks will do, he didn't come out into the open until too dark too see. I had a 4x Bushnell Sportview. All I could see was a big black blob. I didn't shoot, for fear of a marginal hit. I think if I would have had my other rifle, with a Vari-X III, I could have still seen the animal well enough for a shot. So that wasn't a mechanical failure, just a side effect of sub-quality equipment.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I've seen cheapo scopes fog, shift zero, and break a cross hair. They are worse than useless and shouldn't ever be placed on a real life rifle.

I'll go a step further and name a few of the ones I've seen tank.

Tasco (total junk)

Bushnell (Hit or miss)

Anything made for the low cost market in Eastern Europe.

The new Redfield, don't mess with them eventually you'll be sorry. I've had one tank already.

Simons (worse than junk)

I'm sure I've missed many of the bad ones and I'm sure many will take offense but these are the ones I've personally seen tank on the range or in the field.

 

[gatorjames85]

No. I have only used cheap scopes on rimfires. I would rather have a $100 gun and a decent scope than a $100 scope and a decent gun.

 

[CoRoMo]

I would vote 'No.', but there are two answers that start with the word "NO" here. One 'No.' answer could mean that a cheap scope has proven to be rock solid in my personal experience. The other 'No.' vote actually means that I've never ventured to go cheap and so have never been burned by doing so.

Leupold, Burris, and Nikon are as deep as I'm willing to reach into the barrel. I've never owned anything closer to the bottom than that, and I've never had any issues whatsoever.

 

[taliv]

no, because i don't hunt (and if i did i would use a knife strapped to a stick like rambo, wearing only tighty whiteys jk) but cheap rings cost me a lot of points in a match once, and i've had a lot of scopes break, both cheap and expensive.

 

[BoilerUP]

Yes - could see a large buck at dusk with my eyes but couldn't see him through the Swift 4-12x40 scope. Not a bad optic, but not great in the light transmission department.

My primary deer hunting optic now is a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x50, with the "lowest" level being a Nikon ProStaff on my muzzleloader and Monarchs, Elite 4200s, Fullfield IIs and a Meopta on other rifles.

Ya don't need to spend Nightforce money for your average hunting rig..but when the big'un steps out, you don't want to question your optic's reliability or clarity.

 

[Whitman31]

Nope...Never owned a cheap scope...

 

[trigga]

lol, my cousin put my $24 powerline BB gun/.22lr scope on his sks. Missed a few deers. Finally killed a small buck with it after like 20 rounds. only reason was because he hit it in the leg and it sat along a tree. then took ten more shots and hit it once in the stomach which killed it. so the deer was only hit twice. does not hold zero for higher recoil. lol.

I use a NC Star red dot for squirrel hunting on my ar15 (.22lr of course) and have proven itself more than reliable. Holds zero very well, quick follow up shots. within 25 yards, if you can see it, you can hit it. since i've been using cci stingers, none have gotten away from me. batteries are at least two seasons old but still going strong. use what the optic was attend for and don't ask too much out of cheap products.

 

[benzy2]

I've missed some paper (or certain spots on paper) because of some cheap scopes. In the field I mostly hunt with a rimfire and have been using irons for the most part. All but a couple cheap scopes have left me truly disappointed and the others only mildly (though not so much when I account for the price).

 

[alemonkey]

I missed a decent 4x4 white tail buck last year because the cheap Tasco on a borrowed rifle crapped out on me. I couldn't figure how I missed him from 50 yards away while he was standing there staring at me, until I noticed the reticle was moving around inside the tube.

 

[BrocLuno]

No, but loose bases have

 

[gatorjames85]

I would trust my life to my Weaver. That thing has been nothing but reliable. It has great light transmission, clarity and holds zero without fail. I like it better than a vari x II and as much or better than a varix III.

 

[Smokey in PHX]

I have several cheap scopes on used rifles I purchased in the past and have not had a failure cause me to miss a shot.

In the fifties or early sixtiesI bought a used Weaver that fogged up when sighting it in. Scope was old with little blueing. Sent it to Weaver and it was reconditioned and returned along with a new scope at no charge.

 

[hardluk1]

I have used a pair of simmons atec scopes on my hunting rifles sents they were made. Still work good today. Have 2 hunting buddies that had a buriss and a luppy that lost parilux, one after an airline flight and one after falling over while takeing care of personal business.

 

[okiewita40]

I have never had a scope fail me at all. Only gun I have ever owned that had a scope on it was a 10/22. Everything else has had iron sights. And that has been in the last 30 some years I have been hunting and shooting.