LPVO 1-8x that's not made in SE Asia?

[Robert]

Yes, and that’s the problem with their glass. Chances are very good (in my personal experience) the VIP warranty will need to be used. On a big game hunt or a serious work/defensive rifle, one doesn’t want good service, we need a reliable optic.

Well so far, I've had to send my Leupold back for service and not my Vortex. Sooooo....

 

[Megawatt maker]

I've had to send three Vortex scopes back so far. Two were bad right out of the box, the 3rd was also, but I was stubborn and in denial that it was busted and it took me beating me head against the wall (lots of wasted ammo) before I admitted to myself it was bunk.
All three were quickly and painlessly replied by Vortex.

I'll give them that, nobody can beat them when it comes to service. Always answer the phone, always know what they are talking about, always helpful.
Just sucks I had to use it, but the reality is, if their QC was on par with Leicia, Zeiss, or S&B..nobody could afford them. They do actually make very decent scopes with very good glass for very good prices. Vortex admits themselves when I talked to them..their QC needs work, and they are trying. The Pandemic produced scopes are causing all kinds of grief...kinda understandable..kinda.

Once they fix the scope...ITS FIXED! All three work perfect, and have been reliable..albeit, I don't use them hard. I don't really use any of my gear hard. I have so many, they get rotated and none really get shot much.

For the record..I had to send Nikons back, Leupolds back (1 leupold actually, the other was a Redfield they made), Millet, Crimson Trace, Athlon (have two of those..both failed, 100% personal failure rate..but they made them right) and Bushnell (kinda special case..was actually a restore. Old scopechief, made when B&l owned Bushnell. Sentimental value, was my graddads)...so everyone gets a bad one sometimes.

 

[DetBrowning]

Silicosys4, it is never about the country. It is about the company, the specifications, and the testing. LOW (light optical works) in Japan makes scopes for at least 10 companies I can think of offhand. They are not at all the same quality. You can get good stuff from China and certainly the Philippines. It tends to comes down to the tolerances that the glass was ground to and the type of suspension system used.

This is one of those "good forums". The people here don't push agendas and try to helpful. They aren't dealers hiding behind monikers pushing products. Treat them with respect and you will be richly rewarded.

The direct to consumer scopes can offer great value but you have no way to see them in a store. So it comes down to word of mouth. Tract makes a well regarded mid/upper level scope. SWFA scopes are cheaper, but rugged and reliable. The SWFA 2.5-10 X 32 ultralight gets rave reviews (good luck finding them in stock).

So you can get something good in the $400 range. You can get something darn good in the $800 range. Now if you want something good in a 1-8 X whatever range you are getting into the $1,000+ and well over range.

Vortex will fix your scope no matter how many times it breaks. They have a great warranty. Many people have used it a lot Not a problem if you have to head home from the local range early. Deal breaker for me if the scope fails in the middle of an Alaska/Africa hunt.

https://swfa.com/swfa-2-5-10x32-ss-...eticle-1-tube-25-moa-clicks-50-yard-parallax/ In stock apparently

 

[Hookeye]

I had a Trijicon and it worked fine (Accupoint 3-9x).
Glass was not as good as hoped. Eye relief a little shorter than I like but on that rifle it was fine.
I like a forgiving eyebox.
My LPVO choice was Steiner. But it's just a 1-4x.
Like everything about it except for the illumination dial. It moves too easily.
If I get another LPVO, it'll be Japanese or Euro built.

Had a SWFA 12X. It worked fine but the glass was mediocre at best.

 

[rhino465]

I bought a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x SFP as a black friday deal, and it was a big fail right out of the box, faulty electronics.

Thats two chinese LPVO's i've bought, both over $300 apiece, both with tons of good reviews, and both have had bad illuminated reticles right out the box. The first one's illuminated reticle was offset from the etched reticle by about 4" at 100 yards, so it was super annoying to look through while illuminated, giving you two reticles to choose from, slightly offset from each other.
I could just use it as a non-illuminated scope, but the etched reticle is so lightly etched and fine that its unusable in anything but direct bright sunlight and light backgrounds.

The strike eagle's illuminated reticle started flickering on setting 11 the first time I turned it on, then cut out, then would only work on 11 intermittently as I cycled through the settings, then gradually got better until it mostly works on setting 11, with a light tap needed on the battery cover when it starts flickering or just doesn't turn on.
Range toy only. A shame because when it works I really like it, and I really like the BDC3 reticle.

So whats a comparable 1-8x LPVO with a good BDC reticle for a .308/556, that isn't made in China? Buy once cry once, I suppose. High price Chinese optics aren't any better than their cheapest NCstar garbage in my experience.

Point of order: China is East Asia, not Southeast Asia. East Asia is China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, etc. Southeast Asia is countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, etc.