NcSTAR Scopes

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ncstar; where do I begin , really! To call them big giant pieces of steaming crap, would be an insult to steam, and then of course to crap. I tried 3 diff optics , 3 complelety diff kinds, and they all failed. You know what the last was, and what it was on? It was a face up holo dot site, which should be foolproof, mounted on a long bbl 17 hmr. An hmr!!!! The recoil(Waaaggghhht????) from the hmr was making the light go out, and I would have to fiddle with the power button to get it to come back on,
Next worse is anything by BSA. " If it says, BSA, then run away!!!"
 
one interesting thing that i came across while doing some research about red dots is that TruGlo and Mueller offer a Lifetime warranty. I don't think any other companies offer this, but I might have missed some.
 
from what i've been reading around millett is in the same tier as bushnell
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The problem with Millets is that they tend to fail miserably (like break into 2 pieces) or grow fungus inside and then Millet customer service is non existent then people have to complain on optic boards until someone from Millet reads it and gets your scope sent in then it sits at Millet for months while they sort out their production issues. Millet scopes have potential but unfortunately the Chinese have proved once again that no matter how good the components they can eff it up.

Here is an average post about a shooter and their Millet problems:
http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12321
 
Hi all. I was wondering if anyone has has any experience with the NcSTAR brand of scopes? If you have, please tell me what you think of them for hunting. Thanks to all in advance.
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NcStar is an airsoft company. They always have been, and I don't know why websites have ever advertised their products for actual rifles. Even in the airsoft community, NcStar is regarded as an inferior optic.

If you want a cheap optic, go with Barska or BSA.
 
If it counts for anything, I have an NC Star 3-9x42 compact scope with mil-dot reticle that I purchased for one of my 22s. Its nice for a cheap scope, but unfortunately I can't use it because the eye relief is short on it. Very, very short.
 
I had a couple of the illuminated-reticle NCStar scopes, but I sold them. They'd never really given me any trouble, but I don't exactly miss them.

I've had better luck with Barska optics. I have a pair of Barska 10x42 Atlantic roof-prism binoculars that I keep in my truck, and they're okay. Not at all sorry that I bought them.
 
NC

This thread is interesting. I've not owned a NC Star. However, I have seen advertisements stating that they have several thousand being used in Iraq/Afghanistan by our troops. Can anyone confirm this? If they are total junk I'd think the military would leave them alone. Just curious.
 
Well I will buy just about anything once so I bought one. It was broke so I took it back. That one was broke too. So I brought it back (the nice man at the gun show was packing up by this time) and he gave me another and we checked it before I left and it worked.

I took it home and put it on a rifle that cost 15X what I paid for the scope. I did this because I wanted to test the scope, not the rifle. I found open sites to be more accurate so I took it off. Cheap junk from China is still cheap junk. These scopes are among the worst you can get. You better off with Tasco.
 
So I brought it back (the nice man at the gun show was packing up by this time) and he gave me another and we checked it before I left and it worked.
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That was nice of him, but he shouldn't be selling airsoft garbage as a rifle optic. Neither should any of these other places. Like I said earlier, these are regarded as crap in the airsoft world. They were never intended to be mounted on real guns.

Just so everyone is clear on this, NcStar makes a plastic, that's right plastic, Aimpoint replica. They are an airsoft company, and a crappy one at that. Never put a NcStar optic on a rifle. They aren't rifle optics. They are airsoft optics.
 
NCStar does not manufactor their own scopes. Parts from many scopes are manufactored in China. NCStar overall is certainly worse as a overall brand than many, but some of their scopes come down the same lines as other brands. I've been seeing their Mark III or IV (can't remember which) at gun shows lately, it is the same scope as the ebay "M3" scope, and several other brands sell the same scope, which are knockoffs of Leupoud Mk3 scopes. I've looked through them, at the same table, same vedor that had Nikon Monarches, Buckmasters, Bushnell Elite 3200s, etc. The glass is pretty good (across a huge room and outside), like other I do not believe they hold up. The M3 clones and others have gotten decent reviews on some sites and a lot of rimfire people are happy with them. I wouldn't buy one, but looking at them out of a box I can see why they sale good. Muellers are great budget scopes!
 
I bought two fixed 6 power scopes at $30 apiece. I gave one away, and mounted the other on my RWS Diana 48 in 22 cal. The big springer's are supposed to tear most scopes apart. After 500 rounds it's still holding zero.
My cousin put the other one on his kid's 30-06, and it still holding it's zero. The lad bagged a 6 point buck the first season he used it. There only two year's out of the box.
I bought them to see how well they hold up, and must say I doubted their claims that they compaired to a $300 scope. :rolleyes: I woud'nt put one on my deer rifle, but it's working fine on my pellet rifle.
Also I stayed away from their variable power, and lighted recticles.;)
 
but it's working fine on my pellet rifle
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Because that is what it was built for. It wasn't built for use on an actual rifle.

If NcStar's website says that they can be mounted on real guns, then NcStar is seriously misrepresenting its products. They are not at all built to handle recoil or maintain zero.
 
No They were being sold by The Shotgun News. The only model for sale was a fixed 6 power. They said nothing about air rifles in the ad.I would imagine the one's I bought in 6 power are about as good as a low end Tasco or Bushnell.

By the way a RWS 48 has alot of recoil, and is known for eating cheap scopes.

Would I put one on my deer rifle? No. But the fact is the two I bought are still holding up after two year's, and one's on a 30-06.


I woud'nt buy their high end stuff anyway, and tend to shy away from cheap variable's and lighted recticles.

Also this model is made of Alluminum and is supposed to be water, shock, and fog proof. So far rain and recoil have had no effect on them.
 
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I have two Ncstar marklll with laser scopes. Both on AR-15s. Mine have held zero with several hundred rounds but I am happy if I can shoot a close group (maybe hit a water buffalo) at 100 yrds. The laser works for cqc during day light up to 25yrds. at night 50yrds no problem. Purchased mine from opticsplanet and got a discount off their $164 price tag. CDNN has them 3-9x42 for $129! CDNN Catalog page 133 #tar136. I read all the reviews I could find of people who actually purchased the scopes before I bought one. Opticsplanet has a bunch of reviews and I bought another scope about a month after initial purchase. I appreciate value for my money and so far I feel that I didn't get ripped off.
 
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I had 2 NcStar's one 4x fixed power another 4 -9x both were short and I mount them on Saiga I had, for Saiga in 308 they worked well, I would say they are slightly better then Tasco
 
I've had a couple of NcStars scope that came on rifles I bought. Biggest problem is no eye relief. OK for a .22lr or maybe a AR. IMHO a Burris, Nikon or Mueller scopes in the 2-300 dollar area would be the minimum I would mount on a rifle I owned. One exception is the Muller APV for rimfires and small centerfires.
 
I picked up a $15.00 yard sale 2x20 BSA pistol scope, eye relief allowed me to mate it up with a $15.00 scout scope mount from Htown imports. (they even tossed in a set of rings for free) With a little work, put all on a $25.00 bubbarized MN. Could not be happier with the set up, using cast boolits it is a tack driver.

http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/early.html#
 
I put a NCSTAR red dot on a (non-spring) pellet gun. It works well for that. I bet it would work well on a.22 as well. I wouldn't stick it on anything more abusive.
 
I got two 3-9x42 with the laser and have worked for me but I prolly got the only two in the history of the world that are not fubar. Both mounted on AR's..Approx 300 rounds on both scopes. Put some lube on lens cap receptacle and loctite on screw that adjust quick disconnect. My shooting is 100/150yrds or less when they start messing up I gonna squeal! If I would have known about all the horror stories I would not have purchased them but at the time almost all the reviews I read at opticsplanet were positive. I have a dedicated Ar for night shooting with gen1 Atn 350 night scope; if in a open jeep running the jacks down I just use the other Ar with the Ncstar's laser which is zeroed in at 50yrds. During day light the laser and my eyes are only good for maybe 25yrds depending on color of object?
 
If you look hard you can find high quality russian 3-9x38 scopes for $50-$200 that are on par with $900 domestic scopes.
 
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