New Tasco Scopes.....yes or no?

[Topgun]

10 lb. rifle in .223 so no real recoil.

Any experiences with the Tasco line? Am hearing good things from some places. Always thought they were substandard but now hearing different.

 

[Jonathan]

Yes for the SS model, no for the others. Not because they wouldn't necessarily work, but because there are so many other brands that are known values that will perform.

 

[esldude]

I agree with Jonathan. Too many scopes of known good quality. Not all are terribly expensive either. Though if you go below $100 you aren't getting much in most cases.

www.theopticzone.com has Aetec 3.8-12x scopes for $125 currently. There are better scopes, but this one is pretty good and would be a pretty good choice for .223 having AO and decent magnification.

 

[rbernie]

I think that Jonathan said it best. By the way, I have a Simmons AETEC 2.5x10-42 and while it's a decent set of glass it doesn't have the most repeatable adjustments in the world. I'll use it on a range gun, but I just don't trust it in the field -yet.

Out of all of my sub-$200 glass, my personal opinion is that the best of the lot is the Burris Fullfield II 3X9-40. Midway and others will sell you this for less than $170, and it's actually a well-engineered scope that's backed by a reasonable warranty/company. It may not be a Leupold, but it's not markedly inferior IMO.

 

[Lonestar.45]

I can tell you my experience. I've got a 3x12x40 Tasco Mag IV I put on my .270 BDL in 1989 (first deer rifle; didn't have enough for a Leopold). I've put close to 200 rounds through it, and shot maybe 25 deer, a few hogs, a few turkey, and lots of paper. The scope has never failed me. It's been banged around some and in the rain some. I have had to tweak the sight settings only once in 15 years, and that is because I changed from Remington Core Lokts to Hornady Light Magnums and they shot to a different point of aim.

I don't know how a 1989 Tasco compares to a present day Tasco, but...every time I look at the Leopolds that I always told myself I would put on this rifle, I always think, why? If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I'd rather spend that $ on other guns, ammo, etc.etc.

 

[Murphster]

I had a couple of the old Tasco World Class scopes (as did some of my friends). They were excellent target scopes. I then bought a Tasco World Class spotting scope. It is absolutely the worst firearms-related purchase I ever made. I would have gotten more good out of my money if I'd burned the bills and roasted wienies over them. Bad optics. If you squint and squint, you can make out bullet holes in targets at 100 yards - maybe. My competitor friends then told me (and I firmly believe) that with optics, you get what you pay for. There is a difference, however, in spotting targets for a competitor or staying on-scope for hours as a police or military sniper. You (and your wallet) can get by with less optical clarity if you're just going to look at a deer or a target for a couple of minutes. I still buy less expensive scopes (Simmons, Millett) but having been ripped off so badly in the purchase of the Tasco spotting scope, I personally wouldn't buy another Tasco. Too many good alternatives.

 

[JohnBT]

I wish Tasco would make scopes as good as those old World Class scopes. In 1990 my father put one on a Browning BAR .280 and one on a Winchester Featherweight .243 and they turned out to be very good scopes for the money.

John

 

[Ed]

I make fun of Tasco a lot, but FWIW, I bought a used 30'06 in 1991. It had a cheap $30 Tasco scope on it. I hunted with it all through the 90's. Moved to Oklahoma, Colorado, Tennessee, and Arkansas and still hunted with it. Took it out last week to check the sight. 3 shots within an inch at 50 meters and one inch over the bullseye. Last time I checked the scope on paper was in 1996. So I guess for a cheap scope they work well.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I think Jonathan summed it up well. That about mirrors my Tasco experiences.