Rifle Scopes..

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Marintime Mike

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Question on the cost of rifle scopes....I am planning on getting a scope for a .308, which will be used for hunting in a heavily forested area....unlikely shooting over 200 yards....Also I am going to scope .22 plinking and small game rifle....For a reasonable quality scope I was thinking somewhere in the $200 to $300 range for the .308 and maybe $150 to $200 for the .22....Do these cost seem in the ballpark ?
 
I've bought tons of cheap scopes that did the job. Some held zero pretty well, and was accurate.

And yet, I will be the FIRST in line to say that quality optics are the best money spent. Now, understand-- I am not saying that nothing short of a Zeiss or Schmitt and Bender will work. I'm talking about balancing cost with quality lenses. For the money, its hard to beat the Nikon Monarch that I just put on my mother's deer rifle.

On OpticsTalk.com, the retailer SWFA put together this list:

http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8185


The scale below was formed by SWFA sales staff, customer service, pro-staff and owners using personal experience, customer input and facts supplied by the manufacturers. The ranking system is based on the following criteria (in order of importance and weight).



1. Optical Quality - How bright and clear the scope is.

2. Specifications - Field of view, eye relief, weight, adjustment travel, etc.

3. Durability - How do they with stand the test of time.

4. Special Features & Options - Proprietary items (reticles, design, turrets), Zoom ratio.

5. Warranty & Customer Service - How good are they.

6. Value - Bang for your buck.



In order to maintain the scale's simplicity we are not listing every single manufacture and only major manufactures will have several of their brands listed. This scale also does not have discontinued brands or products like the old U.S.A. made Redfields, Japan Tasco or Japan Simmons Aetec.



This scale will be kept current with changes that the manufacturers are making that affect their rank. Many of the lower end companies have been bought and sold a lot recently and while the names have stayed the same......the product has not.





2007 Riflescope Rating Scale


10 - Swarovski Z6, Zeiss Victory

9 - Kahles C - CL & CSX, Schmidt & Bender


8 - Kahles KX, U.S. Optics, Swarovski PH & American, X.O.T.I.C., Zeiss Classic


7 - Leupold VX-7, Nightforce, IOR Valdada

6 - Bushnell Elite 4200, Nikon Monarch, Zeiss Conquest


5 - Leupold Mark 4 VX III & VX-L


4 - Burris Black Diamond Signature Select XTR & Euro Diamond, Meopta, Pentax Lightseeker, Sighton, Super Sniper, Trijicon, Weaver Grand Slam


3 - Bushnell Elite 3200, Leupold VX-II


2 - Burris Fullfield II, Leupold Rifleman & VX-I, Millet, Mueller, Nikon Buckmaster, Simmons


1 - ATN, Barska, Leatherwood, Swift, Tasco


0 - BSA, Leapers, NcStar



This is a work in progress and continuously changing, please discuss your opinions, ask questions and make suggestions HERE. This post will be updated as the scale changes and the fact that it is in the F.A.Q. section allows it to be easily accessed at any time and also restricts any posts from being added to it.
Click to expand...



-- John
 
There is also the IOR brand of glass. Pricewise they're not on the
low end; their 3x25 CQB (MSRP) is just under a grand.

The glass is German (Schott Glasswerk), but assembly is
Romania (to keep costs down, so much as such is possible,
in these financially-troubled times).
 
There is also the IOR brand of glass. Pricewise they're not on the
low end; their 3x25 CQB (MSRP) is just under a grand.
Click to expand...


Dude... he's talking about a scope in the $300.00 price range. While we are talking about IOR Valdada, why don't we just toss Swarovski and Kahles into the mix? Maybe a USO or two...



For a reasonable quality scope I was thinking somewhere in the $200 to $300 range for the .308 and maybe $150 to $200 for the .22....Do these cost seem in the ballpark ?
Click to expand...

-- John
 
3200 Elite.

hey there;
I have been useing a 3200 Elite for 2 seasons now and must say for the money that is one nice scope. The Elites were Baush & Laumb scopes till Bushnell purchased the company. I cant prove it but assume that B&L still makes the scope. Anyway , The main reason I try'd this one was the rain guard on the glass. It works and it works good. I use this on my Encore .50 cal. and scoped up on a deer that was in very heavy brush. I had to watch for 20 plus minutes with the caps up in a hard rain and never lost clear veiw.
I do not care for Bushnell products and never will, but that scope works.
I took my 3x9 Luepold off and now use the 3200 Elite. Under $300.00:)
All of the Elites have that rain guard and that is why I changed over. Their 4200s are even nicer yet.
 
IOR are excellent

I have used the IOR and Schmidt and Bender. The IOR valdada scope is extremely well made and glass is as good as S&B if not better. And they are around half the price.
 
I have used the IOR and Schmidt and Bender. The IOR valdada scope is extremely well made and glass is as good as S&B if not better. And they are around half the price.
Click to expand...

Sure they are... but did you read the Original Posters criteria???

It seems lately we have a lot of people come to these threads and immediately answer with THEIR favorite _____ that fits THEIR needs and/or budget.

That isn't advice. I don't know what you'd call it. If a guy has $300 to spend, what good does it do to recommend a $1K scope? And for general use, many people CAN get by with a less expensive one. I don't know a single person around here with a scope over $750, and you'll likely not find as many skilled hunters. They make do with their $500 Leupolds.

Advice is looking at the criteria and needs the poster gave and helping that person find something that fit that criteria.


When I posted Post #4, it wasn't insinuating that IOR was a bad scope. It WAS saying that a $1,000-ish scope recommendation DOES NOT FIT what was being asked.


-- John
 
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Leupolds Rimfire scopes can be had in the $200 range, VXII's for about $300, Both are good glass with great customer service if needed. We've been using them many years.
 
A Nikon Buckmaster scope for both rifles. The best glass in that price range by far and many options...lifetime warranty as well!
 
This recommendation usually falls on deaf ears 'cause they are one of the best kept secrets in rifle optics, but the Mueller Eraticator is one helluva scope for the $230 it will cost you. Before you spend, do a little homework on Mueller and you'll find them highly recommended, by me and many others.
 
good glass for $200-300? yep, if you search...

Mike:

IMO, $200-$300 for a very good scope for the .308 for
hunting in dense foilage can be had with a bit of searching.

About 4-5 months ago, I happened upon the Nikon Monarch series, as a new
line was on the shelves and the discontinued line was selling at a steep discount.

I was fortunate - $279 for a Nikon Monarch 6.5 - 20 x 50 was a steal!
Very good glass with great lighting at dusk -
Definitely matches up to a Leopold selling for twice as much....
In fact, the retail/street price on the scope ran about $500+.

I mention this because there may be some still around.
Check out Natchezz and Midway USA....(optic Planet?)
You may have to settle for whatever reticle and color are left,
however, its a very good scope for the money!

Good luck
docgary
 
I am planning on getting a scope for a .308, which will be used for hunting in a heavily forested area....unlikely shooting over 200 yards....
Click to expand...
The 3-9x40 size has become the defacto hunting scope in the US. However, Given your max shot distance and it being thick woods you might want to look at the 1-4x20 or 2-7x33 Leupolds and their Burris & Nikon equivalents.
For a reasonable quality scope I was thinking somewhere in the $200 to $300 range for the .308
Click to expand...
$200 or just over gets you most 3-9x40 or smaller Leupold VX-I scopes. $300 or just over gets you the same size range in the Leupold VX-II. Competing scopes from Nikon, Burris, and Bushnell (Bushnell Elite Series) will all be around that price range. Best bet is to go to a dealer and look through several to see which glass in that price range looks best to you.
Also I am going to scope .22 plinking and small game rifle....
Click to expand...
and maybe $150 to $200 for the .22....
Click to expand...
A 4x32 Nikon Pro Staff Classic Rimfire scope should run just over $100. The manufacturers listed above in regards to the other scope offer competing rimfire optics within your budget.
Do these cost seem in the ballpark ?
Click to expand...
As you can see from most of the replies you've gotten thus far you don't need a fancy European name scope to have good glass. A major part of my job is selling scopes with hunting rifles. I frequently handle and look through most of the major brands' scopes. Yes, Zeiss, Kahles, Swarovski, and IOR make some excellent nice scopes. Yes, they are brighter and clearer than Leupold, Nikon, Burris, etc. Are they so much better that they justify the double or more price jump over these other very good scopes? Maybe. I'd probably buy the elite brands if I had the money, but I don't. For their price Leupold, Bushnell Elite, Nikon, and Burris are all excellent scopes. Pick one that you like for each rifle and it will serve you well for many years.
 
I recently purchased the Mueller, and its pretty nice, however, I must say that the 120 buck Wally world Bushnell is hard to beat. Its 6-18x50mm and is alot of scope for the money. Also, when the crosshair came loose, I took it back the the same Wal Mart, and the gal behind the counter merely scanned the box and handed me another.... So far the new one has held up. Here's a pict.
attachment.php


KKKKFL
 
I am a fan of my 3-9 Burris with the Ballistic Plex reticle. I agree with the poster above who suggested a 1-4x for your uses.

If you have good quality glass, the magnification becomes moderately less important. With a good 4x scope, I can hit prairie dogs at 400+ yards. (not all the time, but that is a different issue. I can at least SEE them!)

Hope you find something that works well for you.

IOR and Meopta have some scopes in that range.

As for the 22, I'd get good glass for that too. Using low end optics really hurts my eyes and takes the fun out of shooting. A red dot type collimator scope might be the better choice for the 22, IMO.
 
You might also look at Eabco for the new 97D riflescope they're selling which was designed by Mueller for them. Around 159.00.
I just got mine yesterday for my Savage 308 and was impressed so far by looks and features. Can't give you an in the field review though.
 
Used scopes are well priced
You can get an excellent scope much greater than your outlay, that's probably been shot 10 times and someone sold the rifle. I see $300 Nikon's go for about $100. (ar15.com, here, other places). It's reasonably cheap to ship, etc
You can go up a class or two for the same money or spend a lot less money on it.
 
Another vote for Nikon, either the buckmaster or if you want to spend just a little more the monarch, you can't go wrong with either one. If you check out www.natchezss.com they carry many brands of refurbished scopes that are under factory warranty and you can get some great deals.
 
I like the Elite 3200 and Burris FFII in your price range. Maybe the best deal going is the Weaver 4.75x40 Grand Slam at Natchezss.com. I bought one a few months ago for $129 and it's really excellent, I would rate light gathering, clarity and resolution a good step ahead of the others.
 
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