Scope for 308 bolt rifle

[HankC]

Would a BSA Contender AO scope, TASCO Target/Varmint AO scope or Bushnell Sportview AO scope robust enough to handle 308 bolt guns. Not hunting, just shooting at range, but I still don't want zero shift or scope break after 100 rounds! I know there are better scopes out there, but these are all I can afford. Really prefer AOs (3-12X40 or 42), but if none AO scopes were more robust, I would go with 3-9x40. I have these cheap ones on .223 ARs, they do fine. Thanks.

 

[jacobhh]

The Tasco and Bushnell may be OK, Some have said good about them
and I have no experience with them. The BSA, however, I believe to be
total junk, I'd be surprised if after 100 rounds it was pointing anywhere
near the target! I bought one a year ago and it convinced me to stay
away fromcheap scopes. I'm glad you have been able to use yours. If
you were standing here, I'd give you mine but advise you not to take it.

 

[35 Whelen]

I personally think that Burris scopes are among the most overlooked quality scopes made, and they're less expensive than Leupolds. They have a no hassle warranty. Also, if you're looking for a bargain, you might consider 3-9x as all the "rage" these days is towards scopes with high magnification, which for probably 99% of us, are totally unnecessary. I have for years shot tiny groups (some under 1/2") with my .22 centerfires and 3x9 scopes.
I routinely see 3x9x40 Burris on ebay sell for $150 and less.
Good luck!
35W

 

[lmccrock]

I have a Bushnell Sportview on a 10/22....because it would not hold zero on an AR (.223). It is great on the 10/22, zeroed at 75 yards, the duplex hairs give holdover for 100 and under for 50 yards. But .223 was not working.

Lee

 

[aka108]

Leupold has some nice scopes in the 200 to 220 dollar range which don't dent the piggy bank too much. Tasco World Class scopes have also give me good service.

 

[kenjs1]

the Burris scopes are very good but more than he can afford. Check out a Pentax Gameseeker. It is actually the same as a Burriss Fullfield II only sold even cheaper as a Pentax. 3x9x40 for about a hundred bucks if you look around. I could recommend that or shop for a good deal on a Weaver variable for not much more. The reason you will hear so many recommend saving money for something a little better is that most of us have gone the cheap route and learned it is cheaper to just pay once. In other words pay for quality the first time because sooner or later you will have to pay for quality. Don't have to be a Swarovski. Burris and Weaver will certainly do.

 

[ftierson]

You might also want to take a look at the Nikon Buckmasters series of scopes. They offer a lot of value for the money.

The 3-9x40mm model (without AO) should be available for under $200, and the 4.5-14x40mmSF model should be findable for right around (or only slightly more) $250. I've been using both of them on a couple of rifles and I've been very happy with them (especially the 4.5-14x40mmSF model, which is also available with a mil-dot reticle if desired).

Forrest

 

[R.W.Dale]

Would a BSA Contender AO scope, TASCO Target/Varmint AO scope or Bushnell Sportview AO scope robust enough to handle 308 bolt guns.

None of these scopes are worth the Allen wrench you use to mount them with.

 

[308sc]

simmons whitetail classic.....and the nikon buckmaster are good.....hec even the nikon prostaff is okay.

 

[jacobhh]

Unfortunately, much under $200 is shakey territory, I have a Nikon
Buckmaster on my 243 which I like a lot. I've heard that the Prostaff
is about the same scope? You could probably get away with one of
those.

A 30-06, 307 Win and 8mm carry Burris. The 3x9 40 on the 307 has
been taking a pounding for years (that gun leaves bruises) and
still holds zero. With Burris around I've never felt the need to go
Leupold, but you will hear different from some.

If you could content yourself with a 3x9 you might end up happier
with what you can afford.

 

[Master of Arms]

Try the Swifts. Lifetime over the counter warrantee. Good glass and construction and priced reasonably. Just don`t go "cheap" when purchasing your mount.

 

[.38 Special]

I had a Tasco Target/Varmint 8-32 variable, which is a big, cheap scope. It was mounted (with incredibly cheap, ugly Weaver rings) on a variety of rifles including a .300 Winchester Magnum. It always worked just fine.

As I wrote on another thread, my experience with bargain scopes has been that if they make it through the first hundred rounds or so, they will be good to go. my experience has also been that a substantial percentage (as high as 5%, perhaps) will not make it through those first 100 rounds, but that the major manufacturers are extremely good about warranty replacements.

 

[hpg]

BSA makes some pretty decent quality scopes. I own 3 of them...........hpg

 

[skinewmexico]

Plus one on the Pentax Gameseekers.

 

[DerHossMeister]

The only two scopes I would recommend on a budget would be a Millett TRS and/or a Super Sniper. Step up from that, and a whole bunch of possibilities open up.

 

[futureranger]

millett trs-1 is junk, i had one and it wouldnt hold a zero for morethan 5 shots, i sent it back to millett for repairs and they sent it back with the windage turret clean broken off! if i could do it all over again id still get the savage 10fp but save my money and get a nice scope a few months later (burris, Nikon,or leupold,) now i got to get a new scope but the 300 bucks i spent on the millett is all wasted

 

[R.W.Dale]

The rule of thumb with optics is if it's "made in CHINA" it isn't worth owning at any price. The Chinese can make good quality products at a low price but optics ain't one of them. I suspect that all the chinese scopes, Millet ,BSA ,NcStar, Tasco, Simmons and some even more generic brands all roll off out of the same sweatshop.

 

[.38 Special]

One thing I notice in particular with inexpensive scopes is that people are often willing to damn them based upon a sample of one. I often find that some fellow will be knocking a particular scope (or group of scopes... c'mon, krochus, lighten up!) that I have personally used and gotten good service from.

Decades ago I bought a blister-packed 4x Bushnell, I think it was, for something like $20 from Wal-Mart or Big 5 or somesuch. I promptly mounted it on a spring-air rifle, which is supposed to take apart scopes like nobody's business. It then moved onto my old man's deer rifle in .30-'06, then my first .300 WinMag, a friend's .270, and lord knows what else. It eventually ended up going onto a cheap Savage .308 that I gave to a friend, and after countless rounds, trips in the pick-up, and various forms of abuse, it's still working perfectly.

Bottom line: us scope snobs need to try to keep at least one foot in reality. You can get a perfectly serviceable scope for well under $200.

 

[mek42]

I put the cheap Simmons on my 308. I've got around 100 rounds through it. When I bought the scope in question it was all I had the cash for after getting the rifle. Someday I plan on upgrading.

The rifle is a Savage with a stainless heavy barrel, so the weight might reduce recoil to an acceptable level for the Simmons. Without any data, I have this suspicion that my rifle may be at or near the upper limit of what the scope can tolerate.

Good luck whatever you do!

 

[R.W.Dale]

I often find that some fellow will be knocking a particular scope (or group of scopes... c'mon, krochus, lighten up!) that I have personally used and gotten good service from.

I've owned every one of the scopes mentioned above. If they didn't quit they had such horrible optical errors to be almost useless. I wish I had back all the money I had wasted on cheap optics

Bottom line: us scope snobs need to try to keep at least one foot in reality. You can get a perfectly serviceable scope for well under $200.

sure you can. It's called a Sightron SI, Nikon ProStaff, Burris FFII heck even a Banner can be OK. But guess what these scope all have in common....You guessed it, they ain't from CHINA

 

[.38 Special]

Well, I've owned scopes by Tasco, Simmons, Bushnell, and several other low-end Chinese manufacturers, and while I had to return a few right off the bat, the ones that survived the first few weeks (the vast majority, IOW) all went on to lead long, productive lives. And no, none of them gave the same view as a typical Swarovski, but they all allowed clear views of the target with reticles superimposed over it -- which is what a scope is supposed to do.

So I guess my personal anecdote cancels out yours.

 

[R.W.Dale]

but they all allowed clear views of the target with reticles superimposed over it -- which is what a scope is supposed to do.

You didn't get the scopes I did. Ones where you had to pick which image of the reticle to use, or ones where the reticle would completely disappear into a blur if you made the mistake if focusing on the target.

 

[Floppy_D]

+1 on a Nikon ProStaff. I put mine on a JLD PTR-91, beat it through the woods a dozen times hunting deer, and still hit what I was aiming at... holds zero like a champ.

 

[HankC]

The rule of thumb with optics is if it's "made in CHINA" it isn't worth owning

Any comments on Korea and Malaysia made scopes? Have a Tasco made in Malaysia and Busnell made in Korea, these are the ones I was thinking of putting on my 308 Savage. I bought extra ones when they were on sale and they work well on my ARs, but I don't want to break them on my recently acquired 308 Savage 12BVSS!

 

[jimmyraythomason]

This thread is a good example of why I never ask anyone's opinion of what to buy. This is also why anecdotal evidence isn't accepted as proof in any field of study.