.38 Special
Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2006
- Messages
- 7,362
I have no experience with BSA or NCstar. I have used budget scopes from Millett, Simmons, Tasco, Burris and Bushnell, however, and my experience has been mostly positive. In one sense, budget scopes are less reliable than high dollar ones, but in another, it barely matters, because if a scope is likely to fail, it will almost certainly do it right away and can then be replaced under warranty. Once the scope has handled the first hundred rounds or so, it will usually be good for decades. (This assumes calibers smaller than .338 or maybe the hottest .300 magnums. On those guns I wouldn't bother with anything but top quality scopes.)
It is also true, in my experience, that the click adjustments on budget scopes are generally neither as true nor as repeatable as those on high dollar ones. This matters greatly to target and long range shooters who constantly adjust their scopes and NEED to know they are not being lied to. For most purposes, though, we zero the scope at a particular range and then leave it. Repeatability, then, becomes completely irrelevant, and accuracy (1/4 minute meaning 1/4 minute and not 2/9 minute, etc.) almost equally so.
Finally, it is often -- but not always -- true that a higher priced scope will give a brighter and sharper image. This is nice -- especially when bragging -- but not terribly important, IMO. I spent a bunch of money on my binoculars because I wanted the best possible image, and because I intended to spend many hours looking through them searching for game or just admiring. My scopes, though, are aiming devices, and perfect color rendition, etc., are far down the list of things I need in an aiming device. It is nice to have all the brightness possible for those last few minutes of legal light, but I find that exit pupil is more important than a thousand dollars worth of lens coating in those situations -- and exit pupil costs nothing.
There is only one strong recommendation I have for buying cheap riflescopes: avoid gimmicks, avoid bells and whistles, and avoid Hubble-style magnifications. On a budget, look for fixed powers of 4x or 6x, adjustables of (approximately) 3x-9x, and objective lenses of no more than 40mm.
HTH!
<edit> Having said all that, I depend upon Leupolds for nearly everything. When I was young and broke the budget scopes did what I needed them to, but now that I'm old and rich (LOL) I appreciate the relative luxury of being able to mount a scope and KNOW that it will do the job. (Although I did once have a new Leupold fail after 20 rounds...)
It is also true, in my experience, that the click adjustments on budget scopes are generally neither as true nor as repeatable as those on high dollar ones. This matters greatly to target and long range shooters who constantly adjust their scopes and NEED to know they are not being lied to. For most purposes, though, we zero the scope at a particular range and then leave it. Repeatability, then, becomes completely irrelevant, and accuracy (1/4 minute meaning 1/4 minute and not 2/9 minute, etc.) almost equally so.
Finally, it is often -- but not always -- true that a higher priced scope will give a brighter and sharper image. This is nice -- especially when bragging -- but not terribly important, IMO. I spent a bunch of money on my binoculars because I wanted the best possible image, and because I intended to spend many hours looking through them searching for game or just admiring. My scopes, though, are aiming devices, and perfect color rendition, etc., are far down the list of things I need in an aiming device. It is nice to have all the brightness possible for those last few minutes of legal light, but I find that exit pupil is more important than a thousand dollars worth of lens coating in those situations -- and exit pupil costs nothing.
There is only one strong recommendation I have for buying cheap riflescopes: avoid gimmicks, avoid bells and whistles, and avoid Hubble-style magnifications. On a budget, look for fixed powers of 4x or 6x, adjustables of (approximately) 3x-9x, and objective lenses of no more than 40mm.
HTH!
<edit> Having said all that, I depend upon Leupolds for nearly everything. When I was young and broke the budget scopes did what I needed them to, but now that I'm old and rich (LOL) I appreciate the relative luxury of being able to mount a scope and KNOW that it will do the job. (Although I did once have a new Leupold fail after 20 rounds...)
