What's the Difference in Glass

Optics is and always has been a personal choice . Who is to say which optic manufacture is better than another ?.
If it's precision as in optical quality ,one must consider Nikon, Zeiss, Lieca and Olympus .
However unfortunately only #1 of the above still produces Rifle Scopes . Other Top tier scope manufactures aren't even in the same league or are they ?

Tip DON'T buy a 3X9X40 for 1K yd. shooting duty . I've seen people at matches using ridiculously powered scopes ,of which their rifles are not capable of matching performance . A quality scope of lessor power ,is ALWAYS preferable over a cheaper higher powered scope . MY opinion .

I always preferred Nikon until they stopped producing rifle scopes ,sad because quality per $ spent COULDN'T be beat . I napped top tier Nikon's before they became extinct . Japanese made being highest quality ,followed by Philippine made .

Who was better IOR aka Valdada , Zeiss or Leupold ?. How about Schmidt & Bender or NightForce ?. Their ALL top choice optics ,IMO .

Now are they the Best bang for the buck ?. NO again Not in My opinion .

Meet the Super Star Meopta . BEST bang for the Buck hands down . Meopta is producing HIGH Quality rifle scopes at affordable pricing , an their NOT made in China ,like so many other junk brands these days .
Do yourself a favor and take a peak through one and You as I was ,will be AMAZED at clarity function features and DURABILITY . Optics without compromise

Meopta dates back to 1933, when it began developing binoculars, observation devices and riflescopes for both civilian
and military use. At the same time, it became a world leader in the production of cameras, magnifying devices,
camcorders, film projectors and other optics. During its 90-year history, Meopta established itself as a global innovator
with partners worldwide and state-of-the-art production facilities in the Czech Republic, as well as the United States.
Today, Meopta continues to produce advanced optical and opto-electronic systems, from military and sports
optics through semi-conductors and digital-cinema projection, as well as medical and industrial applications. Of
significant advantage is Meopta’s in-house development center and production quality controls . The Meopta brand
proudly offers a history of precision and craftsmanship with deep experience in technologies and innovation.
 
I agree with most of the comments. You don't ALWAYS get what you pay for when it comes to name-brand products. You pay a premium for their name and reputation on your optic. You have to decide if it's worth it or not. The cheapest isn't always the best, but having a company that stands behind what it makes, is huge. I recently picked up 3 red dot scopes for pistol caliber ARs from Riton. I got them for a great price on sale, and a friend had one and liked it, so I figured what the heck. After over 1,000 rounds, I have not had to readjust zero once. I know these are made in China, but I also know that Riton Optics has someone who answers the phone when you have questions. To me, that is right up there with reliability and repeatability. Do some research and you can spend your money wisely.
 
bman940 said:
I agree with most of the comments. You don't ALWAYS get what you pay for when it comes to name-brand products. You pay a premium for their name and reputation on your optic. You have to decide if it's worth it or not. The cheapest isn't always the best, but having a company that stands behind what it makes, is huge. I recently picked up 3 red dot scopes for pistol caliber ARs from Riton. I got them for a great price on sale, and a friend had one and liked it, so I figured what the heck. After over 1,000 rounds, I have not had to readjust zero once. I know these are made in China, but I also know that Riton Optics has someone who answers the phone when you have questions. To me, that is right up there with reliability and repeatability. Do some research and you can spend your money wisely.
Click to expand...

That is also why I like Arken, Primary Arms and Swampfox Optics. Yes most of their scopes are made in China, but all three companies are easy to get a hold of and have excellent customer service. I save money where I can so I use optics from all three. Now if I was competing on a pro or semi pro level then I would definitely buy higher quality scopes. Scopes from all three have been good for my uses and budget. With the Arken scopes, I will suggest going with any of their models that has Japanese glass. I have the SH-4 and SH-4J and the 4J is definitely better.
 
Last edited:
Old school- Warranty and Service first. Outstanding service from Bushnell and Leupold over many years for me.

Their prices range from basic to top of the line. Mostly Bushnell.

Some will have plastic vs glass lenses.

Last bought- Bushnell M756185 Trophy 6-18x50 Rifle scopes. Put on Savage Axis in 223 & 6.5 CM. $165.

The Bushnell Banner 3-9 scopes came with both new Axis. Great scopes for $50.

Cant hit what you cant see.

​

 
Last edited:
For around $500 for a deer hunting scope, it's AWFUL hard to look past the Trijicon Huron/Ascent scopes in your desired magnification. Great glass, durable as all get out, great CS. The Burris scopes in that price range are also awful hard to ignore, great scopes for the $. Shoot, my deer gun has a Burris RT6 on it, and the only thing I'd think about changing it to is a Trijicon Accupoint.

This being said, most scopes in the $500 range nowadays have MORE than acceptable glass for deer hunting. You'll have to get up into the $1000 range to notice any difference in glass from the $500 scopes.
 
Last edited:
I'll add the GLASS IS WHERE THE COST IS . Premium optics are NOT cheap ,regardless of who assembles or stamps a name on the tube .

MY best advice for anyone looking for optics , GO and LOOK THROUGH THEM . It's Your eye as well as Your $$$-$$$$+ .
Proper evaluation is in the SUNLIGHT and looking at a REAL object ,not a store front wall across the street or the distant shelf down the counter display . :)
 
Some months back , I picked up one of these on a sale from Sport Optics and it was around $635.00 if I remember correctly . These are $1200-1500 in anybody else's top tier line . Glass on par with Zeiss , Leupold , Swarovski just Look through one of them .


1695599908330.jpeg ​

MagnificationZoom: 4.5X to 27X
Objective Lens Diameter50mm
Exit Pupil9.5 mm to 1.9 mm
Eye Relief3.9"
Field of View @ 100 Yards Spec23.6 ft - 3.9 ft
Tube Diameter30mm
Turret TypeTactical MIL
Turret Click Value.36 MIL
Illuminated ReticleYes
Reticle Focal Plane1st Focal Plane
Parallax AdjustableYes - 25 yards to infinity
Weight31.1 oz
Length14.2
Max Elevation Adjustment24.4 MIL
Max Windage Adjustment24.4 MIL
 
Gotta love a good scope thread. Only thread topics that get more contentious and bring out more fanbois are AR-15 or 1911 threads... But at least threads about scopes typically stay a bit more civilized.

Not understanding guys who say they'll never pay more than $500 for a rifle scope, though. While there is good glass available at lower prices, until you've paid for - and spent time with - the good stuff (I'd say about $1200 - $2500) you just don't know what you don't know.

I would say that Leupold, Zeiss, Swarovski and Nightforce put out some truly awesome optics. Even Leupold and Zeiss have some really nice, affordable scopes.
 
I do agree that there are better scopes once you increase your budget. But we don't know the OP's situation. Is he on a tight budget due to finances, is he being frugal, or do his uses not require top of the line scopes? Most of us will understand being on a limited budget restraint, we have all been there at one time or another.

And I have to agree that "what scope to get" threads do tend to stay more civil (for the most part). I think that we have given the OP plenty of choices for good scopes at his budget level.
 
After reading this thread, it seems clear that we are all just consumers and end users. No one here has worked in the optics field as an engineer or designer or lens cutter so I’m only reading opinions and reviews of personal experience and a few guys that are posting common knowledge or points that could be googled as with point of origin Including myself.
Interestingly I was looking for a older thread on Accurate shooter where a lens designer or engineer.. I don’t recall which and I can’t recall his screen name at the moment but his knowledge was very impressive but only spoke to his dept and made pretty clear that some of this stuff the companies kept close to the vest.
If I come across it in a search I’ll post a link.
J
 
I've used Swarovski scopes in the past and I still have a pair of Swarovski binoculars I wouldn't take anything for but you don't need that kind of glass for hunting. You likely won't notice any difference in clarity between any of the budget minded name brand scopes. Leupold makes very good scopes as does Vortex. Most budget minded scopes have 40mm objectives. I like something bigger. Swift makes good scopes with 50mm bells that fit in your price range. The premier series has Schott glass.
 
JFrank said:
After reading this thread, it seems clear that we are all just consumers and end users. No one here has worked in the optics field as an engineer or designer or lens cutter so I’m only reading opinions and reviews of personal experience and a few guys that are posting common knowledge or points that could be googled as with point of origin Including myself.
Interestingly I was looking for a older thread on Accurate shooter where a lens designer or engineer.. I don’t recall which and I can’t recall his screen name at the moment but his knowledge was very impressive but only spoke to his dept and made pretty clear that some of this stuff the companies kept close to the vest.
If I come across it in a search I’ll post a link.
J
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. While it was spectacle lenses I cut, I in fact was a "lens cutter". I know good glass (as well as CR-39 plastic, Polycarbonate, and Trivex) when I look through it. Comes with the job description of Optical Lab Technician. I had to be able to spot errors not even looked for in riflescope lenses. (Mostly because they aren't toric.) If you look back at my first post in this thread, you'll note I hold Zeiss in the highest regard. There is a reason for this. They've been in the business of making lenses longer than anyone else, and they invest heavily in R&D. They make glass for optical uses in every field that uses them, and when specs call for the best, companies usually call Zeiss.
In a sense, every time I sit down at the fitting table as an optician with a patient, I am designing their lenses. The computer in the lens generator does the calculations, but I have to take in account the patient's Rx, the frame's dimensions, fit, etc. and do some quick mental calculations to arrive at a solution that is both optically sound and fills the patient's fashion expectations as well as vision needs.
As I mentioned in my previous post, where the boom in lower priced scopes really originated is with the R&D into lens coatings by Zeiss, Essilor, and a few other optical labs. Without that, scope quality would be determined mostly by the quality of the actual lenses alone. Good quality coatings make good quality glass better. State of the art coatings make top quality glass fantastic. For those that cannot see or realize how to utilize the difference, I suppose a $93 scope would be the bee's knees.

clutch said:
Cheap glass selection will leave you with chromatic aberration. It is the purple fringing you probably have seen in cheaper optics.

​

Click to expand...

Actually, that's in the coatings, or in the case of polycarbonate, the actual material itself. Riflescopes use Either crown or flint glass, so it isn't in the lens in this case.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

<*(((><
  • Locked
Burris XTR II 2-10x42mm SCR (34mm)
Replies
6
Views
700
Dill
Dill
gotboostvr
  • Locked
Hunting optic suggestions
2
Replies
43
Views
3K
Telum Pisces
Telum Pisces
C
  • Locked
Inexpensive Glass
Replies
14
Views
1K
FL-NC
FL-NC
T
  • Locked
$500 scopes, best glass quality
2
Replies
32
Views
5K
ThePenguinKnight
T
B
  • Locked
scope/glass for medium and under target shooting
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
cdb1
cdb1
Back
Top