Scopes

[FirstBubba]

Leopold used to pretty much be the "Gold Standard" for the everyday "Average Joe" deer hunter that wanted a better than average scope.
Face it, the old El Paso Weaver is history as is the Redfield "Widefield" and the Lyman "Alaskan".
In the late 60's and early '70's, Tasco and Bushnell hit the market but never were (ahem!) "quality" glass that you could really count on in a pinch.

Over the years, companies have come and gone. Leupold quality AIN'T what it used to be and apparently, Tasco and Bushnell seem to have improved. 🤷♂️

Vortex has come on the scene. Vortex, while not a "premiere" scope, is proving to be fairly good.

Without getting into a thousand or more dollar scope that only the well heeled can afford, what "brand" scopes is everyone else using?

[fitch270]

Last three scope purchases were Burris Full Field II’s. Presently waiting for the third to arrive. All were less than $175 each to my door. So far the one I’ve used is living up to expectations.

Previously I’d have answered anything of Bushnell or Weaver produced in Japan’s Light Optical Works factory. I have 2 Bushnell Elite 4200’s, a Weaver Grand Slam and 2 Weaver RV-9’s that were made by LOW. Excellent values. Unfortunately Weaver shut down and Bushnell had discontinued the Elite line and moved production. Bushnell has however brought back some of the Elite line that are now being made in Korea. Early reports are they’re pretty good but they’ll have to earn back their reputation.


Pretty sure Trijicon’s are made by LOW, at least some lines. If I was going up spend a bit more money that usual I’d probably look into them, definitely Meopta and also German Precision Optics.

Two direct to consumer labels that aren’t real well known are Maven and Tract. Both have good reputations. Not cheap but not Alpha priced either.

[crm3006]

Most of mine are Leupolds, from top of the line, to a Rifleman model. I have one Burris and a Simmons so old, it was made in Japan. That one has never fogged, clouded or changed zero, except once when it was thrown from a four wheeler, and skidded across the gravel about four feet. Had to re-zero that time.
I have two BSA scopes that are very reliable, and two newer Simmons that are on rimfires, but they work.
If I needed or wanted another high end, high dollar, scope for anything, I think I would probably still go to Leupold. They are as good as most, better than a lot, and their customer service can't be beat.

[fitch270]

CRM; Unfortunately your last sentence is becoming questionable. Without dropping names I’m pretty sure what prompted FB to post this here and it’s because of a Customer Service fail on the part of Leupold.

[crm3006]

fitch270- I can't really comment on the customer service, the last time I used customer service from the company we are not mentioning, they were excellent, but that was nearly ten years ago. So, I can't say, one way or another.
Did you get the PM I sent about an hour or so ago?

[fitch270]

fitch270- I can't really comment on the customer service, the last time I used customer service from the company we are not mentioning, they were excellent, but that was nearly ten years ago. So, I can't say, one way or another.
Did you get the PM I sent about an hour or so ago?

No sir, nothing showing in my messages.

[crm3006]

Rats! I will resend when I remember what I said.

[Ernie]

Ilya is someone I trust when it comes to optics. here is his thoughts in the $400-$600 range.
https://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=91

[FirstBubba]

Ilya is someone I trust when it comes to optics. here is his thoughts in the $400-$600 range.
https://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=91

In today's $'s, this $400-$600 price range is in the realm of the Leupold VX-I of yesteryear. i.e. the price for "clear, clean, dependable" glass has gone from a bottomline of (+/-) $200 to (+/-) $400....or "doubled"!

I guess the time has come to grin and bear it in the scope game and realize we, hunters/shooters, as a whole, can forget dependable $200 glass and start scraping more pennies (?) together.

What was Leupold's "high end" is now the "bottom of the barrel", quality wise.

[FirstBubba]

I have "ONE" Leupold VX-I 3-9×40, still in the box wrapped with cellophane. Walked out the door for two green Benjamin's, no plastic. Wonder what that hummer may be worth now? LOL!

[Ernie]

Earlier this week I fell into a great deal, a barely used Leupold mark IV 4.5-14 power, and had the MOA turrets and it has a TMR reticle, this means it has a 30mm tube for $500 shipped. It was a scope I wasn’t gonna turn down.
I know the seller.
I bought it, to use as a spare scope, but I really bought it thinking a good friend of mine would probably want it. And when I told him about it he was exuberant. He’s going to have a nice scope for long range shooting and hunting and it won’t cost him an arm and a leg.

[Ernie]

Inflation…

[FirstBubba]

Seriously? For Eastern hunting you can get good glass in the $100 to $150 range. Manufacturing techniques have leveled the field. Often the low end scopes are better than the more expensive scopes were of decades past. The same has happened with rifles.

I don't feel under-scoped with those in the $100 to $150 costs. I've never lost an animal due to not having enough light transmission and clarity.

Nor should you. There are still alot of scopes out there that can be had at lower costs. The difference is that while they work just fine for folks like you and me. But for the guy spending $10K on a guided hunt in the Brooks Range in Alaska, probably doesn't want to take a chance on a $150 Vortex "Crossfire" on the hunt and trophy of a lifetime.
That doesn't mean his Steiner, Zeiss or high end Leupold won't let him down, he's just hedging his bet.

Bet he won't be taking a NEF "Handi" in .30-naught 6 neither! LOL!

pighunter, this isn't a rant about cheap scopes not being any good, it's about the fact that even the bottom line of yesteryear's name brand scopes is no longer available for +/- $200.

[jhjimbo]

I have them from Swarovski to Tasco and find them all excellent for their designed purpose. Burris has been excellent as well as the old Tasco for CS. One recent purchase is from Acme Machine. A lot of quality and value for the price.
I check all my scopes by doing the test shooting the four corners of a square. Any good scope should be able to do that test.

[WA Mtnhunter]

I have a couple of Kahles scopes that I bought used for the price of an upper tier Leupold new. Neither have let me down. A Leica Visus and a Burris FourX round out the top tier. I also run the now discontinued Burris Signature Selects made in USA, not the Chinese made Signature HD models currently for sale. The Leupold VX-II’s have given good service, also. The only encounter with Leupold repair service was excellent about 10 years ago. Why dink around with inferior optics?