Scopes

[FirstBubba]

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?

In the early 70's, I was living in New Orleans, La. I wandered into a little West Bank gun shop just prior to CHRISTmas.
There sat a Weaver K-4 El Paso in a black and yellow box.
AH! A present for Pop!
I paid in the neighborhood of $60, brand new in the box.
Superb quality for a good price...in the day!
Ernie is right, inflation has driven the price of great glass up. Today, Leupold's VX-II and VX-III scopes are now the VX-I's of yesteryear.

Cheap is no longer "cheap"! LOL!

[FirstBubba]

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.

I had the opportunity to purchase a Zeiss 3-9×40 for +/- $500. The others sales didn't go through in time. It was gone.

The "Average Joe" can't afford Zeiss and Swarovski.

[WA Mtnhunter]

I had the opportunity to purchase a Zeiss 3-9×40 for +/- $500. The others sales didn't go through in time. It was gone.

The "Average Joe" can't afford Zeiss and Swarovski.

Hell no, not after paying $55,000 to $70,000 for those jacked up pickups…

Your 1980 $200 scope will cost at least $671 today.

[FirstBubba]

Hell no, not after paying $55,000 to $70,000 for those jacked up pickups…

If that isn't absolutely insane!
I've seen those guys spend thousands (rims, tires, lift kits, suspension amenities, grill guards, winches, tool boxes, etc, etc...) above the cost of the vehicle and NEVER drive them on even a dirt road, much less through a mudhole!

[Milldawg]

If that isn't absolutely insane!
I've seen those guys spend thousands (rims, tires, lift kits, suspension amenities, grill guards, winches, tool boxes, etc, etc...) above the cost of the vehicle and NEVER drive them on even a dirt road, much less through a mudhole!

Wanna be country boys. I do everything I need to in a stock gmc 1500 z71. Toys and accessories can’t make you country.

[Ernie]

And yet, we complain about the price of mid to upper grade glass...😁

[FirstBubba]

And yet, we complain about the price of mid to upper grade glass...😁

I'm not complaining. It's the sudden realization that "Joe Average" can no longer purchase a Leupold VX-I 3-9×40 for $200 and have a dang nice scope.
"Dang Nice" has gone from $200 to up near $400.
It's not scope manufacturers, it's a crumbling economy and rising inflation. The "new normal", so to speak! LOL!

I drive a 2001 Dodge 3500 diesel.
I like it.
It's paid for.
I refuse to pay nearly $70K for a "ready made pile of manufactured grief"!
You can still buy a small farm for $70K (5 to 10 acres) around here.

[Ernie]

My comment was not directed toward any one person. I have heard similar conversations before...Not just on here.

[FirstBubba]

My comment was not directed toward any one person. I have heard similar conversations before...Not just on here.

Yeah....I bet a lot of us are having the "nurse-a-nickel" conversation these days.

[fitch270]

You can still buy a small farm for $70K (5 to 10 acres) around here.

Been thinking of a weekend place…….

[fitch270]

Saw an online rumor that the lenses for the Freedom series scopes were made in China but I can’t find anything to substantiate that. Seems Leupold isn’t confirming or denying it outright but even their website suggests it’s a possibility.



Really makes you wonder if you’re getting what you think you’re paying for.

[FirstBubba]

Been thinking of a weekend place…….

I'm now looking to lease 8.24 acres that butts up to a WMA. 😉!
Interested?

[jhjimbo]

Leupold has used outside source for lens for years. I saw that in a tour of their mfg. facility tour video when it was mentioned.

[WA Mtnhunter]

I'm not complaining. It's the sudden realization that "Joe Average" can no longer purchase a Leupold VX-I 3-9×40 for $200 and have a fair to middlin’ scope.
"Fair to Middlin’" has gone from $200 to up near $400.
It's not scope manufacturers, it's a crumbling economy and rising inflation. The "new normal", so to speak!

Correction: Fixed it for you…

[Pmacc60]

Glass maybe the most important consideration for me at this point in my life. Both Binoculars and scopes . This started snot 12 years ago when spotting a buck for my son that I could easily see through my binoculars . He could not pick it up through the scope until it moved , it was a good mid range quality scope but in low light tough contrast it did not work well. Before heading to hunt Wyoming in the mid eighties I purchased a Leupold 3x9 VX-II for my 270 win. It still works well to this day and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it because works. However change in style of the way I hunt , increased hunting pressure and limited time I have found that good glass is the way to go ( I speak for myself ) , I can extend the light both in the morning and evening and take advantage of legal shooting light. So I would rather have fewer rifles but better rifles and glass for my hunting go to gun. I buy used many times getting great deals because shooters get bored and go looking for the new best thing . My struggle is trading sleek and light for big and heavier, some of the 30mm tubes are just large ! Oh well I guess that’s part of the fun …. The journey !

ps it’s 5 am and in the middle of the MD and Pennsylvania firearms deer season and I’m sitting hear posting instead of hunting. Hopefully I’ll be mended up enough to be out there in the January late season.