Scope quality~?

[COLT45SA]

This may not apply to the professional competitive shooter, but for my own information I'd like to ask "What is the practical difference between a 6-24 power scope which you can buy for $200 and under and a scope of the same power which will cost well over $800"~?. Let's assume that the scopes are being mounted interchangeably on the same rifle with the same ammo. I'm asking as a person who wants the best accuracy I can accomplish and am not a competitive shooter.

 

[swd]

Repeatability of the turrets. Point of impact throughout the zoom range. Durability of just about every part of the scope. And of course glass quality.

 

[ELR LVR]

I posted this picture in another thread explaining one of the differences in Glass
Some have a simple layer of coating
Some are Multi coated
Some are FULLY Multicoated lenses
Coating can cost $800 alone
So you are not getting $800 worth of lense cotings on a $200 scope
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have also read that Glass such as Schott Glass
Is traded like Diamonds at Debeers for Clarity, Quality, etc and buyers and bidders will bid more the better the glass is.
Not many High Quality Glass Makers for scopes just as there is not many putting out diamonds.
Which is why you can have a $300 Vortex or a $3000 dollar vortex
-------------------
Better glass is also much more clearer and brighter during the most important conditions of hunting such as dusk and dawn
Which is why you read about many hunters using scopes like Zeiss
Small minute aspects of better scope don't really stand out in perfect sunlight conditions where the cheaper scopes may look just as good and a guy thinks what the difference.
It's all the other light conditions, cloudy, dark, shaded, mirage etc where High Teir Scopes put others to shame
Clarity, Color, Crispness of image at long distance, Color Contrast, No Chromatic Abberation all make it more easy to Identify your target rather than just Aquire your target
-Thennnnn there is scope construction
Most scopes use brass on the internals
Brass as you know is a softer metal
You ever had a doorknob wear out? Start to wiggle?
Well if youre cranking back and forth on your turrets brass isnt the best
Kahles I know uses All steel internals and tungsten balls = Longevity

 

[SKWERLZ]

Sure was a huge difference in feel, turret accuracy and glass from a $600 to a $1400 scope.

 

[dryhumor]

I think everything already said… ^^^

Today a friend and I shot 8 different rifles, from 257 Roberts to 300HH. Scopes from 1980-90s through current. Pricing from $50/100 to $1600. Simmons, Leupold, Burris, Zeiss, Swarovski.

Target zeroing all worked fine. We actually zeroed 4 rifles. To my eyes the $200 Burris had pretty clear glass. The parallax adjustment was pretty good. Several of the scopes did not have parallax adjustment.

My friend had not shot a 6.5 PRC, I let him shoot mine. It’s topped with a Zeiss Diavari T* coated Victory FL scope. This rifle/scope has become my go to evening hunt rifle. The scope provides resolution to see into the shadows, clearly.

Scopes have come a long way through the years. While it’s difficult to spend big money for scopes, there’s better juice for the squeeze compared to low dollar scopes; in quality, robustness, and support.

 

[ELR LVR]

I think everything already said… ^^^

Today a friend and I shot 8 different rifles, from 257 Roberts to 300HH. Scopes from 1980-90s through current. Pricing from $50/100 to $1600. Simmons, Leupold, Burris, Zeiss, Swarovski.

Target zeroing all worked fine. We actually zeroed 4 rifles. To my eyes the $200 Burris had pretty clear glass. The parallax adjustment was pretty good. Several of the scopes did not have parallax adjustment.

My friend had not shot a 6.5 PRC, I let him shoot mine. It’s topped with a Zeiss Diavari T* coated Victory FL scope. This rifle/scope has become my go to evening hunt rifle. The scope provides resolution to see into the shadows, clearly.

Scopes have come a long way through the years. While it’s difficult to spend big money for scopes, there’s better juice for the squeeze compared to low dollar scopes; in quality, robustness, and support.

Yes, to see into the shadows is a good way to put it.
At night on a full moon, I can clearly see Pine trees 1300 yds away with my Kahles
Its almost like having night vision

 

[COLT45SA]

How good or bad are the B&L scopes that were made in Japan!?

 

[ELR LVR]

How good or bad are the B&L scopes that were made in Japan!?

I have 4 (6-24, 12-32, 36x)
There is a good reason the 6-24's command a pretty penny on Ebay
Amazing clarity, crisp focus even at 1200 yds
They have the red green and blue spectrums of light perfectly focused at your pupil
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know how scopes now can do what they do such as Arkens which are great for the money
But I must suspect it is due to CNC machining now and possibly coatings got cheaper than before
Coatings use rare elements so can be expensive
B&L's cannot be beat from what I've seen in a 1 inch tube and 40mm Obj. of Vintage scopes made back in their day.
---except by maybe a Unertl
a B&L can make a Leupold look like dirty water by comparison

Freda at Unertl said that ....Because of environmental laws they could no longer produce the glass with the same lead content and had to halt production.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B&L's
I'm told the glass used in the Balvars was rejects from aerospace programs in the 60's that would allow a camera to photograph a license plate from an SR 71 traveling at 3000 miles an hour at 70,000 feet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Balvar V8 and Balvar 24 were by far the most expensive scope in adjusted dollars commercially produced.

Reasons a Unertl is special is because he had a monopoly of some special local sand he used for the glass which produced unmatched quality glass until Enviro laws stopped their production
Plus he used to grind his own glass which if you watch how to on U tube, is a very intricate process
Supposedly a computer programmed machine cannot do it as good as a human can by feel and inspection)
Then of course, Scopes were low tech stuff for that company compared to what they really made money from
Per John Unertl:
"I’m not sure if any of you out there were aware we made very sophisticated optical/mechanical instrumentation, optics for military jet gunsights, fire control optics - (military stuff, not firemen) and wind tunnel instrumentation. Unertl Optical was far from operating out of a barn. We made the money with the high end optics, not making scopes, Scopes were more a labor of love as that's how the company was started and the funding for the scopes was a carry over from their high end contracts.


----------------------------------
Dang I want that Big ass Unertl !!!
The B&L's are my favorite scope for 100 yd bench
and even have one on one of my 1000 yd guns, they are that good

 

[COLT45SA]

I have 4 (6-24, 12-32, 36x)
There is a good reason the 6-24's command a pretty penny on Ebay
Amazing clarity, crisp focus even at 1200 yds
They have the red green and blue spectrums of light perfectly focused at your pupil
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know how scopes now can do what they do such as Arkens which are great for the money
But I must suspect it is due to CNC machining now and possibly coatings got cheaper than before
Coatings use rare elements so can be expensive
B&L's cannot be beat from what I've seen in a 1 inch tube and 40mm Obj. of Vintage scopes made back in their day.
except by maybe a Unertl
Freda at Unertl said that ....Because of environmental laws they could no longer produce the glass with the same lead content and had to halt production.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B&L's
I'm told the glass used in the Balvars was rejects from aerospace programs in the 60's that would allow a camera to photograph a license plate from an SR 71 traveling at 3000 miles an hour at 70,000 feet.

only reason a Unertl is special is because he had a monopoly of some special local sand he used for the glass which produced unmatched quality glass until Enviro laws stopped their production
Plus he used to grind his own glass which if you watch how to on U tube, is a very intricate process
Supposedly a computer programmed machine cannot do it as good as a human can by feel and inspection)
----------------------------------
The B&L's are my favorite scope for 100 yd bench
and even have one on one of my 1000 yd guns, they are that good

Tanks for that!
I just got my B&L 6-24 in the mail yesterday. Ii's in the original box with two different length sun shades, and a pair of target knobs with the numbers on the outside. It even has the soft cloth bag and instructions. There'ss a tiny 1/8th inch scar from where the rear ring was clamped. I think that this is the finest scope I've ever owned or will own.
Your comment gives me confidence that I made a good decision~!

 

[ELR LVR]

Tanks for that!
I just got my B&L 6-24 in the mail yesterday. Ii's in the original box with two different length sun shades, and a pair of target knobs with the numbers on the outside. It even has the soft cloth bag and instructions. There'ss a tiny 1/8th inch scar from where the rear ring was clamped. I think that this is the finest scope I've ever owned or will own.
Your comment gives me confidence that I made a good decision~!

You will love shooting through that scope!
BTW, dont use any acetone to clean the paint, to remove tape stickiness etc
And also you may want to research how to care for the Fluoride coatings used back in their day
(meaning what NOT to spray on the lenses, as well as keep the scope caps on when barrel cleaning as some of the solvents can splatter on the lenses and make them look spotted)
If you care for it right, it will be one of your finest scopes
--------------
FYI - Supposedly Bushnell will still care for B&L's on compassionate grounds
------the model 4000...no rainguard
------4200 does have the rainguard coating

 

[COLT45SA]

You will love shooting through that scope!
BTW, dont use any acetone to clean the paint, to remove tape stickiness etc
And also you may want to research how to care for the Fluoride coatings used back in their day
(meaning what NOT to spray on the lenses, as well as keep the scope caps on when barrel cleaning as some of the solvents can splatter on the lenses and make them look spotted)
If you care for it right, it will be one of your finest scopes
--------------
FYI - Supposedly Bushnell will still care for B&L's on compassionate grounds
------the model 4000...no rainguard
------4200 does have the rainguard coating

My big problem throughout my life has been treating possessions I really like as if they were irreplaceable treasures I have a pair of cowboy boots I bought in the 80s that I loved so much that I only wore them 4 or 5 times for fear that I'd scuff or somehow mar them. I'm going to break that habit right now and get this gorgeous scope mounted on my super nice US PROPERTY stamped Remington 513-T. Challenge will to be able to shoot next to the guys with the high buck 52Cs and Ds, Anshutz, and re-barreled this and that. I've read several posts where guys have claimed that I'll be able to do just that.
I'll get this B&L mounted and start looking for the right ammo.
BTW, my rifle-smith is a succesful 1000 yard competitor and winner~!!

 

[c3d4b2]

Not really a direct comparison, but food for thought......

When I was looking through spotting scopes I found that a little more money at the low end of the price range gained a lot In the optical quality I noticed. I also found that a lot more money at the higher price range only gained a little in optical quality I noticed.

If I had to fo it over again I would use a test pattern for the comparison.

Camera Test Charts To Print At Home

When testing and evaluating a camera, whether that’s a digital photo camera, video camera or digital cinema camera it is always useful to have a test chart or 2 (or more). While printing a ch…

www.xdcam-user.com

 

[Luisyamaha]

Over 20 years ago I had the same question as the OP. To answer my own question I bought new two scopes. A Tasco World Class something or other and a Bushnell Elite 4200. Both 4-16X50mm. The Tasco was around $200.00 (if memory serves), and the Bushnell about $400.00. The main difference I noticed was that when shooting for a long time my eyes would get tired with the Tasco, but not with the Bushnell. I assumed it was something to do with the quality of the glass, although I could see quite well with either and performance downrange was similar. The turret's repeatability was good an both. As far as longevity, I still have and use the Bushnell and it is doing well. The Tasco was still doing well when I sold the rifle (with scope) where it was mounted 5 years ago.
If anything, being 20 years older, I think the quality of the glass is more important to me now then when my eyes were younger. YMMV.

Luisyamaha

 

[Murray Brook]

@COLT45SA
I have 2 Leupold 6.5X20. One has a 30 mm tube the other an inch tube. I also have two 6X24 B&L Balvars. The B&L's are a better scope. Better glass and much clearer. JMO