[B]USO over-rated?[/B]

[Headseeker]

U.S Optics sure seems like a excellent scope especially for us tactical guru's. I have yet ro try one out and see how they are obsolete to other field optic's. Anyone have opinion's or fact's that might make me understand why they are so expenisive?

Thanks

 

[jb1000br]

They are hand made by an American, and each can be customized to suit the buyer...

JB

 

[6Dasher]

See it as a custom scope maker. You can get a 700 for $1000 and paint it green, but do you compare it to a custom tactical rifle that may shoot the same groups ? Yes, you do pay a nice sum of money for that, but they are also very rugged and reliable. If optics are any better than a Leupold or NF, maybe not, but they are not any worse from what I have seen,only looked, never bought).

 

[mikecr]

When I looked at them,in there $catalog), they weren't concerned at all with weight,I was). I could never determine if they were 1st or 2nd focal plane, nor whether MOA or In/100yds,for any model)either. This makes a huge difference, depending on your use.
I went NF. Saved enough to buy 2 NFs, and easy to order exactly what I needed.

 

[SF340Driver]

When I looked at them,in there $catalog), they weren't concerned at all with weight,I was). I could never determine if they were 1st or 2nd focal plane, nor whether MOA or In/100yds,for any model)either. This makes a huge difference, depending on your use.
I went NF. Saved enough to buy 2 NFs, and easy to order exactly what I needed.

Mike, they build to spec. You can have any of the above options you want. Some may have a charge associated to them, but most don't. The key is to call them. They want to make sure you get what you want and their customer service is the best out there. You can get a lightweight version of just about any scope, but you give up durability. Their scopes are built like a tank.

Example:
http://www.snipershide.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=19;t=003036#000004

 

[palma]

their customer service is the best out there.

I respectively disagree with the notion that their customer service is the best. I was charged 100% upfront for a scope that took over 13 weeks to build,almost everyone pays no more than 50% upfront), was never told that the charge was nonrefundable,until I asked for a refund at week 12, the promised ETA), was charged an undisclosed credit card processing fee,which is in violation of the vendor agreement with the card company), and was given the run around when I called at week 12 to find out when my scope would be completed. They missed the ETA twice and had no explanation as to why the 10-day build guarantee on their website,which they have since removed) did not apply. They were taking orders for the same scope that I ordered in the group buy on the hide and were filling those orders within a matter of days while my scope remained undelivered 12 weeks after placing the order. No warranty information was provided with the scope.

Opinions vary...but I digress.

 

[Bolo]

Palma,
I'm surprised to hear that you had so many problems. I own 3 USO's and never had anything but the best service. Found out they had a better recticle for LR BR and had 2 of them changed. They just came out with a new pattern. So I asked if I could get that in a T-Pal without the thick lines. [Sure no problem if you don't need a lit recticle] I liked the fine lines with the tick spacings. Should be able to get more precise holdoffs during a string in F-Class. They are constantly improving their product and offerings. When I first got started, there were no side focus or slim line or hunting models. In the last couple of years, I don't know how many new recticle patterns I;ve seen.
Mikecr,
USO's are first focal plane. And I ended up with exactly what I wanted. You should have seen the look on my face when John got excited about building one for me polished and anodized blue. Now you can order them in several colors[ Saw a grey one that would be great on an urban tacticle] There are alot of options for you to get exactly what you want.

 

[M700]

Last year I was given the opportunity to put a USO SN3 3.2-17x through a 6-month field test on a real-world SWAT rifle. I was worried about it, not having a couple of thousand dollars sitting around to replace someone else's scope... The owner and USO assured me that the scope was fully covered by warranty, and to go ahead and use it in the field as needed.

Bolted it on the rifle, sighted it in and had at it. Tested it at the range out to 600 yards. I was able to shoot accurately when my Leupold gave up due to darkness.

Shot the tightest groups I'd ever shot with the rifle, a .24" group at 100 yards, and a couple of 2.5" groups at 600 yards, with Federal 168 grain Gold Medal .308 match ammo.

Took the rifle/scope combo on quite a few training sessions and several real-world SWAT callouts. Am in a rural area, and had to hump this thing up and down the Cascades here in Washington state. It is a big, heavy scope. The optics are superb. I was very confident in my ability to place accurate shots on demand. Thankfully, during this period I never had to actually shoot anyone!

On one rural operation I was hiking out in rough terrain. A rock moved underfoot, my knee buckled and I fell hard. The rifle went about 6' through the air and crashed onto the rocks. I managed to limp out okay, and we got another SWAT call the next morning while I was on my way to the range to check the scope zero. I checked the zero with a single shot - centering the shot exactly. The scope hadn't shifted zero at all!

I shot that USO in 100 degree heat and when the rifle & scope were covered with blowing snow. Shot it from the bipod, from a ruck, and from various sling supported field positions.

After six months I returned the scope - with some reluctance. It is a serious piece of gear. The illuminated reticle works superbly, adjusting down to a very faint setting if desired. The windage and elevation adjustments are very repeatable. Never had a problem. Never took it past 600 yards, but it performed superbly to that distance. Optical clarity was great. Low light performance was superb. It is obviously a very, very rugged scope, capable of taking abuse without a single hiccup.

I've seen other scopes fail under the same conditions. USO's scope came through with flying colors. Great piece of gear. Specialized. Is it worth the high price of admission? Only you can judge that. I put it at the top of the heap for quality.

Regards, Guy

 

[M700]

A few photos taken during the six-month SWAT test.

Regards, Guy

 

[Critter]

Having been a long time,1991) USO user, I would have to agree that Customer Relations and Service has improved dramatically since I waited 3 years for my first USO scope. Today I rarely wait more than one and a half months for the most sophisticated custom units.

Even those that previously had negative experiences with USO are now using them.

Witness this remarkable post on another site:

I got called out by Tony Y. at the ASC last weekend.

He saw my scope and began to bawl about how I was using a USO and he always thought I didn't like USO scopes.

I like them now. I also like the customer service offered by USO. They make what I'm looking for and I'm prepared to pay for it.