Scopes, do you get what you pay for?

[mac86951]

A quick/dirty analogy would be buying a new Nissan Altima and then putting $4k worth of racing wheels on it. :

How did you know? In my defense its stock class, so that is the only mod allowed...

-Mac

 

[Tommie]

I have quite a few scopes. Over the years I've had both low end and fairly high end stuff. 7-8 years ago several of the folks I know of were hyping Mueller scopes and saying how great they were at a bargain price. So, I picked up an 8x25x50 Eradicator as I recall. The scope seemed sturdy and just looking through it, it compared with my Luepolds and such.

I spent a week with it in SD shooting prairie dogs. I was usually shooting two rifles. One was equipped with the Mueller and the other a 6x24 Bushnell 4200. While I could tell little difference in shooting, at the end of the day I would have a terrific headache. Three days into this, I swapped out the Mueller for another Bushnell. The headaches went away. When I got back home the Mueller went away.

On at least two W/E's per month most of the year I shoot benchrest matches. During most of those days time I'll spend several hours at a bench. I've never had eye problems with Luepolds, Weavers or Nightforces. Sometimes your eyes won't tell you everything your brain is trying to process. I no longer buy cheap glass for anything. I may not get the absolute best, but I get the best I can possibly afford.

Rick

Totally agree with the headache factor! I have no idea what it is, but some scopes appear clear, etc but are murder after an afternoon at the range. I too gravitated to Weavers and (older) Leupolds. I can't say I've been overly impressed with Leupold's more recent offerings but maybe I've just beaten the odds and found the only lousy ones made.

Tom

 

[dooley]

Logic should tell you you only get what you pay for, I have a schmidt & bender, 2 nightforces, a leopold 8.5-25x50 LRT and a cheapo chinese 6-24x50 scope, very often I change the leopold on my 6.5x47 rifle for the cheap chinese scope and up to 600 yds I shoot groups just as good, however I have painted the makers name out, that makes a difference, seriously I can't believe how good it is for the money, wether it will last long is another story.
Regards, dooley

 

[NateHaler]

Logic should tell you you only get what you pay for

Sometimes yes, but it's not really "logic". So much of consumerism isn't just about function, it's also about cachet, exclusivity, materials, etc.

A $99 Casio G-Shock will keep better time than a $10k Rolex. But that's comparing apples to oranges. A Rolex isn't really about just knowing the time. It's a statement. 8)

 

[boltman13]

The optical quality repeatability, and durability of the true inexpensive scopes, say $100 or less is not the equal of the highest price scopes. In some disiplins that may not make a great deal of difference in results. The kid with his 36X BSA on his benchrest light varmit rifle who consistantly shoots tight groups and wins his fair share of matches, and then some, anoys the hell out of guys with expensive glass, but he is a superior wind reader, and has learned tricks about reloading from his father that don't seem to make any difference when it comes to the brand of scope he has on his rifle. Now a shooter who is constantly spinning the windage and elevation dials and doesn't get many, or any sighters, probably couldn't compete with a cheep scope successfully. The mid range scopes, say $300 to $600 are more reliable, and durable and may be all the long range or tactical shooter needs. The ultra expensive scope does probably give it's owner some peace of mind as to repeatibility and durability, but it also says to other competitors here is a shooter who is serious. Until a top level shooter is succesful with a less expensive scope, we won't know if quality vs. cost is a linear relationship or not.

 

[broncman]

Shhhhh....dont tell anyone, but my favorite scope I own is an older Tasco Worldclass 10-40x50. Had it for years and it has been extremely reliable. Killed a lot of critters and shot some nice groups with it.....but my Nightforce stays on my FT/R...

 

[fdshuster]

For me, one of the most important factors in choosing a scope is the warranty. Lifetime, forever, for whoever owns it is a big consideration. I do not hesitate to buy used Leupold's and Nightforces, knowing that they are fully guaranteed.

Also is a big selling point if wanting to sell sometime in the future. What do you do with a defective used scope, not covered by a warranty? Yes, you can send it to one of the speciality repair companies, (if they even repair your brand), but you can also expect to pay a substantial amount for their service and wait a very, very long time (sometimes as much as 8 to 12 months) to get it back.

As for the cheap "Made in China" scopes when they break (and they will) you can throw them in the trash can, if for no other reason than the fact that repairs would cost much more than they are worth. They truly are "throw away"/ disposable, like ball point pens & razor blades.