My experience with Konus scopes. I ordered a small fixed 4X scope. Price range at the time +/- $60.00, with included rings and shipping. Got it, installed it and was very happy with it at that price point. It seemed better than other similarly cheap scopes I looked at. Good enough that I ordered a second one. Both were installed on .22LR rifles. After 3-4 years one of the scopes would not hold zero, and the other required excessive force (small crescent wrench) to adjust the turrets, but otherwise functioned well. Both were then replaced with 1-4X Leupolds. One of the Konus was thrown away (salvaged the cheap rings) and the other given to a friend for one of his .22's.
I also have a Konus spotting scope and it has been better/sharper/clearer than another two spotters costing at least twice as much. I'm still using that one. It was about $200.00 a few years ago. No Kowa, but serviceable for 100 yards spotting while shooting with iron sights.
I think quality in cheaper optics tends to vary a lot from one year to the next. Maybe Konus doesn't manufacture anything, just puts out some specs out there with other companies and then goes with the lowest bidder. But not the first time around. First time around they go with a better manufacturer, even if the make little or no profit. That stablishes them as a good deal for the money. THEN they go to the lowest bidder, when people are buying based on the cost/quality of the first manufacturer. And the quality is nowhere near as good as the first year or two of production.
Cheap is cheap, but sometimes one can luck out if at the beginning of a production run. You pay your money and you take your chances.
YMMV
Luisyamaha
I also have a Konus spotting scope and it has been better/sharper/clearer than another two spotters costing at least twice as much. I'm still using that one. It was about $200.00 a few years ago. No Kowa, but serviceable for 100 yards spotting while shooting with iron sights.
I think quality in cheaper optics tends to vary a lot from one year to the next. Maybe Konus doesn't manufacture anything, just puts out some specs out there with other companies and then goes with the lowest bidder. But not the first time around. First time around they go with a better manufacturer, even if the make little or no profit. That stablishes them as a good deal for the money. THEN they go to the lowest bidder, when people are buying based on the cost/quality of the first manufacturer. And the quality is nowhere near as good as the first year or two of production.
Cheap is cheap, but sometimes one can luck out if at the beginning of a production run. You pay your money and you take your chances.
YMMV
Luisyamaha
