Why are so many high end scopes up for resale

[INShooter]

Try going to a Benchrest match on Thursday or Friday before the match starts on Saturday. This is when you can talk to shooters and then you will find them willing to answer questions. Once the match starts most shooters are focused on reloading, cleaning or shooting. They won't have time for distractions.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

There are some who are never satisfied w/anything they buy.
Sometimes its a case of having to much money, so they have
to have the latest and greatest, so they think.
LDS

What does it mean, “too much money”?

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

I’m in northern Delaware, just a couple hours north of you. You could come up for a “look see” if you want. I have a NF 12-42 Bench, 8-32 NSX, Sightron 10-50s, Weaver t36s, a Golden Eagle and some others.

Where in Delaware do you live? That's a very kind offer.

 

[JFrank]

I’ wonder what the profit margin is on a so called high end scope?
I’ll bet you’d be surprised .

 

[LarryDScott]

What does it mean, “too much money”?

That to me means when a person has enough money to try
any brand of his choosing and if he doesnt like it, sells it.
Those are buyers who aren't satisfied w/ most things
they buy.
Us po folks have to use what we can afford, because
we cant afford to lose money to sell it. LDS

 

[243winxb]

When a scope fails, its sent back to the factory for repair. No scope for 2 to 6 weeks.

What would you do if the shoot was next week? Buy a new scope.

The repaired scope may get sold later?

profit margin

From distributer to list price 40% markup. More if retail outlet is large enough to buy factory direct and skip the distributer.
There are dealer programs available.
The list price is discounted 10/20% to the customer. More if it becomes an old model when the newest, latest, greatest model comes out the next year.

 

[oldduc]

That to me means when a person has enough money to try
any brand of his choosing and if he doesnt like it, sells it.
Those are buyers who aren't satisfied w/ most things
they buy.
Us po folks have to use what we can afford, because
we cant afford to lose money to sell it. LDS

I understand what you're saying, but technically, you don't lose money when you sell something. The purchase price is a "sunk cost" that you "write off". When you sell it for less than you paid for it, the difference is the cost of trying it, using it, etc. Hopefully you got your money's worth.

 

[JFrank]

When a scope fails, its sent back to the factory for repair. No scope for 2 to 6 weeks.

What would you do if the shoot was next week? Buy a new scope.

The repaired scope may get sold later?



From distributer to list price 40% markup. More if retail outlet is large enough to buy factory direct and skip the distributer.
There are dealer programs available.
The list price is discounted 10/20% to the customer. More if it becomes an old model when the newest, latest, greatest model comes out the next year.

From manufacturing to customers, 70% maybe

 

[Laurie]

I only buy two types of scopes these days. Weaver fixed 36s and Sightron 111 10-50s. Used prices are great for my wallet!

All I have these days are SIII 8-32s and a trio of older Nightforces. Works for me, but maybe not for others. If you don't want or need very high mags, I believe the Sightron 8-32 is superior to the 10-50. Apart from a couple of cheapo' Chinese jobs all I have left now other than those are a Sightron SII 36X BR scope and - potentially now my most valuable optical piece - an elderly externally adjusted Lyman 20X Superspot, the type that mimics Unertls. I bought it (used) for £250 (pounds sterling) complete with wooden case some 15 or so years ago when I acquired a mint BSA Martini International Mk 5 22 match rifle and found that I couldn't see much through its iron sights. I don't know its UK value these days, but notice that some attract over $1,000 in the US on Ebay. It went on the BSA on receipt, has never been removed since, and will likely only leave when I get my own wooden box, Heh! Heh!.

 

[cheek9075]

I have purchased all my scopes (top end as other have called them) used and guess I've been lucky to have always got a good one. I have also sold a couple, march, nightforce. Reason they where sold, I didnt like them for one reason or another, fixed power, reticle, etc. I sold them and replaced them with other nightforce.

 

[bcarico]

Another thing to point out is if poor folks like me need some cash, it is easy to move a scope and keep a rifle. Then replace the scope at a later date.

 

[JFrank]

I once bought a Nightforce SHV
$1300 bucks, my wife just looked at me like..really?
Took it home and compared the glass to my 3-15 swfa
It was NOT that much better Glass so I returned it the next day.
Settled on a 8-32x56 Sightron for half the $

 

[B Nettesheim]

I am trying out a new reticle, that’s the only reason I’m selling my scope.

 

[DennisH]

Scope quality overall has improved with many companies.

People are choosing to replace their High End Scope and using the funds to buy "several" lower priced scopes.

I have/had March, US Optics, Zeiss, and several below these.

IMO, it's hard to beat the NightForce BR Scopes, and they are reasonably priced.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I was told by a Engineer " It is more as to what your eyes like in a scope "

I had to have a GE . I set it up shot it a few times and just didn't care for what I was looking at .
I moved to a Sightron based on a Friends ravening on them .
I do like the glass for my eyes . Time will tell hope to shoot a Match next week ?

 

[hogpatrol]

Scope glass quality has taken leaps and bounds over the last decade or so. A high end scope today will likely be surpassed in a year or so with one with better glass and possibly at a lower price. I'm sure most shooters have noticed the intense competition in this arena.

 

[K22]

I saw something similar when I shot competitive bulls eyes pistol for 30 years. The poor shooters were always trading for something else hoping to improve their scores instead of paying the price of "quality" practice time. I never saw it work despite some very high quality pistols on the line by these shooters.

PS: Of course, as baseline, in those days you did need to have your 45 ACP accurized since there weren't any factory offerings capable of X ring accuracy at 50 yards, even the Colt Gold Cup had to be worked on. In the rim fire arena however there were many factory offerings capable of competitive accuracy with decent ammunition. The Hi Standard Citation was a reasonable priced pistol capable of winning matches. Of course there was the fine S&W Model 41 and Browning Metalist. For revolver shooters there was the S&W Model 17 and the Colt Officer's Model Match both capable of "X ring accuracy with quality ammunition. These revolvers had 38 special center fire counterparts which were capable also.

Bottom Line: if you have something capable of X ring precision then it become a matter of shooter performance.

 

[DennisH]

I was told by a Engineer " It is more as to what your eyes like in a scope "

I had to have a GE . I set it up shot it a few times and just didn't care for what I was looking at .
I moved to a Sightron based on a Friends ravening on them .
I do like the glass for my eyes . Time will tell hope to shoot a Match next week ?

FWIW, I have to use like many "reading glasses"!

There are some scopes I have to use my glasses to see the reticle. There's others I can see crystal clear through with "NO" glasses at all.

I settled on NightForce. Many others were clear (without my glasses on), but some Scopes were just a blur. These were "great" rated scopes as well.

I will state I have a few Vortex's on my hunting rifles and a few Ziess's. I can see perfectly out of these without reading glasses.

Swarovski are very clear scopes, I wish they offered Bench Rest scopes. March, Swarovski, Zeiss, and NightForce are all very close in my opinion. I will state March and Swarovski view are a "few" percent better, especially cutting through the humid morning fog! NightForce was so close in quality, and priced just right. I have several now vs. just having one March Scope. If I were loaded, I would have all March's. This is just my opinion.

I love having a Scope that makes a 3" spotter look like a "Pie Plate" at 600 yards, crystal clear! The 55 power setting on my BR NightForce will make this happen on a good morning.

NOTE: Yesterday I just had my eye exam. I took several eye test along with the regular exam.

I am 64, and the Doctor told me I scored the highest on distance tests he has ever seen. Not bragging, but I did ask the Doctor "why" I needed glasses to read a book, or see the reticle through a Scope! He didn't have an answer! The distance tests, 15 objects showed up on the reading screen, similiar to a screen the Drivers License office uses. You had to pick an "odd" number or letter in the squares out of 4 choices. I made it to the 11th square. The other 4 looked like a pencil dot! These letters/numbers looked almost the same as they kept getting smaller. Example: C and a O. The also had some images of their own on the test.

Everybody's eyes are different, so you will have to test scopes with your own eyes.

FWIW, on my 338 Edge hunting rifle, I originally dialed in a load with a Vortex Scope mounted on it. I like it so much, I left the scope on the rifle and bought another one. IMO, for me, it the best value for a hunting scope. I don't mind hauling this scope in the woods, and don't worry about it. The Vortex is still taking the pounding of over 100 grains of powder, and still is dead on. Last season I made a 300 yard shot and the target just dropped in it's tracks. My POI was perfect on the target.

I have used 12x42 NightForce BR Scopes on a hunting rifle. I like the "lighted" center dot in the early hours of the day. Plus it was perfect for the 500 yard plus shots.

I hope this helps "someone else", find a scope for "YOUR" eyes!

As Don stated above:

I was told by a Engineer " It is more as to what your eyes like in a scope "

 

[R.Morehouse]

I have a few of what would be considered top tier scopes that were bought used ( one recently here ). The scopes came from serious competitors that 1st had them on a scope checker and then used them in comp. for a season or so. I saved many hundreds over new and have confidence the scopes are working as the manufacturers intended. The classifieds here offer some great opportunities if you are patient and keep the funds ready to go at whatever price point you choose to commit to.

Regards
Rick

 

[Dave Way]

I had March 48X High Masters on three of my rifles. I had parted with some reloading items, barrels etc. and had enough extra cash to try out a Kahles K1050. Some will tell you the glass is not a good but to my eye the opposite is true. At 1K not only could I see the thin green magic marker line I had placed on the target, I could see 6mm bullet holes so long as the target had a couple that were less than an inch apart. With the March scopes, I could not.

At the same time, I’m sure others would look through both scopes and the results would be reversed as everyone’s eyesight is different.

Bottom line is I sold all three March 48’s on this site to fund two more K1050’s. There was nothing wrong with the March scopes other than the fact that to my eye the Kahles had better resolution. I always try to sell at very reasonable prices since we’re all fellow shooters here. They sold quickly.

Thats why three of the high end scopes you mention were recently listed here.

Dave.