I see a lots of posts about scope selection here and find many people that choose the cheap models, and to me they steer people wrong.
Please don't take this wrong, I am no elitest! I consider myself to be "thrifty."
I don't shoot 3000.00 custom rifles with scopes that cost almost as much! I shoot production rifles with "quality" glass on top.
So with that being said, here goes:
When looking for a scope (or anything else for that matter) remember the old saying "you get what you pay for!"
Here is where the quality curve comes in. While some will say "I have used a cheap Brand X for years with no failures," I don't argue that they haven't. You can get a good or bad scope in any brand.
But.... quality does cost money. Better materials and workmanship cost!
Beyond the material cost difference, I believe that the big differnces start in the quality control area. Mass production brings cost down, but some companies will sacrifice higher quality for more production! So your chance of getting a dud will be higher with the cheap models. You might be one of the lucky that get a good one, but the odds are against you.
I do think that at some point in the quality curve, you will be paying for more than you will ever need! If you can afford that luxury, that is fine too! I'd rather be over prepared than have a scope fail me on a hunt! (That one failure could be on a once in a lifetime buck! What dollar figure could you put on that?) Believe me, I've been there and done that!
So for me I'll always have a Leupold or better, from now on.
I would suggest to new scope buyers to sacrifice in another area of their hunting budget and at least go with a mid priced optics in Leupold, Burris, or Nikon scopes, just to name a few. You will NOT be sorry in the long run!