RE: Your take on scopes
 

Used to own? Whywould you sell them? If they were good, why not keep them? If they weren't why did you buy more than one?

Other than the Leupolds i gave away as personal gifts, i think i still have every one i ever put on a rifle i hunted with. I may have sold a rifle, but i sure as heck didn't sell a scope that was expensive, andhad proven it'squality to me.

I've never had a disposable income, so i try to buy the best i can afford, and then keep it untill it dies... So far, none of them have died... lol

DM

RE: Your take on scopes
 

I sold my Leupolds to replace them with scopes that offer me superior optics.I bought most of those scopes many years ago whem Leupold offered a superior product for the price.However,over the last ten years or so,the competition has caught up,and in my opinion offers even more value for the price.The most Leupold that I sold was a VXIII 6.5x20x40 that I grew tired of having to move my head back and forth whenever I adjusted the magnification.I bought it because I wanted a lower mounted 40mm scope in that magnification range,but then realized that I was better off with a slightly higher mounted 50mm scope without the hugely varying eye relief.

RE: Your take on scopes
 

I haven't bought a new Leupold in a long long time... The old ones are working just fine... BUT, i did buy a Zeissa fewmonths ago, and it's going on my"go to"gun...

IF i had been making money all those years instead of spending so much time hunting, i could now replace all of my scopes over and over to get what ever i wanted... lol

DM

RE: Your take on scopes
 

I have been working all those years,but I have a generous vacation that enables me to hunt 6 weeks or so ever year if I choose.I usually hunt for a month.

RE: Your take on scopes
 

I guess besides local hunting, i hunted about 3 months a year, mostly fly in hunts... I did have to work some though, as i didn't want to be in debt as i got older. Now i'molder, and glad i AT LEAST didthat much... lol

DM

RE: Your take on scopes
 

That's your perogative, since PERSONALLY, I don't see any difference between a <$75 scope and a <$150 scope, whereas I see a world of difference between a <$75 scope and a >$150 scope. Are you better off going:

1) from a Bushnell Sportsman 3-9x (@$50)to a Bushnell Banner 3-9x (@$150)?

OR

2)from a Bushnell Sportsman 3-9x (@$50)to a Bushnell 3200 3-9x (@$220)?

My point remains that you can spend <$75 on a scope, and you're going to have to more than double that to get into something like a Bushnell 3200. No, you don't get a lot more for your money after that, but considering what's available under $150 these days (not eBay, not closeout sales), you're not gaining anything appreciable over the <$75 you already spent. So,hunt with your <$75 scope until you can save up for something in the >$150 - <$300 range.

Now, I DO agree that you're not going to gain much going from a Bushnell 3200 to a Bushnell 4200 for what you're going to pay.

RE: Your take on scopes
 

Either of these would be a significant step up from the Banner scopes, and a world apart from the Sportsman scopes you mention. The prices shown were readily retrieved via Google: none areclose-out or ebay prices.

************************************************** *****************************
Bushnell Legend 3-9x40:





Legend Riflescopes


It's durable, it's dependable and, plainly said, you won't find a more rugged, high-performance scope that offers more features and such a large field-of-view at a comparable price. The outstanding fully multi-coated optics provide an impressive 91% light transmission, giving you a scope that's not only tough, but packs the performance you expect from Bushnell.® Featuring a very wide field-of-view and extra long 3.5" eye relief for instant target acquisition you can be confident that your scope won't fail you at that key moment.


[ul]Features[*]Wide-angle field-of-view[*]Fully multi-coated optics[*]Rugged shockproof construction[*]100% waterproof/fogproof construction[*]Dry-nitrogen filled[*]1/4 M.O.A. fingertip, audible / resettable windage and elevation adjustment[*]3 1/2" eye relief[*]91% total light transmission[*]Fast-focus eyepiece [/ul]

$128 at OpticsPlanet

$128 at Bushnelloptics

$129 at Amazon

$130 at Budsgunshop

$134 at BearBasin

$135 at SWFA
************************************************** *****************************
Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40:






The Elite® 3200 offers multi-coated optics for generous light transmission and crisp image quality. Our exclusive, patented Rainguard® lens coating reduces large drops of water to near-microscopic specks, dramatically increasing light transmission and resulting in a remarkably clear image in wet weather.
The Elite 3200 riflescopes feature a rugged, one-piece aluminum tube. And, like the 4200, this scope is tested to rigorous standards – recoil tested to 1,000 rounds of a .375 H&H magnum. The 3200 offers everything the avid hunter requires.


[ul]Features[*]Rainguard®[*]Multi-coated optics[*]Magnum recoil-proof construction[*]One-piece hammer-forged tube[*]100% waterproof/fogproof
/shockproof construction[*]Dry-nitrogen filled[*]1/4 M.O.A. or finer fingertip, audible/resettable windage and elevation adjustment[*]Elite® Bullet-Proof Warranty[*]"No Questions Asked" one- year replacement (U.S. only) [/ul]


Rainguard® Bushnell’s permanent, patented, hydrophobic (water-repellant) lens coating prevents fogging by causing condensation from rain, sleet, snow or even your own breath to bead up into much smaller droplets than on standard coatings. Smaller droplets scatter less light which results in a clearer, brighter view. Now the hunter won’t miss the shot of a lifetime because of rain or accidentally breathing on his eyepiece.


$164 at Budsgunshop

$175 at SWFA

$175 at Gunshopfinder

$179 at BearBasin

$179 at scopesnmore

$185 at TacticalSight

$186 at Overstock.com

$187 at Amazon

$199 at dozens of other places
************************************************** *****************************


So, if you'll begrudge me an extra $14, "about" $150 will show an incredible amount of difference compared to a $75 scope, or anything below. I'd wager the same for the Legend scope, at $20 less than the $150 limit.

Our nitpicking aside, anyone looking at a scope must use their own eyes to make a choice. Nobody else will be looking through their scope, so they have to set their budget, then see what scopes their eyes like best within that budget.

FC

RE: Your take on scopes
 

Back in 1973 I bought a 700 Remington 270 and put on a Weaver scope which was considered a very good scope. It worked well for 30 years and something went wrong inside the scope and I needed to replace it. A friend talked me into buying a Bushnell Banner for a little over $100. It is a far superior scope to the old Weaver. I was amazed at how well you could see in low-light conditions. I have since put them on 3 more rifles. I have been using the first one for several years with no problem. Haven't had to move it at all. Until I have a problem with one, I will say they are very good scopes. The price of a gun has nothing to do with the price of a scope.

If spending a month's wages on a scope makes you more confident and you think it makes you a better hunter, by all means go for it. I believe the increase in the quality of scopes diminishes hugely as the price goes up, especially above a couple hundred dollars.

RE: Your take on scopes
 

Well said. All my rifles have $120-150 Bushnell Legend scopes riding on top of them. I do find a qualitydifference between these scopes and the $50-100 scopes. I findonly a small difference between the $120-150 scopes and the scopes greater than $200. I like the Bushnell 3200So I am willing to spend a little moreto get this scope.

RE: Your take on scopes
 

I probably don't "match" the purchase price of the gun with optics but I come close in many situations. I shoot mostly Leupold scopes and a few Elite.. I really like the Ziess Conquest for the money spent, will probably set my next rifle up with this scope..