New to Hunting..Which hunting rifle is top quality for around $600.
12-10-2010, 09:30 AM
#21
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SE Wisc
Posts: 677
I would look at savage or Marlin for a reasonable cost rifle. They are good quality. About $400-$450.. then i would take the rest and get a decent scope. you will then have a rifle that will serve you well. At $600 you won't be able to get a 700, Abolt etc and afford a scope since those generally cost about $650 just for the rifle. I have both savage and Marlin and both are fantastic for the price.
12-10-2010, 06:45 PM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NE Alabama
Posts: 1,060
That's seriously the worst recommendation I've seen in quite a while. You'd be much better off with a Redfield if you had to go with a Leupold. However, you could get much better glass with a Viper that's on clearance. Or heck you could get much better glass from a Vortex Diamondback or Burris FFII for similar prices if you don't like the Vipers. The Vipers are the best bet in that price range though as long as they are on clearance. Another good choice on sale is the Nikon Monarch UCC's for $200. I've got a Leupold VX-I that's a step above a rifleman and the glass is no where close to a Burris FFII or a Vortex Diamondback. The adjustments don't track anywhere close to being accurate, and it doesn't seem like the most durable scope. The only good thing I see about it is Leupolds customer service. The Nikon Monarch and Vortex Viper are even a ton better than a Burris FFII and thanks to being on clearance are in that price range.
Here is a great thread to read on scopes under $200
http://opticstalk.com/inexpensive-sc...opic21176.html
This doesn't include the Viper or the Monarch as they weren't on sale when this was written.
Here is a great thread to read on scopes under $200
http://opticstalk.com/inexpensive-sc...opic21176.html
This doesn't include the Viper or the Monarch as they weren't on sale when this was written.
12-10-2010, 07:42 PM
#27
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,519
Even if they do work and hold up, which quite a few probably will. They still have horrible glass along with 1/2" MOA turrets, which I'm not sure why you'd want. The quality just isn't there on them. You can get way better scopes for less money.
12-10-2010, 08:09 PM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Idaho
Posts: 1,081
I would not own a Vortex and have owned several Nikons, they have good optics but for durability they dont have it. Last year I went through two Buckmasters and a Monarch, after riding arround on my four wheeler they literally started falling apart, sent the first Buckmaster back, they sent me a new one, after it did the same I up graded to the Monarch, figuring it would be better, just more expensive junk, after it did the same i got rid of all Nikons and replaced every scope I own with Leupolds, needless to say I havnt had a bit of trouble since, Leupolds are at least four times the scope a Nikon is. And they are American made, very important to me, i try to help are failing economy by buying only American made products.
12-10-2010, 08:15 PM
#29
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Idaho
Posts: 1,081
Have you ever owned a Leupold? Obviously not! Where do you get that they only have 1/2" moa adjustment. Do you know that there is more Leupold scopes used by our millitary snipers than any all other scope manufactors out there, including Nightforce and Schmidt & Bender?
12-10-2010, 08:32 PM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,519
As for adjustments. The Rifleman line has 1/2" moa adjustment. Don't believe me look it up. The Rifleman isn't a VX-3. The VX-II and up scopes aren't bad. I'm not crazy about them just because you can get better glass for your money from other companies, but none the less they are good scopes. The VX-I and even more so the Rifleman are not however, and they are no where near the quality of the VX-II and above. How many VX-I's and Rifleman's have you had?
As for not owning Vortex, well that's your loss. They have the durability on their higher end scopes as well as great glass. As for the Nikons, you are probably either telling us some BS, or doing something else wrong if you are going through that many.
You could take a Simmons 8 Point and a Leupold VX-3 and switch the labels around them and most of the guys on this site would swear that the Simmons was the better scope just because it said Leupold on it.
Just to prove that you are full of it, here is a link to the Rifleman on Leupolds website.
http://leupold.com/hunting-and-shoot...eman-3-9x40mm/
If you notice it will say 1/2" moa friction adjustments.
Not to mention that Leupold's glass is not made in America. They get their glass from other countries just like most other scope manufacturers.
The military is not using Leupold Rifleman scopes either. Not to mention they use whoever they can get the best deal with, not the best product. Just out of curiosity, and I'm not saying you are wrong, but do you have any links to statistics to back up your claim that more Leupolds are used by the military than any other brand?
Last edited by hometheaterman; 12-10-2010 at 08:44 PM.