The alaskan guide scopes are between 3-4 inches for eye relief and the compacts are closer to 4-5 inches. Thats pretty common from what I can tell. Certainly adequate for most guns. I did notice the leupold has a pretty generous amount of eye relief for all there models.

And I did some internet research and came up with something interesting about these scopes (alaskan guide models). I noticed that mine has a sticker that says inspected by Asia Optical Japan on it. So I tried to research the company. From what I can tell it is based out of Honk Kong but has plants in China in and Burma. There website makes it look like they mostly make glasses and frames, but here are some excerpts from an interview with the head guy in the Burma plant.





What are the main products and may we know the different stages of the production?
The main produce is producing lens of different sizes and shapes. Smoothing the surface of the lens and tinting with chosen colors. Clean the power lenses etc.

What is your main market?
The main customers are:- Japanese companies like, Sony, Pioneer, Kodak, Nikon, and Olympus.

We learnt also that you are joining with big companies and are producing Brand products is hat true, if so, with which companies you are collaborating with?
We are collaborating with following companies to produce Brand products. They are:-Bushnell, Canon, Copal, Epson, Hitachi, Kodak, Konica, Kyuceramita, Minolta, NEC, Nikon, Olympus, Omron, Panasonic, Pen tax, Pioneer, Ricoh, Sanyo, Sony, Sharp, Simmons, Topcon, Tasco, Xerox and local major electronic and computer companies.

We learnt that you are producing goods for other world standard level big companies what products you are producing for them?
We are producing and exporting our products to United States and Japan. We export products like, office machines, cameras, optical components, Riflescopes, Prisms Laser, Range Finders, Plastic Injections, camera cases and bags, DVD, Micro Motors, SMT & CIS electronic products.

I guess that last question pretty much says it all. If indeed this is the same company that the sticker on my scope is refering to I would assume this is who made it. Who knows however if it was made in Japan, China, or Burma? I have worked in factories that put made in the USA on thier product and the only thing they did here was put the stuff in the box and ship it out. Heck, at Tecumseh products most of the air conditioning pumps are being made in France and india, soon to be china. We ship them Made in the USA stickers to put on the pumps when they have never even been here!?

If I get the chance I might go to cabela's and see what some of the other scopes have on them for stickers and stuff. I want to see if some of them are different from what mine is. I'd like to take a look at the Outfitter scopes as well and see what they say. They look different in design, but that doesn't mean anything really. I almost bought an outfitter scope instead, but I wanted the Milldot reticle and the had basically the same scope in the Alaskan Guide series but with that reticle, and it was a few bucks less. I think the Outfitter scope did look slightler better though. I almost took mine back switched again but didn't feel like messing with. The one I have works fine considering it's on a rimfire .17 for crying out loud.

And I do sort of agree, It shouldn't be so hard to figure out where something is made. But cabela's is no different than any other place. Even other scope companies, they out source the work and put thier logo on it. Who really knows were any of it is made unless you know someone that works for them.

All I know is I looked at all the simular models in the display case (lots of them!) and picked the one I like the best in my price range, 150 to 350 dollars and this is the one I liked best (I actually spent a bit more than that). I even took three home to try out (one at a time of course). I did look at a leupold for 400 or so. It had slightly better optics from what I could tell, but I didn't like the way it looked or was built. Just a pet peeve thing for the most part. It didn't have click style adjustment screws, and the power and objective rings did not turn smooth. They were sort of gritty and tight. Plus the objective didn't focus down as close as the other ones did, I think it bottomed out at 50 yards if I remember correctly. I could be wrong about that though. Keeping in mind cabela's return policy I didn't think the extra money was worth it when I liked the other one better.

Paul

Heh Heh . . . this'll drive 'em nuts . . .
I think you and I travel the same wave-length. I just LOVE to research these various things and find out all the "secrets." It's fun to be an academic near-expert at times. I got into this over the Vanguard a couple of years ago . . . I am a walking encyclopedia of Vanguard info . . . and by dang it is right! Weatherby was MORE than willing to send me all kinds of info . . . neat company. Same with Tikkas accuracy claims. One of their managers, a personal letter by gum, sent me some info about a competition they were in . . . every "exspurt" on the now defunct "Shooters" from California to Australia disputed what I said . . . but I have been vindicated . . . Tikka put it in their FAQs on their website! . . . concerning the accuracy of the Tikka Continental. Oh well . . . those kind of people voted for Kerry

Well . . . here is what I found . . . Asia Optical is the largest optical maker in TAIWAN . . . your sticker is interesting . . . they probably assemble them in a garage in Japan [8D]. So we have TWO possibilities . . . Light Optical Works . . . who makes Weaver . . . and Asia Optical . . . I suspect they both have sweat shops all over the place.

Wouldn't it be nice if Cabelas would just "spill the beans" and stop all this speculation? Knowledge will set us free!

Paul . . . I do have to add a personal impression to all this scope stuff. I have used Weaver, Leupold, Simmons, and Bushnell. Never a Burris . . . although they are up the road in Greeley.

BUT . . . one day I went to a local store and looked at a Weaver Grand Slam. Gawd . . . was I ever impressed. The workmanship was fantastic. The box it came in was as purty as the scope! I put that thing up to my eye and it lit up the whole store. Now that may sound like an exaggeration . . . and it probably is . . . but it was bright and clear! Course it cost three times what I could afford [champagne desires and a beer budget]. It was definitely marked "Made in Japan."

But I would never hesitate to recommend a Leupold to anyone.

A good scope, for the money, are the Simmons 44MAGs and AETECS . . . both made in the Phillipines. Very well done.