As a rule I pay more for scopes than this example but it shows how low you can go and still shoot well. Six or so years ago I bought six Tasco Pronhorn scopes for 19.95 each. We have been shooting these scopes for those six years on high power rifles from 250 Savage to 300 Win Mag. No problems no change in impact, good clear sharp picture. I would not bet on the Pronhorn variables but those straight 4X are tough as hell. I would take them anywhere. Two of them have been to Canada twice hunting Black Bears. My wife has used one on her 250 Rem classic and its a tack driver. One is on my Brothers Ruger 77 300 Win Mag. He has a couple hundred rounds through it so far but he doesn't hunt much. They have proven themselves to me and I am going to pick up a few more while they are still making them.

Iv'e always wondered about this myself. I'm a leupold guy and have been since I could afford to put them on my rifles, clear and strong, never had a problem with them. Until that is, I ran into a guy from Iowa that was hunting the same piece of property that I was and we were standing by his truck talking about the elk and I noticed that he had a swarovski (sp?) scope on his gun so I ask if I could take a look since I've always wondered about them. All I can say is holy crap thats a good scope. Unfortunetly I don't have a couple of grand burning a hole in my pocket or I would run out and spend the money

If I had the money to top every rifle with a $2000+ Swarovski then you bet your sweet but I would do it. The only reason you go to work and make that money is to spend it. One way or another it's there to be spent.

Some people have more of it than others do and some people have a crap load of it. A $2000 scope to, lets say Donald Trump[], is like me spending about 25 cents on a scope at a garage sale.

You may as well spend it if you got it cause you sure as heck can't spend it when you are dead.

And unless you leave it to charity.......you can be certain your heirs will fight over what little the government doesn't steal, (death tax). So you get to really roll over in your grave......when you realize how much of your short life was spent pursuing......money!

P.S. It just occurred to me....."hunting license fee...for lifetime of hunting for money"............Death Tax!

I find that amusing (in a good way) because I have one of those Pronghorns on my Remington...for the past 5 years with no problems.

I have a limit and just can't bring myself to spend above that limit on a scope. It really comes down to budget(justifiable) and use for me. Since I have several rifles, bows and ML's I don't neccessarily buy the best of each piece but good quality items for each applications, seemily not skimping but as well not blowing a wad. I certainly will not spend 2000 bucks for a scope as I just don't see any benefits from my hunting usage standpoint. Pure and simple I want the best I can afford that will not comprimise my hunting & their are many scopes that fit that bill. I will be the first to admit my scopes are the best on the market but I can also say for the most part a good quality scope hasn't let me down. My suggestion is pay as much as you can afford for the glass you put on top. I have a general rule for my perdominant rifles as trying to top it with glass of equal value(of course this depends on price where you are at but here for an example: a VXIII will run about 850-1000cdn and most rifles 800 and up. All I am saying is to go buy a 1000 dollar gun and top it with walmart special isn't very smart, if you have a budget in mind don't forget the cost of glass, mounts and rings - take your 1200 budget and seperate it adequately or wait to save a few more dollars)

I will pay extra if I feel that the extra money will buy me some advantage.As such I have swarovski 3x10x42 A-line scopes mounted on my hunting rifles.They offer superior lenses and coatings and are brighter than the varixiii's that I used previously so I spent the extra $300 to buy the swarovskis.To me they are worth the extra cost.

PA BOWHNTR. I just have not been able to hurt one of those or cause it to do anything but work just fine year after year. I quess they have cost me about three dollars a year. So far I don't really know why I would want to spend more. You put the cross hair on the target and it hits it. The old Bushnell Sportview straight power line were the same way I had a 12X Silhouette scope with the auto range clicks for the different targets. Worked perfect for 12 years and thousands of rounds of 308 through two rifles. I then sold it for just about what I paid for it. I have a 3X9X40 Range finder Sport view that I have had for 30 years. This year I am going to send it in and have it cleaned and the adjustments checked. I have one of the 6X Sportviews left thats going on thirty years old and has been on some big rifles including a 416 Rem Mag. Still works perfect. They discontinued that line and replaced it with the Sportman line. I have not tried them YET.

In the end it boils down to this........are you happy with the scope you have? And does it work for you? If the answer to both of those questions is yes....then you obviously paid enough "for your scope". Because in the end...the only person that has to be happy with the scope on your rifle....is you!

What I might recommend to a person that just bought a Blaser, a Sauer, or a Merkel.......might well be different than what I'd recommend to a person that had just bought a Savage 110. (Simply because there seems to be a willingness, coupled with an ability....to purchase higher priced equipment. And please don't "beat me up" for talking about Savage....I own a Savage 111.)

But the bottom line really is.....are you happy with your scope? If so...you needn't have spent anymore!

I've had a chance to "take a peek" through some really high end scopes. To know what they are capable of is a whole 'nother topic indeed.

I suppose that it depends on what you're gonna use it for, that defines how much you're gonna spend on it.

Most guys, (like myself) will strap on a medium priced scope, shoot a bunch at the range, and be pretty carefull about how they handle it when out in the woods. There will be no adjustments made while "on" the hunt. It is what it is, and you shoot what you shoot. ( I use a vari-X III) )

All those numbers on the adjustment rings have little or no meaning when sighting it in...They are just "suggestions".

A sure enough high dollar scope, is much like a high dollar compass...All those numbers and marks really start meaning things when you know they will work when you mess with 'em.

Knowing that you can change your point of impact with precision at variable ranges is a very valuable tool for some folks.

I will admit, however, just having a scope that can do that is enough for some folks, they might want to have one just for the glamour of having one.

It's kind of like having the latest and greatest and most up to datest G.P.S. ...Just because they have one does not mean they have all the knowledge necessary to use it to it's fullest potential.

But that does'nt mean that it does not have it's place either.