mouthcaller

Corey,

I'm probably not the most knowledgable person here, but I am 47 and have been hunting and shooting since early childhood. My experience with rifles adn scopes is 25+ years, so take my opinion it for what it's worth.

I would not buy a cheap scope, regardless of the price of the rifle,period. Use open sights until you can afford something decent.

You can't shoot what you can't see. Cheap glass will eventually fail you. The scope will either fog, lack sufficient resolution in dim light, or fail to hold zero. I've seen it happen over, and over, and over again on my buddies and relatives guns when they try to go cheap. All those cheap Chinese-made scopes and binos look great in the store but fail to deliver in the field.

I don't think that you have to spend a great deal of money to buy a perfectly servicable, reliable riflescope. My rifles wear mid-priced scopes from top manufacturers and and I absolutely satisfied with them. Lately I have bought used scopes off ebay and they have turned out great.

The following are scopes mounted on my rifles that I can strongly endorse. They are all moderately priced:

1. $140.00 for a lightly used Nikon Buckmaster 3X9X40 on my Omega Muzzleloader. Super scope, very bright, lifetime warrenty thought I hear that Nikon's customer service is not very good.

2. $138.00 for a "used" (the scope was virtually new, no marks) Burris Fullfield II 3X9X40 with Ballistic plex reticle mounted ona Ruger M77 .270. Great scope, very clear. made in America, lifetime warrenty

3. $234.00 for a new Bushnell Elite 3200 in 4X12X40 with AO and ballistic plex reticle mounted on a Browning A-bolt in .270. Very nice scope with the rainguard coatings and ballistic reticle (retail list price $399.00). Lifetime warrenty, made in Japan, former B&L 3000 scope.

Scopes I would not buy: Nikon Prostaff, Tasco, BSA, Barska, Leupold Rifleman or VX-1, Bushnell other than theElite series, any of the "new" Redfields

Scopes in the "moderate" price range that I have read good things about and am interested in owning: Sightron SII, used Bushnell 4200 (saw a 3X9X40 the other day on ebay for less than $250.00), Nikon Monarch, another Burris.

corey012778

mouthcaller:

I have said a number of times in this thread as well as others that I was going to up grade. if fact, some of the scopes you have listed are the ones I am thinking about. I have missed 3 deer just last year with a tasco on my 30 - 06 but it was user error. another thing I can not use open sites on my muzzleloader, I bought it used and someone had removed them and don't see putting $40 pair of sights on it, when I only paid $40 for it. I am planning on getting a new muzzleloader next year with a better brand of scope. but like I said, I will be upgrading when I have saved up enough money too. I do have plans.

but there is on thing I do agree with ya, bsa really really suck, I know that first hand, I do have one problem with my tascos. when you sight them in, shot, sight to the hole, shot, sight to the hole. it is not really a problem, saves me ammo.

forestcure

I got a redfield a few years ago that was being discontinued for around $100. Retail around $250. I got it from sportsmansguide.com . That is a great place to get good deals on equipment. Trouble is, good deals only come around once in a great while.

corey012778

I know what you mean forestcure, a local gunshop moved and where clearing out some scope (mid to high end) they where not going to sell any more for at or below cost. I still did not have the money that was the only thing that kept me from buying one, that and hearing it from my wife

mouthcaller

forestcure,

If the Redfield you got wasmade bythe original Redfield company in Coloradoyou have a good scope but, unfortunately, no warranty. If it breaks you are up a creek. Redfield went out of business and the name was sold to another company who makes inferior scops using the Redfield name. The original Redfields were as good as, if not better opically, than Leupold. In fact, Leupold and Redfield were considered the premier optics manufactures in America. I have not looked at any of the "newer"Redfields but a couple of my friends have and they say the quality is not nearly the same.

I have two Redfields, both 3X9s. One is a top of the line Illuminator (great scope), the other is one of the "Widefield" models. The Illuminator is the probably the best scope I own. About 10 years ago I dropped the.270Winthat the Widefield was mounted on while pulling it up to my treestand one day and it hasn't been the same since. Unfortunatly for me I am SOL with that one - the "New" Redfield company does not honor the warrenty of older Redfield scopes.

Good luck

Mouthcaller

Cobra7

A store in Augusta GA. was selling Simmons 8-Point Scopes 3x9x50 for $50.00 so I bought one and put it on a Remington 700 300 Win. Mag for the fun of it and have shot 7 deer with it in the last 3 weeks. It has worked great so far even with the recoil of the 300!! No it does not gather a whole lot of light at dark thirty but it works alot better than I thought it would and has a lifetime warranty!!! Sean

Buckhunter46755

I bought a Simmons 4 x 32 Pro Series Diamond reticle shotgun scope for my Omega 50cal. at Walmart for $58. It has a 5" eye relief, good in low light, easy thumb and forfinger adjustments for sighting in. And has very clear optics. It comes with a lifetime warranty. And it is guaranteed not to have to be re-zeroed as long as the scope doesn't move. I am getting 3/4" groups at 100 yards and would put it up against the Nikons. Thats the craziest thing I've ever heard that you need a scope that costs twice what your gun did!!! JMO The shots on the black dots where XTP's theones in the middles are using SG 250gr. Shockwaves with 2- 50gr. 777 pellets. I shot all afternoon and the POI never changed. With my $58 lifetime warranty true zero guaranteed WallyWorldscope. LMAO

chris

Passafist

Way to go!!! That's what I'm talking about. No need to spend as much as the rifle cost on a scope in order to...get the job done.

corey012778

well when I think this thread finally dies it comes back to life. I was at the range today, shooting my Knight that I picked up for $40 with my 10 + year old tasco. high winds. I have shoot all but 9 loads before I notice my top turret was unscrewing, tightin it back down fired my last 9 off.



shot one mid low in 3 ring left (oops I jerked) (noticed the turret)
shot two not even half an inch below bull's (just after I fixxed the turret)
shot three left of shot two just in 2 ring
shot four just to the right of shot two
shot five was a shockwave that a guy let me try (aim point shot one)
shot six also a shockwave, I don't know if I missed or put it in the same hole as shot six (guy next to me said I put it in the same hole)
shot 7 almost off the target (oops I jerked again and damn that wind (wind kicked up to 20+ mph about the time I shot))
shot 8 to 10 where at 100 yrds, I got tired they where bad.

shots 1 to 4 and 7 where .430 xtp w/ green mmp sabots under 85 grs pyrodex p at 50 yrds . 8 to 10 where with 90 grs 100 yrds

five and six with 90 grs pyrodex p at 50 yrds

stuckinthereeds

Might also want to think of checking the pawn shops. Sometimes you can run across good gear for a really good price.