School me on Riflescopes

[Beiruty]

I paid something like $720 for my Bushnell Elite 4500 4.5-30X50mm paired with my Tikka T3 30-06 cost some $625. I learned a lesson, get a quality base/ring. The one in the pic are garbage from Millet. Now I got 1 piece ring/base.

Hitting a 8" plate at 400 yrd is priceless (sorry I may not be able to repeat that )

Here is a pic:

[Warhammer]

OK, next question: My Remington 721 (.30-06) uses the same base as a 700. Should I go with the two-piece bases or the one piece base?

[canvasbck]

I own or at least have owned each of the following brands: Zeiss, Leupold, Redfield (the old ones made by Redfield and the new ones made by Leupold), Weaver (old one made back when Weaver still existed as a company), Bushnell, Simmons, Nikon, and a Tasco.

If I had to list these by quality without regard to price it would go (IMHO): Zeiss, Leupold, Nikon, Redfield, Simmons, Weaver, Bushnell, Tasco.

The only ones from this list that I would not purchase again are the Tasco and Bushnell.
The one that I like the best is without a doubt the Zeiss, but I freely admit that the most "bang for the buck" was the Nikon. If you look through the two side by side, the Zeiss is much clearer than the Nikon, but if your not looking side by side with an expensive scope, the Nikon has an excellent site picture.

Others have said to spend up to the value of your rifle for a scope, I tend to disagree. A Savage rifle will shoot as acurately as many other higher priced rifles, a cheap scope will not perform up to the level of a more expensive one. If given the choice between a Savage rifle topped with a Zeiss or a high end Weatherby topped with a Tasco, I'll take the Savage/Zeiss.

Bases/Rings, I highly reccomend Leupold mounted by someone other than me.

Edit to add, I didn't mean to sound like an optics snob, lots of hunters out there using Bushnell and Tasco scopes successfully. At the end of the day, their deer are just as dead as mine.

[Beiruty]

Bushnell should be next to Leupold and Nikon. The Elite series is an excellent choice. Great optics at hi zoom my even has focus correction dial with a range scale! Double as range finder on the cheap

[Bennies]

I see the "junk" statement a lot. Not knowing much about scopes myself I wonder what it's based on? Are you saying a $100 scope won't hold zero? --that would obviously make it worthless. If so, is there some objective evidence for this claim or is it anecdotal? What precisely makes a $600 scope worth six times the price of the $100 scope? Are you talking about actual functional differences or something more subjective, like "quality," or the difference between nice and necessary?

This discussion reminds me of the one about how much to spend on speakers for your stereo system. Off the top of my head I can point out a few differences between a good scope and a "junk" scope.

A good rifle scope is a precision assembly consisting of mechanical and optical components. Just "holding zero" isn't good enough. Not only must it hold zero it must be capable of being adjusted without significant hysteresis. A good scope can be adjusted to 1/4 MOA rather than 1 MOA for cheaper scopes. A good variable power scope will hold the same point of aim throughout the range of magnification. A poor (junk) scope may not. A good scope will withstand the effects of constant recoil without moving the point of aim.

The light gathering power of a scope is also important. Poor (junk) optics will look dark, making it harder to find your target under low light conditions. The image quality of a poor scope will be blurry and not as sharp as a good scope. Good scopes are manufactured with high quality optical glass rather than inferior glass or plastic. A good scope has coated optics which result in a better focus across the spectrum of light.

The materials used to manufacture a good scope are more expensive than a poor (junk) scope. A good scope is made from anodized aluminum, which is strong, light weight and resistant to corrosion. A poor (junk) scope is made of carbon steel or plastic. The scope tube for a good scope is manufactured to tight tolerances and is hermatically sealed so that moist air can not enter the scope and create a fog. When subjected to extreme cold, a poor (junk) scope will let in moist air into the tube and fog the lenses.

Whether or not a $600 scope is worth six times the price of the $100 scope is up to the consumer.

That's all I can think of right now.

A good list of objective considerations but I'm not sure how to apply it. I agree that not holding zero, changing aimpoint with magnification, and fogging, are characteristics of a junk scope. However, I can see a number of under $100 scopes on Amazon (and other places) that feature 1/4 MOA adjustment with good user reviews that cover a number of the other considerations such as fogging and low light visibility. If I go a little higher on price I see a $150 Nikon 3-9X scope on Amazon that has a lifetime warranty, 1/4 MOA adjustment, bullet drop compensation, and is nitrogen filled and supposed to be water proof/fog proof. This particular scope has excellent user reviews. I can't tell if it satisfies everything on your list, but it seems to cover all the important ones. What would another $450 get me?

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-ProStaff-3- ... d_sbs_sg_2

That Nikon is free on amazon right now. Must be a typo.

[Keith B]

If you place the order, it comes back after placed and says the price isn't available and they will email you with a price. Very misleading.

[The Annoyed Man]

My son has a Horus scope on one of his rifles. The reticle is a little bit busy, but it works exactly as advertised, and the optics are nice and clear. He bought the Hawk model from SFWFA for about $550. I am pretty impressed with it for the price. The reticle is mil-dot, and the elevation and windage adjusts in .1 mil increments. I've become a huge fan of mil/mil/mil scopes.

[Pawpaw]

Now it says it's $141.99.

[Beiruty]

There is a new technology that I would love to see on more scopes, something like this one, called laser/scope, this one is from Buris, called the Eliminator :

[canvasbck]

Bushnell should be next to Leupold and Nikon. The Elite series is an excellent choice. Great optics at hi zoom my even has focus correction dial with a range scale! Double as range finder on the cheap

It is my understanding that the Elite (Bushnell upper end scope) is a good one, the Bushnell I was ranking was one of Bushnell's lower/midrange scopes.

Some companies, like Bushnell, make upper end scopes that compete with "standard" Leupold scopes, but due to the lack of quality in their lower end scopes, I cannot rate them in the same class as Leupold who doesn't really make a lower end scope. Even their VXII is a pretty good scope.

[Beiruty]

Bushnell should be next to Leupold and Nikon. The Elite series is an excellent choice. Great optics at hi zoom my even has focus correction dial with a range scale! Double as range finder on the cheap

It is my understanding that the Elite (Bushnell upper end scope) is a good one, the Bushnell I was ranking was one of Bushnell's lower/midrange scopes.

Some companies, like Bushnell, make upper end scopes that compete with "standard" Leupold scopes, but due to the lack of quality in their lower end scopes, I cannot rate them in the same class as Leupold who doesn't really make a lower end scope.
Even their VXII is a pretty good scope.

I heard that if the money is not an issue you go for nightforce. Not sure if it is the ubber optics.

[Bennies]

If you place the order, it comes back after placed and says the price isn't available and they will email you with a price. Very misleading.

When does it come back. All i have gotten was an auto confirmation for the purchase. All i payed was 6 $ and some change for shipping but it seemed to go through. I know its too good to be true but i had to try.

[Keith B]

If you place the order, it comes back after placed and says the price isn't available and they will email you with a price. Very misleading.

When does it come back. All i have gotten was an auto confirmation for the purchase. All i payed was 6 $ and some change for shipping but it seemed to go through. I know its too good to be true but i had to try.

Go look at your order and it should show you that they need to email you with a price.

[Bennies]

If you place the order, it comes back after placed and says the price isn't available and they will email you with a price. Very misleading.

When does it come back. All i have gotten was an auto confirmation for the purchase. All i payed was 6 $ and some change for shipping but it seemed to go through. I know its too good to be true but i had to try.

Go look at your order and it should show you that they need to email you with a price.

Sure enough it was not in the email so I looked at the invoice at it stated they would e mail me with the final cost for approval.

[jmra]

Nikon Prostaff 3x9x50. On sale at cabelas for $150. Add leupold mounts for another $80. Just put this combo on a Weatherby Vanguard 243 youth model for my 9 and 10 year old sons. First season hunting 4 dear down with 4 shots all over 100 yards.
Looked at the leupold for twice the money - couldn't see much difference.