Rifle scopes/best bang for the buck

[huntinstuff]

I usually consider weight when choosing a scope

Nightforce are basically an impact weapon when it comes to weight as are the Vortex Razors

I have Leupold on everything.

Id like to try a Steiner someday tho. I know how good their binocs are.

[Scottmisfits]

If I had the budget, it would be Leupold or Schmidt and Bender. I only have experience with the S&B for 3 shots but it is used by military in different parts of the world. The glass was the clearast I've ever looked through, according to the owner it holds zero and track impeccably, but it does come at a cost.
Right now I have one lower end Leupold set up on a light weight rifle and it does well. I have a Vortex Diamondback Tactical on my 22 bolt and I'm very impressed with it. Vortex Diamondback HP on a couple of other rifles and they're ok, but not great. Only complaint is the glass clarity.
On another rifle I have a Cabela's Covenant (now branded the Covenant 4), and I like most of it. Glass is decent, repeatable, holds zero, but no zero stops with the exposed turrets, just like the Diamondback Tactical.

[Buckhead]

I favor Leupold for their light weight and generous eye relief.
And the fact I can send them to Korth if I need some work done.
But I wouldn't turn up my nose at a Nikon Monarch 3 or 5 either.

[elkhunter11]

With the rebates on, I would be looking at Bushnell for a decent scope at a lower price. That being said, I will stick with Swarovski and Zeiss myself.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Interesting observation , I was speaking with a very famous ex- sniper two years ago and he is still a Leupold fan, mentioning that he really liked their eye box .


The fact of the matter is that most of us worry about insignificant stuff like long distance shooting on hunting rifles or even target rifles when we don't put the number of rounds down range to make s difference.
Cat

I agree !00%. I have no need for my scopes to have the ability to distinguish Fly S --- from pepper at 1000yds. Keep your hunting distance sane and you wont need to worry about any of the mid priced scopes. Very few will ever need warranty.

[58thecat]

I just cant fathom putting a scope on a rifle that is twice as expensive as the rifle....I am a cheap bugger though

Freezer gets filled with what I run....I like the fancy stuff people have though...kinda like a super model showing up at Walmart.....

[Scottmisfits]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

I just cant fathom putting a scope on a rifle that is twice as expensive as the rifle....I am a cheap bugger though

Freezer gets filled with what I run....I like the fancy stuff people have though...kinda like a super model showing up at Walmart.....

Given the quality of some of the rifles and optics coming out today, you don't really need to follow that old addage. But some people still like to.

As a comparison to that, I have a Vortex Diamondback Tactical scope on my Savage MKII FV. It's pretty close to twice the price. Well over by the time you factor in the 20MOA rail and solid rings.

[BigJon]

I've had a couple leupolds go down but overall I think a used M8 4x or 6x is the best bang for buck hunting scope going.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by Scottmisfits

Given the quality of some of the rifles and optics coming out today, you don't really need to follow that old addage. But some people still like to.

As a comparison to that, I have a Vortex Diamondback Tactical scope on my Savage MKII FV. It's pretty close to twice the price. Well over by the time you factor in the 20MOA rail and solid rings.

The rig you describe, although nice, doesn't depict a dedicated hunting tool that I think the OP was referring to. As to quality of "todays" rifles you have obviously not used a quality rifle from days gone by when quality was not replaced by less cost to manufacture. Todays hunting scopes have improved somewhat but not enough to demand the 4X price tag compared to the older ones that are readily available in the used market. Most hunters will kill just as many animals with a $200.00 Scope Chief as they would with a new Tangent Theta.

[trigger7mm]

I currently have 5 Leupold scopes. I have been using them for 45 years, and they have never let me down. I’ve made thousands of miles with them riding in a rifle scabbard on trikes and quads. I accidentally ran over one with the truck once. Sent it to Korth in Okotoks, and had it back in under 2 weeks good as new.

[Stinky Coyote]

Leupold all the way. Buy once cry once. They have price ranges to suit rifle price ranges. The warranty. Also the customize ability...being able to send in for reticles/turrets of your preference to match a project, or be able to set a rifle up to it's potential, is a huge draw for me over and above the other obvious reasons.

[Scottmisfits]

Originally Posted by Salavee

The rig you describe, although nice, doesn't depict a dedicated hunting tool that I think the OP was referring to. As to quality of "todays" rifles you have obviously not used a quality rifle from days gone by when quality was not replaced by less cost to manufacture. Todays hunting scopes have improved somewhat but not enough to demand the 4X price tag compared to the older ones that are readily available in the used market. Most hunters will kill just as many animals with a $200.00 Scope Chief as they would with a new Tangent Theta.

One of the best made firearms I have is now over 100 years old and still shoots great. I may not be as experienced as some on here, but it still stands true. Some of today's "budget shooters" are quite capable. The modern scopes are are the same. Yes, there are manufacturing differences, cost cutting measures, as well as new technology to bring things up to par, or better.
As to the price tags of them, I agree. Things are more expensive in every aspect of life with the quality not being what it should to demand such a price tag, but such is the economy that we live in and we need to pay those prices, new or used, if we want these items.

What part did I miss? You quoted one comment. Just a few comments before I touted that I had a Leupold on a lightweight hunting rifle that I was quite happy with. And what you quoted was a comment to another comment that was quoted.

[manitou210]

I have Nightforce scope on f class gun its great.
But if your looking for a hunting scope for me there is any out there better than a old model leupold LPS mine is 30mm 2x to 10x they also have a 4 to 14x
I saw one not long ago for sale here
You will note be disappointed in a LPS

[heybert]

I use Leupolds exclusively, other than the old 4X Japanese made Bushnells on my rimfires. Haven’t had any fail me yet.

[harv3589]

I’m going to give a Nightforce SHV 3-10x42 on my rifle.

[357Maximum]

Sightron


Leupold


Zeiss

Sawvorski Z3

[jip911]

Like anything, it's all about its intended purpose. If I am buying a tool I am going to use once or twice I will buy a Ryobi or black and decker. If I am a home owner with a few projects on the go I might buy a ridgid or entry level DeWalt. If I am a professional and use it daily I am buying a top end DeWalt or Milwaukee.

Same logic applies to optics. If I'm shooting a 300 dollar savage I am not putting a 3-4k s&b or nightforce onto it but I may be willing to opt for a Leupold vs a budget Bushnell as I appreciate things like durability, warranty, glass quality etc. If I hunt one trip a year and don't intend on shooting long range the budget scope is going on.

I shoot allot, practice beyond 1k and have countless hours behind a scope. I certainly appreciate pro glass after using it all day at its limits. Leupolds while great scopes are not S&b, nightforce, razor line, khales, uso etc they definitely fall into that homeowner category.

It is all about perspective, if you handed someone who uses a drill once a year a Ryobi vs the top of the line DeWalt/Milwaukee and asked them to drive 5 screws they would have a very different perspective than someone who drives 500 screws a day. They might like the Ryobi as it has less torque, is probably lighter and comes with a bubble level gizmo that lets them know they are level. Now ask the professional and their take will be very different.

At the end of the day all drills will drive a screw and all scopes will magnify a target. Determine what features, glass quality, warranty, weight etc fits your intended purpose and buy the right tool for the job be it a entry level Bushnell or a top of the line s&b

J

[morinj]

Originally Posted by gunluvr

Pun intended ^^^^^
With Nikon out of the picture, in your opinion, which one brand gives the best value for $$, all things considered?

Hey gunluvr be sure to let us know which direction you went!!!

[Flight01]

Originally Posted by gunluvr

I dunno... I have a couple Bushnells that I'm more than happy with. An Elite 4500 and an Elite Tactical. Clarity, eye relief and price makes them as good or maybe even better than a couple of VXIIs I have. It's close. No warranty issues with either.

Elite had been a go to for me and my father on a few rifles. I have one vortex that is just as good.
I do plan on getting a leupold just to compare.

[Redneck 7]

Leupold, I have them for long range rifles, to a red dot for an ar platform. Even the freedom line up is a nice scope, at a good price. I think I’m around 11 Leupold’s, only scope I buy basically.

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by Redneck 7

Leupold, I have them for long range rifles, to a red dot for an ar platform. Even the freedom line up is a nice scope, at a good price. I think I’m around 11 Leupold’s, only scope I buy basically.

X2

[KazIce]

I bought a Nikon prostaff 7 4-12x last year and am very happy with it. Bought it on sale from Cabela’s for $430. Works great and I shoot spot on with it.

Higher end brands are better without a doubt, but in terms of budget I highly recommend Nikon.

Buy once cry once is a great philosophy. I just struggled to see the advantage that another $800 was going to give me since I don’t shoot long distance (400+ yards) on any sort of normal basis.

That said, the long distance rifle got a nightforce


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gunluvr]

Originally Posted by morinj

Hey gunluvr be sure to let us know which direction you went!!!

Actually, I'm not really in the market for another scope at the moment, though that could change soon.
I started this thread because of the disappointing news of Nikon ceasing rifle scope production. I've been very happy with the Nikon scopes I have. One of their most attractive qualities to me is their wide variety of models. I also have 3 Bushnells and 3 Leupolds and wanted to hear how others compare the two, in particular.
It seems the majority here endorse Leupold over most other brands. They've created a loyal following, no doubt.
As I also posted, I'm quite pleased with my Bushnells and am interested in knowing if others feel they can be as good of a value as Leupold, all things considered.
Bushnell seems to have a wider variety of models than Leupold,
mostly by what I see in the stores I visit.
When buying a new scope or rifle, I'm mostly motivated by being able to find the features I feel are needed for the application, then I make comparisons. By not being fiercely brand-loyal, I think I've made some good purchases this way.

[Flamehost32]

as for me I prefer Vortex Razors

[kingsizexx]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

I usually consider weight when choosing a scope

Nightforce are basically an impact weapon when it comes to weight as are the Vortex Razors

I have Leupold on everything.

Id like to try a Steiner someday tho. I know how good their binocs are.

Weight sometimes can be bypassed by the stance of the weapon has when holding, so better focus on quality of scope

[Ray Ray]

I have 2 Luepolds and 3 Zeiss. Both great for the money . Both brands good glass . Zeiss outdoes the Luepolds in low light conditions . Good glass worth the $ in my opinion

[roper1]

Couple Zeiss, half dozen Leupold, couple Bushnell. Straight budget for value, my Bushnells. I do only use them on my varmint bird guns though.

[abhunter8]

Nikon’s were my go to scopes for a good exchange of quality for price. Unfortunately with Nikon getting out of the rifle scope market and no longer honouring warranties I will have to go back to Leupold. That’s correct about the Nikon warranty... if they can’t repair they will offer you a modest credit towards camera equipment but will not be able to replace your rifle scope. That is as per Nikon’s corporate email reply to my warranty inquiry.

[huntwat]

In 45 years I have had weaver, bushnell trophy, bushnell elite, leupold VX ii and iii, vortex diamondback and viper. I only have bushnell elite 4200’s now. The only ones that I had no trouble with other than the weaver k4. Trophy would lose zero. Leupold wouldn’t track properly and turrets were hard to turn. . Diamondback fogged up. Viper didn’t track properly.
Maybe operator error, but still never had a problem with the elites.

[Dick284]

If you’re a set it and forget it guy, buy a Leupold.
If you’re a turret twister look at Sightron S111