Current Decent Scope Brands

[bibitor]

I was recently in the market for some optics for two different rifles. One was my new Bergara B-14 HMR in .308. Spent a lot of time talking with some real-world shooters and settled on the Primary Arms GLx 4-16x50FFP. For a budget brand their gold and platinum lines are well reviewed. I’m quite happy with the scope, but I’m a complete novice, so I’m interested in getting some feedback from a few other guys who know what they hell they’re looking through when I get out to the range with them next month.

16X is a bit much for the distances I’m looking to shoot, 400 yards on a regular basis and 800 yards when I can get to a range with that distance available, but your options get limited on magnification when looking at FFP scopes. Considering the cost, $700, the booshy brands were out of the question for anything FFP (which I wanted). My goal was to put together a serious LR rifle for under 2K, which I was able to do including glass, rail, rings, bipod, and extra magazines (I don’t want to talk about ammo, this is a completely new caliber for me and it’s painful). So far I’ve only been able to shoot to 200 yards, and it’s brilliant at that range. I may write-up a full report when my gun club gets the 400 yard berm in this spring.

 

[trickg]

I'm looking for a scope for my longer barreled AR. When I say "longer barreled," we're talking 18" as opposed to 16". I seriously doubt I'll ever need to shoot beyond 300 yards with it.

I haven't yet settled on anything yet. The plain old Burris Fullfield II seems to be priced pretty well. I had some experience with Burris in the past, but I don't know if Burris of today is what it was around 20 years ago when I last shot with one.

Vortex is high on the list, just because it's a name I read about a lot, as is Primary Arms, which seem to be pretty much the same optics with slightly different features and aesthetics.

 

[Augie]

I'm looking for a scope for my longer barreled AR. When I say "longer barreled," we're talking 18" as opposed to 16". I seriously doubt I'll ever need to shoot beyond 300 yards with it.

I haven't yet settled on anything yet. The plain old Burris Fullfield II seems to be priced pretty well. I had some experience with Burris in the past, but I don't know if Burris of today is what it was around 20 years ago when I last shot with one.

Vortex is high on the list, just because it's a name I read about a lot, as is Primary Arms, which seem to be pretty much the same optics with slightly different features and aesthetics.

I picked up one an Athlon Argos BTR Gen II 6-24 recently and for the price point it seems like a pretty nice scope. There are several YouTube reviews on it if you are interested. I caught it on sale and I think I paid just over 300. I had a couple mid grade Vortex Vipers and they did not work for my eyes, very sensitive to parallax for me.


https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1022373368?pid=934392

 

[SkiPatrolDude]

I think the Bushnell Forged line is very underrated.

I wouldn't pay full price though, but throughout the year you can find them at steep discounts, to the tune of 40-50%.

I've got a Bushnell 2.5-15x50 on my 18 inch AR and it tracks perfectly and has held zero without issue. First Focal Plane, Zero stop, locking turrets, great reticle (not illuminated), ultra clear glass and zero distortion, parallax from 10 yards to infinity, all in for under $400 on sale.

 

[calicojack]

I like Vortex a whole bunch, and their price is very competitive (and warranty is excellent). However you lose a bit of clarity in some of their budget optics and they tend to be heavy.

Totally agree, and I have a few Vortex scopes. I will also add that the eye relief in some of their models is not as good as other scopes.

Nikon was my go-to (esp. the Monarch) but alas, they are no longer made.

I got one Leupold and am disappointed (4.5-14X I think, was fairly expensive and now sitting on a shelf); but they have to be pretty good given the enthusiasm I have seen here by members that know their stuff.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Totally agree, and I have a few Vortex scopes. I will also add that the eye relief in some of their models is not as good as other scopes.

Nikon was my go-to (esp. the Monarch) but alas, they are no longer made.

I got one Leupold and am disappointed (4.5-14X I think, was fairly expensive and now sitting on a shelf); but they have to be pretty good given the enthusiasm I have seen here by members that know their stuff.

What issues are you having with your Leupold? As you mentioned, that's a lot of money to be sitting on the shelf. Let them make it right for you. They will if something is wrong.

 

[Pinecone]

I'm looking for a scope for my longer barreled AR. When I say "longer barreled," we're talking 18" as opposed to 16". I seriously doubt I'll ever need to shoot beyond 300 yards with it.

I haven't yet settled on anything yet. The plain old Burris Fullfield II seems to be priced pretty well. I had some experience with Burris in the past, but I don't know if Burris of today is what it was around 20 years ago when I last shot with one.

Vortex is high on the list, just because it's a name I read about a lot, as is Primary Arms, which seem to be pretty much the same optics with slightly different features and aesthetics.

I run 1x - 4 or 6 on my ARs.

6x is enough to reach out to 300 easily.

I have Burris MTac, Vortex Strike Eagle and a Vortex Viper PST.

They all work well.

But with optics, you get what you pay for (in general). So a

 

[trickg]

I run 1x - 4 or 6 on my ARs.

6x is enough to reach out to 300 easily.

I have Burris MTac, Vortex Strike Eagle and a Vortex Viper PST.

They all work well.

But with optics, you get what you pay for (in general). So a

Such as...?

[YT]lj3iNxZ8Dww[/YT]

I understand that you get what you pay for. There are a TON of options out there that are less than $100. These will not be finding their way onto my rifle. However, there comes a point with diminishing returns. A Schmidt and Bender on rifle that's barely a MOA rifle is going to be wasted money. There comes a point where "good enough" needs to be considered. I have no clue yet how accurate this AR is out of the box - it might be solid, it might be garbage - I have yet to fire it so I don't know yet. Surely there's a scope in the $200-$300 range that will be "good enough" for this gun so that I can shoot reasonably with it at the distances I'm planning to use it - probably under 300 yards.

This reminds me. One time at a gun show I was chatting with a vendor who quite proudly informed me, "I've got guys shooting 1/2 inch groups at 300 yards with my uppers!"

 

[smokey]

I have been thoroughly entertained by this thread over the past week or so. I do admit that I am a Leopold snob, when it comes to hunting rifles. All my big game rifles are topped with Leopolds ranging from a 2-7x33 for my muzzle loader and 3-9x40 and 4-12x40s on the centerfire rifles. I have read rave reviews on the vortex scopes, and somewhere I came across a "great deal" on a 3-9x40 so I bought one to have an extra scope laying around and to see if they are as good as I have read. All I can tell you is following my dog around my back yard after the sun set is that at 9x the image in the 3-9x40 leopold is as bright as the vortex at 6x. (Took the bolt out of the rifle with the Leopold and the vortex was not mounted on a gun for those wondering.) I was surprised how much brighter the Leopold was. Now, in Maryland shooting a deer just after legal start or just before legal end can certainly be done at 6 power so the vortex will work, but at least comparing those two scopes the Leopold wins hands down. I have to conclude that those that argue that the cheap scopes are just as good, do not hunt enough to be presented with shots in twilight when the better scopes shine. I have had the chance to look through friends rigs with swarvorski scopes. Those things are even brighter than the leopolds, however for me, I cannot justify the price difference to own them. Also in I have never had to pass on a legal shot because my scope was to dark, even right at the end of legal shooting time.

If one just shoots when the sun is up, at the range or when hunting , the cheaper scopes work fine, but I would sure hate to miss a trophy of a lifetime because I did not spend a bit more to get a Leopold that would allow me to take the shot.

Jack

What vortex vs what leupold? They both make scopes through the various quality levels. If you haven't yet, look in to trijicon. The optic clarity and brightness blows the doors off of everything but maybe steiner for scopes in the $700-1,000 range. Back in the gun counter days, I'd compare scopes in the counter during slow times. The far wall was a little over 100 yds and the rafters where it was dark was a good location to test brightness/clarity. The looking through the trijicons, you could see a lot of detail in the darker areas that just greyed out for other scopes.

 

[smokey]

Such as...?

[YT]lj3iNxZ8Dww[/YT]

I understand that you get what you pay for. There are a TON of options out there that are less than $100. These will not be finding their way onto my rifle. However, there comes a point with diminishing returns. A Schmidt and Bender on rifle that's barely a MOA rifle is going to be wasted money. There comes a point where "good enough" needs to be considered. I have no clue yet how accurate this AR is out of the box - it might be solid, it might be garbage - I have yet to fire it so I don't know yet. Surely there's a scope in the $200-$300 range that will be "good enough" for this gun so that I can shoot reasonably with it at the distances I'm planning to use it - probably under 300 yards.

This reminds me. One time at a gun show I was chatting with a vendor who quite proudly informed me, "I've got guys shooting 1/2 inch groups at 300 yards with my uppers!"

...that's true...

 

[trickg]

I have been thoroughly entertained by this thread over the past week or so. I do admit that I am a Leopold snob, when it comes to hunting rifles. All my big game rifles are topped with Leopolds ranging from a 2-7x33 for my muzzle loader and 3-9x40 and 4-12x40s on the centerfire rifles. I have read rave reviews on the vortex scopes, and somewhere I came across a "great deal" on a 3-9x40 so I bought one to have an extra scope laying around and to see if they are as good as I have read. All I can tell you is following my dog around my back yard after the sun set is that at 9x the image in the 3-9x40 leopold is as bright as the vortex at 6x. (Took the bolt out of the rifle with the Leopold and the vortex was not mounted on a gun for those wondering.) I was surprised how much brighter the Leopold was. Now, in Maryland shooting a deer just after legal start or just before legal end can certainly be done at 6 power so the vortex will work, but at least comparing those two scopes the Leopold wins hands down. I have to conclude that those that argue that the cheap scopes are just as good, do not hunt enough to be presented with shots in twilight when the better scopes shine. I have had the chance to look through friends rigs with swarvorski scopes. Those things are even brighter than the leopolds, however for me, I cannot justify the price difference to own them. Also in I have never had to pass on a legal shot because my scope was to dark, even right at the end of legal shooting time.

If one just shoots when the sun is up, at the range or when hunting , the cheaper scopes work fine, but I would sure hate to miss a trophy of a lifetime because I did not spend a bit more to get a Leopold that would allow me to take the shot.

Jack

I missed this post.

I have 3 scoped hunting rifles:

25-06 Mauser 98 sporter, topped with Redfield 3-9x40
35 Whelen 03A3 sporter, topped with Redfield 2-7x34
8mm Mauser 98 sporter, topped with Western Field 6x33 fixed

The newest of those scopes might be younger than me, but I'd say that it's probably 40+ years old, and the oldest ones are 50+ years old.

So here's a reality - barring an actual malfunction or breakage of those optics, I do not intend to replace any of them. I do intend to hunt with them - I haven't yet, but this is something I hope to do in my soft-retirement/retirement years, which are coming up pretty soon. if I'm out hunting and it gets too dark for the shot, I guess I'm just not going to get the shot, and I won't think about it too hard past that point - if it was meant to be, that trophy of a lifetime would have wandered into my field of view sooner.

I'd venture to guess that the Vortex you picked up is brighter than any rifle scope I currently own, and likely by a good bit.

 

[Pinecone]

Such as...?

I understand that you get what you pay for. There are a TON of options out there that are less than $100. These will not be finding their way onto my rifle. However, there comes a point with diminishing returns. A Schmidt and Bender on rifle that's barely a MOA rifle is going to be wasted money. There comes a point where "good enough" needs to be considered. I have no clue yet how accurate this AR is out of the box - it might be solid, it might be garbage - I have yet to fire it so I don't know yet. Surely there's a scope in the $200-$300 range that will be "good enough" for this gun so that I can shoot reasonably with it at the distances I'm planning to use it - probably under 300 yards.

I used be pay a lot of the rifle, and little for the optics. I have switched. I agree with the rule of thumb that you should spend at least as much for the optics as you paid for the rifle.

If you get a good scope and the rifle does not measure up, then get a new rifle.

Life is too short for poor optics or rifles that are not accurate at the ranges expected.

 

[trickg]

I used be pay a lot of the rifle, and little for the optics. I have switched. I agree with the rule of thumb that you should spend at least as much for the optics as you paid for the rifle.

If you get a good scope and the rifle does not measure up, then get a new rifle.

Life is too short for poor optics or rifles that are not accurate at the ranges expected.

I'm not sure I'd completely agree with that. For the average shooter, is there going to be a discernible difference between a $300 optic and a $600 optic in practical usage?

I've weighed out whether or not to put a real ACOG on my other AR, but that's putting a $1000 optic on a rifle that cost maybe $500 total - I put it together with a really cheap Delton blem HBAR rifle kit, and it shoots pretty well, but I currently have a Primary Arms 3x32 prism optic on it that I got on sale.

For comparison's sake, I'm a musician. I know guys who throw TONS of money at musical instruments that they can't even come close to fully utilizing. I've been gigging for money since I was 17, and I've always done it with pretty run-of-the-mill equipment - "pro" trumpets, to be sure, but nothing boutique, just an off-the-shelf Bach Stradivarius or similar.

I just can't justifiy the added expense for more - "decent" has always been good enough for what I need it to do.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I'm not sure I'd completely agree with that. For the average shooter, is there going to be a discernible difference between a $300 optic and a $600 optic

Absolutely not. Bet no one person who has replied to this entire thread carried a telescoped equipped hunting rifle during actual conditions more than 3 times in the last 5 days.
Hopefully I’m wrong.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I'm not sure I'd completely agree with that. For the average shooter, is there going to be a discernible difference between a $300 optic and a $600 optic in practical usage?

Trickg, meaning I agree with what your saying.

So far, I've heard about what real world shooters recommend, back yard comparisons while following a dog around in the back yard with bolt out, twilight trophy hunters,300 yd AR 15's blah blah blah. All kinds of crackerjack name brands. Rifles that are not accurate for the ranges expected that they be shot from. Gun counter days and looking at rafters.

Ill ask again, has anyone that responded to the thread actually carried for use a telescoped rifle more than three times in the past five days during actual hunting conditions?

 

[DaemonAssassin]

I'm not sure I'd completely agree with that. For the average shooter, is there going to be a discernible difference between a $300 optic and a $600 optic in practical usage?



Trickg, meaning I agree with what your saying.



So far, I've heard about what real world shooters recommend, back yard comparisons while following a dog around in the back yard with bolt out, twilight trophy hunters,300 yd AR 15's blah blah blah. All kinds of crackerjack name brands. Rifles that are not accurate for the ranges expected that they be shot from. Gun counter days and looking at rafters.



Ill ask again, has anyone that responded to the thread actually carried for use a telescoped rifle more than three times in the past five days during actual hunting conditions?

In the past 5 days, no. During WV deer season, yes. Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24 on a 300BLK SBR. Vortex Crossfire II 3-9x40 on a full size 300BLK. I also ran a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24X50 on a bolt gun.

I can tell the difference in all of those scopes.

 

[JBoshoven]

What vortex vs what leupold? They both make scopes through the various quality levels. If you haven't yet, look in to trijicon. The optic clarity and brightness blows the doors off of everything but maybe steiner for scopes in the $700-1,000 range. Back in the gun counter days, I'd compare scopes in the counter during slow times. The far wall was a little over 100 yds and the rafters where it was dark was a good location to test brightness/clarity. The looking through the trijicons, you could see a lot of detail in the darker areas that just greyed out for other scopes.

Crossfire II 3x9x40

Jack

 

[JBoshoven]

I'm not sure I'd completely agree with that. For the average shooter, is there going to be a discernible difference between a $300 optic and a $600 optic in practical usage?

Trickg, meaning I agree with what your saying.

So far, I've heard about what real world shooters recommend, back yard comparisons while following a dog around in the back yard with bolt out, twilight trophy hunters,300 yd AR 15's blah blah blah. All kinds of crackerjack name brands. Rifles that are not accurate for the ranges expected that they be shot from. Gun counter days and looking at rafters.

Ill ask again, has anyone that responded to the thread actually carried for use a telescoped rifle more than three times in the past five days during actual hunting conditions?

I guess my answer would have to be no over the past week as I have been working out of state for since Week after Thanksgiving. Due this assignment out big of state I have only been deer hunting 3 times this year (twice bow hunting and once rifle hunting the Saturday after Thanksgiving). I did manage to take a deer with the rifle the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Not sure how this refutes my experience with the Vortex and Leopold scopes. In point of fact, the brightness of a scope at dusk cost a buddy of mine a decent buck last year. It was shotgun season. He has a weaver (fixed 6x) on his shotgun and I was sitting next to him with my ML and the Leopold. I was trying to get him a deer. The deer was 60 yards from us. It was right at the end of legal shooting time when he stepped out. I could see him clearly with my scope, my buddy could not see the deer through his. I tried to trade guns with him. I got behind his scope quickly and it was so dark, there was no way to pick out the deer. Before he could get behind my ML, the deer went back into the woods.

Finally , if your point is that none of us hunt enough or have enough experience to know what we are talking about, I assure you, at least in my case you are dead wrong on that point.

Jack

 

[steves1911]

Absolutely not. Bet no one person who has replied to this entire thread carried a telescoped equipped hunting rifle during actual conditions more than 3 times in the last 5 days.
Hopefully I’m wrong.

I carry a scoped rifle eveywhere I go on the farm. Lately that rifle has been a weatherby vanguard in 257 wby with a vortex diamondback tactical 4-16x.( crop damage tags so deer season is year round) Sometimes its a home built ar15 with a bushnell nitro 2.5-10x ffp. If im doing chores after dark its an engage built ar15 with a pulsar thermion.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

I carry a scoped rifle eveywhere I go on the farm. Lately that rifle has been a weatherby vanguard in 257 wby with a vortex diamondback tactical 4-16x.( crop damage tags so deer season is year round) Sometimes its a home built ar15 with a bushnell nitro 2.5-10x ffp. If im doing chores after dark its an engage built ar15 with a pulsar thermion.

Want some help with the deer issue when I'm at home and have free time?