My picks for a good scope.

[aviomech]

These are just my observations of scopes I have tried in the last few years on slug guns and muzzleloaders. I'm not here to pick fights, or proclaim the best ever, just my pros and cons of each scope I have tried. I tend to lean to the 2-7x, as this gives great Field of view(FOV) and just enough power for ranges out to 200 yds. So here is the list of scopes:

Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4x 32
Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7x 32
Nikon ProStaff 2-7x 32
Nikon Prostaff 3-9x 40
Leupold VX-1 2-7x 33
BuckRidge 1.5-4.5x 32


Bushnell Trophy: 1.75-4x is great for field of view, but 4x max is a little limiting on the distance shots. The clarity on this scope is good, but after hunting in the snowfall this last year, not very weather resistant, as it blurred up a bit in the heavy stuff. Not a great low light scope in comparison to other scopes. It held zero, and helped me take out my muzzleloader deer this last season. For the money($110), its a solid scope, but for a few bucks more, there are alot better.

Bushnell Elite: This is a great scope!! The clarity is really second to none. I have this mounted on a T/C Contender 24" 445Supermag. It handles heavy recoil good, great low-light condition scope. Has always held zero. It is a little pricey @ $210, second only to the Leupold in that department, but worth it if you want to spend that much. I have not really bad weather tested it, but it has never fogged on me yet. This scope is going on the Knight Shadow soon for further testing, but I suspect the performance to be the same.

Nikon ProStaff: The 2-7x and 3-9x worked essential the same, but I like the better FOV of the lower 2x. The 3-9x is a bit high power for woods hunting. The clarity is good, and it is very weather resistant. It holds zero, and very dependable. The downside is it is not a great low-light scope. Better than the Trophy, but not as good as the Elite or VX-1. @ $140.00 This scope is priced right, and probably the best bang for the buck.

Leupold VX-1: @ $220, this is the most expensive scope I've tested(for shotgun or ML). That is the only downfall. This scope has absolutely the best low-light capability of all tested. It has kept its zero for 3 years and killed 4 deer atop a H&R 20ga slug gun. Clarity, weather-resistant, it has it all.

BuckRidge: Bought this scope looking for the good deal, that it was not. This is the only scope out of the bunch THAT I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!! The clarity is horrible, it does not hold zero under heavy recoil, and fogs up just walking into a 40 degree garage. I'm sorry for all who own one, but it was not worth the $50 I paid for it. I got what I paid for.

Currently my friend is testing a Weaver2-7x 32 Classic I bought him for Christmas. He is mounting it on his .45 cal CVA. I really like Weaver, and have a few mounted on a couple centerfire rifles. They have all the traits of a Leupold at around $170.00. I would not hesitate to buy one, and just might here soon.


I am not a big spender in scopes, and believe a great scope can be bought for $200 or under. Not to say a VariX III isn't worth $400+, but not really necessary. But you still have to be carfull of the under $100 junk out there. There are a few ok scopes, but most bargain-priced are a crap shoot. Do yourself a favor and stay atleast in the $100-200 range,3 Brands I stay away from as I have seen WAY TOO MANY fail, are BSA, TASCO, and SIMMONS. Cold weather and heavy recoil tend to destroy these scopes real quick.

I have owned quite a few scopes in the last 20 years, most have been on centerfire rifles and slug guns. I just put these few I've owned in the last few years. I have some stories of others but wanted to keep the post somewhat short and sweet. I just wanted to give some best bang for the buck scopes for those looking. There are many more expensive scopes out there, that are absolutely awesome, but not really advisable for someone just starting out and looking for advice here.

 

[Snowsolo]

Great detailed post. Thanks for taking the time to write it up. There will be guys that havent purchased a scope yet that will find this helpful.

I'd like to hear some comparisons between the 30MM tube and the 1 inch tubes and see what some guys think.

 

[The Butcher]

The only advantage to a 30mm tube, is amount of MOA adjustment you have. This really only applies to guys who want to shoot long range. It allows you to "Dial Up". I too enjoyed Aviomech post. I too am not here to argue, but I believe that the optics are the most important piece of your rig.

It is not very common for any other part of your shooting rig to fail. I hunted the Southern Tier of NY for 30 years which used to be a slug gun area. It never failed, when going to the local range, guys I knew who hunted NY would be there sighting in, and be all over the paper. Most were using cheap scopes. Slug guns will destroy optics.

I've had the same M8 6X Leupold on my slug gun. The scope is on it's 3rd gun, and holds zero. I believe a straight power on a slug gun is the way to go, as you have less moving parts.

I own about 17 Leupolds. Most are Vari-X III's. I have never had problems in the woods with my glass. I realize most folks don't want to spend a fortune on optics, but to me, it's like buying a new Corvette, and putting a 4 cylinder in it to get better mileage.

I'm not saying Leupold is the best scope out there, because if I could afford Swarovski's, that's what would be on my rifles. I own 1 Nikon, a buckmaster 4.5 X 14, and that is what is on my new Apex. I have no complaints with this scope, and a good value for the buck. I just bought a new Redfield Revolution for my daughters rifle. Leupold is making them, and you are basically getting a VX-1 for under what it would cost for a rifleman. The Redfield also has click adjustments, and is super, super clear. I have not shot it on a rifle yet.

This is longer than I wanted, but oh well. As stated earlier, scope failure is the most common culprit of shifted groups, bad grouping. Most variables, fail at the power ring. I can honestly say out of all the Leupolds I own, I have only had one fail, and it was a brand new scope, and Leupold replaced it no questions ask. Their warranty is second to none. As stated, this is just my opinion, and I have heard great things about the Bushnell 3200, Nikon Monarchs, and I'm going to look at a 3200 with the DOA. Again, not saying cheaper scopes will not work, or will not kill deer, or anything else. I just believe the scope and its mounts is the weakest link, and it is something that can be taken care of from the onset. I'm done, whew.

 

[Marty1]

GREAT thread you started aviomech!

Good info guys...nothing wrong with passing along your hands-on, PROS & CONS experience with a particular scope. That's why we are here. There are all kinds of makes and models of scopes out there:

- Economy $ scopes that perform great in the field beyond their expectations,
- Economy$ scopes that only work once, :no:
- Mid $ range scopes that do not meet expectations, :x
- Mid $ range scopes that hold-up to their expectations, and
- High $ end scopes that seem to always satisfy.

If anyone else has first-hand experience in the field using a particular scope (or had/has scope warranty issues), by all means don't be shy and pass it :| along to the members and viewers. Whether you have 1 or 20 scopes, your observations/field experience is valable for those that may be over-whelmed shopping for a new scope this year.

 

[rogo1]

I have a 3 X 9 Redfield Widefield scope on my Win Model 70 in .270. This scope is 35 years old and has been on about 10 different rifles thru the years all the way up to a 300 Win Mag. To this day it holds zero and functions perfectly.

On my .35 Rem 760 pump I have have another Redfield Widefield scope in straight 4X. This scope is also about 35 years old with the same results as the above scope. Perfect scope. Has also been on several rifles thru the years.

On my Accura V1 I have a Bushnell Trophy XLT 250DOA scope in 3 X 9. This scope works perfect for me with the load I use and all seconday X-hairs line up great.

 

[aviomech]

The only advantage to a 30mm tube, is amount of MOA adjustment you have. This really only applies to guys who want to shoot long range. It allows you to "Dial Up". I too enjoyed Aviomech post. I too am not here to argue, but I believe that the optics are the most important piece of your rig.

It is not very common for any other part of your shooting rig to fail. I hunted the Southern Tier of NY for 30 years which used to be a slug gun area. It never failed, when going to the local range, guys I knew who hunted NY would be there sighting in, and be all over the paper. Most were using cheap scopes. Slug guns will destroy optics.

I've had the same M8 6X Leupold on my slug gun. The scope is on it's 3rd gun, and holds zero. I believe a straight power on a slug gun is the way to go, as you have less moving parts.

I own about 17 Leupolds. Most are Vari-X III's. I have never had problems in the woods with my glass. I realize most folks don't want to spend a fortune on optics, but to me, it's like buying a new Corvette, and putting a 4 cylinder in it to get better mileage.

I'm not saying Leupold is the best scope out there, because if I could afford Swarovski's, that's what would be on my rifles. I own 1 Nikon, a buckmaster 4.5 X 14, and that is what is on my new Apex. I have no complaints with this scope, and a good value for the buck. I just bought a new Redfield Revolution for my daughters rifle. Leupold is making them, and you are basically getting a VX-1 for under what it would cost for a rifleman. The Redfield also has click adjustments, and is super, super clear. I have not shot it on a rifle yet.

This is longer than I wanted, but oh well. As stated earlier, scope failure is the most common culprit of shifted groups, bad grouping. Most variables, fail at the power ring. I can honestly say out of all the Leupolds I own, I have only had one fail, and it was a brand new scope, and Leupold replaced it no questions ask. Their warranty is second to none. As stated, this is just my opinion, and I have heard great things about the Bushnell 3200, Nikon Monarchs, and I'm going to look at a 3200 with the DOA. Again, not saying cheaper scopes will not work, or will not kill deer, or anything else. I just believe the scope and its mounts is the weakest link, and it is something that can be taken care of from the onset. I'm done, whew.

No arguments here.......I totally agree. It's better to have a $200 scope on a $100 gun, than a $50 scope on a $250 gun. And as you can see most of the under $200 scopes are not without limits (clarity, low-light vis, etc.) I have ran the gauntlet with crap scopes and blamed the rifle. I even sold a couple rifles due to the bad optics giving bad results. I love Leupolds, and wish I could afford to top all my rifles with one, but that day is not here yet. There are some good scopes for those on a budget, and willing to give up a few plushes for a durable, accurate scope. . That was my main intent. Now if money has no bearing, then Zeiss, Schmidt & Bender, Kahles, Swarovski....hell yeah I'll take one!! I still believe a Leupold to be a workhorse scope, as they have models around $220+. The other big guys wouldn't give ya rings for that price.....

By far the best scope I have owned was a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5x 20, that was mounted on a Ruger Deerfield 44 Mag. A semi-auto 44 mag will tear a scope up, and a couple cheap scopes met their demise before I topped it with the Leupold. That scope took the punishment, held zero, and had great clarity for only a 20mm objective. Now that was a $425 scope on a $550 rifle, but there was no question on the dependability.

But I still stand behind staying away from the cheap three I mentioned above. I would rather go open-sights, than top my rifle with one of those.

 

[The Butcher]

At $160 out the door, the Redfield Revolution, by Leupold, is sweet. As in above post, it is on a gun, but have not tested it yet. I'll do a block test, and post results, when I do it. I did have an experience this fall, with a Simmons scope. A friend had a Savage he won in a raffle, and it came with a Simmons 44 mag on it. First shot he hit the paper 3" left, and 4 inches low. I told him to bring it up 20 clicks, and over 12 clicks. That scope tracked perfect. The next 3 shots tore a little hole. The scope was clear and performed well. I'd consider one. I realize some folks can't just run out and buy certain things. It takes me a long time to buy things, but I save and buy what I want. I do a little dealing on the side, sell on ebay some, and look for good deals on rifles with optics, that I can take the optics off of, sell the rifle, and get into glass a little cheaper. Buying a second hand Leupold is not a bad investment, a Leupold honors the warranty, even if your not the original buyer.

 

[Marty1]

BUYING A USED SCOPE

Good point :!: The Butcher about buying a "used" scope having a proven make/model. You'd be surprised at how many guys out there have up-graded their old scopes ...but still kept in their gun cabint bottom the original scope they probably bought new, will never use again, and forgot about. I know...I'm one of them.

Buying a second-hand scope is a great way to get started in optics, or to throw a scope on that back-up iron-sighter you have. Like a used car, you can probably get a very good or like-new used scope for a fraction of the original cost. Keep in mind that although a scope may be 12 years old, it probably has only seen 12 hunting seasons of actual use. The remainder of those 12 years it rests in a gun rack.

If you are looking for a used scope, you can thow a "WANTED" add somewhere. It might just prompt those daily readers :study: that have used scopes lying around to liquidate... or pick-up a few extra bucks for range components. (or beer :lol: )

 

[Muley Hunter]

Well, let me go against the grain here a bit. I'm just like you guys and say you get what you pay for.

However, I was surprised the other day. I was in my local gun shop messing around, and picked up a Simmons Pro Diamond 4xx32 scope. I had never heard much about the scope. Actually, I had heard nothing about the scope. I know Simmons doesn't have a good reputation, so I had an attitude when I picked up the scope. I looked through it and was surprised how clear it was. I looked out the window at objects in the distance and it looked great. I wasn't crazy about the diamond reticle, but it's something I could get used to. It only weighed 8 oz, so that was a plus. I dismissed it and put it back.

Just for laughs I looked it up online. I read review after review, and never found a negative except from those Leupold types who probably never saw the scope in person. I kept reading reviews from those who had owned then for years with no problems. I didn't need anybody to tell how it looked, because I saw that for myself. I had figured to read it didn't hold a zero, or it fell apart, or it sucked in low light. I read nothing like that.

I was thinking of trying a fixed power scope anyway, and this would be a cheap way to try one.

I bought one for $40. I can't see it hurting me for that price.

 

[mikieday]

i used to use a pro diamond many many years ago for turkey hunting (the turkeys head fitting in the diamond was supposed to mean he was 40 yards out) i was mostly a bowhunter for turkey back then so i gave it to a guy that did some roof repair work on my house, he is still using that scope and this is about 9 years ago and he uses it on his 12ga for deer...nothing wrong with that scope.

 

[aviomech]

Like I said it is a crap shoot.....I have owned 2 simmons, one 4x 32 on a H&R 450 marlin, and one 3-9x 40 on my Stevens model 200 .25-06.

The 4x32 could not hold zero under heavy recoil, the POI would shift after every shot. The 3-9x 40 on the 25-06, would hold zero, but one rainy day here(Oregon) during deer season, my scope fogged up and did not clear up. I was a 1/2 mile from my truck, and luckily did not see any deer on the walk back. It finally cleared up after sitting in a warm truck on the drive home.

My father had a pro hunter on his desert eagle 44mag, after about 10 shots, the cross-hairs tilted in the scope. He tried to get a warranty replacement, but the said it was not a defect, and had to be abuse......wow what great customer service....

My brother went through 2 on his Rem 1100 slug gun, before he finally said enough. He could get the gun to group open-sights at 50 yds, but could not with the scope. He sent it back and they gave him the replacement. The replacement did the exact same thing. Later I gave him my 4x 32 Bushnell and had no problems with it....

The only rifle that has held up with a simmons, is my younger brother's 10-22 with 3-9x 32. And has taken a couple woodchucks every summer with it.


This is just in my family, that just seems like a high rate of failure....all these scopes looked good at the gun counter, but in the field is where you will find out.....
I still try to find the great scope for a person on a budget, and as you can see I haven't found one that has it all under $200 yet. There are some good ones, but but they still have their limits.

 

[sitsintrees]

Ide like to have this one my renegade. Malcolm scope, even if it didnt work all that well it would look cool as hell.

 

[exMember]

Now remember, a scope is made to look through and zoom in on your target. If you put cheap junk mounts on, it doesn't matter how much you spent on the scope!

 

[Marty1]

Now remember, a scope is made to look through and zoom in on your target. If you put cheap junk mounts on, it doesn't matter how much you spent on the scope!

You're absolutely right FG. Not only do you need a quality mounting system for a scope, but the scope needs to be mounted properly and maintained. I've seen more than one shooter on the range mumbling :x words I cannot repeat because he said his $700 scope rig is "junk". Come to find out he only had a couple of loose screws (on the rings that is. LOL).

Since the scope base screws are unavaiable for tightening once you've mounted the scope, you want to be absolutely sure they are tight and remain tight, and applying some cementing agent on them will keep them from loosening-up from recoil.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Like I said it is a crap shoot.....I have owned 2 simmons, one 4x 32 on a H&R 450 marlin, and one 3-9x 40 on my Stevens model 200 .25-06.

The 4x32 could not hold zero under heavy recoil, the POI would shift after every shot. The 3-9x 40 on the 25-06, would hold zero, but one rainy day here(Oregon) during deer season, my scope fogged up and did not clear up. I was a 1/2 mile from my truck, and luckily did not see any deer on the walk back. It finally cleared up after sitting in a warm truck on the drive home.

My father had a pro hunter on his desert eagle 44mag, after about 10 shots, the cross-hairs tilted in the scope. He tried to get a warranty replacement, but the said it was not a defect, and had to be abuse......wow what great customer service....

My brother went through 2 on his Rem 1100 slug gun, before he finally said enough. He could get the gun to group open-sights at 50 yds, but could not with the scope. He sent it back and they gave him the replacement. The replacement did the exact same thing. Later I gave him my 4x 32 Bushnell and had no problems with it....

The only rifle that has held up with a simmons, is my younger brother's 10-22 with 3-9x 32. And has taken a couple woodchucks every summer with it.


This is just in my family, that just seems like a high rate of failure....all these scopes looked good at the gun counter, but in the field is where you will find out.....
I still try to find the great scope for a person on a budget, and as you can see I haven't found one that has it all under $200 yet. There are some good ones, but but they still have their limits.

You had bad luck. I'm hardly trying to convince you or anybody into a Simmons scope. However, this thread convinced me to at least try one to see if I want to hunt with a fixed power scope.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/338531-simmons-pro-diamond-scope.html

 

[The Butcher]

Take a look at the new Redfield 3-9. Really a nice piece of glass for the money.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/redfield-revolution-3-9x40mm-riflescope-matte-finish-4-plex-accu-range-reticle.html

 

[aviomech]

These are just my experiences, and some happened 15-20 years ago, scopes change alot in this time frame......weaver had a time period where they were putting out junk scopes, but I have been nothing but happy with them in the past 5 years, and their rep has gone up and so has the price of their scopes...

I don't trust Simmons anymore, and won't buy anymore of their scopes.......if they work for you, great!!! Its just my preference....


I agree proper mounting is crucial, all my mounts get put in with Guntite (Loctite) and rings get checked after the first few shots..........but when you swap scopes, and start shooting straight without messing with the mount......there is no question of what was at fault.....