Optics Question.

[DB44]

I like catching things on sale for budget.
I bought Tasco and Center Point scopes and they did very well for me for years.
Under 80 bucks.
Many years later I got more rifles and needed more scopes and the Tasco scopes and Center Point were hit and miss and mostly miss.
I tried Pursuit brand from Bass Pro. Fail.
I tried Bushnell brands and shook the glass out of them.
I was given a Nikon 3-9 x40 as a gift and WOW that glass was awesome.

I then began stepping up my game to Nikon scopes 3-9 and 2.5-10 and 4-12 Nikons and found out for longer range shooting or very close in shooting Parallax was killing my groups.

I need a scope with adjustable Parallax if I want tiny groups.
I tried a few and the best one was my Old Centerpoint 4-16x40.
It just hangs in there year after year on my 30-06.

Glass is not as clear as it needs to be but I shot smaller groups with it than the 4-12 Nikon.
Smaller reticle and adjustable Objective (Parallax).

I have taken many of my guns out to shoot side by side at 500 yards at paper and a couple times the .243 Axis rifle has out shot the .308 Model 10 savage heavy barrel and the .243 has a 3-9x50 Tasco.

If you can hold even glass that is a bit lacking will still shoot well if it will hold zero.

That scope I mentioned in post #2 though is just awesome and I do not want to buy any other scopes and have a mind to sell my Nikons and Crossfires.
But the Center Point on my 30-06 will stay put as it has served me very well.

For many years all I had was a 30-30 with a Redfield Widefield fixed 4 power scope and it served me well out to 250 yards.
Clear glass makes up for extra power.

Love those old Redfield scopes, especially the wide angle ones. I still have four of them!

 

[Jcann]

what is a budget optic. NO youtube videos. IN your words. What is a budget OPTIC. Price ranges, features, glass quality, Brand name, warranty.

0-500 / budget
501-1000 / mid
1001- plus / high end

I know what I spend on optics. I just want to hear your thoughts.

how much do you spend on your optic?

Well, between here and the Hide did you get enough responses to figure the budget scope dilemma?

 

[ClintC]

Well, between here and the Hide did you get enough responses to figure the budget scope dilemma?

Don’t forget OKBALL’s

 

[TulsaMike]

My last 20 or so scopes have all been Nightforce ATACR in various magnifications, but before I got into extended long range and became an optics snob, I had no problems with the older Vortex PST (gen 1), leatherwood CMR, SWFA SS scopes (even the fixed power stuff), and even some leupold mk4 and lower end stuff. Once I learned how to shoot, the abilities and features of a scope just became something nice to have, instead of a requirement, and I’m a firm believer that if you NEED first focal plane, matched reticles, tons of whiz bang features, and a $3,000 plus price tag, it’s likely you aren’t a “good” shooter, you just buy expensive stuff and learned how to pull the trigger while your gear does the work for you. Since I can’t for the life of me find any long ranges here, I’ve switched to the Eotech optics and save a bunch of money, however I’m mostly buying them because I’m a snob, and not because I need them or have any justification for owning them anymore.

Expensive optics do make life much easier, but you can take a $300 scope with a good mount, ballistics calculator (or old fashioned hold overs) if the reticle and turrets don’t match, and still usually get to the limits of the rifle. I had a pretty tough time shooting 1100 yards with my buddies 5.56 rifle and a vortex viper hs-T (I think it was $399 new), but the scope and turrets were great, we were just reaching the limitations of my eyes and the quality of glass with a heavy mirage. He chose to sink all his money into the rifle and buy a cheap scope, but it still got he job done, just not as easy as my mk12 with a nightforce 4-16, which while it may have been the same accuracy, and I dialed in his ammo perfectly, I was on target much more quickly and could easily see my splashes if I missed, where as if he didn’t hear his hit, he really needed a spotter for corrections.

 

[dancer4life]

Budget for me is under $500.
I am a big fan of the Athlon Talos BTR Gen2. I am getting ready to hang a new CZ 457 Pro Varmint underneath it.
It retails for $399.00

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