Well, I've got 3 friends that have BSA's and I can say I'd not recommend one, nor would I buy one after hearing their experiences. One of them has a ton of guns and ton of scopes, but for some reason loves Tasco's. He also has used other cheap scopes that I'd normally consider crap, but he loves them. He bought 2 BSA's at the same time and put them on centerfire rifles. Neither one of them held zero. He ended up sending them in for repair and putting them on a .22 where he said they work halfway. I figure if he is telling me not to get a BSA and he is that unhappy with them when he loves Tasco's and really likes Simmons, that I'd probably not like a BSA at all.
The other friend is the same way. He has a bunch of Tasco's and Simmons although a fair amount are older ones. He doesn't have anything over $150 that I know of except a Redfield Illuminator 3-12. He says his Tasco's and Simmons haven't given him many issues and has served him well. He also tried a BSA and told me they were about as crappy as you could get, and his wouldn't hold zero either.
Then the 3rd friend got one as a gift. He knows nothing about scopes. Well, didn't at the time. He does now. He wasn't sure how to sight it in so asked me for help. I mounted it for him and sighted it in for him. It was decent and held zero on his .22 that he mounted it on. However the glass wasn't even as clear as my $30 Tasco I've used. The glass quality just wasn't there, but it was good enough. I got it sighted in and he killed several squirrels with it. This was about a year and a half ago. I talked to him a month or so ago, and he told me that he dropped the rifle and that when he picked it up, that the crosshairs were now an X instead of being a + like they should be. So obviously dropping it make the crosshairs break loose in the scope. I just don't see the quality on this one either. It didn't seem near as nice as the $30 Tasco's and $40 Simmons I've used, and it's not like they are the best out there.
That's my experience with BSA, as well as 2 friends telling me their experiences, and it's enough to make me not want one.
I've had good luck with the $30 Tasco from Walmart that you have, but I do know 2 people that haven't had good luck. I'd honestly try just returning it for another one and I think you'd be far better off than a BSA. If you don't want to do that, I'd look for a older Japanese Tasco or Simmons. They are pretty decent.
The other friend is the same way. He has a bunch of Tasco's and Simmons although a fair amount are older ones. He doesn't have anything over $150 that I know of except a Redfield Illuminator 3-12. He says his Tasco's and Simmons haven't given him many issues and has served him well. He also tried a BSA and told me they were about as crappy as you could get, and his wouldn't hold zero either.
Then the 3rd friend got one as a gift. He knows nothing about scopes. Well, didn't at the time. He does now. He wasn't sure how to sight it in so asked me for help. I mounted it for him and sighted it in for him. It was decent and held zero on his .22 that he mounted it on. However the glass wasn't even as clear as my $30 Tasco I've used. The glass quality just wasn't there, but it was good enough. I got it sighted in and he killed several squirrels with it. This was about a year and a half ago. I talked to him a month or so ago, and he told me that he dropped the rifle and that when he picked it up, that the crosshairs were now an X instead of being a + like they should be. So obviously dropping it make the crosshairs break loose in the scope. I just don't see the quality on this one either. It didn't seem near as nice as the $30 Tasco's and $40 Simmons I've used, and it's not like they are the best out there.
That's my experience with BSA, as well as 2 friends telling me their experiences, and it's enough to make me not want one.
I've had good luck with the $30 Tasco from Walmart that you have, but I do know 2 people that haven't had good luck. I'd honestly try just returning it for another one and I think you'd be far better off than a BSA. If you don't want to do that, I'd look for a older Japanese Tasco or Simmons. They are pretty decent.