How many scopes

J

johnwilliamson062

Moderator
With my eyes failing me I find myself looking more and more at scopes/optics and more expensive ones than I considered in the past. It might also be that the scopes seem to be getting better and better advancing much faster than firearms.

I was wondering how many optics people have sitting around in their closet?
Since they don't seem to hold value well I can just imagine them really piling up v. losing on the sale.
 
Not being an accumulator of anything not directly useful, I have but one scope.
It's old, a Tasco 4-12 with adjustable objective, but still as good as I need.
And lots of mounts for different use.
 
Point well taken

I was wondering how many optics people have sitting around in their closet?
Click to expand...
I have no idea as to the exact count but it's obvious that I have too many. Last season, I sold about twenty, at a fair price to a dealer. I keep trying to HI Grade and then a new one comes along. ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
I've found that used Leupold scopes hold their value quite well. I see scopes that sold new 30 years ago for $225-$250 bring $175-$200 easily today. Part of that is because buyers know that even if they get a lemon they can return it to Leupold for free repair, and the same scope new is $500+.

While I would and have sold some, I wouldn't buy one that old. The thing about older scopes is that no matter how good the glass, it is the rubber seals that will go bad over time. Anything older than 30ish years is suspect to me. Leupold will replace damaged parts and keep an older scope running, but that doesn't help me if it fails on a hunt.

The other reason is that optics have gotten better. A new scope today selling for $200 is a much better scope than one that sold for $300 thirty years ago. There is some debate that the older scopes may be tougher than those made today. But I've seen no proof and I know the glass is better today.

Other cheaper scopes don't hold much used value. Some of the true high end stuff selling at over $1000 can often be found at bargains. Most people who can afford a $1,000+ scope will buy new. Trying to sell a used one for more than 50% of it's initial cost can take a while and I've seen some bargains on high end stuff.
 
JMR40, I have definitely noted the Leupold scopes seem to fair the best on the used market. Double edged sword as I like to buy used and they are the most expensive used also. Probably what I will buy though.

I have a cheap scope that came on a used rifle I bought and a cheap red dot I bought. The red dot is actually decent except its battery time was bad when I bought it ten years ago and terrible compared to the optics today. I've considered selling them, but they are worth so little I might as well just throw them away.
 
I have 3 complete APX L 806 sets in my closet, and 1 that is missing a small cap. They hold their value and keep going up. Original German sniper scopes go pretty high too.
 
All of my scopes are sitting on top of something. I used to keep a few "spares" but they are all being used. I had to order another SWFA 12X the other day after picking up another rifle. For $300 I consider it the best scope for the money. I have mostly 20-30 year old Leupolds that I bought new. Still working as good as ever. :cool:
 
I have 2 cheap optics left, and a lot of quality optics. I only have 2 sitting on the shelf not attached to a specific rifle.
 
I have one Bushnell Sportview fixed 4x sitting around somewhere, plus pieces of another (I cut it up for a section of the 1" aluminum tube ;)).

And there's a Leupold VX-3 4-14.5x40mm (might be 50mm) waiting for a project rifle to get finished.

That's it.

Usually, if I have a crappy scope that I remove for an upgrade, it gets given away, thrown in the trash, or used as a target (responsibly).
I don't keep trash around. The only reason there's still a surviving Bushnell here is because it's broken (don't want to give it away), and I haven't gotten around to putting a bullet through it yet.


I do have a ridiculously cheap, absolute garbage "red dot reflex sight" around here somewhere, as well. But it was a fairly recent acquisition and I'm tempted to hit it with 48 volts to see how much magic smoke comes out. :D
 
Guess I have around 30 scoped rifles. Soooooo, this retired guy does not have many costly scopes. Several Weaver Super Slams bought at a very bargain price are my most costly scopes. Guesstimate, the average price for majority of my scopes is around $120 and most are 18X power or higher. Just shoot paper, have not hunted in a very long time. Guys I shoot with spend a lot more on optics.
 
I don't have extras. I buy one for each gun and rarely (only once) sell a gun and when I did the scope went on what replaced it. The only time I ever had a scope without a gun was when I bought one for my Encore handgun and decided I didn't like it, so it sat in the closet until someone (on TFL, IIRC) bought it.
 
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