the possum
New member
Hey there, fellas.
Got to thinkin' about fall, and getting a scope for my shotgun. Search doesn't seem to be working right now. Right now the only scope I've ever bought myself is on my .22 rifle, so I'm not really familiar at all with the market.
It's a Beretta Pintail, 3" recoil operated auto loader. Last year for Christmas, dad gave me a fully rifled factory barrel for it. The barrel and reciever are one solid piece on this gun (well, actually maybe the barrel is semi permanently screwed together or something, but it's still rock solid) and the reciever is drilled and tapped for scope rings, which I also have already. This barrel looks extremely well made. The bore is mirror bright with crisp lines, and not a tooling mark to be found. We've had good results with Hastings barrels, but this thing certainly looks like a step up in quality.
I'd like to get a scope for it, to take advantage of what I expect to be fine accuracy. My eyes ain't so good, so I'm after something to help me see beyond 70 yards. If things turn out well, I'd realistically have the oportunity to take shots up to 150 yards, and maybe even further if a coyote happens along. I carried dad's inline muzzle loader for a bit last year which wears a variable power scope, and it sure made it easier to pick out a little spot to shoot through in brush. (I've had slugs deflected by branches on two occasions.)
I've had fixed 2x and 4x scopes on my slug guns in the past, and didn't really like them. They don't hardly help me see enough better to justify it, especially the 2x. I don't think I need a huge scope cranked up enough to see the man in the moon, but found 6 or 7 power useful on dad's. Maybe a 3-9x variable, or one slightly lower.
I need one that can stand taking the occasional bump and the recoil without losing zero. Had some bad experience with four different Simmons scopes that all had to be sent back for repair, including one where the entire crosshairs broke loose. I don't like big target adjustment knobs- had bad experience with them catching stuff and turning. I also want a decent amount of eye relief if possible, as I don't like craning my neck way up just to see through it.
How much can I spend? Well, I don't know. I can hardly pay the bills as it is, so that's obviously a factor. But I still want a well made quality piece- I think the gun deserves it. My thinking is that I should be able to find a perfectly good used scope at a severely discounted price. Entering "scope" on ebay turns up like 6000 hits, so I aught to have some choices out there. But this also means I'm interested in going with a brand that has a good warrantee & customer service, just in case there are any problems when it arrives.
So, what brands and or models should I focus on? Any experiences you care to share that I haven't considered?
Got to thinkin' about fall, and getting a scope for my shotgun. Search doesn't seem to be working right now. Right now the only scope I've ever bought myself is on my .22 rifle, so I'm not really familiar at all with the market.
It's a Beretta Pintail, 3" recoil operated auto loader. Last year for Christmas, dad gave me a fully rifled factory barrel for it. The barrel and reciever are one solid piece on this gun (well, actually maybe the barrel is semi permanently screwed together or something, but it's still rock solid) and the reciever is drilled and tapped for scope rings, which I also have already. This barrel looks extremely well made. The bore is mirror bright with crisp lines, and not a tooling mark to be found. We've had good results with Hastings barrels, but this thing certainly looks like a step up in quality.
I'd like to get a scope for it, to take advantage of what I expect to be fine accuracy. My eyes ain't so good, so I'm after something to help me see beyond 70 yards. If things turn out well, I'd realistically have the oportunity to take shots up to 150 yards, and maybe even further if a coyote happens along. I carried dad's inline muzzle loader for a bit last year which wears a variable power scope, and it sure made it easier to pick out a little spot to shoot through in brush. (I've had slugs deflected by branches on two occasions.)
I've had fixed 2x and 4x scopes on my slug guns in the past, and didn't really like them. They don't hardly help me see enough better to justify it, especially the 2x. I don't think I need a huge scope cranked up enough to see the man in the moon, but found 6 or 7 power useful on dad's. Maybe a 3-9x variable, or one slightly lower.
I need one that can stand taking the occasional bump and the recoil without losing zero. Had some bad experience with four different Simmons scopes that all had to be sent back for repair, including one where the entire crosshairs broke loose. I don't like big target adjustment knobs- had bad experience with them catching stuff and turning. I also want a decent amount of eye relief if possible, as I don't like craning my neck way up just to see through it.
How much can I spend? Well, I don't know. I can hardly pay the bills as it is, so that's obviously a factor. But I still want a well made quality piece- I think the gun deserves it. My thinking is that I should be able to find a perfectly good used scope at a severely discounted price. Entering "scope" on ebay turns up like 6000 hits, so I aught to have some choices out there. But this also means I'm interested in going with a brand that has a good warrantee & customer service, just in case there are any problems when it arrives.
So, what brands and or models should I focus on? Any experiences you care to share that I haven't considered?