spend as much on a scope as the rifle?

Some of my all-time favorite scopes are SWFA fixed-magnification in 10x, 12X and 16x, all of which I bought for $275 a piece. The glass is fair+, but it has a nice reticle, but most of all it's built like a tank with large positive click turrets. Many is the name-brand scope that has bitten the dust while these just keep on keeping on, no matter what I put them on. Unfortunately I haven't seen them available during the pandemic.
 
Txhillbilly said:
That's pretty much what Vortex has done.
They made high quality lower end scopes for the first few years, then their quality seemed to really take a hit.
Scope series that once were great buy's for the money, are now total crap. Their failure rate since they first came out is very high.
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Very true. I have 2 vortex scopes. One I bought, one came bundles on a rifle. a Diamondback and a crossfire. I am not satisfied with either. the crossfire has been replaced. The diamondback is next on the list. Wont be buying vortex again...

My dad has a vortex spotting scope. It is a nice piece of glass. but it was $500...
 
Bart B. said:
The NRA 1000-yard prone records for both scope and metallic sights are 19 out of 20 shots inside 10 inches, 200-19X.
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Another irrelevant post. At least they are getting shorter. :)

Some of my all-time favorite scopes are SWFA fixed-magnification in 10x, 12X and 16x
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I have similar affection for them, they just work well for not a lot of coin.
 
Unconfirmed hearsay rumor:

The origin of the SWFA Super Sniper 10 X scope may have been a serious effort by Tasco to become a government contractor to provide Navy SEAL sniper scopes.

Allegedly they won bid and produced scopes. The US Gubmint does it,too!!

Apparently,the Navy SEAL Sniperish folks took exception to going to war with Tasco scopes.

Tasco's best effort was actually a pretty good scope without customers.

If so,SWFA,to this day,has made a lot of folks happy. I have never used this scope,but I'd try one
 
Not for me. For shooting deer at 300 yards... a big dollar scope isn't necessary. I've found the $300 mark is plenty for my needs. Leupold, Burris are the favs.
 
MarkCO said:
I don't care if they call it the assault rifle clip range adjuster. Irrelevant what they call it. Less wrap around the axle results in more fun. :)
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What do you adjust to change parallax with metallic aperture sights?
 
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What do you adjust to change parallax with metallic aperture sights?
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Seems like center the eye behind the aperture via aperture size and spot weld,aided by adjusting stock geometry.??

And,yes,it does seem like that would benefit a scoped rifle.

I have a vague recall,it might be wrong..but seems like about 1963 a Woman shot a new 1000 yd record group with a 7mm Rem Mag ,something over 7 inches.
The remarkable part is the 1000 yd record that had stood till that time ,IIRC,was fired with iron sights. Or so my fuzzy memory says.

There are not too many manufacturers of scopes in the world. There are fewer manufacturers of scope lenses. I don't know the answers,but in many cases it may be "Same scope,different box"
 
Bart B said, "Rifles with metallic sights will shoot as accurate as those with scopes."

Yes, the accuracy of a rifle does not change when the sights change. If you have perfect vision or close to it, you might shoot as well with metallic sights as with a scope. But most of us do not have perfect vision, and we can shoot better with a scope.
 
But most of us do not have perfect vision, and we can shoot better with a scope.
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I agree with you. But doggone,I have seen some Olde Guys who can tear up the 10 ring of an NRA target with a rack M-1 Garand and Greek surplus ammo.

I've also seen some amazing shooting done with open sighted muzzle loaders.

No matter how much money gets spent on fancy rifles and scopes.a lot comes down to holding and squeezing.
I'd guess the regular CMP Garand shooter with iron sights,a sling,and an unmodified M-1 Garand can outshoot half of the folks with scoped rifles,especially if you remove sandbags,lead sleds,and bench rests from he occasion.
I do NOT mean to imply that I'm one of those Olde Guys who can Shoot.

I'm just respecting them.
 
cjwils said:
Bart B said, "Rifles with metallic sights will shoot as accurate as those with scopes."

Yes, the accuracy of a rifle does not change when the sights change. If you have perfect vision or close to it, you might shoot as well with metallic sights as with a scope. But most of us do not have perfect vision, and we can shoot better with a scope.
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People with imperfect vision have worn glasses with corrective lenses in aperture sights winning matches and setting records.
 
I've spent more on a scope than the rifle once. The optics on it were amazing but honestly a scope several hundred dollars cheaper than the rifle would have done just as good. I've got a 25.00 Bushnell on my Marlin model 60. My Weatherby Mark V deluxe wore a budget Leupold. I sold the rifle and kept the scope. I have a Simmons 44 mag on my favorite deer rifle that's been on it for over 20 years. You can shoot an expensive rifle better with cheap optics than you can a cheap rifle with expensive optics.
 
Honestly, they are separate.

The whole purpose of the saying was to correct the common fudd behavior of putting a $70 optic & $20 mount on a $1000 rifle and then hitching about groups and tracking..... or my rifle won’t sight in.

A short range 0-300 yd rifle scope that is not used as a spotting scope is generally ok at $300 plus $100 mount. That is SFP, duplex, no turret twisting.

For a long range, over 600 yards, turret twisting, tree reticle, spotting over 1000yds, species identification, you might want to drop $3000ish.

There is lots of in between. All of these would be at home on a $800 Savage that shoots 0.75moa groups.
 
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I generally spend decent money on scopes, normally I get “lower” end Leupolds for the $300-$500 range on my hunting rifles. But recently I picked up a bushnell banner nj3-9x40 because it was $100 at my LGS, and I wanted more then a red dot on my .350 legend AR for hunting. I am EXTREMELY impressed by the quality for the money. It’s clear, has long eye relief, and a lifetime warranty. For $150 I got the scope and the mount. I’ve also bought a cheap Truglo scope only to get a crooked reticle, and my muzzle loader came with a no name with no eye relief (150 grains of powder was sketchy, nearly got ringed) that couldn’t hold zero after only 2 shots... I’ve been interested in Vortex, and just ordered a 3.5-10x50 Diamondback for my new .444 I picked up last weekend. We’ll see how it shoots hopefully next weekend


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I have several Vortex 4-16x44 Diamondback Tactical Riflescopes with EBR-2C MOA Reticle and have found them to be excellent values in a moderate priced $350 or so scope.
 
I am little embarrassed to admit the addiction that I have. I have few of Schmidt and Bender 5-45 x 56 high power PMII scopes and two of NF ATACR 7-35 x 56. Each S&B was about $6k and each NF was about $5k. I know I am sick sooooo there is that :0) and this is not the group to find help either.
 
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