Top best & worst rifle scopes

[andrews10]

I'm looking to replace one of my rifle scopes and was wondering what everyone top 10 best and the worst rifle scope brands are.

[triggerhappy243]

Depends on what you want to do with them.

[Cmm_3940]

Best? Depends on your credit score, really.

Worst, IMO, Simmons.

What rifle, what application, and what budget?

[22-250ohio]

Your budget has alot to do with the "best" but nightforce gets my nod

[triggerhappy243]

DONT BE SO HARD ON SIMMONS. i HAVE 3 SIMMONS WHIT TAIL CLASSICS 6.5X20X50MM. ONE IS ON MY HEAVY BARREL 22-250 AND I CAN TAG PRAIRIE DOGS AT 600 YARDS WITH IT.

[Yodogsandman]

I like Bushnell Banner Dusk to Dawn scopes and have them on most of my rifles. Low cost and high performance.

[Cmm_3940]

DONT BE SO HARD ON SIMMONS. i HAVE 3 SIMMONS WHIT TAIL CLASSICS 6.5X20X50MM. ONE IS ON MY HEAVY BARREL 22-250 AND I CAN TAG PRAIRIE DOGS AT 600 YARDS WITH IT.

Sorry. I guess I'm prejudiced due to the new Simmons scope that disintegrated after about 20 rds. of .25-06 and the pieces hit me in the face.

[Mumblypeg]

Dollar for dollar.... Leupold. You only buy them once and for the money I can't see that the more expensive ones are worth the money. I have many. The only problem I ever had was once and it was fixed for free. And that was because it was dropped out of a tree at about 15 feet while mounted on top of a rifle.

[Maineboy]

You should probably decide how much you want to spend and go from there.

[gmsharps]

Burris is not bad and a great warranty

gmsharps

[JSH]

I myself am a bushnell fan for day in and day out. Go with the elite series. Oh I do have others that cost 2-3x as much but they have served me no better or worse on a hunting rig.
Dont get caught up in X's if this a deer hunting rig!
2-7,3-9,3.-10 is plenty.
Jeff

[jsheyn]

my top 3
1) Leupold
2) Burris
3) Vortex

I have ranked those not just bases on the scope itself but the customer server to go with them.
I have not had much experience with the higher end scopes like sworovsky or zeiss

[RickinTN]

I agree with Mumblypeg. I've had excellent results with several Leupold scopes. I've tried several times to try different brands and always end up thinking I should have bought Leupold. I have not tried the upper end european scopes and I'm sure some are excellent. I've not convinced myself they are worth the extra price tag. I have tried three of the USA made Zeiss some years ago and had trouble with two of the three. Just one fellows thoughts and experiences.
Take care,
Rick

[Roosters]

Picked up a Nikon about 3 years ago for a 270 . Been very pleased with it.

[rush1886]

Burris second only to Leupold, IMHO. I have a 2x Burris mounted on 45-70 levergun, since 1977. POI hasn't shifted since the day I mounted it.


Burris is not bad and a great warranty

gmsharps

[Blue2]

I have a shop and do some gun repair as well. If you don't have the money to buy a "good" scope---then save your pennies a bit longer and then make the purchase. I have used on my own rifles a number of different brands of scopes. At a certain price point all scope makers will provide a reasonable product. I really like European glass and the Japanese glass is good as well.
I don't mean to be a snob but for my money I would not look at any Bushnell scope until you get to the Elite 3200 and higher level. It depends on your application of course and a 22lr up to 22-250 does not require as shock resistant a scope. I have also sold and installed Chinese made Bushnells and Barscas and in some applications they will do alright.
When selling scopes I encourage my customers to look at the Burris,or Redfield or Leupold products.They have some less expensive offerings and also some excellent high end product. And they are American companies with good warranty service. All your better brand scopes will offer a lifetime warranty but the turn around times to get the scope back can be an issue.
There are many expressions such as (A) Spend at least as much money on your scope as you did on your rifle, (B) You can't hit what you can't see (C) Buy the best and cry once.
I have had budget second hand rifles and old army rifles that I have bedded and "tweeked up" for accuracy that cost very little. Take Rem. 788 for instance or an older Savage bolt rifle,they are almost always good shooters but you need decent glass with repeatable adjustments to bring out the potential in the rifle.
An example of the differance in glass. A number of years ago I had a set of Bushnell Custom Compact binoculars. A friend of mine liked them and mentioned it to his wife who bought him a pair of Tasco brand compact binoculars the same size and power. The following Spring we were hunting groundhogs and trading shooting opportunities back and forth and I spotted a groundhog in the grass at the end of the field about 250 yards away. I told my buddy it was his turn to shoot. He looked though his Tascos and said that that was not a groundhog but just a lump of dirt or cow manure. I told him he was wrong and that it was down on all four feet eating grass. He took a look through my bino's and said wow-you are right. We both had the same power but without the ability to "crisp-up" the image---magnification without good definition is not worthwhile.
And that is the differance between buying a better quality of glass and a lower grade. Even parrelax correction does not make poor glass into good glass. The expression of "Polishing a turd " comes to mind.

[ammohead]

Give Vortex scopes a good look. Go to a store that will let you take them outside and compare. Their guarantee is bullet proof. If Leupold is in your price range then go for it. But give Vortex a good look.

[Smoke4320]

in order of my personal preference
Ziess
leupold
Burris
Nikon
Vortex
Hawkeye

Your budget and Use will determine where you jump in but the top 2 will/should give you a lifetime of service

[glockky]

I havent used a lot of the really high end scopes but always stick with
Leupold
Vortex
Redfield
Those three have excellent warranties and wont break the bank.
I have also owned a lot of nikon pro staffs and not had any problem with them at all.

[buckwheatpaul]

I know the best and worst depend on your available cash....I love Leupold and have many.....I have bought a number of used Leupold scopes on Ebay and all have been great at a fraction of the new cost plus you still get the lifetime warranty.....Paul

[Hannibal]

Best value for the money goes to Leupold. As to worst? Well, if you spent more money filling up your SUV and lunch than you did for a scope, I suspect you get what you paid for. Savvy?

[John Allen]

My favorite is Leupold followed by Nikon.

[MBTcustom]

My opinion.
You get what you pay for. Most of the cost of US Optics, Nightforce, or Schmidt and Bender is for toughness and more importantly, repeatable target knobs that you can shoot the round robin repeatability test and return to zero.
Most of us don't care about that. What we want is a scope that will stay where we set it once it has been dialed in to zero.
All scopes do this to varying degrees of repeatability, especially for hunting accuracy. What I have found is that almost any scope that is purchased for less than $200 cannot be trusted to deliver session to session zero less than about 1MOA. Your zero could shift that much between range sessions.
What I have found is that $400 is about the break over point for session to session zero of less than 1/2MOA. (Fingers crossed, so far so good).

I've owned and or used most of the scopes on the market that cost less than $400.
The brands that I have enjoyed the most and defer to are as follows in order from most prefered to least, with very little differance between them. Nothin on the list sucks.
1. Leupold (VX 1,2 or 3) had a rifleman go bad on me.
2. Weaver
3. Burris
4. Vortex
5. The new Redfield
6. Higher end Simmons
7. Bushnell Elite series.

The main point is that I didn't start getting into good quality reliable glass till I raised my cap to $400. If the most you are willing to spend is $150, then you will settle for good enough for hunting and informal target practice scopes.

At the end of the day, you just have to realize that the scope is a parallel system. It can bring no accuracy to an accurate rifle. It cannot help the accuracy of the system, and it can very easily hurt. If your rifle is a 1" gun and you put a scope on there that has a 1/2" accuracy capability, you are only able to depend on 1.5" accuracy.
In other words, the more you pay, the more assurance you have that the scope will not jack with the accuracy potential of your rifle.
The problem is, making a mechanism like a scope so that it will take all the shock and temperature change that the rifle goes through is not an easy thing to achieve. Instead of being made of rigid steel bolted together under 600lb of pressure with only one moving part that could be used to tow an 18 wheeler down the road (such as the rifle it is mounted to is constructed), it is made of lightweight aluminum, with delicate adjustment knobs and glass lenses, held together with wispy threaded containment rings, and assembled in a laboratory environment. This delicate measuring instrument is strapped to the top of your rifle with a bracket that is often made of anodized aluminum and secured with the smallest screws you are likely to find on the gun.
The fact that we can buy something that does all this and is anywhere close to repeatable for less than twice the cost of the rifle is a miracle of modern manufacturing.
However, in conclusion let me reiterate: You get what you pay for, and it's worth every penny.

[reloader28]

I've owned a few Bushnell, Tasco, Simmons and the like They are the worst of the worst. Will never own them again.
I have a couple Nicons and really like them.
I bought a Sightron for $160 one time and have been extremely happy with it.
I'm most happy with the Scheeles scopes I have. And a no question return policy.

My brother is into long range shooting and hunting. I mean LOOOONG range. 1000yds is baby stuff. He shoots that with his 243. You do NOT want to know how much he spends for a scope. It darn sure is needed for that though.

[35Whelen]

Zeiss Dialyte
Kahles
Are two top end scopes that I own. I also have a Leupold VXR with the red fibre optic dot that I like very much. My eyesight isn't what it used to be, and if it hadn't been for friends offering screaming deals on the two high end scopes, I never would have bought them. The clarity of the glass has to be experienced to believe.

[Geppetto]

Boy,

As previously stated a number of times, that is going to be Really dependent on what you want to do with it. The first deer rifle i used (One of my Dads guns) was an M77 with a Tasco scope on it. I shot many deer with that rifle anywhere from 10 to 200 yards. Worked great, never has lost its zero, but its now getting fairly dull. Worked great for a long time and did exactly what it needs.

Would it have been worth spending 3X more on that scope? Probably not, I wouldn't have shot any more deer with it that I did. I didn't have any misses I can blame on the scope, only my young inexperienced self.

On the other hand, I bought a nikon monarch for a new rifle and man, that thing is clear and well built.

[seaboltm]

Here is my test. Go to midwayusa.com. Do a search for "rifle scope". On the left, keep clicking options until you are on the page

Optics>Rifle Scopes>Center fire Rifle Scopes>Variable power

It shows just under 900 results. I switched to show 96 results per page, or about 10 pages worth of scopes. I did a sort by price, low to high. Avoid anything on page 1. There are decent scopes on page 2 (towards the bottom) but I would start my selections on page 3 towards the bottom of the page. In general my price range stops at the bottom of page 4. There will be many good, affordable scope options on pages 3 and 4 such as Burris, Nikon, Leupold, etc.

[micky_blue]

Zeiss
Kahles
Vortex
Leupold - (mine are old)
Burris

[jhalcott]

My biggest gripe with Leupold scopes is the way they are priced EVERY where! You do NOT find any cheap Leupold scopes in the stores or on line. They ARE excellent scopes and MY favorite. Handgun scopes are another story, I have many makes and models of these. I do not count the fake Leupolds in this.

[youngmman]

I love Leupold but there are many other very good scopes, Nightforce and Vortex for example. However, I recently bought a Nikon, Monarch 6.5X20 30mm and am very pleased. It is intermediate priced at around $550 and of very good quality, IMHO.

I would stay far away from the low priced budget brands. In optics you get what you pay for like in most other things. I think Nightforce is way over priced for most models however, again, IMHO.

[Love Life]

Best:
Schmidt & Bender
Kahles
Steiner
Nightforce
Leupold

Worst:
Countersniper...

It really depends. I watched a man win a 1,000 yd F/TR match with a Nikko Sterling scope...
I used a Tasco 6-24 varmint scope for a long time on a 308 learning to shoot distances. I still have that scope.

For a good, solid scope where your return on the money is legit I would recommend Leupold. Especially if you are active military.

[runfiverun]

I have been buying vortex scopes recently, but have used a lot of leupolds and would buy another one without issue.
if I could afford a nice niteforce scope for a target rifle I would get it.

I have bought bushnells and Nikons and such over the years and have had good and bad luck with them all.
but across the board I have done better with the vortex and leupolds as far as hunting and longevity.

[dougader]

I bought a Simmons 4X and put it on a Ruger 10/22. It blew the seal the first time out at the range. The recoil of that .22 LR is something to behold, right?

I had a Leupold Vari-X II, 3-9x40 on a Ruger M77 in 30-06 and it was a rugged, fine scope. I took a mule deer at 400 yards with that scope and the bullet hit right where I expected it to hit. But, compare that old Vari-X II to a guy's Vari-X III 3.5-10x50 and man, what a difference. The light gathering ability of the Vari-X III is incredible; like turning on a light switch inside the Vari-X III.

I bought a used Remington 700 BDL in 30-06 and it came with Nikon 3-9 scope and it really has been a decent scope, but nothing like the Leupold.

My 338-06 came with a 4-12 Fujinon scope on it. Junk from day one.

I like the rimfire Nikon scope I got on my newer 10/22. Nice scope for under $200.

[quilbilly]

On the lower end, I have really liked my Swift scopes on my 22 Hornet and 7mm TCU and my Tasco's have served OK. Of course on the upper end of price, I agree with the above. The worst - there is a reason I think BSA stands for "broken scope again". I have a very old Bushnell from the days the company belong to the Germans (Leupold I think) and after almost 45 years, it is still sterling.

[centershot]

What goodsteel said! Oh, and Nightforce? There is a very good reason why they cost what they do. Ask the Israeli military why they dumped their Leupolds for Nightforce and they'll tell you "Nightforce don't break!" I got that from an ex-member of the IDF sniper unit. ANY of them WILL break, I've had three Leupolds go back for repair, but I still buy them. Good scopes, great warranty. Even considering the broken ones, I can't complain!

[Love Life]

In the price level Nightforce is playing in, I would choose a different brand of scope.

[michiganmike]

Like an other respondent, I think very highly of the Burris for the money. Also, I recently mounted the Leupold entry level scope on my Ruger 77. It likewise is very accurate. Both have good warranties. And this fall I mounted a Konus scope on my Remington 870 slug gun. It was inexpensive and is performing like a champ for me.

Earlier this year I bought a Fat Max torque screwdriver for mounting my scopes. I wouldn't mount another scope without it. A great tool.

[shdwlkr]

Well I have
simmons, bushnell, another cheapy, viper, leupold vx7(3), vx3, cds, redfield, and afew more I can't remember who made. I buy based on what I am going to put them on and for what use I plan on using them for.

[jaysouth]

Best under my roof:

1. Sheperd 3-10X(can't afford another one)
2. Leupold VX-2 3-9
3. Ties with Leupold for clarity and definition, Steel Weaver K-4 (old one)
4. Inexpensive scope with good glass for load development under covered range. Mueller APV
5. Loaner, Tasco Bantam 2 1/2X

[Petrol & Powder]

Optics is one of those areas where you get what you pay for!
That doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune to get a good scope but it does mean that it's damn near impossible to get a good cheap scope.
There is only so much the manufactures can do to get the cost of the scope down and when you are trying to drive the costs down you quickly reach a point of diminishing returns where the quality must fall off to unacceptable levels.
That doesn't mean you have to go out a buy a $2000+ Schmidt & Bender just to get an adequate scope but it does mean that you have to spend some money to get a decent scope.
I've seen many rifle/scope combinations that were crippled by the poor quality of the scope & rings.
I agree that if you're going to buy a scope and can't afford a decent one, save up your money until you can buy a decent one. Otherwise you are just throwing money away.
Leupold are solid values and you can't go wrong with them in my experience. I particularly like the fixed power versions.
Nikon makes some good stuff and I had one that was as good as any Leupold in its class.
The old Weaver scopes were good but I've mixed feelings about the new ones.

In my opinion, you are throwing money away with the low end scopes. No matter how much you try to justify the cost savings the quality is just never there. The optics are never as clear, the waterproofing is never as good and most of all - they will not hold a zero. Some folks will claim a cheap scope will hold a zero but I've never had such luck.

[atiq.massan]

Please try fixed power 10x SWFA scope. I am sure at 300 bucks u just cannot beat the quality it is offering.

[WallyM3]

For the value: Leupold.

For the quality: Schmidt & Bender.

[fatnhappy]

My favorite is Leupold followed by Nikon.

Exactly my feelings. I'd rate Bausch and Lomb Elite scopes equal to Nikons.

[Hannibal]

Might I humbly reinforce what has already been stated previously - a scope can not make a rifle group smaller. But, It can certainly cause it to appear to group larger. Shoot your guns so that you know what you've got.

[WallyM3]

I humbly might take the contrarian reasoning, since I have a well grounded appreciation of progressively fuzzier sight.

Good fighter pilots, like good shooters, share one characteristic (of course, among some others), that of unusually good visual acuity. The better the lens (both human and "glass"), the greater the potential.

I love that 34mm tube.

[edctexas]

I have tried many pistol scopes and the only ones that hold up under 44Mag, 30 Herret, 30-30, 454 Casull, etc. is Leupold. I have used Redfield, Burris, Simmons, but feel that Leupold and NXS are much better glass and more reliable. The old Redfield variable I had was reliable, but had poor adjustment and only average glass.

I would say that you need to be on the plus side of 400$ to feel comfortable with your scope for hunting. If you are a sniper or a LR competitor, then your looking at $1.5k- 2.4k.

Ed C

[WallyM3]

I just got bitten by the TC bug.

Thanks, edc. I will truly keep that in mind because I will be needing scopes.

[triggerhappy243]

EXPANMAN......... I too beg to differ about a better set of lens. I shoot long range prairie dogs on 8 cattle ranches. my E.D.R had a nikon 4x16 scope. I changed it to a burris 8x32x44 scope and my groups shrunk from 12 inches at 600 yards to just under 4 inches at 600 yards. better glass with higher magnification has opened my work to a whole new realm.

[Ickisrulz]

The best rifle scope for any amount of money and for all purposes is the made in Japan Weaver Classic K-series 4x38mm. A fixed power scope that sells for about $160.

I like mine anyway which has sat on my 338 Win Mag Model 70 for hundreds of rounds. The scope has also gotten overwhelmingly favorable reviews on MidwayUSA and Optics Planet. I find mine as clear as my Leupolds.

[Hannibal]

triggerhappy - I can only speak to what I have seen. If what you have is working, then DO NOT CHANGE IT, BY ALL MEANS! Good shooting to you. [smilie=s:

[dk17hmr]

I'm a scope snob that shoots long range...a lot...1000 yards is warm ups. Best advise I have every read or heard about scopes is to buy one or two excellent scopes, not cheap to middle of the road scopes but high end scopes that fit your style. Put them in quick detach rings and put picatinny rails on all the rifles you plan on using a scope on.

I really like Leupold scopes and have a handful that get swap between several of my rifles depending on what I am doing.

I always read how great one companies warranty is but I need my stuff to work not go back every other week to be fixed. I would expect the warranty to be dang good on the stuff I buy because it usually involves a lot of thought and saving before I order it, but the only scopes I have ever had trouble with are from when I was younger and didn't make quiet as much money.

[Lead Fred]

It would depend on what your using it for. My scope is for very long distance shooting. So I only buy:

http://www.snipercentral.com/ss1042.phtml

http://www.swfa-ss.com/

Ive out shot darn near every brand listed here. Up against the Leopold Mk IV class scope, the SS beats it hands down.

As far as Vortex goes, not impressed at all, had a mildot, the turrets went bad, they replaced it with a BDC reticule.
it sucks butter milk, compared to the mildot. Good Elmer Fudd scope.

[UBER7MM]

As posted above, you get what you pay for. I've also heard that you want to put as much quality glass on your rifle as you can afford.

I bought budget scopes in my youth. IMHO, by far the worst of the worst is the BSA Contender series. The eye relief distance was extremely small, so that if my head wasn't held at exact distance from the glass, my whole vision through the scope would go black. Very fatiguing. The elevation adjustment broke by me just turning it. I felt it wasn't worth the $15 service fee to get it fixed. Never again.

I've good experiences with the older Bushnell's "Sportsview" series. These were made in Japan back in the 1980-90's. For the money, I think I've made good purchases. They're out of fashion, being gloss black and not matte.

My Weavers experiences are good too.

[GabbyM]

No one has mentioned Trijicon yet?
Especially the ACOG if that's what a person is looking for.

[lovedogs]

Oh boy! Here we go...one of those subjects that can go on forever. It's like asking what's the best rifle caliber. Probably depends on what you plan to use it for, how much you want to spend, etc. And of course we have to consider Mr. Murphy, how lucky you are and, possibly, which moon phase it is the day you buy it. It would be nice if we could all afford Night Force scopes but that's just not reality. Two weeks ago I watched a guy fight to get a decent group with a new Cooper rifle. After spending a king's ransom on factory ammo he discovered his new, expensive Zeiss scope had gone bad. Another incident several years ago involved a guy who'd left his custom Mauser .270 laying in the back of a pickup in a barn all winter after having shot an elk in a blizzard. In the spring he found his rifle that he thought his father had taken care of laying in the back of the truck. It had been covered with snow and now lay in bloody water. The rifle was ruined. It had a cheap 4X Tasco on it. That cheap scope was all scratched and dented but still functioned perfectly. Go figure. Like they say...the luck of the draw. You can get good ones in any brand and bad ones in any brand. Just for the record my choices are:
Leupold, Nikon and Burris. I've had terrible results with Simmons and Bushnell. Some of the old World Class Tascos have served well but I usually stay away from cheap scopes as they have not done well...for me.

[longranger]

I have a very old Bushnell from the days the company belong to the Germans (Leupold I think
Bausch & Lomb

[fatnhappy]

I have a very old Bushnell from the days the company belong to the Germans (Leupold I think) and after almost 45 years, it is still sterling.

Bushnell is the sport optics division of Bausch and Lomb. B&L has always been an American company headquartered in Rochester NY. Bushnell was never German owned. Leupold and Stevens is also quintessentially Amercian. They say it on their website better than I ever could.

About UsLeupold & Stevens, Inc., is an American, family-owned, fifth-generation company that has been designing, machining, and assembling precision optical instruments and other products for 100 years. Founded in 1907, Leupold’s® success has been built on our commitment to our customers’ absolute satisfaction, and our commitment to building the best optics for the shooting sports, general and wildlife observation, and the military and law enforcement communities.

PastIt’s a decidedly American story: one century ago in 1907, a young German immigrant named Fred Leupold set up a one man shop at 5th and Oak Streets in Portland, Oregon, repairing optics for surveying equipment. Leupold & Stevens is still family owned, though our focus has turned from surveying to helping people all across the globe survey their environments with the innovative, high-performance sports optics and accessories.................

[45coltnut]

LEUPOLD all the way. I just bought a used vari x II from eBay for $200. Even if its bad, send it back for fix or new one. Like someone else said...you only have to buy them once in your lifetime.

With that said, I've also got a few Burris scopes that are almost as good. But, in my opinion you can't beat a Leopold.

[shoot-n-lead]

I'm looking to replace one of my rifle scopes and was wondering what everyone top 10 best and the worst rifle scope brands are.


In the last 2yrs, I have replaced all but 2 of my scopes...had a safe full of old and dark scopes. I upgraded the entire safe and my son's scopes also, with scopes bought on craigslist from around the country. All of the scopes were Leupold or Nikon and all of them were practically new in age and in excellent condition. Across the board, I bought them for half of the new price and they all had transferable lifetime warranties...so if there had been a problem with one, I would have just sent it in for repair. From this experience, I have made the determination that I will likely never buy another new scope.

You have a lot of options these days for a good hunting quality scope from a domestic brand that will not blow your budget.

[DanWalker]

My 2cents: Go buy a leupold. It'll be the last scope you'll ever have to buy for that gun. Put money into a jar. Skip lunch, do some side work. Whatever it takes. They are worth it.

[Love Life]

I agree with DK17HMR.

[dubber123]

I don't know if the end use for this scope was ever mentioned, but speaking as to durability, an article was printed not too many years back, where the author contacted something like the top 10 dangerous game rifle builders, who build guns for the stuff that loves to bite claw or stomp you to death, and every single one recommended Leupold above all others.

[P.J.Plinkerton]

A few years ago (25?) when I was working part time in a gun shop, our rule of thumb was that you should expect to pay for the scope what you paid for the rifle. You wouldn't put a $200 hunting scope on a $1200 target gun, and there's little point in having a $1600 Leica on a 30-30 lever gun.
Burris and Redfield always got a good recommendation for the hunter on a budget, with Nikon and Leopold a step up.
If it comes down to the bottom line, I prefer good iron over cheap glass.
Just my 2 cents.

[osteodoc08]

You'll get lots of opinions here and all echo pretty much the same.......you get what you pay for.

With optics, quality is costly, however, is more affordable today then it ever has been.

Leupold comes up over and over for good reason. They are a reasonably priced product and deliver. This is what I have and recommend. There are other, much more pricey options, and while excellent, don't return value per dollar like Leupold. My other favorite decent value on a budget brands are the higher end Weaver, Burris, and Nikon scopes. Stay away from their "budget and value" lines and go for their more premium and typically $350+ options. Again, you get what you pay for.

Your money, your choice.

[GabbyM]

No one has mentioned Trijicon yet?
Especially the ACOG if that's what a person is looking for.

Still no one running a Trijicon?
Well I have one mounted on my grab and go into the void AR-15. A 1.5x16mm S. Compact model ACOG. Only weighs four ounces IIRC. Mounted in the carry handle of my 20" lightweight A1. It makes me top predator on our forty acres with three acre lot. No need for lights. But I have one of Wiljens lights to illuminate voids inside the buildings. Tom cats and coyotes should fear this thing. Paid $700 for it on sale $200 off regular. About the price of a new AR but you get a day and night rifle all in one. I can't imagine anything working better or being faster to target. 1 1/2 X is all the magnification I need for position shooting. With no bipod, walking stick or shooting bench. Then of course Trijicon makes the larger ACOG and a line of scopes.

[TheGrimReaper]

Best bang for your buck= NIKON.

[FlatTop45LC]

I run Seeadler, Leupold, and Nikon on all my rifles.

If I could afford it, everything would wear a VXR or VX3.

[Ickisrulz]

A few years ago (25?) when I was working part time in a gun shop, our rule of thumb was that you should expect to pay for the scope what you paid for the rifle. You wouldn't put a $200 hunting scope on a $1200 target gun, and there's little point in having a $1600 Leica on a 30-30 lever gun.
Burris and Redfield always got a good recommendation for the hunter on a budget, with Nikon and Leopold a step up.
If it comes down to the bottom line, I prefer good iron over cheap glass.
Just my 2 cents.

This makes sense if you are working in a gun store and are trying to make the most you can. But spending as much on a scope as you did on a rifle is most likely not necessary in 99% of the cases.

[P.J.Plinkerton]

Well, that was a quarter century ago. As someone pointed out, quality scopes are more affordable than ever, and the price of guns has gone up disproportionately, but the logic is still sound. Remember, happy customers are repeat customers. That helps your profits more than up selling.

[bdicki]

These are the ones I've kept out of all the ones I've owned. I remember the old saying if you have $500 to spend on a hunting setup, spend $100 on a rifle and $400 on a scope. I guess that might show my age.
Swarovski
Kahles
Trijicon
Leupold

[white eagle]

Your budget has alot to do with the "best" but nightforce gets my nod
I agree and may consider Swarovski as well
I have been happy with Ziess and Leupold
Simmons is junk

[boolit_boy]

Leupold for best value and superb warranty

[Elkins45]

Optics are one of those things where, if you are lucky, you get what you pay for and you never get more. Just a few years ago there existed a <$100 scope that could be counted on to hold zero and have good optical quality. The Japanese-made Sightron S1 was truly a bargain, but now that the production has shifted to the Philippines they aren't any better than the low end Nikons and optically I think they are a bit worse. What a disappointment!

Best? You can't afford the best unless you sell your car.

Worst? Simmons, Bushnell. Tasco, NcStar, the ones stacked up on tables at the gun show, whatever brand Wal-Mart is peddling now. If it comes in a plastic clamshell pack and is hanging on the shelf beside the targets and cleaning kits then it's garbage.

The middle ground? Leopold has never failed to perform for me. US made Burris are good. Good scopes are made in Japan, Germany, USA. Bad scopes are made in China. Some bad and some marginal ones are made in the Philippines. The cutoff for a scope worth owning starts at around $200 retail discount. The cutoff for extra features and precision you probably don't need or can't use is somewhere below $1000 but I'm not sure where. The most expensive scope I own would cost just shy of $400 these days and I don't need anything better. WANT? sure, but not need.

[38superdave]

What you spend for rifle is what should be spent on scope is absolutely true.
That said a lot of people here don't shoot out past a hundred yards, fewer yet out to 300 yards.
Both are distances iron sights are capable of hitting accurately.
If I spend 5k on a rifle, you can bet I'm gonna go Schmidt & Bender, U.S. Optics or at least NightForce.
If I'm scoping grandpa's old hunting rifle a Leupold VX3, 3x9-40 would work just fine.

[Mr_A]

if you got money to burn buy a march, if not a Nikon monarch will do just fine

[Ickisrulz]

It doesn't look like the OP ever returned to explain his purpose for his new scope. Therefore it is impossible for anyone to give meaningful information on what the "best" solution will be.

[UBER7MM]

Still no one running a Trijicon?
Well I have one mounted on my grab and go into the void AR-15. A 1.5x16mm S. Compact model ACOG. Only weighs four ounces IIRC. Mounted in the carry handle of my 20" lightweight A1. It makes me top predator on our forty acres with three acre lot. No need for lights. But I have one of Wiljens lights to illuminate voids inside the buildings. Tom cats and coyotes should fear this thing. Paid $700 for it on sale $200 off regular. About the price of a new AR but you get a day and night rifle all in one. I can't imagine anything working better or being faster to target. 1 1/2 X is all the magnification I need for position shooting. With no bipod, walking stick or shooting bench. Then of course Trijicon makes the larger ACOG and a line of scopes.

I looked through a Trijicon ACOG the other day. It was mounted on a tricked out Ruger SR-556. The diameter was small, less than an inch, but clear to look through. There's a radio-active warning on the side.
Yeah, I irradiated my own head. :kidding: Overall, I'd say that it's a nice addition to the AR platform.

[Love Life]

The ACOG is the best addition to an AR. Save your money and don't put all that useless mall ninja **** on your gun and get an ACOG instead. Clear glass, solid adjustments, and down right indestructable.

Using beat up rifles with god knows how many rds down the tube, Devil Dogs still continue to qual high expert scores using the ACOG.

[CPL Lou]

Avoid Barska products like the plague !
They might last for awhile on a rimfire, but they fall apart from the recoil of a .243 Win within a few shots. I sent the same scope back twice ($50 & shipping both times) before I learned my lesson.

CPL Lou

[Marshwalker]

I've never had the money to get one of the high end scopes like leupold and the others.... I've always used the cheaper ones like the academy bushnells and simmons scopes...even tasco at some point or another.... really only had issues with one Simmons on my .30-30... broke a few tascos...never any issues with any bushnells.. right now I have one bushnell with the deer head on the side and one that says cat eyes on it...cant remember what brand that is.. but they both work fine.. one is on a .358 wildcat and one on a .22lr... everything else I own is now open sights, for the moment.


That being said, I would imagine you are getting what you pay for with scopes... a $500 zeiss scope is likely worth the $500 if you have that to spend.. but to me, as long as I can see through it and it hits where those crosshairs are squared up on, i'm happy with it.... so far, my el' cheapo's have done that....granted, I don't hunt many places where I'm shooting over 200 yards...and I don't need to see the mesquito on the deers back from that distance..just need the general picture when I look through it.

[FergusonTO35]

Regardless of what scope you get, it is only as good as its mounts. See through rings of any sort are asking for trouble and will never allow your scope and rifle to perform at its best. If the option to use sights is really important I would at least get a quality set of quick release Weaver type rings. Really it's hard to go wrong with the traditional steel dovetail front/windage screw rear setup. You can find them in excellent used condition for low money on auction sites if cost is really a factor. If you are using a cheap or marginal scope, quality mounts will help it to keep its zero and last longer.

I really like Leupold scopes and the Japan made Bushnells and Weavers. The lower cost but not cheap scopes made in Korea and the Phillipines for Nikon, Bushnell, and Swift are really good for the money new and dirt cheap used. I have a Korea made Swift 1.5-4.5X21 on my Marlin Glenfield 30 mounted in steel Burris rings and base. It has held its zero 100% for five years of shooting, clambering up and down trees, and rapid changes in temperature and humidity. Took a nice doe at 85 yards on opening day with it. Point of impact was exactly where I aimed.

If I only had $50.00 to spend on a sighting system for a rifle my first choice would be a Williams receiver sight, slot blank, and front sight. If not that, an older Japan made Bushnell in Weaver mounts.

[crowbarforge]

I worked for a while at a local gun shop in Michigan. He would only stock Leupold and Burris for the most part, and would order Ziess for rifles headed with their owners for big-time trophy hunts (Africa mostly). That said, I only have Burris on my hunting rifles. Some plinkers or squirrel loaners have more economically priced glass, but no Tasco, Bushnell or no-brands allowed.

[Tn Jim]

I have a Nikon Monarch on my TC Encore mounted with Burris Signature Z rings. It does a great job.

[Ickisrulz]

The ACOG is the best addition to an AR. Save your money and don't put all that useless mall ninja **** on your gun and get an ACOG instead. Clear glass, solid adjustments, and down right indestructable.

Using beat up rifles with god knows how many rds down the tube, Devil Dogs still continue to qual high expert scores using the ACOG.


I ordered an ACOG (TA31RCO-A4CP) today for my 20" AR. With a Cyber Monday coupon I saved 12% at Optics Planet which is significant for a $1400 scope. Now I'll see what all the excitement is about. I look forward to shooting this rifle better as my eyes are middle-aged now.

[bikerbeans]

Worst - any scope made in the last 10+ years by Bushnell, BSA or Tasco

Best - Leupold or the new Redfields in the sub $300 range. Scope costing more than $300, no idea because my wife will not let me spend that much on optics.

BB

[birddog]

The best for the money is Leupold. I have had Tasco, Simmons, Bushnell, and a couple others but all have been replaced over the years with Leupolds. $1000.00 is not to much for the quality you get. Besides when I'm dead and gone the grand kids can take them and put them on there new guns.
Charlie
PS I'm waiting as we speak for a new leupold pistol scope for the 41 mag

[trails4u]

My rifle is primarily a hunting rig...and in my end of the world, the deer walk at first light and last light with some predictability. I bought my last scope based on clarity and low-light performance, and I bought a Zeiss. Side by side comparison with a Leupold VX-III is darn close...but my eye prefers the Zeiss. I paid less than $400....it's held zero for several years, even through being behind the seat of my truck when totaled at 50mph. In my humble opinion....best hunting $$ I ever spent. I've bagged more deer in the last 3 years than the 5 years prior combined, all of them in light I would not have previously been able to shoot in.

[davidheart]

The ACOG is the best addition to an AR. Save your money and don't put all that useless mall ninja **** on your gun and get an ACOG instead......

I actually don't like the ACOG.... but to each their own.

Best for the money? SWFA, Weaver, Leupold...... My Weaver is honestly solid as a rock. It's the scope which helped me put my trust back into scopes from iron sights.

Best budget scope for the money? BSA. I have a $100 BSA Sweet 223 which works better than it should. Have used it on a bolt action 223 and on two AR's. Holds zero, good glass. My only complaint for the cheap scope is the glare it very easily suffers from.

[Elkins45]

I run Seeadler, Leupold, and Nikon on all my rifles.


if you got money to burn buy a march, if not a Nikon monarch will do just fine

Are these typos? Never heard of either.

[Jtarm]

Dollar for dollar.... Leupold. You only buy them once and for the money I can't see that the more expensive ones are worth the money. I have many. The only problem I ever had was once and it was fixed for free. And that was because it was dropped out of a tree at about 15 feet while mounted on top of a rifle.

I'll say the same for Burris. 30 years, thousands of rounds, many miles through the brush and zero issues with my 1 3/4 - 5x. It stays mounted on my "meat rife", a Ruger M77 .270, always ready to go.

[FlatTop45LC]

Are these typos? Never heard of either.
Seeadler isn't a typo. It is a German optic with Swarovski quality glass.

I only know one guy who imports them into the USA.

I run the 4-12x50 with German #4 Bold reticle. It works amazing on 4x with both eyes open in the thick swamp and has the top end to check horns in a field.

[FlatTop45LC]

And March is a very expensive, rugged optic. I can't afford them so I don't have one nor have I used one much.

[Blanket]

I have never said I wished I had not bought that Leupold. I prefer the Vari-x scopes and buy them used. For worst I would say BSA. I have used and owned most of the USA scopes and own a bunch of them. Redfield was my go to scope 30 years ago for game, Unertel for target. By the way as much as I hate to say this because most of what they make is junk, Simmons had a cheap 3x9x40 scope out a few years back that was decent

[kawasakifreak77]

Scope? :D

[starmac]

Any opinions on the pentax game seeker line of scopes?

[FlatTop45LC]

Any opinions on the pentax game seeker line of scopes?
My little sister has one on her X-bolt 7mm-08. It is a 50mm.

Good light transmission and it holds zero well.

[tygar]

I have lots of rifles & lots of scopes including a bunch of long range hunting, BR, F Class, etc. The only scopes I have bought in 10yrs are Nightforce, Swarvofski, & Leupold. I don't believe there is a better scope anywhere than the NXS.

I do plan to check out the Burris Eliminator III Range Finder & the Veracity in 4-20 & 5-25 etc.

As others have said, depends on your wallet There are more "good" scopes out there today so that there should be one for anyone with a decent size check book.

[WallyM3]

Yikes!

I just priced my Schmidt & Benders.

Sick, I tell you....sick!