The Life expectancy of a Tasco Scope

[Boerrancher]

I figured out the life expectancy of a Tasco world class rifle scope. It is 26 years. I came to this conclusion early this morning when I picked up my custom built 243, and went to adjust the power from 3x up to 9x to look at a critter down in the field. When I went to look through the scope the cross hairs were 1/8th of a turn from being strait. When I would turn the power adjustment the cross hairs would rotate inside the tube.

My father built that 243 for me and gave it to me for my birthday 26 years ago this coming weekend. It was a nice day and we took it to the range and zeroed it the following day. In those 26 years of use, being moved, and banged around never once was the cross hairs ever moved from the point they were set at the day 26 years ago. I don't know how many deer that rifle has killed, along with 'yotes and other varmints. If I get 26 years of use out of the next World Class that I put on it I will be more than pleased. I have a few K series Weavers that are twice as old as I am, that I have on a couple of rifles, but they don't see much use.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[sundog]

Joe, good report, and Happy Birthday! I guess you'll be getting a new scope for your birthday, eh?

I have no problems with Tasco scopes so far. I have a mil dot varmint on a hvy bbl .223, and it works purdy good.

[dubber123]

I've got them new in the box with their life expectancy already used up. Just my luck I guess.

[FN in MT]

I buy Leupolds and don't worry about lifespan.

Happy Birthday too!!

FN in MT

[beemer]

I have a couple of the old Tasco scopes that were made in Japan. A 4X hasn't been used much, mostly a spare. The 3 X9 I got on a trade on 1990, it has seen whatever you can throw at it. It now resides on a 303 Brit and works perfectly, if fact I shot it yesterday. Some are made in Taiwan and seem OK. I don't think I would trust them on an African hunt but I hunt mostly around home and if one gives up a walk back to the house doesn't ruin my day. My Dad bought a couple of WC Tasco scopes that were made in China, they would not work out of the box just like dubber123 stated. He didn't find out till after Tasco went bust and was bought out. The lifetime guarante on the older models means that if it breaks you will have at least 2 pieces. I think the older ones were reasonable scopes for the money but quality went downhill after production was moved elsewhere. I like my old Weavers, some of mine were made in the 50's and still work. I do suspect that most of mine would fog up or leak in a heavy rain but I'm about the same age and I tend to fog up and leak sometimes too so I can't complain.

beemer

[KCSO]

Oh my gosh, my Tasco died two years ago and i didn't notice! I also have a 3x Bushnell that has gone over 30 years. If I remember right that scope cost $20 new in the 70's. My Father in Law has the record in the family though he bought a B and L in 1948 and his son is still using it today.

[carpetman]

Kcso---A 1948 B&L scope still working is not uncommon. Back then when B&L was made in Rochester NY they were the best optics in the world. B&L binoculars from ww2 still good as ever are very common.
I was very surprised by a testimony my gunsmith gave me. He installs a lot of scopes and sets them up with a Sweeny colimator. He said other than Leupolds that Tasco World Class variable scopes were about the only ones that fairly well held zero through the power range. I have a World class on my 22-250 and it's given several years good service.

[Recluse]

I have several Tasco scopes that were manufacturered in Japan. They're all older than 20 years and still working as good--if not better--than the day I bought them.

Agree with Carpetman about the old B&L products.

I sure miss the days of made in the USA with pride.

:coffee:

[carpetman]

I mentioned that back in their day--Rochester Ny made that B&L was the best in the world. In my books that is still true--nothing has bettered them. Horror,horror horror---you can go to EBAY and still find absolute steals on good binoculars. Gosh you might have to use paypal and ebay--but for $200 and often less you can get binos that will be as good or better than $1200 pair bought elsewhere--but boycott them--that'll show em.

[R.C. Hatter]

I have a Tasco World Class 6x24 on my old tang safety M-77 Ruger .22/250 and it has served me well for many years with no problem thus far. I chose the Tasco because I could not justify the expense of a Leupold just to shoot groundhogs and other varmints with. That scope outlasted the rifle's barrel, which is now a very accurate Shilen. That said, I do have Leupolds on my other big game rifles.

[Boerrancher]

I have a Tasco World Class 6x24x40 on my 300 win mag. It has been through the wringer and has never failed. I bought it when I bought the rifle new in 1993. I have shot and killed deer at known ranges of 800+ yards with that rifle scope combo. I don't use it much here in MO except when I am going to the northern part of the state where the bean and corn fields stretch for miles. It seems to handle the shock of 87.5 grs of AA3100 behind a Sierra 165 gr game king, being touched off by a Win LRM primer. I didn't think it would hold up, but so far it has lasted between 20 and 40 rounds a year since 1993. I can't shoot it more than that because of the recoil. 5 rounds a day once a week is about all I can handle, and the weeks had better not come too close together. I don't know what I will do when it dies, because I have heard the Chinese ones are junk. I guess I will buy a Leupold.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[WildmanJack]

Happy Birthday Joe.. Back in the 70's I had a Tasco spotting scope for bullseye shooting. When shooting at 50 yds with a .22 I was lucky to even make out the x ring with it. Worst optics I'd ever seen, but I guess they sure have come a long way...
All the best.....
Jack

:drinks:

[Blkpwdrbuff]

From my personal experience the new ones are NOT as good as the older ones.
A few years ago i bought a 2X handgun scope for my RB.41 mag.
The lenses let go on the second shot, with mild cast handloads.
The other one was on my sons 6.5 Swede and let go after about 2 years.
Since then I have just bought Nikon. I haven't had any problems so far.
Blkpwdrbuff:castmine:

[Southern Son]

I bought a 3-9x40 Tasco in 1989. Put it on a .222 Brno Fox, then a .300WinMag Rem 700, it is now on a .243 parker Hale. When I put it on the 300Mag, I could set it a 3x, fire a shot, then at 6x, fire another shot, then up onto 9x for the last shot and the group would be no bigger than if I had shot all 3 rounds at 9x. It can still do it on the 243. About 1990 I got a 6-24x42 (Made in japan), it has been on the 300Mag, the 222, a couple of competition .22LRs and it is currently on my 22-250Imp. It has never missed a beat and while it was on my 1411 Anny, I won more than just a few .22 Bench Rest Competitions, against Leupolds and even some Nightforce scopes mounted on some custom rifles that were quite expensive. Having said that, a mate bought a 4x40 Tasco for his .22 just a few years ago and it is junk.

[Bret4207]

I have a 2.5x Tasco that is at least 28 years old, a couple Bushnells equally as old and a whole bunch old Weavers that date back into the late 40's/early 50's. I also have several old Weavers that are broken and need repair, there was a link posted here a short while back about a place that does that- Ironsights or something like that.

I also have a Lyman Junior Targetspot on my 52 Winchester. It was the last good buy on that type of scope I've seen on Ebay, but I still paid around $300.00 and that had to be 4-5 years ago. That is a nice piece of glass, but has a very small field of view. I have an ancient Wollensak on my Savage 23A 22lr. I believe they were the forerunner to Redfield, but I may have that wrong. Excellent optics for such an old scope! Much better than the small Weavers of the day, but probably much more expensive too.

It's amazing the optics we have available to us today for so little money. A scope used to be a lifetime investment. Now they've become another throw away item.

[quack1]

I have had a Tasco 6x on a 218 Bee since about 1985 with no problems at all. Keeps its zero year after year. Every now and then I Shoot a square-shoot a group, move scope 10 clicks right, shoot a group, lower 10 clicks, shoot group, left 10 clicks, shoot group, then up 10 clicks and that last group is always right on the first one. That said, I only use that gun in the summer for groundhogs and the Bee is a mild cartridge. I still would use a better brand of scope on a harder kicking gun that will be used in the winter, with the increased chance of fogging.

[richbug]

I have been Hoarding the Japanese made " World class Plus" scopes in 3-9x44, last I checked I have 6 of them on various rifles up to a 458 Lott. They are a well kept secret.

[1Shirt]

Happy birthday Joe! There is a factor of satisfaction based upon what an individual can afford, and the wallet can tolerate. I would sure like to have a dozen or so of the super expensive scopes, but my income dictates Tascos, BSA's, and some old Lymans. The p-dogs just don't seem to know the difference.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[txbirdman]

I've had a couple of World Class 3X9 Tasco's on a couple of rifles since the 1980's with good results. I bought them after reading an article by Col. Askins in which he praised these scopes. If they would hold up on the cannons he shot I figured they'd work for me. I did get a China version on a .223 I trade for recently that was a piece of junk though.

[dubber123]

I have had bad luck with at least 3 or 4. I do believe the World Class scopes were better. I had a 4-12 go to pieces on my .270. I had a 3-9 on my Hornet, that right out of the box would lose zero, (by like 2 feet) if you touched the power ring. I had a compact on another .22 Hornet that could not be zeroed. Replaced with an "L" workd scope, problem solved.

A friend insisted on buying the non-World class 3-9's for his .338. It ate 4 of them, 1 in less than 1 magazine. He sold the gun, and that guy repeated the same proceedure, going through 4 more. 1 of the 4 was a BSA, so that doesn't count.

A cousin came yearly for me to re-sight his Marlin .22 mag. Every year, the scope was bad, form jumping zero each time a round was fired, to the spinning reticle thing. (that one amazingly still shot OK)! I bugged him to get a better scope, to no avail. On his last trip, I spied an old, El Paso Weaver K4 in his truck. I talked him into putting it on. Haven't seen the rifle for 3 years now. I have not had good luck with inexpensive scopes.

[Molly]

Dunno how you guys with the good Tasco scopes got so lucky. I bought several because of their low price, several decades ago. The worst was mounted new on a 6.5 Swedish Mauser, and wouldn't stay on a 25 yard pistol target. Switched to a Weaver, shot one holers. Same story on theh others. I wouldn't use one on a .22. Most can't be focused well on the target with the crosshairs sharp either. I've never seen a good Tasco.

Molly

[Boerrancher]

Back before deer season, early Nov 08, I bought a new tasco world class 3x9x40. I didn't do anything with it until the other day when I put it on my 1894 Marlin. It is a piece of crap. Once I get it on the paper at 50 yds I can shoot 1 hole 5 shot groups, when I go to adjust the scope to move the impact to the POA, It is no longer on the paper and is shooting as much as 3 feet up, down, left or right. I am about ready to toss the damn thing in the garbage can. It is a brand new scope and I can't get it to zero. I have never had a bad tasco until now.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe