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View Poll Results: From these scope brands, which is best for money?

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  • Barra

    0 0%
  • Bushnell

    14 8.97%
  • Nikon

    16 10.26%
  • Vortex

    27 17.31%
  • Leupold

    67 42.95%
  • Weaver

    11 7.05%
  • Burris

    21 13.46%
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Thread: Rifle scopes, the good, bad and ugly

  1. #41
    Boolit Master
    AZ Pete's Avatar
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    Depends what I am putting the scope on. For hunting rifles, Leupold VX3 is what I have used for over 25 years, with excellent performance for me....never a failure of any kind. I have used Nikon on my .22 rf rifles with total satisfaction as well as Swift.

    That said, my binoculars are Swarovski, that is where the best glass should be in my opinion.
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  2. #42
    Boolit Master

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    Leopold scopes are the best money buy out there, Burris comes in a close second.
    I've owned other scopes that I thought were a real bargains but, ended up either giving them away or threw them in the trash.
    I have Redfield and Weavers that are ok, but they are just, ok.
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  3. #43
    Boolit Grand Master

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    For the money, Nikon shines. Don't discount Simmons. I have both a 22Mag and a 44Mag. Both are fine and didn't break the bank. Would I take them on Safari? Nope and I wouldn't hesitate to take the Nikon's but that's not what Simmons are designed for. I have no problem hunting with them in the States.
    Last edited by jonp; 02-03-2020 at 07:17 PM.
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  4. #44
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dieselhorses View Post
    (I intentionally left out "Simmons, Tasco and Barska but you welcome to comment on these!)
    I've told this story before and I'll tell it again.

    I went prairie doggin' with a guy who could have bought a Leopold for his new rifle - he had the money. But, he got an 8x32x40 Simmons. I told him he would regret it.
    Coming back to camp the first day for lunch and still a 1/3 of a mile out I saw him hunched over the tailgate of the truck doing something.
    200 yards out I saw him throw something out into prairie, close the tailgate, get in my truck and drive off.
    I wandered over to the object he winged out there and it was his new Simmons scope. I left it lay where it was.
    After another round of shooting and supper my pardner was still AWOL with my truck. I went to bed and asleep before he came back.
    The next morning, I got up made breakfast while he was putting his new Leopold on his rifle. I never mentioned the new found love for Leopold scopes and he never uttered a word either.
    When we left 5 days later, the Simmons was still basking in the Wyoming sunshine.
    Political correctness is a national suicide pact.

    I am a sovereign individual, accountable
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  5. #45
    Boolit Master

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    Leopold fan here. The consistency and reliability over other brands over many years have convinced me that a lower spec Leopold always beats the flashier other brand. I have looked at other brands and their over the top "tactical" reticules eliminate them from my choice. A German post or duplex reticle is all I want or need.
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  6. #46
    Boolit Buddy
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    My axis in 308 is a scope killer. Its now killed 2 nikon prostaffs and a 150$ bushnell in 5 years.

    So a regular diet of Hornady 150gr SST with a advertised mv of 3000fps doesnt help either. Recoil is harsh, but it prints good. Only factory hunting ammo i found printed almost moa.

    Leupold or possibly iron sights next.

  7. #47
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I'm surprised at your results on the Axis. I've had Nikons on 2 different Axis rifles for a few years now including a 308 with no problems but they are hunting rifles and I don't shoot them that much.
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  8. #48
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hickory View Post
    I've told this story before and I'll tell it again.

    I went prairie doggin' with a guy who could have bought a Leopold for his new rifle - he had the money. But, he got an 8x32x40 Simmons. I told him he would regret it.
    Coming back to camp the first day for lunch and still a 1/3 of a mile out I saw him hunched over the tailgate of the truck doing something.
    200 yards out I saw him throw something out into prairie, close the tailgate, get in my truck and drive off.
    I wandered over to the object he winged out there and it was his new Simmons scope. I left it lay where it was.
    After another round of shooting and supper my pardner was still AWOL with my truck. I went to bed and asleep before he came back.
    The next morning, I got up made breakfast while he was putting his new Leopold on his rifle. I never mentioned the new found love for Leopold scopes and he never uttered a word either.
    When we left 5 days later, the Simmons was still basking in the Wyoming sunshine.
    Hickory, that is a great story.

  9. #49
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Play comes always my favorite it’s got brighter crisper and clear glass than any of the above scopes listed. I have a few Leupold mark for scopes I paid over $1600 for that my cheap pro staff scopes are brighter and clearer and crisper. Leupold to me is like Harley it’s a name brand recognition and people get sucked into the hype just to say they own a leupold. I have made enough leupold purchased through the years that I could’ve probably bought a new car or two with the proceeds and I won’t buy another one. After my Lasic I need an optic with a front adjustable ocular to get my sight picture crystal clear. Since my cans out of the business I’ll have to see what optics offer that for me in the future.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 02-04-2020 at 12:55 PM.

  10. #50
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Misery-Whip View Post
    My axis in 308 is a scope killer. Its now killed 2 nikon prostaffs and a 150$ bushnell in 5 years.

    So a regular diet of Hornady 150gr SST with a advertised mv of 3000fps doesnt help either. Recoil is harsh, but it prints good. Only factory hunting ammo i found printed almost moa.

    Leupold or possibly iron sights next.

    I tell you before you waste any more money on another optic use some 3M 77 adhesive in your scope rings or similar along with a torque wrench and some Loctite and bed your scope base with some acraglass. I have killed many scopes like you have by having them come loose and shift in my rings. It doesn’t take much movement at all. After I followed this process I haven’t killed an optic yet.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 02-04-2020 at 12:51 PM.

  11. #51
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Misery-Whip View Post
    My axis in 308 is a scope killer. Its now killed 2 nikon prostaffs and a 150$ bushnell in 5 years.

    So a regular diet of Hornady 150gr SST with a advertised mv of 3000fps doesnt help either. Recoil is harsh, but it prints good. Only factory hunting ammo i found printed almost moa.

    Leupold or possibly iron sights next.
    Boy, my brother's 375 Ultramag has had the same Prostaff for hundreds of rounds. It's an absolute terror recoil wise. Can't imagine how a 308 is tearing glass up so badly? Do you lap your rings before mounting? How's your mount attachment to the rifle? Bedding it helps some, but making sure the scope/rings/bases/mount/rifle are all in line is maybe the most important thing.

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  12. #52
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I have a pro staff five on my 375 RUM with no problems as well. It has recoil that will rip your shoulder off. The key is to make sure your scope doesn’t move and you won’t kill it. I also have the same scope on my 300 rum with no problems.

  13. #53
    Boolit Master
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    I have Leupold Gold Ring and Vortex Viper that I like. I have a Savage Axis with a new Weaver on it that I had some issues with, but it was not a scope problem. The rings were loose to the point of falling off. Once tightened, working well.

  14. #54
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    Dieselhorses, I hope you have good luck with whatever you decide on, but IMHO I have had less zero shifting problems with Burris scopes than the rest of the non European scopes. When I was trying to get my 870 slug gun ready to hunt with, those 3" Federal slugs loosened a Nikon Monarch's lenses to the rattle point with less than 5 rnds. Next up came a 4x M8 Leupold that lasted for about 10 rnds and then it failed to respond to adjustment. I finally took the 3x9 Kahles off of my 308 Norma and it lasted through out the load development- about 30 more rounds. At the end of my Illinois hunting trip where I needed the slug gun, I took the Kahles off and mounted a new Burris 2x7, which is parallax corrected at 50 yds, on the 870. Since then I started handloading 12 ga slugs and have shot probably 100 rnds through that 870 and it has held it's zero with a death grip. That shotgun kicks hard enough to drain your sinuses and the Burris has never whimpered. Another 3x9 Fullfield II on my 280 Ackley has survived the baggage goons for 2 trips to Alaska and never needed re zeroing since the first time and still doesn't today. I had a Burris 2x on a Ruger Super Blackhawk that I hunted with and shot a LOT that never needed re-zeroing in the several years I owned it.
    Scopes are probably a better bang for your buck today than they ever have been, especially in the $200-$300 range. I know that the quality of glass is a bunch better than when I started way back when and so are the adjustments.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  15. #55
    Boolit Grand Master

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    You won't go wrong with A Leupold, and they would my choice. Burris, Vortex, Nikon and the new Redfields all are dependable. My oldest Son has a couple of the new Redfields and they have held up so far and track well. I wouldn't hesitate buying a Nikon if the price was right, even though they are getting out of the scope business. A couple of friends have Burris and they have worked out well.

    My Leupolds are all VX-3's. I also have a Swarovski, a West German Ziess, a few Nightforce, and a March. So I can compare and the Leupold are ok.

    I did have one Leupold MKIV that had a one shot delay in the adjustments. It wasn't much and you had to have an accurate rifle to notice. But, it was on an accurate rifle!

    I have sighted in a few rifles for friends that had Simmons. The adjustments didn't work right, but once sighted in they stayed there. You would move them 6 or 8 clicks and nothing. Maybe do it another time or two and nothing and then get everything at once. The same thing going back, but they stayed once you got them there.

    My Leupold VX-3's tracked and adjusted properly and the glass quality is good. The warranty is top notch and the price fair. I have bought several used ones. Some of the others have already mentioned this, but it was fashionable for a while to bash Leupold. I have not had any problems and I own about 2 dozen of them.
    Last edited by lightman; 02-05-2020 at 11:00 PM.

  16. #56
    Boolit Master


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    Has anyone shot the square with their Simmons? I have with my 16x "44Mag". Got an off center trapezoid with a loop the loop on one corner. Final center group was beside the original. That was solidly barrel mounted and optically and bore centered on an accurized 10/22 so can't blame recoil or mounts.

    If a 308 is destroying scopes, it is either bad mounting or cheap scopes. Torquing a scope with 2 pc mounts pointing in different directions is an excellent start down that path.
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  17. #57
    Boolit Buddy
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    I voted Burris for most rifle uses, I have a couple of Leupold's I'm fond of, couple not so much, The real fondness I have in scopes is Nightforce.

  18. #58
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    Leupold is the best all around scope . I have several VX3s VX2 and several VX1s

    Best user friendly and eye relief

    .

  19. #59
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    Another Leupold fan here.

    The VX3i, VX3, Vari-XIIc, and VX1’s are all the ones that I have.

    The only negative experience that I have had is with the eye relief on the variable power 1inch tube scopes that zoom to more than 10X and do not have an adjustable objective. I recommend staying under 10X on a variable zoom scope if you do not want to spend a lot more money.

  20. #60
    Boolit Buddy
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    Top choice Leupold M8, second choice old Redfield of a Weaver K series. Do not have much use for a Variable scope. Like fixed better.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check