cheap red dot and scopes offerings on eBay - are they worth it?

[dimaprok]

I see so many cheap red dot and scopes on eBay from China the prices are ridiculous. I need one for my Ruger PC9 carbine, the recoil is very light and it's my fun gun, most likely I won't be shooting past 50 yards and perhaps only 25 on average so I don't want to spend a lot on optic. Originally I was interested in Vortex Sparc 2 on sale for $130 plus tax but these got me intrigued, so I was wondering if anyone had experience with them.

It says Bushnell on it, but is it a fake?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushnell-1X....c100752.m1982

This one has 3x zoom and red dot.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushnell-3x....c100752.m1982

Like how this one has a tactical scope look to it
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Optical-3-M...005.m1851#rwid

Looks very slick, even has build in bubble level, probably not very useful for short range, but the price! $15 with free shipping!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tactical-1x....c100005.m1851

[dimaprok]

Forgot to include this Bushnell scope https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bushnell-Ri....c100005.m1851

[Winger Ed.]

Like everything else, its going to be a get what you pay for sort of deal.
Sure, they'll work, at least for awhile.

But it will also be like using a cheap scope, getting used to it, then looking through a high end one-
there's going to be that 'Oh wow' factor that quality brings.

Of all the things I've purchased, had to save up, or make sacrifices to buy,
not once have I ever looked back and said, "Gosh, I sure wish I'd gotten that cheaper one".


One thing that makes a dot more expensive is the size of the dot.
A 3moa one that covers more of the target is cheaper to produce than a tiny bright one.

With scopes, (beyond the optical quality)the expensive ones tend to be more repeatable
when you change the magnification back and forth.
The point of impact won't change from one power to another, and will come back to the same place when you do.
Larger cals. won't beat the internals apart as soon.

[M-Tecs]

I can not address the red dot scopes, however, I have used several of the cheap green dot lasers and they have worked very well for me. I can't see how they sell them for that price. With the laser that is the secondary sighting system so if it fails I still have sights.

Personally I would not use them for hunting or self defense but for a plinker you are not out much if they have issues.

[pertnear]

All the ebay sights you listed ship from China. You're in for slow delivery & be sure to pay with PayPal. As M-Tecs said, at those prices you can't lose much. In my opinion, you'll probably be buying something better soon.

JIMHO

[kens]

I got a cheap red dot sight at LGS. After a couple trips to the range, I thought my gun was messed up. I thought it was bad ammo. I thought a lot of things, never thought about the sight going bad, but, it did.
I changed the sight and the gun was good again.
I put that suspect sight on another gun, and that one too went bad.

[BigAlofPa.]

One time walmart had center point red/green dot scopes on clearance. I think they were 25.00. I bought one. Put it on one of my Ar style 22's. Loved it. Went back and bought the rest they had lol. I have them on my some of other PCC'S. And i have 2 spares. Had them a few years now. No issues. But yes pay attention to the dot size. I had one with the big dot was poor for shooting anything small like a can out past 50 yards.

[GhostHawk]

I have a whole stable of Truglo red dot sights I've bought from Amazon over the last 5 years. Yet to have any problem more serious than having to replace a battery.

I did spend 50-60$ on mine. Evilbay, well who knows what you get or what chance you would have of getting a refund if you ever had a problem.

Your money, your choice. But I'll stick with Truglo and Amazon for my money.

[gnostic]

I bought two Bushnell 3x9 Dusk To Dawn for $25 each off ebay and the sight picture seems as good as my 6.5x20 Leupold. I mounted one on a M4 forgery with free float barrel and JP trigger group, with my handloads it shoots 1/2" groups. I don't know what to expect for longevity, but for now I'm impressed. Weird as it seen, the image quality, sharpness contrast and color saturation seem great...

[mic]

i have had a $40 scope that larsted me 3years befor it would not hold zero and a red dot that that worked untill the battery whent flat and i could not open the battery port with out bracking it. all off ebay me id say just bite the bullet and buy a bottom of the line brand name scope or red dot if money is tight.

[jcren]

I have the bushnell compact rd (trs 25 I think) and a firefield that uses a standard aa battery. Both are good, but for my primary "grabbing" gun, I will be getting a https://www.amazon.com/Sig-Sauer-SOR.../dp/B01C95I8N4 to replace the firefield on my 45acp hipoint carbine. That motion on will be the cats meow.
Basically, depends on your application. Range toy, try one of the cheap ones. Hunting, basic but reliable. Defense/goto gun, i would look close at that sig or better.

[dimaprok]

I have a whole stable of Truglo red dot sights I've bought from Amazon over the last 5 years. Yet to have any problem more serious than having to replace a battery.

I did spend 50-60$ on mine. Evilbay, well who knows what you get or what chance you would have of getting a refund if you ever had a problem.

Your money, your choice. But I'll stick with Truglo and Amazon for my money.

Looks very much like other cheaper options on eBay and feedback not any better The protection on eBay is stellar. If something arrives broken or defective you get refund from eBay. I've done it before no issues with that. I also have Amazon Prime but unless it's sourced from local warehouse in US the prime 2 day free shipping does not apply, you're on the same slow boat from China so it's not any different from eBay and in this case I actually prefer eBay, they have better system when you want to communicate with seller. The gamble is the same, if it fails 1 month down the road, it's unlikely eBay or Amazon will help although I did reach out once to eBay seller and he reluctantly sent me a new one.

[dimaprok]

I have the bushnell compact rd (trs 25 I think) and a firefield that uses a standard aa battery. Both are good, but for my primary "grabbing" gun, I will be getting a https://www.amazon.com/Sig-Sauer-SOR.../dp/B01C95I8N4 to replace the firefield on my 45acp hipoint carbine. That motion on will bbe the cats meow.
Basically, depends on your application. Range toy, try one of the cheap ones. Hunting, basic but reliable. Defense/goto gun, i would look close at that sig or better.

Agree, I have Vortex Venom and Bushnell first strike (both compact more pistol suitable) red dots already and they are great but for this plinking gun I think I'll try a cheaper route this time, at least I have good stuff to compare to.