I trashed a great scope! ( Not on purpose,of course)

[slim1836]

Alas, I do not own any nice (as in expensive) scopes, all mine were bought as a cheap scope when needed to scope a rifle. That said, I put an old Tacso scope on my AR-15 and so far it has performed well after several 20 round boxes. I'm not a fan of AR's, prefer the old style rifles, especially military which are open sights.

I do have a Simmons scope that I mounted after the warranty ran out that was trash new out of the box. Good only for a shadow box now.

Since I no longer hunt, it just doesn't matter to me. Poor folk have poor ways.

Slim

[Tripplebeards]

Even though Tasco’s are cheap I do love them! I also have a lot of Leupold mark fours and and a VX7 on the opposite $$$ spectrum. I have to say the tasco 2.5 x 10 varmint scopes are awesome for the $24.99 bucks I paid for them. I have one on my air rifle with over 3000 shots that hasn’t broke or lost zero. And I had one on my 35 Remington that I switched out to one of my rimfires and have another one on another rimfire. With that said I’m with everybody else though pick up a cheap Vortex and call it a day. The new Tasco’s crosshairs are like barn boards. I have a few they switched out for a varmint optic that had debris inside of it from the factory. They still work great though they just have extremely thick crosshairs. I can tell you the Sportsmans are better quality than the new world class. I have a 6 x 24 sportsman they sent me that is clear all the way to 24 power. I put it on my H&R single shot 223. They also sent a 4-12 sportsman to replace an old TV 4x that wasn’t under warranty anymore but they took care of it anyways….by accident. I put that on one of my 22s. They both are bright and crystal clear. They stopped making that 6 x 24 sportsman and I’d tell you that sure is a nice scope for cheap junk. I can see my shot placement hits at 200 yards with my h&R 223 that group just a hair over an inch. I always have fun in order a cheap tasco every once in a while just to see how well it does or doesn’t hold out. It was my first scope back in 1984 for my 30-06 in 4X. It’s all my dad could afford at the time and it was 29 bucks. That scope took many deer. I slipped one day dragging out an eight pointer and hit it on my forehead. The bell had a big dent but it still worked so I gave it to my cousin. He still uses it today!

[nekshot]

I like the tascos from the 70’s. If a scope holds zero and does not fog up or get cloudy I use them. I get a bunch of scopes from rifles I bought and most of those are junk but a few are very good. Bushnells have always been good to me. I use Leopolds and Burris plus some Nikons for hunting but if the need to use a cheap scope came up I will gladly use the cheaper ones.

[technojock]

After paying a small fortune to rebarrel my .22 K-Hornet, I figured it was time to get rid of the Barska scope on it. The Barska was always an OK scope but not a great one. So I ordered Vortex Crossfire scope to replace it. The Vortex is a good scope but in this case a bad decision. Ruger rifles only use Ruger rings and the Vortex was too short between the bells to fit the Ruger 77-22 Hornet.

I put the Vortex on my Rem 700 .243 Win and rolled it's 2-7 Redfield down hill to my AR15. I'd still like a better scope for the Ruger .22 K-Hornet but for now I'm OK with how all are working.

Tony

[elmacgyver0]

I pretty much only have cheap scopes.
My guns rarely leave the house and to just look at cheap scopes work just fine.
I am now in my twilight years and only go squirrel or rabbit hunting when a dear friend of mine, half my age asks me to go hunting or fishing.
I really look forward to those outings.

[Texas by God]

My brother paid me for mounting and sighting in Leupolds on two of his rifles by giving me the takeoff scopes. The Bushnell Sportview 3x9 cost $30 in 1980 and worked without issue on a 7mm magnum all these years for lots of deer and elk.
The Tasco Pronghorn 4x was on his first deer rifle- a 336 30-30. Same story never a problem.

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[MostlyLeverGuns]

For inexpensive scopes, I've got a few Simmons on different rifles that work pretty well. A 4-16x40 on a marlin 336 32 special, a 3-9x32 on a Marlin 336 30-30, a couple others on rifles that do not beat up scopes. Mostly I go with Leupold for the rifles I carry a lot, the Leupold's are usually lighter, I really like the Burris Fullfield II's (2-7, 3-9, 4.5-14) but they are heavier. I liked Nikon but they quit making rifle scopes. Tasco's haven't held up to recoil, gone through a few of them. Early steel Weaver's will fog, altitude changes affect their sealing - 4000ft to 12000ft. The 19.95 4x32 Bushnell's from the 70's still work, I have a couple, but a couple cheap Bushnell variables have failed - form 20-30 years ago. If just dropping a rifle breaks your scope, the scope is not worth mounting.

[Catmanran]

Yup 30 years ago friends had Tasco which they did real well with. I bought Leupold. The first Leupold I purchased somewhere around early/mid 1980’s. I had a similar experience. A few years ago I had my original 3-9 Leupold mounted on a 9 pound H&R 12ga slug gun. I opened my truck door and it slid out and onto the ground. It landed on the scope but it rode my leg down and didn’t just free fall the whole way. Well a nice dent between the front ring and objective. I carried my bow that morning and after hunting checked zero on the gun. It was still dead on.

[Shopdog]

About 1980?.....

A shooting bud gives me a 3-12X50 world class Tasco that had been in a rifle,tip over incident. The eye piece was whacked.

That was my first scope "repair"... got that rascal STRAIGHTER than Tasco ever did,bwahaha. Been dinking around with repairs and modifications ever since so...

Saying Tasco is alright in my book.

P.S. got a straight 6X44 Tasco that has the best repeatability clicks (box testing) of ANY scope I ever been around. Read about scopes long enough and eventually you'll see the biases,no big deal just sayin it's a path. Not everyone is on the same trail.

[curiousgeorge]

I started out with the Japan made Tasco World Class 3x9x40 from the late 1970's. It stayed on my main hunting rifles, first a Colt / Sako 308, and next a Howa 30-06 for around 30 years. Scope always held zero, never fogged, but eventually starting losing light gathering properties. Replaced it with a Burris on the 30-06, but still have it on an old H&R 30-30 and works great for shooting cast. I found the old Tasco made in Japan scopes to work very well. Still have 3 others of them on a 35 Whelen, a 308, and an 8mm Mauser. Went through several others made in the Philippines and Taiwan that did not hold up. Same can be said for the old Bushnells that were made in Japan versus the later models up through the mid 1990s.

[murf205]

"I have been looking at the Vortex brand, ( nephew has several), might just go that way." I just checked MidwayUSA and they had Vortex Vanquish 3x9x40's for $99. If you are still in the market that fits a retirement budget. I know the feeling brother!

[missionary5155]

Japan as always produced great glass
Early WW2 Jap war ships dould hit our ships at night long before our ships old see them. Superb Optics ! 2x as good as our best.
Radar saved our ship to ship battles.

[Texas by God]

Tasco, Simmons, Bushnell, and Weaver are all owned and serviced by the same Vista Outdoors.
Send your broken Tasco in, they will probably replace it free- or cost you $10 for shipping.
Good for .22 rifles or “Brother in law” deer rifles!


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[tctender]

Like some have already said the older Tasco scopes were good for the money. The new ones i have tried ( on .22 rifles) would not even work on them. The only one that i have bent tube on slid over on seat of my jeep to center between seats about 5-6 inches and bent the end of that Simmons 44mag scope. Cost me a nice buck that morning. Most of my scopes now are between two and five hundred dollars. Never had the money to buy the expensive ones. Never had any luck at all with the Simmons scopes.

[beemer]

In about 1990 I ended up with a used Japanese Tasco 3 X 9. I put it on a #4 Enfield, hunted with it for years sometimes in bad weather with ice pegs hanging in it. It never failed or lost zero or fogged up and even with a few small dents. It finally got yellow looking inside and I replaced it but it still works. I have a couple Tasco's made in Taiwan that do fine. I don't hunt anymore and usually shoot on my 100 yd. range so I am satisfied with their performance.

I replaced the Tasco with a Burris Fullfield 3 X 9. It zeroed fine and I like the crosshair but the adjustments are extremely to hard to turn. It has a lifetime warranty so I am thinking about sending it back. I bought a Vortex Diamondback for my other #4, much better. I do have a couple more expensive scopes but they are all out numbered by steel tube weavers.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm impressed with the Hawke Vantage series scopes, they are about the only choice for a decent new 2-7x32 scope that costs less than Leupold nowadays. Got one on my Zastava .223 and it works great. Buddy on another forum has the same scope on his 1895 Guide Gun with stout handloads and it has never let him down. For the money, Burris Fullfield II is the only way to go, sometimes you can catch them on sale for a bit more than a c-note. I honestly think they are better scopes than anything that costs less than a Leupold VX-3. Unfortunately they only come in a couple of different versions, none of which are compact.

[farmbif]

these days its pretty hard to beat what vortex has to offer with the warranty they actually stand behind. there are loads of new scope brands with all the high quality glass being made in the phillipines and other places now a day. but if I were after another scope I would look at vortex, leupold and Burris in that order unless I could find a Zeiss or night force that was on clearance or something.

[beemer]

I'm impressed with the Hawke Vantage series scopes, they are about the only choice for a decent new 2-7x32 scope that costs less than Leupold nowadays. Got one on my Zastava .223 and it works great. Buddy on another forum has the same scope on his 1895 Guide Gun with stout handloads and it has never let him down. For the money, Burris Fullfield II is the only way to go, sometimes you can catch them on sale for a bit more than a c-note. I honestly think they are better scopes than anything that costs less than a Leupold VX-3. Unfortunately they only come in a couple of different versions, none of which are compact.

The Burris I put on my #4 was a Fullfield II, The adjustments are even hard to turn with a good screwdriver. Other than that I like the scope, especially for the money spent. Have you experienced this with a Burris ?

[farmbif]

growing up I had great respect for Burris scopes, that changed in about 1997 when I got a new full field to put on a 700cdl in 270. when I opened the box I was supervised and disappointed that it said made in phillipines on it. I just assumed they were all made in USA like leupold. getting it zeroed was nearly impossible. it has since gone down the road. but ive got a 2.5-7 eer on a Redhawk that is great, a made in usa signature 2.5-10 that is also a fantastic scope and a 2.5-10 euro diamond that is a very very nice scope. I got one of the TAC 4-14's when they were closing them out at less than 1/2 price and so far so good. as far as 2-7 scopes I thought the leupold vx2 was good until I got a vortex diamondback for a 22, wow, what a fantastic scope

[rbuck351]

The Tasco scopes made in Japan were not bad scopes. Not in the same class as the high end scopes but not bad. The China made Tascos are worth about as much as you pay for them. Not what I would want on a rifle I depended on to bring home the bacon.