a good budget scope?

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I just set up my first "black" rifle. Well, it's black anyway - just an SKS in an ATI stock with rail dust cover installed. The whole thing only cost me $350 so far. I need a scope but only know hunting scopes, what would be a budget friendly tactical scope worthy of such a cheap rifle set up. Why are these so expensive anyway....?
 
Nothing good is cheap and nothing cheap is good...... Sorry, couldn't resist. For inexpensive and reasonably good, throw a Vortex sparc on it at least you git a lifetime warranty, of find an older bushnell TRS25 on the EE they were decent
 
Bushnell 1-4 FFP is the best budget scope I have fondled. Definitely get your money's worth with that one, nothing else comes close to the features for the money. See them in the EE sometimes, seen them selling for 350 last year.
 
You're going to find that even budget scope will end up costing more that your whole set up cost you.
That being said, my firsts scope was a Vortex VBrite for about 300ish. You can get the non illuminated Crossfire II for about 50 bucks cheaper and still have the Vortex lifetime warranty.
You'll also need scope rings to mount any scope you buy.
Vortex Sparc II and Strikefire are also a decent red dots if you don't need the magnification
 
For the SKS Vomz makes a decent fixed 4× with SVD style reticule calibrated to 7.62×39. They're about $150 when you can find them. Do yourself a favour and mount it using a Magwedge or Kodiak rail (~$100-120).
 
Don't even waste your time. Unless you've got the dust cover mounted juuust right, it'll never hold zero. Buy a real mount or forget about a scope.
 
I just set up my first "black" rifle. Well, it's black anyway - just an SKS in an ATI stock with rail dust cover installed. The whole thing only cost me $350 so far. I need a scope but only know hunting scopes, what would be a budget friendly tactical scope worthy of such a cheap rifle set up. Why are these so expensive anyway....?

Not trying to offend but an SKS is NOT a black rifle, it's an ancient military surplus rifle that is marginal at best. That being said, there is no "budget optic" that is reliable or well built and as others have said a decent optic will cost a lot more than your entire rifle. I suggest a hi viz front sight post and leave it alone.
 
Why not role with iron sights until you can get something better. A good scope can be moved to something else down the road. I am partial to aimpoint for res dots but have had a holosun on a m14 for a few years and it works well.
 
If you want an inexpensive scope, you have to consider the Bushnell AR Optics series.
I have a 2-7 on a 1022 and a 3-12 on an SKS.
For the money they are hard to beat.

Tactical turrets and parallax for under $200

Mount it with a Burris Pepr mount or see ebay for a cheaper Chinese qd one piece mount and your in business.

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Explain "just right". It's on pretty tight?

Basically it needs to fit perfectly. Zero play left/right and front/back. If it fit right out of the box, it is probably too loose. If it required filing at the front, and you didn't remove too much material, it *might* hold zero.

My advice would be to ditch the dust cover rail, and get a magwedge rail. They're gen 2.5 is only $60, which is half what they used to be/other companies charge.

Also, a real scope can't be mounted far enough forward for most people on the dust covers. They are basically RDS only, unless you like 0.5" of eye relief.
 
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