Best scope for under $1000?

randyhub said:
Jerry said to really look at the Athlon line as was also seriously looking at Vortex and Leupold. Found one locally and was immediately impressed with the settable turrets (the clicks sold me), glass quality and my 1st time using a FFP scope at for 550.00!!!!

Mounted the scope and my rimfire buddy who had never fired a centre fire immediately fell in love with the MRAD and clarity was was easily whacking the steels at 500 meters, he could not get over the clarity!


Anyways here it is on my plinker budget build.
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Glad the Athlons are working well for you... FYI, the Argos ISN'T the best HD glass in the Athlon line up ... there is now significant better for not a huge upcharge :)

That is a fantastic range... where is it?

Jerry
 
As a dealer, I get a chance to review opportunities to offer different brands of products. Performance vs price vs features vs failure rates vs warranty is a big part of the brands I decide to offer.

For those who may be tough on their gear or worry about support, look into the various warranties offered outside of Canada/USA.

Europe is mandated by law to a time limit on their warranty and most support manf defects only.... pretty sure that is all brands.

I investigated a Chinese brand that is making alot of waves recently and the response to me was lack luster. The actual warranty listed on their various posts, websites, etc varied in their texts... and that varied from what their sales rep to me suggested. Bottom line..... it is open to interpretation and definitely doesn't include user damage. Hopefully, this is a just teething pains and the whole language barrier (although that is a very lame excuse in this globally trading world) but I will leave it to others to sort out.

I AM hard on my gear.... run it hard and sooner or later, things will break... or more correctly, wear out.... or maybe just break cause, gravity. I want a brand and supply network to be there to support me. No hassles, no worries, just get it sorted out and fast. Now I don't want a product line where warranty is their first and often used feature... Like a good parachute, when needed.. it better work.

Maybe I have to pay a little more upfront... but I save a world of costs later, if needed at all. Note, the last time I checked, international postage was both expensive and slow.

We now have access to fantastic scopes both in function and optics for under $1000... scopes that compare well to those of yesteryear costing a whole lot more.

Decide on your priorities and the support network you want... go for it. At the end, just get out shooting and enjoy the sport.

Jerry
 
...OP is in Ontario, and wants a hunting scope for 100 y, possibly 200. At those distances, having too much magnification (eg 10-50) is a hindrance. Something in the 1.5 to 4.5 or 2 -8 would be more suitable..../QUOTE]

I don't argue with anybody saying something like this, but feels like you never looked through a high power scope before (more then x32 or even x50), would that be for hunting or target rings.
A 10-30 or 10-40 or 10-50 power range gives you something to chose from. Nobody is saying you need to use x40 or x50, you can use just anything... x16 or x23.5 or x45, but ones you paid for - it is there... who knows why you would need tomorrow morning...
Next thing I want to point out... whatever scope you buy 90% of scopes at highest=max power settings don't have a clarity as in middle range...you can chose x16 or x24 scope but that max power on that glass will be blurred and not sharp...unless you go 2-3-4 grand.
I had more then 20 scopes in two decades, I have seen things and just shopping currently again for a new to try.
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bigHUN said:
...OP is in Ontario, and wants a hunting scope for 100 y, possibly 200. At those distances, having too much magnification (eg 10-50) is a hindrance. Something in the 1.5 to 4.5 or 2 -8 would be more suitable..../QUOTE]

I don't argue with anybody saying something like this, but feels like you never looked through a high power scope before (more then x32 or even x50), would that be for hunting or target rings.
A 10-30 or 10-40 or 10-50 power range gives you something to chose from. Nobody is saying you need to use x40 or x50, you can use just anything... x16 or x23.5 or x45, but ones you paid for - it is there... who knows why you would need tomorrow morning...
Next thing I want to point out... whatever scope you buy 90% of scopes at highest=max power settings don't have a clarity as in middle range...you can chose x16 or x24 scope but that max power on that glass will be blurred and not sharp...unless you go 2-3-4 grand.
I had more then 20 scopes in two decades, I have seen things and just shopping currently again for a new to try.
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I'm saying that even 10X is too much for hunting in Ontario at 100y, possibly to 200y. Every year we get new hunters showing up at the hunt camp with "too much scope". The salient issue is rapid target acquisition, particularly on an animal that is dis-inclined to stay still.
BTW - I've had lots of scopes over the years, including high magnification, which I shoot out to 1000y. During that time, I have managed to learn that FFP means first focal plane and SFP means second focal plane.:)
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I honestly think you would be good staying with what you got. It's a decent scope and you already own it.
No quicker way to hate a rifle than over scoping it or scoping it with poor fit. Been down that road.
 
scianna54 said:
LOL, I wanted to say but you were first.

Why is FFP so much more expensive though?
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Jahnj0584 said:
I doubt the technology itself is expensive, moreso a coincidence that it only goes on a certain quality of scope to begin with.
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BigUglyMan said:
Tac-Tax
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german and austrian scopes are or have been used for many decades on hunting scopes so now it is maybe the tax tac for some products but when i was hunting chamois and roe deer i never been able to do it properly with ffp ones and a leupold was always doing the trick at that time ...
 
the Viper line is pretty good bang for your buck and has glass that is acceptable even to scope snobs, designed in america but made in phillipines.

if you wan't an upgrade I wouldn't go with less than a viper, strike eagles have bad glass by comparison.

german glass is the clearest but their feature rich tactical scopes are out of most peoples budgets and even a hunting scope is a lot.
 
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