Bargain Bin Rifle Scope

M

MadcapMagician

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I just (two hours ago) ordered a Stevens 200 in .223 from Cabelas. I haven't got much in the way of cash leftover now. I'm looking for a new scope. Doesnt have to be a fancy name brand. I can't afford anything close to Leupold or Schmidt and Bender.

SO... Who out there knows of a semi-decent scope for $100.00 or less. Any eBay specials that are actually decent quality, or at least won't fall apart after the first shot?

So far after wading through a million different scopes on eBay I've found one that Looks interesting enough and for the price I just want to see if it even works.

h ttp://cgi.ebay.ca/M1-3-5-10x50-illuminated-Red-Mil-Dot-Rifle-scope-00079-/150544255396?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230d2309a4

Has anyone ever used this scope? Or even heard of it?

Any better suggestions or ideas?

Now I realize alot of people are going to say "Just save until you can buy something of decent quality" But I likely won't be able to save/afford much for a while so it has to happen now.

Let me know what everyone thinks.
Cheers
 
i have the 6-24x60 version, looks the same. it's HORRIBLE. same price, hundred bucks. somewhat clear at 6x, gets really hazy as you up the power. useless. turrets have clicks that seem unrelated to anything.

i (also) have a Gamo 3-9x56 that's superior, and cost me fifty bucks. it's not GREAT, but cost less and is better.

neither are mounted on a rifle. one is in the drawer, the other is somewhere getting dusty and tossed around the back of the truck. guess which is which.
 
Probably a question best asked in the optics forum. Not much for great optics in the sub-100$ class.

If what you're looking for is a scope that won't break, I suggest going for the cheaper vortex scopes.

Forum sponsor SFRC carries them, the 2-7 would be a good choice, but if you need to stick to that price tag, they have a 1.5-4.

The good thing about the Vortex stuff is that if it breaks, you just send it back and they send you a new one. Unconditional lifetime warranty. Regardless of why it breaks. Can't beat that!
 
Aren't we in the optics forum :confused: ???

I would prefer to keep it around the $100.00 price tag. After looking at the Vortex scopes I think I would like something with a little more magnification. 8 X or 10X would be perfect.
Anyone else know of any well kept secret cheap optics? Seems a bit paradoxical I know...
 
Look in the EE for a used scope, one of the reputable brands. Remember that a given level of quality, a fixed power will be cheaper and more reliable than a variable, and for example, 3.5-10x50mm is not significantly better than the ubiquitous 3-9x40mm but it will cost more. Illuminated and mil-dot reticles are mostly used to separate money from you.

The good news is that a .223Remington isn't likely to knock your scope apart, so you can consider some of the cheaper stuff, but the really cheap stuff probably isn't worth it. And check your PMs.
 
With cheap scopes, you are usually better off with a fixed power than a variable.

Your best bet is to find a used, but better quality scope. Bushnell 3200 is a good choice.
 
The.22guy said:
Tasco Target -Varmint 6-24x 42mm done.
Yes I have it and it works great.
Click to expand...

I have one, also. My winning bid on E-bay was under a $100. No problems and it works well, but, I have it mounted on a .22LR. Was curious what it was like to shoot at 200 yds. It dropped 32".
 
All those eBay auctions selling Tasco's and others from HongKong. Are those legitimate? Is that where Tasco is made? Or are those forgeries? Anyone know? I've been looking on eBay for a little bit now. It seems that there are alot of Bushnells on there as well.

h ttp://cgi.ebay.ca/Bushnell-Banner-6-18x50-Adj-Objective-Riflescope-716185-/260761201147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb69429fb

Anyone know anything about this creature? Can it be trusted?
 
i bought two scopes on ebay. i will not buy a third. quality is poor, getting it takes a long time (3-4 weeks), there is no warranty at all, and any kinds of refunds or exchanges are pointless - you'll spend more shipping it back than it's worth.

ebay (from china) is good for things like scope rings, iphone covers, and other insignificant items.

a buddy of mine uses the fixed 10x bushnell 3200 for his .22-250 rifle and likes it, and most of his shooting is in the 100-300 range, though he's looking to go to 300-600 now with a 20MOA base.
 
For 100-200 yards, 4x or 6x is usually enough. More would be nice in some situations, but it would also be too much in some situations, and most of the fixed power hunting scopes are 4x or 6x. Fixed higher than that usually means a target scope, which usually means more expensive.
 
I gotcha. Thanks for the info. In the mean time I'll just keep my eye on the Exchange and eBay. See if anything good comes up.

Like I asked earlier does anyone know if buying "Bushnell" scopes from eBay is safe. Are the even Bushnell or a knock off?

h ttp://cgi.ebay.ca/Bushnell-Banner-6-18x50-Adj-Objective-Riflescope-716185-/260761201147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb694 29fb

TheTooner said:
For 100-200 yards, 4x or 6x is usually enough. More would be nice in some situations, but it would also be too much in some situations, and most of the fixed power hunting scopes are 4x or 6x. Fixed higher than that usually means a target scope, which usually means more expensive.
Click to expand...
 
MadcapMagician said:
I gotcha. Thanks for the info. In the mean time I'll just keep my eye on the Exchange and eBay. See if anything good comes up.

Like I asked earlier does anyone know if buying "Bushnell" scopes from eBay is safe. Are the even Bushnell or a knock off?

h ttp://cgi.ebay.ca/Bushnell-Banner-6-18x50-Adj-Objective-Riflescope-716185-/260761201147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb694 29fb
Click to expand...




in case you missed my reply before:



BP7 said:
i bought two scopes on ebay. i will not buy a third. quality is poor, getting it takes a long time (3-4 weeks), there is no warranty at all, and any kinds of refunds or exchanges are pointless - you'll spend more shipping it back than it's worth.

ebay (from china) is good for things like scope rings, iphone covers, and other insignificant items.
Click to expand...
 
one was a Gamo which comes up often in airsoft (and isn't terrible (it's a 3-9x56)), the other wasn't listed as but was physically marked as Leupold Mark 4 (and is atrocious).

if you wanna take the chance, you can. but it might be a fake (or it might be usable), and it'll probably take a month to arrive. if you're not gonna shoot anyways for another month, and if you won't be able to scrape together any more coin for a few more weeks, then maybe it's an option (though i cringe at it).

if you're really desperate for something, i can sell you the 3-9x56 with some basic rings since i'm not really using it (it's sitting in a drawer as a spare / backup). i have no lens caps for it, though. reticle looks like this (green & red illumination):

70b1_10.JPG
 
So chances are anything from eBay is either poor quality or just a forgery. For now I'm getting a scope and rings from juanvaldez which I'm pretty pumped about.

Until I can buy some quality... At least a mid-range Bushnell... I'll go with what hes sending my way.

Interesting looking reticle. Is the bullet drop indicator functional? Have you tried using it?

Cheers

BP7 said:
one was a Gamo which comes up often in airsoft (and isn't terrible (it's a 3-9x56)), the other wasn't listed as but was physically marked as Leupold Mark 4 (and is atrocious).

if you wanna take the chance, you can. but it might be a fake (or it might be usable), and it'll probably take a month to arrive. if you're not gonna shoot anyways for another month, and if you won't be able to scrape together any more coin for a few more weeks, then maybe it's an option (though i cringe at it).

if you're really desperate for something, i can sell you the 3-9x56 with some basic rings since i'm not really using it (it's sitting in a drawer as a spare / backup). i have no lens caps for it, though. reticle looks like this (green & red illumination):

70b1_10.JPG
Click to expand...
 
MadcapMagician said:
Interesting looking reticle. Is the bullet drop indicator functional? Have you tried using it?

Cheers
Click to expand...

haven't got a clue how useful it is, and no i've never used it. i had it on my 22LR for a short while, and on the shotgun with some mild birdshot loads. but i found out that i tend to keep my eye fairly low against the rifle so i wasn't able to line up to the scope right (the large objective made it sit higher than i'd like)
 
Is a 50mm or a 56mm objective even needed for target shooting? I know for hunting in low light situations its valuable but generally I'm out in bright sunshine, or clouds.

BP7 said:
haven't got a clue how useful it is, and no i've never used it. i had it on my 22LR for a short while, and on the shotgun with some mild birdshot loads. but i found out that i tend to keep my eye fairly low against the rifle so i wasn't able to line up to the scope right (the large objective made it sit higher than i'd like)
Click to expand...
 
Dude, give Brenda a call on Tuesday at 613-394-5023 and tell her you need something under $100.

We'll get you hooked up.
 
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