Are tactical scopes internally different?

[Teac]

I am in the market for a new scope, it should be a "tactical" scope for target shooting and such (no hunting) under which I understand exposed click turrets that you dial up and down and left/right often or all the time.

Now for a few exceptions many scopes are just "scopes" and I am wondering can I buy any scope with exposed click turrets or do I need a scope that is designed to be cranked on all the time? Are the tactical scopes different for this purpose?

Some hunting scopes have exposed turrets and they would do but will they survive being adjusted all the time? Do they allow precise adjustments based on clicks? I imagine they are intended to be adjusted once and left alone...

Cheers

Teac

 

[emerson]

I am in the market for a new scope, it should be a "tactical" scope for target shooting and such (no hunting) under which I understand exposed click turrets that you dial up and down and left/right often or all the time.

Now for a few exceptions many scopes are just "scopes" and I am wondering can I buy any scope with exposed click turrets or do I need a scope that is designed to be cranked on all the time? Are the tactical scopes different for this purpose?

Some hunting scopes have exposed turrets and they would do but will they survive being adjusted all the time? Do they allow precise adjustments based on clicks? I imagine they are intended to be adjusted once and left alone...

Cheers

Teac

They are designed for constant adjustment. What caliber and distance you plan to shoot is the first question. Then, what us your budget. $300-$6,000 is the range depending on needs and uses.

 

[Blastattack]

Quality of the scope is the main determinant factor to whether or not you can infinitly adjust it for all time. A “tactical scope” or “target scope” have a number of features that distinguish them from “hunting” scopes, but these features are mostly cosmetic or ergonomic in nature, and have little impact on how the scope actually works internally. Quality construction (materials, design, assembly etc) can generally be directly correlated to reliability. If you buy a Chinese Special “tactical scope” and a 40 year old Leupold sporting scope, you can expect the Chinese crap to fail immediately, while the Leupold should be able to be adjusted just about forever, and every aspect will be superior (other than cosmetics and ergonomics) when compared to a scope of poor quality.

 

[Dogleg]

You'll get what you pay for. There is nowhere where this is more true than optics.

Typically; everyone has to learn this for themselves.

 

[Foxer2373]

Turrets on a $150 scope vs turrets on a $10,000 scope are not made the same…

Budget, needs, wants… in that order and start looking and watching reviews.

 

[Potashminer]

I suspect a bit more of the internals should be "better" - won't do much for marketing, but the smoothness of the bias spring and its seat probably has a lot to do with the repeatability of the turret "clicks". Can't see them, most do not know what they do - but is about "everything" for dependable repeats, I think. Imagine a scope as a tube within a tube - one end in a gimble type arrangement - turret threads are on top and at one side - most commonly resisted by one leaf spring - on a "bias" - so spring must slide very smooth to follow the turret screws in and out. I think was the major thing about old school scopes - why old farts like me seen tapping on the turrets with empty cartridge case after turning turret - to "jar" the internals over the rough spots to the new setting, or want to make final adjustments turning the turrets "in", not "out"... Of course, technology and design likely all different these days.

 

[zak88]

Rule of thumb back in the day of component home stereos - when picking speakers, spend the same as what the tower cost. Same applies here - don’t put a $100 scope on a $3000 rifle, or vice versa. You need to match the capabilities of both

 

[skwerl]

As with most items there are Diminishing Marginal Returns , that
is at a certain point your quality is not increased by investing more money.

I would offer that the largest difference in optics as you climb the ladder
is in lens quality .

There are $400 scopes that function as well as $1200 scopes
but there are not any $900 scopes that are as good as a $2700 scope.

 

[duncansuds]

I think on a 3000.00 budget, I’d be putting 2000 or little better and the remainder to a rifle. You can always make a rifle more accurate. Never the optic.

 

[Teac]

Thanks everybody!

I solved the problem by buying a vortex tactical scope from a member

 

[J.Hancock]

True "tactical" optics/scopes are generally designed for CQB, compatible with IR etc - Elcans and Acogs or LPVOs, reddots, holographic.. all with significant design differences than your average hunting scope. Having a capable optic on a capable rifle is the "tactic" when it comes to hunting.