NcStar Rifle Scopes

drache

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I know the views of many people when it comes to "chinese" made scopes but I think these scopes might need to be looked into a little closer. So far I have yet to get a lemon (although I've only bought 4 of them).

I have yet to actually test one on a centerfire rifle so I can't really speak about that but I've currently got one on my Savage Mark II "G" and I must say that it's doing pretty good so far....

I bought the very simple NcSTAR 3-9x40 Black for $40 CDN plus another $10 shipping and had it a week later. I wanted just a cheap scope to throw up on top of the .22 for plinking and grouse hunting. I looked around for a cheap variable scope and most were Chinese knockoffs of Bushnell and such (which have no name on the scope) and out of 5 of those I purchased 3 were lemons (I love actually buying products, testing them, and writing reviews).

I knew that NcSTAR was chinese but at least they had their own brand name. So far I must say I'm really happy. After 100 shots of .22LR the scope still holds it's zero and I would actually like to try one on a centerfire.

They have their Mark III line which have prices that go up to $400+ but really if you are going to buy one at that price get something name brand, but if you want a cheap scope to throw on a plinker or whatever then maybe think about one of the cheaper NcSTAR.

I've yet to test this, but the scope I have is listed as a "rangefinder" although some math is involved. The Mildot is divided into MOA increments with the width of a line being 1 MOA. They say that if you know the rough size of a target then you can figure out the rough distance.

Target Size in Inches, divided by number of MOA (example is the target fits between four of the "mildots"), times it by 100, and you should get the distance in yards.

12" / 4moa x 100 = 300 yards

Anyone know if this "rangefinder" is somewhat accurate?

Does anyone else have any comments or tried using an NcSTAR scope on a centerfire?

Please ONLY comment on these scopes if you've actually used one. :rolleyes:
 
There is a giant piece of something hanging down in the scope which obstructs the view.

The spotting scope prism is unattached. Can't see anything through it.

I was testing these as I was going to carry them as I have an online Hunting Supply store.


After this, no way.
Not worth the customer service head ache

That's pretty crappy to say the least! Now I really am counting my lucky stars! :eek:
 
The mildots should be good for range finding, if you can determine their calibration. I don't understand the part about them being moa wide. That's awfully fine scale. Or is that the line width, if so, how far apart are they 3.6" at 100 yards?
 
The mildots should be good for range finding, if you can determine their calibration. I don't understand the part about them being moa wide. That's awfully fine scale. Or is that the line width, if so, how far apart are they 3.6" at 100 yards?

Oops forgot to add that part, they are 5moa increments
 
Sorry for the bad pics it's not easy taking a picture through a scope. The scope isn't sitting off center, I was just holding the camera slightly off center.

3x
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9x
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This is a shot I took today at 50 yards. I'm going to say partial luck but the scope is shooting dead accurate to say the least! This was sticking up above a pop that I had just finished drinking and stuck out on the "range".
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I have a NCstar on my Ruger 10/22. It is the D4B "tactical" reflex red dot. It features 7 brighness settings with 4 reticules all of which are red. Today was my first trip to the range with this sight, so here is a quick review:

First of all, the sight was $56.00 canadian, so my expectations were basically nil. Upon recieving the sight, I was quite impressed with the packaging, and with the actual sight itself for such a low cost item, it is all metal. Mounting to the stock 10/22 rail was easy and didnt require any modifications to rifle or sight. I noticed right off the bat the the brighness settings were screwed up with 4 being brighter than 5 or 6 for some reason, but I let that slide on account of the price. The reticules are fairly clear as is the glass.

At the range, I found in broad daylight, I needed to set this thing for maximum brightness (4 or 7 on mine, no difference). My first 10 shot group at 25 yards was only off by 2" with no bore sighting at all! The left/right adjustments are done by allen wrench and have positive click stops. I clicked 4 times to the left and re-shot and the impact had moved as predicted. The up/down adjustment, on mine at least, does not have any click stops and seems to be continuous??? Pretty good so far none the less.

Using the "+" reticule, I shot about a 2" group at 25 yards that was centred on the target. Next, I changed to "circle with dot" reticule and shot 10 more. The POI moved up about 2" at 25 yards, but was still centred. I then tried the "bit of everything" reticule and my shot pattern was off the page at 25yards. So bottom line, with this scope, you really need to pick which reticule you like best and sight in for it. Again, that is a limitation I am willing to live with for a ultra-cheap sight like this.

Now comes the annoying part. After +/- 200 rounds of HV .22 through my buffer-equipped 10/22, the sight starts turning on and off all by itself, apparently due to the "massive" recoil!?!?!?!?!?!??! Even for a $50.00 scope, this is not acceptable. I plan to tinker around with the battery compartment and see if there is a fix for it, but if not, the sight will be shipped back to the manufacturer as defective.

So, in short, for the NCstar D4B "tactical" red dot:

Pros:
- Low price
- Metal construction
- Clear reticules and glass
- Easy mounting
- Adjustments work as advertised
- Holds zero (so far)
- Extremely fun to shoot with high cap magazines, you seriously have to try one of these...

Cons:
- Brighness settings are screwed up
- Sight turns itself off due to recoil on a .22
- POI shifts with each reticule

Bottom line, if it werent for the sight turning itself off, I would be happy with it for what it is, and that is a cheap beater red dot for plinking with a .22. There is no way I would EVER attempt to put this thing on a CF rifle.
 
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