Who makes scopes for Cabellas?
- Thread starter Wrong Way
- Start date
Light Optical Works is one Japanese OEM of scopes ....Yazawa Kogaku Co., Ltd produce lenses for scopes...Hakko also OEM's scopes.
I don't think Nikon actually manufactures their own scopes ... like Pentax who rebrand the Burris scopes (or is it vice versa?)
Nantong Universal Optical Instrument Co. is a Chinese OEM source
Nanyang City Hailin Optical Instrument Machining Co another Chinese OEM
Chongqing Dontop Optics Co another Chinese OEM
Chlight ... another ... but they may just brand, re brand or OEM (hard to tell)
and probably 2 or 3 dozen more in China and Taiwan.
I am not sure Japan or China origin is a really relevant indication of quality these days though - I believe all of them can make a very good scope .... and have it in them to produce a very bad scope.
Most of them that do not brand their own scopes produce to a price point. The more you pay (at the factory door) the more features and quality you "may possibly probably" get..it is not guaranteed though. Cheap doesn't mean not worth using .. I have cheap scopes that function just fine for me ... also expensive ones that are very nice as well.
Years ago a guy said something to me that remains in my memory (not all that profound but insightful) ... I was complaining about the cost of a turn signal lense for BMW 633 ...he was the parts guy and said ..well the cost of a 318I BMW lens is about 1/5 the cost... it is the same quality (maybe better) BUT we manufacture about 100 318I's for every 633 that hits the street...that's why you pay so much. Factor that in the next time you look at the price for Zeiss Diavari - it is not just more quality you are paying for.
I have a couple of Zeiss Diavari .... and I also have an older B&L Balvar 2.5-10 (made in Japan presumably to B&L design specs) ... which is just as sharp AND works very well. The B&L was 1/4 the cost.
I don't think Nikon actually manufactures their own scopes ... like Pentax who rebrand the Burris scopes (or is it vice versa?)
Nantong Universal Optical Instrument Co. is a Chinese OEM source
Nanyang City Hailin Optical Instrument Machining Co another Chinese OEM
Chongqing Dontop Optics Co another Chinese OEM
Chlight ... another ... but they may just brand, re brand or OEM (hard to tell)
and probably 2 or 3 dozen more in China and Taiwan.
I am not sure Japan or China origin is a really relevant indication of quality these days though - I believe all of them can make a very good scope .... and have it in them to produce a very bad scope.
Most of them that do not brand their own scopes produce to a price point. The more you pay (at the factory door) the more features and quality you "may possibly probably" get..it is not guaranteed though. Cheap doesn't mean not worth using .. I have cheap scopes that function just fine for me ... also expensive ones that are very nice as well.
Years ago a guy said something to me that remains in my memory (not all that profound but insightful) ... I was complaining about the cost of a turn signal lense for BMW 633 ...he was the parts guy and said ..well the cost of a 318I BMW lens is about 1/5 the cost... it is the same quality (maybe better) BUT we manufacture about 100 318I's for every 633 that hits the street...that's why you pay so much. Factor that in the next time you look at the price for Zeiss Diavari - it is not just more quality you are paying for.
I have a couple of Zeiss Diavari .... and I also have an older B&L Balvar 2.5-10 (made in Japan presumably to B&L design specs) ... which is just as sharp AND works very well. The B&L was 1/4 the cost.
I have two of the Cabelas Pine Ridge scopes and they're both great! I put the 3-12X40 rimfire BDC turret on my old Cooey60 with a Weaver side mount. The 40gr turret shoots a few inches low @ 200 yds with the scope properly zeroed @ 100.
The second is the Big Game 6-18X40 on my .270. I originally ordered the 3-12X40 but since it was backordered I opted for the longer one, and I'm glad I did. The image is not quite as sharp as the 3-12, but still clear enough to accurately count tines on a moose @ 400 yd.
The duplex reticles in both scopes are absolutely tack sharp. Winding the turrets up/dn L/R with the rifle in a vise produced no change in zero, nor did tapping the scope after making adjustments.
My only complaint is that the Owner's Manual does not explain the operation of the side parallax adjustment. It is not a focus knob as the ad suggests. Focus is accomplished by adjusting the occular lens. The knob simply makes the reticle appear to be at the same distance as the target, thereby reducing the error caused by not having ones eye in exactly the same place from one shot to the next.
Five stars in my books.
Just my humble opinion.
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The second is the Big Game 6-18X40 on my .270. I originally ordered the 3-12X40 but since it was backordered I opted for the longer one, and I'm glad I did. The image is not quite as sharp as the 3-12, but still clear enough to accurately count tines on a moose @ 400 yd.
The duplex reticles in both scopes are absolutely tack sharp. Winding the turrets up/dn L/R with the rifle in a vise produced no change in zero, nor did tapping the scope after making adjustments.
My only complaint is that the Owner's Manual does not explain the operation of the side parallax adjustment. It is not a focus knob as the ad suggests. Focus is accomplished by adjusting the occular lens. The knob simply makes the reticle appear to be at the same distance as the target, thereby reducing the error caused by not having ones eye in exactly the same place from one shot to the next.
Five stars in my books.
Just my humble opinion.
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Seeing as Nikon doesn't make their own scopes that is unlikely.
Both of mine are embossed "Made in China"
