Scope buying Disasters Await

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JoeWayneRhea

JoeWayneRhea

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Apr 5, 2015
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OK so ol Willie has inspired me to list a few potential pitfalls to watch out for when buying a new scope . This is not a hard and fast rule list , but should point ya in the right direction.
*FREE RINGS INCLUDED * So this may seem like a cool addition to a scope purchase but remember that the 3$ set of rings that come " free" are a way to sell a 40$ scope for 60$ .
*FREE SEE THRU RINGS* Possibly the only thing scarier when it comes to free rings is the dreaded see thru version ..Never a good sign.
* FREE FLIP UP SCOPE CAPS * Again you will probably be paying for something you won't use , or worse its a " gift" to help you rid them of unsalable inventory
*ILLUMINATED RECTICLES* I personally cannot think of anything more fun to play with for about 20 seconds when you get a new scope than this semi-useless feature on it . After that its just a useless feature because your dumbass left the light on , now it just houses a dead battery .
* 28 COLOR RECTICLE* Ask yourself if you really need a crosshair with 4 different shades of violet ? If your answer is yes then that could explain your slim fit jeans , and love of showtunes .
* WEIRD DUCKBILL OBJECTIVE * One way to know you got hosed on your last scope purchase is if the front bell has a swollen top lip ..No idea what its for , and happier not knowing . Its like seeing the belly of the fat chick at the bar , and really not wanting to.
*BLISTER PACKAGE * If your scope comes in a blister package that should at least be a Hint that maybe this is money I'll regret spending later . But cheer up , most likely it came with a free knife.
* FREE GOODIES * If your scope comes with a free flashlight , pocket knife , compass, or Dr.Scholls set of slip in inserts you may have just took it up the ol BooBoo
*SCOPES FROM GUN COMPANYS* In case this is news to you , your favorite airgun company doesn't " make" scopes . They just have some Chinese glass made with their logo . And when the scope is part of a " package deal" its almost always a throw away type scope . Just like Remington doesn't actually make beef jerky , and screw in steps .
* THE NEW SCOPE MAKER* By far the most dangerous way to spend hard earned money ...See if this sounds familiar .... A few kind hearted and community minded execs from one of the " Big Evil" scope companies set off on their own to make scope buying a safe and cuddly buying experience for all of us who have been taken advantage of by Mean Old Scope Companies in the past ...These guys have nothing but the purest of intentions ...Hell they probably give their paycheck away to animal shelters , and tampon drives for the homeless. ......NOPE , Just another group of dudes who have a Chinese company make up some scopes with their names on it and Boxes up nice and pretty. Its harsh but its fair .
* FINAL THOUGHTS * I have spent literally a small fortune trying to buy 700$ scopes for 180$ .... Never once was I happy ...Except for when I finally opened up my wallet and spent the 700$ ..Simple as that , ya get what ya pay for .
 
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*FREE RINGS INCLUDED *
I sometimes use the free rings and the quality is fine.



*FREE SEE THRU RINGS*
I like my scopes as low as possible, so don't really like those.

* FREE FLIP UP SCOPE CAPS *
I use these in some instances. I often shoot with no scope caps (my spring guns).

*ILLUMINATED RECTICLES*
I have used that feature only on rare occasions. Prefer it did not have it but the scopes I get all have them.

* 28 COLOR RECTICLE*
Ditto. Red/green is plenty.

* WEIRD DUCKBILL OBJECTIVE *
That sometimes gives a little extra loading port clearance while still providing a modest sun shade.

*BLISTER PACKAGE *
I prefer a box that I can reuse when I need to send it back.

* FREE GOODIES *
It would be paying for something I probably don't need.

*SCOPES FROM GUN COMPANYS*
Those scopes are usually too generic.

* THE NEW SCOPE MAKER*
Fine if you want to experiment/explore.

* FINAL THOUGHTS *
$100-$150 scopes suit me fine and do everything I need at this point.

A "disaster" would be when a scopes craps out in the middle of a big match.
 
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Great point by both of y'all . Some inexpensive scopes can work. I guess with my guns and scopes I'm like I am with my tools . I'd rather have one very nice set of screwdrivers than a drawer full of soft steel junk .
Then again its silly to have a BadAss scope on a gun that shoots all over the place . I went to Gander mountain today and looked at scopes . Surprise , surprise , quality went up along with the price tag :)
 
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I agree with almost everything Joe said, with one exception.

I really like illuminated reticles. Here are 3 scenarios I find them useful:

1. Low light shooting
2. Shooting at targets that are in the shade
3. Shooting at any target that is a dark color (steel, black shoot-n-see targets, black or brown varmints/pests or game)

Most of the time a non-illuminated reticle should suffice. However, there are a few situations in which they shine.
 
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Thanks Joe, As always its a joy reading your posts,
I have a few of the described above scopes from gun makers, Actually my Thomson Center 3x9 has had a pretty hard life it has survived two side lock black powder 50 cals, a Springer, a overflow drawer in the back room and now on top of another air rifle.


Now wait a minute that ATN has all those reticle colors and well if I described everything else it would take two pages....... poop lure catching the fisherman instead of the fish
But hell its so darn cool........

Thanks again
Do me a favor Leopold is your dream machine, so what about it, all those terms and 3 letter features... What makes them a good air gun scope what does a air gunner look for when they are buying one 
 
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To me the VX2 3-9 efr and the VX2 4-12 are about as close as perfect for a compact type scope as can be had ...Only problem is cost . in my opinion they are worth their asking price . Quality glass and construction cost ...Just the way it is . Next STEPUP is the 6.5-20 efr , but again its cost as the only problem..But when you jump up to the 700$ range there are a LOT of nice scope options that open up . Go to the shooting range , any shooting range and there are 4 basic classes of scopes .
(1) the truly useless junk that you cant hardly see thru with Crooked crosshairs and useless adjustments that still won't focus.
(2) the serviceable aiming device , does the minimum but allows you to aim the gun and hit the target .
(3) the scope you can Truly enjoy . Look crystal clear , tracks reliable , holds zero , and something you can be confident about not letting you down.
(4) the truly " spooky" poop .The kind where you see what is possible with no budget . the one where when you look thru you realize why there are scope snobs in the first place . These do everything perfectly and blows you, and everyone who looks thru it away ....But you PAY for it !
 
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You forgot one major disaster. Buying a scope such as a 4-24X, then finding out that at 24X you can't see through it because the eye-box is ridiculously small. Setup can only take care of so much of the sight box problem.

Or how about buying a name brand scope from Hong Kong only to find out when it gets here (and costs a small fortune) that's it's a counterfeit worth about $50 on the generic market.
 
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A few comments

*FREE RINGS INCLUDED *
Not necessarily bad! While a bit too high mounted to a Weaver to dovetail adapter the mounts that came with my $70 WallyMart CenterPoint are actually pretty good.

*FREE SEE THRU RINGS*
I don't like this "throwback to firearms" but some may like the option to use either irons or scope at the same time.

* FREE FLIP UP SCOPE CAPS *
I prefer the function of the cheap plastic flip up caps that came with my $130 Accushot scope to the nice metal screw in, oring sealed, caps that came with my $350 Optisan Viper. I actually prefer the "plastic cups on strings" to either flip ups and I currently use one stolen from a different scope.

*ILLUMINATED RECTICLES* I personally cannot think of anything more fun to play with for about 20 seconds when you get a new scope than this semi-useless feature on it .
Not a useless feature at all depending on the scope and the application! I used a rather new 3-12x50 Hawke Airmax for a bit and the thin etched reticle literally gets lost aiming at a dark killzone on a dimly lit field target lane! Personally, one of the reasons I swapped the Hawke for the Viper was the fact that the Viper has an illumination feature, so do my Accushot, and CenterPoints. As far as the battery going dead, batteries are cheap, besides, a scope with a dead battery is no worse than a scope without illumination!

* 28 COLOR RECTICLE*
Yep, definitely a silly and useless!

* WEIRD DUCKBILL OBJECTIVE * and No idea what its for
Uh....perhaps for some extra lens shading! Just a guess.

*BLISTER PACKAGE *
My blister packaged WallyMart Center points have been pretty good, certainly worth more than the $70 I paid for them. This is contrary to the Hawke 4-12x40 Hawke AirMax in a box that I bought a few years ago that had a "poi shift when focusing" feature. LOL, think I paid an extra $60 for a box and cleaning cloth with the Hawke!

* FREE GOODIES *
Never got any free goodies with a scope purchase!

*SCOPES FROM GUN COMPANYS*
Yup....the scope and mounts that came with my Remington Express were pure junk!

* THE NEW SCOPE MAKER*
Never bought one of those
* FINAL THOUGHTS * I have spent literally a small fortune trying to buy 700$ scopes for 180$ …. Never once was I happy …Except for when I finally opened up my wallet and spent the 700$ ..Simple as that , ya get what ya pay for .
Well, I'm currently finishing up some work on a gun that has a Hawke 2.5-15x50 Frontier scope mounted (about $720?) and after doing some zeroing with the scope it's indeed an excellent scope, however I don't think it's $380 better than my Optisan Viper! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
 
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"FINAL THOUGHTS * I have spent literally a small fortune trying to buy 700$ scopes for 180$ …. Never once was I happy …Except for when I finally opened up my wallet and spent the 700$ ..Simple as that , ya get what ya pay for "

Got to admit, I'm a cheap skate's cheap skate at times. Just something in me that says I can't spend a penny more than is needed. I hate that.I'll spend 100 hours researching the scope, features, reviews, deciding on the model, and then another 100 hours locating that model for the absolute cheapest price possible.

Last time, I made a slight break. I did spend quite a bit of time identifying the scope, found it on a single web site (Midway USA), and bought it. Been very happy with it so far. It fits my needs beautifully. Is it a $1000 scope? no, but I didn't expect that either. Someday I'll make the mistake of buying a $1000 or $1500 scope and then be forced to throw all my other scopes away because they don't compare. Until then, I won't know any better! (And no one better offer to let me look through their good scopes either! That'd truly be a disaster as I don't have money to upgrade yet.)

See, I know where this is going. . . . . . . . . 
 
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"Sounds like you have seen the counterfeit Zeiss scopes too !!! Yep almost got me too"

Yes, I wondered how they could be so cheap, so contacted Zeiss before pulling the trigger (Pun intended). Zeiss never made most of the magnifications out there, nor did they produce the IR reticles in red and green. Pretty obvious some are fraudulent.

Even if I only spent $150 for one, I'd be expecting the $1500 model and be sorely disappointed, and upset with Zeiss because I bought a counterfeit. Not their fault if you know what I mean.
 
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