Its hard to judge a scope line by their entry level scopes. A few companies don't have entry level scopes lol.
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Best Airgun Scopes 100$-500$ A one eyed boys opinion
- Thread starter JoeWayneRhea
- Start date
Hi Joe Thanks for your advice on scopes. I just ordered Bushnell ar 2-7. I researched and found as you stated probably best for price. Should work for me . Most of my shooting is out to 40 yds with spring guns.
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No problem Jim . Let us know how you like it ..Or better yet do a review of it for all the guys . I really like that scope !
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Don't put yourself down Joe. If we all went to the land of the blind, you'd be our king, apparently. I'm sure I read that somewhere.
Most people don't get to try that many scopes so the opinion of someone who has tried more than most is certainly useful. You should list the scopes you tested in coming up with your list
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Zebra that's a really cool idea . But the only thing is I would rather share the ones I've had a positive experience with than ones I haven't . The lines between scope companies gets more blurred everyday with all the outsourcing and rebranding that goes on .
It hard to know who made what , and whether it's junk with a well known brand ...or is it a bargain from a new brand you may not be aware of ?
The ones I mentioned in the review are among the best in their price range . My advice would be avoid ANY scope over 16 power if it's cost is under 500$. And avoid features like lighted recticle and the such unless you really need them .
The more extras you get at any price point , there's a good chance those features come at th expense of glass and quality
It hard to know who made what , and whether it's junk with a well known brand ...or is it a bargain from a new brand you may not be aware of ?
The ones I mentioned in the review are among the best in their price range . My advice would be avoid ANY scope over 16 power if it's cost is under 500$. And avoid features like lighted recticle and the such unless you really need them .
The more extras you get at any price point , there's a good chance those features come at th expense of glass and quality
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That is especially true if they are features that will have little to no use or value to the shooter. My first scope had an illuminated reticle. The issue I found with adding light to cheap glass was the extra glare that it caused which essentially made it even less usable in low light than it already was. The other issue was that the light transmission was poor so the thing was useless in anything but perfect conditions anyway so the extra weight of the illuminated reticle was just that.
The idea of listing the other scopes you tried is to help people understand where the recommended scopes sit compared to the ones people might own already. I.e. If a person says "this is the best scope I have ever used", that means more if he is comparing it to 5 other scopes that I own and rate. It means less if it is compared to 5 scopes I thought were poor or if it was the only scope he ever tried.
Your opinion is going to be extra useful to people hunting for a good but reasonably priced air rifle scope because a lot of people in this category will just choose one of the popular Hawke or UTG scopes from the PA site. As you have tried many of these, you'll be able to tell people things like "compared to that Hawke 4-16 44, this one will blow you away" etc. I wouldn't suggest spending time on reviewing scopes you didn't rate, just a short list.
When someone tells you they found the best scope, isn't that the first thing you want to ask? "What are you comparing it to?" It made me want to ask if you have tried a Primary Arms 4-14x44 FFP as it's one I thought delivered a lot for the price recently. If you found one that is significantly better for the money, I'd want to know about that so I could buy one.
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Good point Zebra ! Honestly I haven't had any first hand experience with primary arms or clearidge scopes so i dont have anything of value to add .
I liked the point you made about illuminated recticle an cheap glass . I personally never look for lighted recticle so it's not a selling point for me . It's kinda a cool concept but from ones I have tried it's like 4 cupholders in a car I drive by myself ...A useless feature .
My advice to anyone looking for a new scope would be this ...If it's absolutely LOADED with features of a price you fel like.you can't pass up ....take a breath and let it slide on by .
From best to worst here are the brands I've personally owned and tried AND would recommend. And how I would rank them
Swarovski
Zeiss
Kahles
Leupold
SWFA
Nikon
Weaver
Burris
Bushnell
If they aren't on that list it's not a scope I'd consider..Bear in mind many lines have cheap -great optics under the same brand . And there are a lot of identical scopes wearing g different clothes so to speak .
If it's a scope in the 100$ or under range ( or there abouts ) my advice would be buy it from Walmart and keep the receipt and all packaging so you can get your money back if needed . An do your BEST to look at scopes side by side !!!!
That new 30mm tubed lighted recticle 4-88 power wonder scope gonna look good on 6 power in a super bright setting ...Look thru another brand right behind it to get a better feel for it . I purposely left S&B off the list along with Nightforce and March. Those are scopes for guys who have already been there and have huge budgets ... But if you notice your favorite brand missing . I didn't leave it out ... I probably left it off my list of scopes i would buy again .
A scope brand that customer service and such comes up a lot about possibly could tell you something . How good is Swarovski customer service ? Not a clue because I've never had one that I owned fail , or had any friends that owned them return one .
When you reach the 500$ mark on scopes you probably are gonna get some good optics and a solid purchase . Below that the odds of owning a very poor quality scope gets more likely the cheaper they are . It SUCKS that good scopes are so expensive but it's just the way it is
I liked the point you made about illuminated recticle an cheap glass . I personally never look for lighted recticle so it's not a selling point for me . It's kinda a cool concept but from ones I have tried it's like 4 cupholders in a car I drive by myself ...A useless feature .
My advice to anyone looking for a new scope would be this ...If it's absolutely LOADED with features of a price you fel like.you can't pass up ....take a breath and let it slide on by .
From best to worst here are the brands I've personally owned and tried AND would recommend. And how I would rank them
Swarovski
Zeiss
Kahles
Leupold
SWFA
Nikon
Weaver
Burris
Bushnell
If they aren't on that list it's not a scope I'd consider..Bear in mind many lines have cheap -great optics under the same brand . And there are a lot of identical scopes wearing g different clothes so to speak .
If it's a scope in the 100$ or under range ( or there abouts ) my advice would be buy it from Walmart and keep the receipt and all packaging so you can get your money back if needed . An do your BEST to look at scopes side by side !!!!
That new 30mm tubed lighted recticle 4-88 power wonder scope gonna look good on 6 power in a super bright setting ...Look thru another brand right behind it to get a better feel for it . I purposely left S&B off the list along with Nightforce and March. Those are scopes for guys who have already been there and have huge budgets ... But if you notice your favorite brand missing . I didn't leave it out ... I probably left it off my list of scopes i would buy again .
A scope brand that customer service and such comes up a lot about possibly could tell you something . How good is Swarovski customer service ? Not a clue because I've never had one that I owned fail , or had any friends that owned them return one .
When you reach the 500$ mark on scopes you probably are gonna get some good optics and a solid purchase . Below that the odds of owning a very poor quality scope gets more likely the cheaper they are . It SUCKS that good scopes are so expensive but it's just the way it is
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Joe,
I respect your choices in the scopes, most that you have recommended are fixed power scopes. I prefer some with a bit more range, somewhere around 6-12x. Any suggestions? Thx in advance.
I respect your choices in the scopes, most that you have recommended are fixed power scopes. I prefer some with a bit more range, somewhere around 6-12x. Any suggestions? Thx in advance.
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Man I browse the SWFA sample list almost everyday ...Here's one that has my curiosity peaked
Or check a 6-18 vx2 Leupold if it's in your budget . I never owned a clearidge but I wanna try on Before long .
Or a vx2 4-12. It's my favorite variable for the money
Or check a 6-18 vx2 Leupold if it's in your budget . I never owned a clearidge but I wanna try on Before long .
Or a vx2 4-12. It's my favorite variable for the money
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Haha, when ever I think it looks good then I come to the reticle, both scopes have a duplex reticle. I need mildots. Sigh. Thank for the assist Joe
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Google Leupold custom shop.. man they can make you almost anything you could want .. including scopes they don't list ... Mine is a fixed 12 power with AO down to 15 yards and a floating silhouette target dot crosshair . Cost 526$ shipped free . Just pick a power range and pick your crosshair.. I will warn you that mildots cost more than other types .
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My next one I'll have engraved also .. This time I wanted it quick and didn't want to wait .
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This is so crazy! I have a budget of let's say 400, then you look into the scopes and guess what, there's something similar or maybe a little nicer and them you look into another brand then you are up in the $800 category. Now I'm looking at the Meopta meopro 6-18x50.
Do they have a AA group for air gunners? O wait what am I talking about? I'm in one already along with you fine gentlemen right here on AGN. Hi, I'm boombots74, I have a problem.
Do they have a AA group for air gunners? O wait what am I talking about? I'm in one already along with you fine gentlemen right here on AGN. Hi, I'm boombots74, I have a problem.
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