Best low dollar (less than $150) scope?

[Jetmugg]

Is ther a "best" choice in a scope suitable for silhouette shooting in the less than $150 price range? I just want to get started in silhouette, and would like to buy a scope tha will work well enough to get me started without breaking the bank (and staying under the wife's radar).

SteveM.

[dave imas]

Hi Steve,

I'm afraid this is one of those areas where you truly get what you pay for. Low dollars for an effective scope that will be true to you is in to the $300 range. There is always the opportunity for a good condition used scope but they tend to hold their value. (a good thing) Typically, not always but often enough that it isn't worth taking the risk, the cheaper scopes won't reliably allow you to hit what you are aiming at. The only possibility might be the scope that Cathy was representing in Louisiana last year. Don't remember the name of it but they were relatively inexpensive and, at the time, Cathy was putting her word on the performance. Chad? Can you help?
dave

[ajj]

The main problem is that you are constantly cranking the elevation knob up and down as you move from target to target. The scope must "repeat" by bringing the dot to the same elevation each time. The necessary repeatability isn't always there in some expensive scopes, let alone the economy equipment. If there is something new that works, that would be great. Pending confirmation of that development, experienced folks seem to be saying that a Sightron in the $350 range is about the cheapest thing that WORKS. The $375 Weaver T-series is next. The thing about "just to get started" equipment is that it's the most expensive stuff you buy because you replace it almost immediately and it has no resale value. So your money is wasted. Sad but true.

[jneihouse]

Bruno Shooters Supply has the Weaver V16 for (I think) 266.00 or so. I have two on guns that my daughter shoots and they work pretty well. Good dollar value for the money....

[silhouette13]

i have a bsa platinum 6x24x44ao on a nef sportster,so far so good, easy to use and thus far has decent repeatability.

to be honest though i have read many mixed reviews on line. some say they go crappy after a while.

i got mine at the end of the local season last year so havnt shot any real matches with it yet but i have put 3.5 bricks through in practice matchesas well as spinners for fun and no problems as of yet. granted my rifle cost me 108.88 at wal mart so i may not be the guy to speak of expensive silhouette optics lol.

scope cost 109 at cabelas.

i liked it enough to buy another one for my christmas present..a new t/c contender rifle 22 match now heres where to be careful...

i got another from swfa( great deal and customer service) for 89 dollars with a free bsa boresight kit.the screw on lens caps are not interchangeable the turret is in a diffrent spot and the printing is in another color.

will it be a match made in heaven?who knows buyer beware i hope i got lucky twice,niether is specifficly rim fire so i hope the lack of recoil beating will make them last longer.

i do have leupold on my hunting rifles and will get another when i get my 375 jdj contender barrel next month.

done rambling

dave13

[GTKF]

I started with an 8-32 Platiinum which I bought used for 80.00, with the idea I would use it as an "extra" scope. After 4 mos I replaced it with a Leupold 6.5-20X

It tracked well, but I know another shooter that has 2 and both did not track after a few months (don't know what BSA's warrantee is like). I shot it at 20X. Eye relief was critical and above 24X the image was not sharp.

Like someone said above. you get what you pay

[iceman]

I have 2 BSA Platnimum 8-32 scopes that I have been shooting for 1 1/2 years and have had no repeatability problems. I know many shooters that have other brands that they have to re zero about every 3 or so month's. I have only had to change zero's on these when the weather goes from extremely hot to extremely cold ( here in Arkansas that is from 90's down to 30's) and that is only a consistant 1 minute change so it is not a problem. I fire about 20,000 rounds of 22 through these a year.
The biggest problem I see in silhouette shooting is tinkering. It seems most shooters cannot get a rifle, scope, stock and ring combo that works and leave it alone. They must continually change to something else or buy new components. You never get accustomed to the scope or rifle or perform your best by doing this. remember the old saying " Beware of the man who only has one rifle, because he probably knows how to use it!"

[Jason]

I've been through several BSA scopes now and the only ones I would trust on anything other than a "range only" plinking rifle is the older Japanese-made Platinum with 5 stars on the objective end. I had one of those in the 36x model and it tracked well and had pretty good optics. I tried using one of the newer Chinese 6-24x models for silhouette for a while. It started out ok, but gradually got worse and worse at tracking and holding zero until one day I noticed that it was changing POI from shot to shot and then the reticle started to turn clockwise. The "lifetime warranty" turned out to mean me nagging BSA for four months before they got me a new scope shipped and then it was the wrong one. Another month and a half later, they shipped me the right model but it was different than the one I shipped them. As mentioned above, everything from the color of the yardages on the AO to the basic design of the scope tube was different. The new one has much better optics, but it won't focus closer than 25yds, unlike the old one. That means that even if they had gotten it to me quickly, it would be useless for my dry firing practice in the garage that I do with my silhouette rifle. I stuck it on a Contender just to test it and it seems to be holding zero and tracking ok, but I just don't believe that the BSA scopes are built to handle the constant knob twisting that silhouette shooters do so it won't be going back on a silhouette gun.

The cheapest scope that I would truly trust for silhouette shooting is the Sightron SII 24X that can be had for under $300 from Whittaker Guns. Beware of the very long eye relief on this scope, though, especially if you are using it on a gun with a short receiver like the CZ 452. Next up would be any of the Weaver T24, Sightron SII 6-24, or the Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x. All can be had for $370 or so and the models with the dot reticles are the ones to get. Each has good points and bad points, so it will end up a personal choice based on which criteria is most important to you.

[Travelor]

Steve, I have found the discontinued Simmons 44 Mag 6.5x20 scopes to be great for the money ($100). I have 3 and my wife and I shoot them in silhouette and love them. The clarity and repeatability seem to be much better than other scopes for the money and the brightless/clarity rivals my Leupolds.

Go here and get one before they are gone http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?co ... &src=ba120

Beware of the same scopes on eBay as they are going for #128'sih when you can buy from Natchez for $99.95

Good shooting