Cheaper Scope? A recommendation please.

[bigdaddy]

OK, you all have been hugely helpful and I'm psyched to get out there and start shooting this spring.

But, I still need to scope my new gun. Many very wise people on this forum have suggested a Weaver T series, Leupold VXII or a Sightron scope as some very good models to choose from.

Here is the dilemma, the big bag of money that I use to buy gun supplies out of has only $100-$150 in it.

Can anyone recommend a "starter" scope? Even if it only lasts a year or two... Might give me some time to save a bit more...

Or if I'm going to get a used scope (you know more scope for less then retail), where is the place to check. Some have recommended ChickenGeorge, are there other "preferred" vendors for used scopes? Ebay is just so painful sometimes...


Thanks for all advice.


John

[Koldkut]

not that anyone else in here would agree with me, I am currently using the 6-24x42 Tasco BPO Mil Dot that I got from EABCO.com http://eabco.com/102205.html. I have only been using it for sone season so far(acctually a half a season) I would say that it isn't half bad, got me shooting on the range (it was what I had from my prarie doggin gun) and I was able to put it down to 12x-16x power at first until I got used to shooting it at a full 24x.

flame suit on!!!

Once you get out shooting and you handle some other rifles you will want the better scopes, I know I'll be looking for one once I can afford it.

[bigdaddy]

Koldkut,

I had already put the flame suit on with enhanced heat shielding...

But the fact of the matter is, I just want to try the game out for a few years and see where I'm at...


Thanks a lot,


John (BigDaddy)

[genphideaux]

KoldKut,

That is not a bad scope, would have liked it with a single dot, but what the heck it repeats and has a warrenty. Some of the BSA scopes work well to.

My take on the whole tasco/bsa line is that they are gonna fail, some sooner, some later but it will happen. But what the heck you have a warrenty and both companies are more than willing to fix or replace a scope. Usually 2 weeks turn around, never got the same scope back all were brand new. Four times with tasco and twice with bsa.
Do I use one, no, but I have in the past and will in the future if I need to, keep my warrenty card handy and call at the drop of a recticle.

You can flame me, but all my information is first hand not hear say, been there, done that, owned it, sold it or keep it.

[Innocent]

Gerneral Fido!!!
I have had serious problems getting Tasco to replace/repair scopes even with warranty cards. I three down and Tasco is zero at repairs, but hey I do agree they fail, some sooner than others.
Innocent

[Jason]

I've been in the same situation and spent around a hundred or a litle more on a "good enough to get started" scope twice. One was a Tasco and one was a BSA. Both failed eventually (two months for Tasco and it tracked like crap to start with, five or six months for the BSA) and I didn't get crap for them after I sent them back and they got replaced with new ones. Total cost to me with shipping was probably around $275 and a few weeks of waiting, emailing, calling, and frustration, not to mention having the scopes fail at matches and ruin the whole point of me driving over an hour one way to the matches (gas cost and time lost here, also). I finally just sold them both, got back what I could (not a lot), and spent enough to get into a good scope. I probably actually spent more on those two scopes once you consider the total cost than I would have on a Weaver T24 or similar and could have saved myself quite a lot of frustration and waiting if I had just bought a good scope to start with.

My advice to you is to shoot the gun with a scope you already have, even if you have to take it off another rifle, until you can buy a good scope. Don't waste your money on a "good enough" scope when that could be at least a third or more of the price of a good scope and be money well spent in the future instead of money wasted now. If I were starting over again, I would rather start with a good scope and a crappy gun than the other way around.

[BlauBear]

At the moment, my favorite "budget" scope is the Weaver KT15 even though it's outside your budget. Some folks on Rimfirecentral speak well of the Mueller APV (http://www.muelleroptics.com/products/MAPV451440.html) but I haven't personally tried one.

[genphideaux]

Innocent,

What can I say, they treated me right. Guess it must be my southern charm. LMFAO

[Jetmugg]

Watch ebay and the RFC classifieds. You should be able to find a KT-15 within your price range, and they are the real deal. Very repeatable adjustments and good optics.

SteveM.

[Pete A.]

I recommend you look at the Bushnell Trophy 6-18x. I've got 2 I've had on and off several guns and they keep on 'ticking'. You can find this scope on sale in the price range you mentioned.

I am a pretty new shootier and what I like about them is that the clicks are 1/4" and takes less than a full trun from chickens to rams. Seems like not a big thing but I have "gotten lost" in the clicks of a 1/8" min clicks and more than 1 turn from Chickes to Rams during a match. Like I said I'm new and a weak "A" thus need as few things to think about as apossible.

It has Duplex reticle which is good but not awesome; would like 1/4-1/2" dot. But I can't 'deal' with a mil-dot with all those dots bouncing around in my sight picture.

The optics are good; not Leupold quality but better than the $100 BSA/Simmons I've dealt with.

My long term plan is to have all rifles w/T-24's. Or if the lottery hits the new Leupolds Sil scops coming out.

Pete A.

[atomicbrh]

Pete A., I just put a really cheap Bushnell 3-9 Air Rifle Scope on our IZH46M for Air Pistol Silouette and I was really impressed. When the weather clears and the wind stops I am going to check repeatability. Please describe what kind of target turrets the bushnell 6 to 18X has and can you reset the turrets to the "0" Setting? If you can reset the turrets, how do you loosen them to move the knob? Is it side set screws or more of a cap screw like the Weaver T Series scopes? The cheap Bushnell we bought had resettable turrets with a screw on the top of the knob just like the Weaver T-Series and we really like that feature. The Adjustable Objective was in yards but Air Pistol Targets are at Yard distances and the distance marks were very accurate.

Thanks,
Bobby R. Huddleston

[Pete A.]

The scope adjustments have small knobs in the top center of the elev/wind knob. These can be loosened with your fingers and reset. Before each match I go to the Rams and check zeros. If off a bit then easy to reset. No tools required. I don't think the 4-12xAO Trophy has same knobs.

Very similar the the 3-9xAO Bushnell; which uses a screwdriver. I also like this scope for it's price range and power range. Have one on my youngest son's Achiever. Saving pennies so I can get a T-24 for my NS522 then he 'inherits' the 6-18xAO Trophy

I feel the Trophy has a bit better optics than the Banner/Sporview line. Again not equal with the $400+/- scopes but good for most of our applications.

My 14 year old has the BSA Platinum 6-24 w/Dot. It is a real PIA to reset/fine tune zeros. It could be the scope or my son's care of it but it seems to need resetting more than any other scope. I'm always scrambling for a hex wrench to fit. The BSA is decent but there are some optics/glare issues. It is more than one turn from chick to rams. But his young eyes have to deal with it. As he's second in line (I'm first) for a T-24.

Pete A.

[bigdaddy]

Sorry, real quick, who makes the "T-24"?

Thanks.

John

[genphideaux]

Weaver