Hunting Scopes Today

[airedale]

Checking out vendors for rifle scopes these days has turned into a massive quagmire of unrecognizable makers and the names I do recognize are for the most part name only. They have been purchased by some Chinese conglomerate made in a foreign land and bearing little resemblance to the stuff that was made in the US.

At one time there were scope models that had production runs for decades, these days a model may be made and then dropped from the line after a couple of years for the latest new and improved version. Those kinds of constant changes have to have some kind of effect on warranty and repairs. From personal experience I have found that when a problem does arise many of these optic companies just send a comparable replacement instead of fixing the problem. I am sure these new scopes are decent quality for the upper end stuff, but how long will they be around?

Well the rant above has made me look for quality American made stuff I know and trust for any kind of serious rifle scope combo. I stick with Leupold scopes for the most part, their track record for me has been beyond reproach. Scopes that go back over 50 years mounted on rifles shot thousands of times that are performing as well as the day they saw their first shot.

This scope business and situation has not gone unnoticed by shooters and hunters, vintage American made scope prices have seen massive jumps in recent years, some prices border on the ridiculous. Where on ebay a few years ago I could buy a vintage American scope in new condition for a song, thing have changed big time and while a buy can still be found most times you will have to pay.

My favorite American made hunting scope is the old Leupold 2x7 gloss, I have had these scopes mounted on my serious hunting rifles for decades and never once at any time have I wished I had something different when taking the shot.

Leupold does have a current 2x7 that I am sure will perform as well as the old ones.

One more bitch, what happened to the gloss finish? I like a little bit of spit and polish on some of my stuff!!

Al

 

[bugsNbows]

Apparently, gloss doesn't sell. Personally, I love fixed power scopes... 4x or 6x. However, it seems the most abundant scopes now are very high power with huge bells that weigh too much for typical hunting rigs. Hard pass from me.

[First-light]

I don't want to equate scopes to lighting fixtures but here it goes. I'm changing out the fixtures in my house and in the barn starting from scratch. So many venders out there mostly all Chinese companies. I have sent back a few fixtures that were pure junk. I found an American co called Steele lighting. Fixtures are great. It used to be easy and you would get a good product. Getting back to scopes I need one for the Muzzy and my 35. Don't want to break the bank. Suggestions?

[Grouse]

I'm a big fan of Leupold scopes and most of my rifles have one attached.  The lifetime warranty is very comforting.  I like the 2-7x33 for hunting and also like the 3-9 Compact for my lightweight centerfire rifles.  I have the Vari-X 3-9x40 on a few older rifles and a few Vari X III scopes on my more expensive arms.  I even have an old Leupold 2x on my Marlin 336 .35 Rem that I bagged at a garage sale in Arkville for $25 about 15 or so years ago.  Still works like new.

I prefer the matte finish on my hunting rifles to avoid sun glare reflecting in the woods and spooking game.  It's true the prices for older Vari-X and VX models have gotten steep, but they are often found for the same price as the new Leupold Freedom scopes, which I do not like the look of very much.

I also find the Redfield Revolution scopes to be good quality and the first ones were made by Leupold in Oregon, but not all of the newer ones are US made.  Still, they are affordable if you want a good quality US made scope.

Interestingly, a friend once recommended I try a Swift 3-9x40mm out and I was surprised how clear it was for the price I paid.  Its quality seems to be very good for the money.  I also bought a Swift 4X a few years ago that will be mounted on something, someday, as I'm starting to think a straight 4X will suffice for many of my hunting rifles and you can't beat the durability of a good, fixed power scope.  They also come quite cheap compared to variables and Swift scopes have always been a quality bargain.

[Pygmy]

If I could only have one scope it would be a fixed 4X Leupold....Actually I have two of them, both bought at gun shows for about $125 IIRC...I have used them all over the continent  for whitetails, mulies, pronghorns, moose, caribou and hogs,  On rifles as heavy as  .338 Win mag and 9.3 x62 mauser,  at ranges from point blank to 400 yards, with absolutely no complaints or problems....

Actually, my present main whitetail rifle wears a Burris 2 x7, which is the only variable I have on any of my rifles...Ther is a story behind it.. About 40 years ago, Ron Shirks had Rem M700 Mountain rifles for sale, and if you bought a scope with it,  you got free rings, bases, and mounting...I wanted a Mountain Rifle in 7-08 and I told them I wanted a Leupold fixed 4X on it...  

They didn't have the Leupold in stock, so I went with the Burris as second choice..   I admit the Burris has been a good scope, though...

[Robby]

I used to like Nikon, relatively cheap, rugged and picture, then they quit the hunting scope business for the usual idiotic reasons. When I got older and needed a scope for long range rifle shooting a fellow I have great respect for in  that field told me, if at all possible, try to get a look through one before you buy it, everybody is different and some scopes just don't work well for some people. He was right, Leupold scopes don't provide a good picture for me, my son swears by them, Nikon and Vortex, most models, work very we'll for me.

Robby

[Untwisted Pretzel logic]

Agree with the lower power fixed being a good option specifically if you are hunting the deep woods or for something that will not be for long range, such as a .22

Also like matte finish for hunting, however, can see where someone may want to have shiny for a gun that is used for something else.  I also see why a company would not want carrying costs for something that is not in high demand and would also cost more to do limited production runs.

Can't give any recommendations for anyone looking to buy a new scope, as the last two scopes I bought were a Bushnell Elite 3200 and a Bushnell Elite 4200 that I got on closeout for a great price - can't remember the exact amount, but I'm thinking around $120 each.

These scopes are beautiful, I love the crosshairs and the scope is crystal clear and bright. I use the 2x7 for deer hunting.

[airedale]

9 hours ago, bugsNbows said:

However, it seems the most abundant scopes now are very high power with huge bells that weigh too much for typical hunting rigs. Hard pass from me.

I agree with what has been said, I have some large high powered scopes but they are not on my Deer-Big game rifles. Varmint, Varmint-Big game dual purpose rifles and target rifles yes but not so much for a carrying rifle.

 

8 hours ago, First-light said:

Getting back to scopes I need one for the Muzzy and my 35. Don't want to break the bank. Suggestions?

For a muzzleloader scope I really like the ultralight Leupold 2.5X

I love low powered compact rifle scopes that have a large field of view for most of my Deer firearms. 2.5X, 3X, 1x4X and 1x5X are some of my favorites power wise. Believe me here in NY's typical hunting situations even a 2.5X can reach out with some serious distances when familiar with using one.

As far as brands most all of the companies made decent scopes but the Leupolds are at the top when it comes to total reliability. I once had a job in a large sporting goods store and one of my main duties was the scope department, selling, mounting and taking care of any repairs and we are talking about hundreds of scopes. In a nutshell I can remember only one Leupold having to be sent back for a repair, Redfields came in at a distant second Burris not far behind and the rest like Tasco, Weaver and Bushnell were pretty much lumped into the same category quality wise.

Fogging in wet weather was the number one problem, followed by broken cross hairs, cracked lenses and adjustment that stopped adjusting most of what was due from heavy recoil (Shotgun Slug Guns) and fogging from hunting in the rain.

I would like to say most times all the companies honored their warranty with no problem repairing or replacing  scopes, the problem is these breakdowns always seem to occur at the worst possible time, usually shooting at game.

And as for the old gloss finish I believe it is a cost cutting measure more than anything else, and I have never spooked any lost an opportunity at any game because of a gloss finished scope.

Al

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by airedale

[Daveboone]

Most of my rifles wear Leupold.  Never an issue with any of them ...EXCEPT for a Redfield Revolution (made by L). I was not at all happy with it and quickly sent it back.I have one of the newer Leupolds 2x7 ....the model that replaced VX2 and VX1 scopes....It certainly wasnt up to the quality /crispness of adjustment, etc. that my other 1s and 2s were, but absolutely holds its zero. 

[helmut in the bush]

I think a blued gun looks better with a gloss scope, same as a mat and a stainless gun with matching scopes and rings.

[airedale]

I have noticed the matt finish trend has also infiltrated the firearms industry quite a bit in recent years. I can see that type of finish for certain types and situations, but for the most part I still favor a gloss blue rifle with a nice walnut oil finished classic stock, it is most pleasing to my eye.

I do kind of like the cerakote type epoxy finishes, they have them looking pretty close to traditional blue in look and I think it is a much more durable finish that actually protects against moisture and corrosion.

I had my little model 24 Savage combo gun cerakoted a few years ago and it looks pretty darn good.

Al

[suburbanfarmer]

1 hour ago, airedale said:

I have noticed the matt finish trend has also infiltrated the firearms industry quite a bit in recent years. I can see that type of finish for certain types and situations, but for the most part I still favor a gloss blue rifle with a nice walnut oil finished classic stock, it is most pleasing to my eye.

I do kind of like the cerakote type epoxy finishes, they have them looking pretty close to traditional blue in look and I think it is a much more durable finish that actually protects against moisture and corrosion.

I had my little model 24 Savage combo gun cerakoted a few years ago and it looks pretty darn good.

Al

I love a blued gun with a gloss walnut stock but after seeing sun reflect my buddies gun from his tree stand almost 400yd away like a signaling mirror; i wont be seen in the woods with anything shiny like it.

His gun looked almost like chrome reflecting the sun. I wish i should have taken a picture that day.

[Grouse]

Same here.  A friend was hunting deer with a Mossberg 500 pump gun with slugs and I could see the reflection off the receiver across the field at least 500 yards away.

I've seen big 8 and 10 point bucks stand perfectly still on the edge of cover for an hour while I waited for a shot opportunity, then slowly turn and move back into the thick cover.  I believe they were standing there looking for any sign of danger before moving forward.  If they see anything that shouldn't be there, they spook.  I'm sure if they saw a gleam off a shiny gun or scope they would turn away and the hunter that spooked them would never know they were there.  

Highly polished blued steel and shiny walnut look nice on many firearms, but if you need to remain unseen to hunt your quarry, it's not the way to go.

[airedale]

5 hours ago, Grouse said:

Highly polished blued steel and shiny walnut look nice on many firearms, but if you need to remain unseen to hunt your quarry, it's not the way to go.

I am one to go by personal experience, it has always been well known that shiny surfaces on firearms can reflect sunlight and a hunter has to be aware of that fact and there are ways to mitigate that problem. I am not going to sit in a sunny area fidgeting moving my firearm around making it look like a signal mirror. When I set up I will make sure that the least of my worries is my firearm shining a warning of my position.

Been hunting Deer and Varmints with walnut and steel firearms mounted with gloss finished scopes for over 60yrs, not to brag but I think I have done OK. 

If someone wants to use muted finished firearms I am totally OK with that, but you can't tell me one can not be a successful hunter using fine walnut and steel firearms. 

Al

Edited January 10, 2023 by airedale

[Grouse]

But you have to admit on a sunny day, no matter how you hunt, you have to be aware of it at all times.

[airedale]

38 minutes ago, Grouse said:

But you have to admit on a sunny day, no matter how you hunt, you have to be aware of it at all times.

Absolutely, like the wind the sun can definitely be part of the hunt plan. A couple of years ago I hunted with my new Henry polished brass frame single shot, talk about a "sparkler" I had to do several things to keep that glaring shine down to a minimum. Did what I had to do and all went well with a little extra precaution I got a Deer with it.

Al

[Eric J]

2 hours ago, airedale said:

I am one to go by personal experience, it has always been well known that shiny surfaces on firearms can reflect sunlight and a hunter has to be aware of that fact and there are ways to mitigate that problem. I am not going to sit in a sunny area fidgeting moving my firearm around making it look like a signal mirror. When I set up I will make sure that the least of my worries is my firearm shining a warning of my position.

Been hunting Deer and Varmints with walnut and steel firearms mounted with gloss finished scopes for over 60yrs, not to brag but I think I have done OK. 

If someone wants to use muted finished firearms I am totally OK with that, but you can't tell me one can not be a successful hunter using fine walnut and steel firearms. 

Al

Shiny and old looking... like a Shag Rug.  lol  But hey.. to each there own!

[helmut in the bush]

I bought a blued wood stock Ruger 77 in 243 last week off one of my buddies, he bought it just for the gloss Leupold scope. Nice looking Gun, I have a gloss 6X I'm putting on it.

[airedale]

41 minutes ago, helmut in the bush said:

I bought a blued wood stock Ruger 77 in 243 last week off one of my buddies, he bought it just for the gloss Leupold scope. Nice looking Gun, I have a gloss 6X I'm putting on it.

Ironic that it was not too many years ago the scope was many times a throw in enticement to sell a rifle, these days the name brand vintage scopes are almost worth the same as the rifle itself.

Congrats on obtaining your Ruger 77, the 77s are a big favorite with me.

Al

[airedale]

At one time Bausch and Lomb was a major player in firearms scopes, their Balvar, Balfor and Baltur models were quite different from what was currently on the market. My first real varmint rifle a Marlin 322 222 Remington had one of those B&L scopes mounted on it when I bought it used. 

The scopes had no internal adjustments, windage and elevation adjustments were accomplished by adjustments built into the scope mounts.

The marketing behind this setup was reliability and the use of one scope that could be transferred to other rifles using the same mounts without having to resight in. The system actually worked great but was a flop as far as sales.

Al

[LET EM GROW]

I like gloss optics on a glossy wood stock rifle. They are sharp looking. Otherwise i dislike the gloss look unless maybe on older rifles. 

As for scopes these days, Everyone offers lifetime warranties and that's what I chase. Too many are non American these  and I strongly dislike, but I'm also not made of a ton of money so I chase warranty instead. I don't own a scope that I'm dissatisfied with, I do physically check them out in stores before purchasing.. I own Vortex, Nikon, Athlon, Riton, Burris, Bushnell, Cabela's and Simmons Riflescopes.. All serve their purpose per gun, and I typically wont spend any less than 150$ on a rifle optic for hunting purposes.. Certain guns will get better and more expensive optics if i can save up.. Like The Browning X Bolt 6.5prc i just acquired.. It needs glass and I want it to be of good quality to match the firearm. My sights are set on the Cabela's Covenant, Arken, OR Athlon brand.. 

I would ratherevery scope be made in America that I own but its just not feasible 

[TACC]

Whatever happened to the rule that scopes should cost at least 3x the amount of the rifle.

I am not a scope snob but have realized nothing makes hunting easier than great glass.

The cheapest scope on any rifle I own right now runs at least $1000.

I used to run Leopold, now I run vortex. Minimum PST 2 GEN2

300 win mag and 6.5 CM run Razor gen 2 4.5 x 27

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[airedale]

17 hours ago, TACC said:

Whatever happened to the rule that scopes should cost at least 3x the amount of the rifle.

A first for me, I have to say I have never heard of that rule, I do believe in buying a quality scope especially on my serious hunting firearms.

Al

[airedale]

Another blast from the past mounting system is the Weaver hinged pivot-swing  over mount, common years ago because there were still some serious reliability problems with scopes of the day and hunters wanted the option to be able to use open sights in a pinch. 

Kind of clunky but they worked fairly well for hunting rifles.

Al

[airedale]

Bushnell was quite an innovator with their scope back in the sixties. They had a mounting system that utilized two hardened studs that were screwed in the place a base would go. On the scope's bottom was a rail with movable attachment blocks in place of conventional rings. The block had an opening that would fit on to the hardened stud and tightened down. I had a Remington 660 243 with a 3X9 scope chief mounted on it, the setup worked great. The scope also had what was called a "command post", when woods hunting a shorter ranges a switch would flip up the post for a much easier to view reticle and it worked great.

Unfortunately, the idea was not a great one for sales and Bushnell eventually dropped that line of scopes.

Al