I have more than my share of Conquests and a few Leupolds, but my rifle nut habit is getting out of hand! I need some "cheap" glass for my fun guns. These are rifles primarily shot from the bench, and hunted occasionally (close to home). These are all medium bore rifles (300 Mag and smaller)

I am toying with buying a handful of the Nikon Pro Staff scopes. I have an older Monarch that was nice.

Opinions? Suggestions?

Used leupolds are a good buy...

For just a few bucks more than the Pro Staff, you can get a Monarch 3-9x40 for the closeout price of $199, available from several vendors making room for the latest Monarchs. Dollar for dollar, you won't find better glass for that type of investment.

I have several Bushnell 3200's-- have been buying Leupold as of late. I am also working up the courage to buy a Ziess

Nikon Buckmasters, Elite 3200's and Burris Fullfields all claim to have the same internal mechanism as those companies' more expensive scopes. So they should be as tough as the upper level scopes from each company. They just have lesser glass and/or coatings.

I don't care to put less than those levels of scopes on anything unless it is a rimfire or maybe a .223 level of cartridge. Basically I guess you would say I don't trust scopes of Chinese provenance yet. They probably will make a good scope one day, just don't think it has happened yet.

Bushnell Elite 3200, Nikon ProStaff; Leupold VX-I are all pretty "low end" but I'll use 'em if I have nothing else. Haven't really looked at the Buckmasters scopes from Nikon.

I prefer to take a step up to the 4200/Monarch/VX-III range personally as a starting point for my hunting rifles. I've only owned 1 Kahless and I owned a Zeiss Conquest in passing, very nice scopes but in the end I was happy with a Monarch and a nice pair of binocs instead. I think I'm pretty much a Nikon guy as a result.

Fun guns are a different thing altogether, and as long as you idea of fun isn't, say, a .460 Weatherby, I think the cheaper options aren't too bad, much better than something in the same price range going back about 5 years or so.

I'm pretty much stuck on my Leupolds and a couple Nikon Monarchs...........but in the last couple years I have been placing Sightron S1's on some of my truck guns and fun guns, you know what? They are the best 100$ scope money can buy, (I have four of them now). So far they move the crosshairs a quarter inch for every click, surprisingly crisp and clear, good view all the way to the edges, overall a real decent scope. I screwwed one up by stripping the threads on the rear ocular and it was totally my fault but I sent that one in for repairs and told them I messed it up and they sent me a new one absolutely free NO CHARGE.
In my opinion they were miles ahead of dealing with Nikon as far as a repair issue.
Good luck with yours.

I have a couple of Bushnell Trophies I'm very happy with for the money.

Try a Sightron. I've had very good luck with them, the old models are cheap now.

Natchez Shooter Supply has a couple different Bushnell 3200 2-7x32s on sale for less than $130+/-.

I bought 5 of the Simmons Whitetail 3.5-10x40s for $60+/- to mount on a couple of 17 HMRs and a couple of Stevens 200s that I leave at my MIL's place in SD. My thoughts were that a Stevens 200 is a $250+/- rifle and to be able to install a scope and mounts for another $90+/- would make for a functional, but inexpensive, truck/barn/loaner/starter. I don't think that I'd put a $60+/- scope on a "serious" rifle, but for a plinker, loaner, or casual hunter, it will probably do the job.

Jeff

Leupold VXI or Weaver Grand Slam. Lou

depends on the rifle, i'm not about to put a $500 scope on a $50 rifle. however i've also found some of the cheap models to actually be pretty good scopes. In mind come mueller, nikon buckmaster, millet, or the new bushnells. I do think a great deal about the recoil level and amount of shooting the rifle is going to get before mounting any scope. To me a scope is a just a sighting device. If i'm glassing i want top quality binos, but for a rifle scope I just don't need to quality optics. I need good reliable performance.

The lowest end scopes that I've used successfully w/o a hitch have been the Nikon prostaff, Nikon BMs, Burris FFII, Elite 3200, Simmons Aetec, and Simmons Whitetail Expedition.

That said, out of those, the Nikon Prostaff is the cheapest and the two I have have been very dependable. One is on a hard thumping 1187 Slug gun, the other on a 3.5" mag turkey gun. Both have held zero.

As far as the best cheap scope available? I'd have to give the nod to the Nikon buckmasters series, they are tough and have good glass.

Good Luck

Reloader

In a fixed power scope, just about anyone's product is usable. Fixed power scopes are just much easier to build and there's less to go wrong with them. Unfortunately, they are becoming increasingly scarce in this more-bells-and-whistles consumer market. The power cam in a variable is the part that the el-cheapos have a hard time getting right, thus causing the zero to crawl around as the power is changed.

The Leupold VX-I (at ~$200 if that is in your price range) is among the best value-for-the-money instuments currently available. It will also hold its resale value better than most brands if that is a consideration.

I've used a Simmons WTC 6.5-20x, and I'm always pleased with it. It is ugly wipeout (took a fall on some rocks, dented it, scratched it, took some paint off) and still works perfectly. The clicks move the crosshairs exactly as marked, 1/4", and it is very clear for $100. It goes on whatever gun needs a scope at the moment, whether it's a 22, a 7mm RM, and I even shot it on my 45-70 to see if it could take the recoil, and it did.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
For just a few bucks more than the Pro Staff, you can get a Monarch 3-9x40 for the closeout price of $199, available from several vendors making room for the latest Monarchs. Dollar for dollar, you won't find better glass for that type of investment.

Links?

I thought they were all gone.

Leupold VX 1. I have two of them and am satisfied.

After some less than stellar experiences with lesser brands, and the discovery of the Zeiss Conquest line, we've determined THAT will be the lowest we'll go with optics on any gun. After looking through Conquests and above for so long, any lesser scope just isn't worth it.

For dependability I use Leopold VX1 up to a Vari X III. I have never had a bad one but I have sent a few back to be fixed due because I have damaged them for 1 reason or another These are on most of my go to rifles.

For non recoiling rifle Ill use whatever wont fog or drift on me... Tasco , Simmons Etc.


Cal30

I like the Nikon Buckmaster scopes. I have two of them and I like them alot.

I have a Bushnell Elite 3200 10x enroute. I have high hopes for that one.

ZM

duckear wrote:

quote:

Links?

I thought they were all gone.

I did a search & saw that swfa.com still has them and that a few are being pushed on e-bay (forgive me for mentioning that last one!)

These are dubbed Team Primos and are the discontinued 3-9x40 Monarch with the Nikoplex reticle.

I have two brothers that each use a Burris Fullfield II 3x9s on their .270s and they have been very happy with them.

Though I really love to use great optics I sure hate to pay for them for every rifle. If you have more than a few rifles they don't all go to the range frequently. So the expensive glass sits in the safe taking up space, depreciating and tying up your cash you could use on more rifles. I try to get by with as few scopes as possible and when I do buy one it is a good used Leupold. That said I am as guilty as anyone of buying a rifle just to get the scope off of it.

the elite 3200 are good scopes i have one on my encore pistol in 308 and it works fine

It's hard to beat Nikon on value for money.

At the moment I'm looking at their 5-20x44 and comparing it to the Leupold 6-20x40 long range, the Nikon comes out on top with FOV probably light gathering.

I've just ordered the 5-20x44 for a friend and intend on buying the Leupold 6-20x40 because it is lighter and will be going on a mountain hunting rifle, it will be interesting to compare the two.

I bought some junkers to replace good scopes on light caliber rifles that are only used to plink with.

I have five Leupolds (2.5 Compact, 1.5-5x IR, 1.5-6x, 2.5-8x, and a 6.5-20x). Also have 5 Zeiss Conquests and one S&B. On anything used for hunting or calibers having significant recoil I won't use anything less than a Zeiss Conquest.

grandslams, 3200's, VX-1's and Tasco Tians (sleeper).
titan

I am not rich but if it is not made in Europe or a Leupold, I will not use it. I figure that your scope should cost more than your rifle, unless of course it is a custom built rifle, in which case that may not be possible. If I am looking at buying a rifle and I cannot afford a high end scope for it I dont buy it.....

Why have a model for a wife if you are going to buy her Carhart coveralls to wear?.........

quote:

What is the cheapest scope YOU will put on a rifle?

None.

Actually I’m a die hard Leupold Scope Junkie, I do have a Nikon Buckmasters and it not a bad scope for $199, but I would never buy another, I’d double my money on another Leupold no matter how long it takes.
Now, on another hand if I really wanted a scope to outfit a gun in a pinch and had very little money for it, I’d buy the Tasco world class 3-9 – its only $49, multi coated, shockproof water proof and Fog proof and will hold up better than you’d might think.

And down the road you can always get somebody to take it for $20, I’m sure.
Hey a $30 loss is like a bad meal out.

Everytime I buy an inexpensive scope it haunts me until I replace it with a Leupold. If you try to walk around a gun show with a used leupold they won't leave you alone. They all want to buy it. Walk around with another less expensive scope and you dang near have to give it away.

Used Leupolds are priced where new Leupolds should be.
Back to the topic, for cheap performance on a low recoil rifle, I have good luck with Swift.
I have 18x and 20x Swifts on 22lr's and they are great for punching paper.
For higher recoil, I have good experience with Burris FFII. compared to Leupold VX-I, Burris wins every time and it doesn't need a trip back to Oregon, like so many Leupies do.
If I were spending $200 today...no question, Nikon Team Primos. Glass and construction that competes with Leup VX-III for less than half the price.

quote:

Originally posted by BEGNO:
Everytime I buy an inexpensive scope it haunts me until I replace it with a Leupold. If you try to walk around a gun show with a used leupold they won't leave you alone. They all want to buy it. Walk around with another less expensive scope and you dang near have to give it away.

AMEN.

Nothing less than Leupold or Zeiss Conquest for me.............and I am getting to the point Id rather have a couple less rifles and better optics, traded off some leupolds and a couple of guns and now have a zeiss victory couple of S&B's and 1 NXS and will get a second NXS at some stage.

Good Optics are great !!

Most of my hunting has been in Africa where cold and moisture is not a problem. I have good success with old steel body Weavers that I have had rebuilt. They are a pretty good scope and look perfect on my older rifles like the two 30-06 Springfield sporters I gave my boys. Kudude

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
I agree that the older, steel bodied, Weavers were not bad. I was once guided by Finn Aagaard and he went on and on about how good the old Weavers were. There used to be a place in El Paso that reconditioned them. I sent one there years ago and it cost me about $25. I used that scope for a long long time. But it's difficult to find an old Weaver (prior to 1983) in decent condition these days.

I just looked and the old repair business is still going strong: www.weaver-scope-repair.com/

I've got an old school El Paso Weaver K4 on my Buffalo Classic. It's a great old scope and it's a fine match for the 45/70.

Cheapest scope I would use? Leupold.
If the $$$ are a bit much for something that will sit on a safe queen, go used Leupold...
JMHO.

I'm taking off a Simmons scope that came on a Savage and will put on a Konus 3x10 44mm scope that I picked up and looks much superior to the Simmons and others. I am anxious to see how it will work. User feedback is generally very positive on the Midway web sight.

Currently it's a Zeiss Conquest 3-9 at $500, and $200 Burris 3-9 Fullfield II on a 22 or 17 HMR.

I am rethinking my battery and am working on Zeiss, Swarovski, and Schmidt and Bender 3-12x56s on most of them, and 1-6x42s on the middle range calibers, and of course 1-5s on the big guns.

Slowly but surley making headway. I am only talking about 5 rifles thought.

257 Wby, 7mm Remington, 300 Wby, 340 Wby, 416 Wby.

I just looked at used Leupolds currently listed on eBay-most of them cost as much as my new Remington 700 did.

That $200 Sportsmans Guide 10-40x50 with lighted reticle sure is starting to look tempting...


(Exit stage left swiftly, donning fireproof suit on the run)

I bought a KonusPro 3-10x44 and am really impressed with the clarity and smoothness of this illuminated scope.

This week, I will take off a Simmons 3-9x40mm from a Savage package rifle and replace it with the Konus which to me is obviously superior.

Optics Planet has discounted the entire line. I thonk they are great buys.