Hi Guys,

I�m looking to buy an AO scope with 6-24 or 6.5-20 power. I�d like to spend $200 or less and get good value for my money. I value a bright, sharp image want to be able to change up and down in power without loosing zero. Brands with scopes in this price range include Simmons, Swift, Leatherwood, and Others? I�ll be mounting this scope on a .223 Rem. rifle. So, what do you recommend and why?

Thanks for your help.

Roger Barker

Does it have to be variable? How 'bout a Bushnell Elite 10x with mil-dot reticle. Very good optics and in your price range plus I think is a better value that the others you listed.

The Simmons 44 mag is about the only thing I can think of in a 6x20 AO in that price range that should be acceptable on a .223 . Some have had good luck with Swifts , but I have no experience with those.....

Gotta agree with Courtney..........for the range your .223 will be effective and for the money you are willing to spend its tough to beat a Bushnell 3200 Elite in straight 10X. Just ordered my second one and for pds it sure beats the cheaper high mag variables.

Buying any of the cheap high-power variables is asking for trouble. Focus, light transmission, distorted field at the edges, variation of point of impact with power change, moisture infiltration, and a whole host of other potential problems make the "price leader" variables in the 18X and 24X range extremely problematic. Put bluntly, I've never seen one that wasn't trash.

As others have said, if your intention is to use it on a longer-range varmint gun, a fixed power Asian scope will be much more satisfactory and less expensive.

If you can stretch your budget to $250 and get by with a 12X maximum magnification, the Leupold VX-I is a good buy.

I've got one of the Simmons whitetail classics or expeditions (6.5-20) mounted on a one-piece leupold base sitting on a mauser. I'm not too crazy about the 'granite' finish on it, but it's nice and clear and holds zero better than I can.

I'm going to get on my soap box here...There aren't that many "bad" scopes (within reason). But you can make a really nice scope a piece of meat in the mounting. My personal method is to get a front extension ring and try to get the rings set as far apart as possible and still get good eye relief. Lapping in the rings might also help keep them from torquing one end of the scope due to misalignment of the rings on the base.

Basically my goal is to have only a moderate, equal compressive force on the scope body from the rings. Vertical or horizontal stress is bad medicine and will probably cause a premature failure.

Take it for what you will, no scientific basis behind what I do with scope mounting.

irwin

One of the complaints with the less expensive scopes is their inability to absorb recoil. You won't have that problem with a .223, but definitely don't mount a cheap scope on a fairly hard recoiling rifle. Another clue here is to avoid the scopes made in China. I had to return 2 Bushnells last year, both Chinese products. I have several Tasco 6x24's that have served me well, but all were produced in Japan. A Bushnell Banner 6x18 is a good scope for the money. I think it's made in Taiwan or Formosa. It's a pretty good product though. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Riflemen,

Thanks for the comments, suggestions, and recommendations. I received an ad from Midway with a closeout sale on 2003 Leupold Vari-X3 Scopes 6.5-20x40 at $420 so I bought one. The price was more than I was planning to spend, but the scope was what I wanted at a great price. Thanks again.

Roger Barker

Roger -- That's money well-spent. In addition to having a much better scope, if for any reason you are in any way dissatisfied with the Leupold you just bought, you can resell it for 80% or better of what you paid. On the other hand, if you had bought a $169 China Special, you would have been lucky to salvage a quarter of the price if you could resell it at all.

Good luck with your scope and rifle!

I HAVE HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD LUCK WITH THE SWIFT SCOPES, BUT LAST YEAR BEFORE DEER SEASON I BOUGHT A MILLET VARMIT TARGET SPECIAL SCOPE 6-25 FOR RIGHT AT 200 DOLLARS. ONE MORNING ON MY WAY TO THE STAND ON THE 4 WHEELER WITH MY 240 WBY WITH THAT MILLET SCOPE ON IT, I HIT A RUT AND THE 4 WHEELER TURNED ABRUPTLY INTO THE RUT AND THE GUN WHICH WAS IN THE HOLDER ON THE FRONT OF THE ATV CAUGHT A BRANCH AND WAS RIPPED FROM THE HOLDER AND FLUNG ABOUT 15 YARDS TO THE RIGHT SIDE IN SOME MUD. UPON RETRIEVEL AND INSPECTION OF THE RIFLE THERE WAS A GASH ON THE SCOPE FROM WHERE IT MUST OF HIT A ROCK DEAD ON. I CLEANED THE GUN OFF, INSPECTED THE BARREL AND DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND SIT IN THE STAND AND SEE WHAT COMES UP. AT ABOUT 10:00 A WILY OLD TEXAS COYOTE SITS IN THE ROAD ABOUT 250 YRDS OUT. NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE MORNINGS PREVIOUS BLUNDER, I THREW THE GUN UP AND HIT THE YOTE RIGHT BEGIND THE SHOULDERS(WHERE I WAS AIMING). GOT BACK TO THE CAMP AND SHOT THE GUN OFF A REST AND IT HELD TRUE TO ITS ZERO. MADE A BELIEVER OF MILLET SCOPES OUT OF ME. HAVE SINCE BOUGHT 2 MORE OF THEM AND HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM YET. NOW THE ARE BY NO MEANS OF LEOPOLD QUALITY OR CLARITY, FOR I HAVE LOTS OF STORIES OF BLUNDERS WHERE LOOPIE SCOPES HELD THERE OWN, BUT FOR 200 SMACKERS, THE MILLET IS THE WAY TO GO.

10 years ago I bought a Bushnell Banner 4x12x40 AO for $80 it's been mounted on a 22-250 Savage, it's does well under 1/2moa, and has never shifted impact.