best scope

[JackRabbit]

Whats the best scope you've ever owned@whats your favorite scope today. What do you like about it so much?

[SniperX]

I would go with the Swarovski there one of the best scope you can buy and it has a life time transferable warranty on it!

[338winmag]

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[Dom]

Hmm, kinda tough to nail one down, but it'd be my Swaro, 3-12x50 illuminated dot. That is one nice optic for my tired eyes, crystal clear, dot is adjustable for brightness. The one complaint I have on it would be that to turn it on, you have to turn a dail all the way up and then back down. If it had a pull out 'on' switch at a predetermined brightness level, like the Zeiss, it'd be better. All the top glass makers keep making better and better optics. A little perspective, I've got Zeiss, Schmidt & Bender, Kahles, Doctor Optic, and a few Leopolds IIIs, which win hands down over my Burris, Redfield types. I also favor the European reticles, which grow in size in relation to how far you crank up the power. Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[JackRabbit]

when I bought my 22-250 I wanted a good varmint scope.I was set on buying a leopold var.III 4-16x40,and the shop owner told me.Guaranteed that the bushnell elite 3200 in 4-12x40 is just as good.I'm thinking of either zeiss or leopold for my next scope.

[krshunter]

This definitely is a tough one. I have onwed just about every scope on the market over the last 10-12 years which certainly doesn't make me an expert, but has at least allowed me to try them and form an opinion. I also spent four hours at a optic shop in Colorado this past week comparing scopes optically as I was looking for a new one for my new Kimber rifle. With me price is always a consideration so I'm not to anxious to look at the Swaro's and Zeiss stuff. So here's what I have decided personally.

I will never mount another Tasco or Simmons on anything. Good enough for a .22 but I'll pay a little extra and put a Burris on one. I had one Tasco World Class and one Simmons Aetec fall apart on a .30-06. Internal parts just fell apart in the first season. My partner also had a Tasco WC fall apart in the mountains on his first .30-06.

We both went to Sightron after that and before they were high priced. He has had three of these for six years now and not had to touch them. The one I had was on my .30-06 then on a 7mm and no trouble at all either. Best warranty in the business bar none. But the prices now put them in the same category as Leupold and Nikon and the likes and they aren't as good optically to my eyes.

Never had a problem with a Leupold either and my father-in-law swears by them. Had a rifle take a tumble from a horse and land on a rock on the scope, picked it up shot it and still shot in the same place. They have built a great reputation on their durability. I have an article about the toughest scopes and custom gun makers said that on anything larger than a .338 cal rifle they won't mount anything but a Leupold. Not even a Swarovski.

The Bushnell Elite stuff is supposed to be real good stuff and I did have a 3200 on a Remington rifle. But I just bought a Kimber and on principle alone I can't mount a Bushnell on it.

After my four hour session last week the best scope I looked through was a Nikon Monarch. The Sightron SII, Leupold VXII, Weaver Grand Slam and Pentax didn't compare optically and all of them were either the same price or higher. They weren't a crisp or as bright and the edges weren't good on a few of them. The Burris Fullfield II compared very well. Optically as sharp but not quite as bright. I was surprised, but I didn't even like the particular Swarovski I compared to the Nikon. It wasn't as sharp. Had a wider field of view but for a hell of a lot more money. THe Zeiss scope was every bit as good optically and had a wider field of view, but that isn't worth and extra $600 to me.

A lot of people have said that the Nikon is the best for the money and I agree but compared to most scopes I think it's the best no matter the price. I bought one Monarch for my Antelope/Varmint gun and the Burris for my new Kimber .300WSM. The plus about the Burris is for $200 it came with a Ballistic plex reticle and a free pair of Burris bino's. There's the best for the money.

Sorry for being so long winded. Hopefully some part of it is usefull and remember its only an opinion.

[jon lynn]

The BEST scope I ever had was a off brand called MICRO-DOT.

It was a US made tube, Japanese electronics, and Sweedish installed but Japanese made optics (no joke), in a 4-12X 44mmAO
and had a single red dot at the intersection of the cross hairs. Always held zero on my 7x64, then moved it to my combination gun (12ga/.222) for winter fox.

But as normal, had to sell it with a rifle for the cash, boy-oh-boy do I miss that scope

My best now is Nikon Monarch, Leupold VXII, Burris and Elite 3200.

I also learned my lesson(s) with Simmons & Tasco

[ol_spark]

Not anxious to look at a Swaro or Zeiss? Wouldn't put a Bushnell on a Kimber but a Burris is OK? Bushnell's are only good enough for Remingtons. Sightron has best warranty in the business?

Spent a 4 hour session looking through scopes and Nikon was the best. But then again they don't come with a free pair of bino's, Do they?

So, one persons best scope is best because it meets his goal, such as seeing the target at night. Another person's best scope is best because it holds its zero and then another person claims his is best because it comes with a free pair of binos.

I'm sorry, but if I was choosing a scope to hunt with: the criteria would have something to do with holding zero, light gathering ability, target clarity or durability and not if it came with a free pair of binos. After all, if they can afford to give away binos with it that would tell me the price should have been less to start with and it may not be such a best deal after all.

Never had a Swaro or a S&B.
I've had/have Zeiss, Kahles, Leupold, Redfield, Weaver, Bushnell, B&L, Nikon, Charles Daly, Simmons, Burris, Tasco, Tasco Custom Shop and probably countless others that I've forgotten about. I know there was a couple Russian type scopes in there. Best in the hunting big game application is the Zeiss 3.5 x10 mil dot.(Dusk and dawn application is far superior to others) Best varmint is 8.5 to 25 x50 LR fine duplex Leupold beccause it is mostly used during daylight hours. The clicks are repeatable and dependable. We shoot varmints to 1250 yards so far.

[krshunter]

Hmmm, where to start. I guess first of all I did state that what I said was only an opinion and not once did I claim that any particular scope I mentioned was actually the best there is. Not my place to do that. I made some comments about what experiences I have had and what suited my eyes best. For me certain brands are better because they fit into my budget range. Would I like to have a Zeiss or Swaro??? Of course, but I could buy several of another brand and I personally can't see $600 plus worth of difference.

I also never said that the best scope was because it came with a free pair of binos ol_spark. What I said was it was an added bonus that they came with free binos and for my budget yes that made them the best for the money for me and not that it was the best scope. However the Burris did compare very well with the Nikon Monarc to my eyes. I think dollar for dollar the Nikon is as good as anything and the Burris is a very close second. Doesn't mean they are the very best going though.

I also didn't state that a Bushnell was only good for a Remington. Said I had one on a Remington before but didn't want to put one on the Kimber. Hey, my personal preference. And I do happen to consider the Burris a fine optic. Would put it on any gun over a Bushnell. Been around a long time, is made in the US(most of them) and very rugged. Again personal opinion, but one I share with many others.

ol_spark...have you checked into a Sightron warranty lately? Leupold used to be tops but most have caught up to them. Sightron is a simple over the counter exchange warranty. No proof of purchase necessary. Take your defective one into any dealer and you get a new one on the spot if they have it in stock. That's tough to beat and I have asked dealers if it really works that way. The answer is yes it does and no one else can beat it right now.

Lots of factors are involved in picking a scope. I did plenty of research and depended on the so called experts to tell me how low light transmission was and how repeatable the clicks and such were since I can't afford to go out and buy a sample from each manufacturer and test them in varying conditions. Based on their reports, what I saw with my eyes and the money I had to spend I made a choice and did state clearly that it was based on my experiences and just my opinion. If I had more time to wait and more money I would have jumped up to the Nikon I liked and past that maybe something different. I don't though. So I left what I thought might be some useful comments and someone got smart about them. Please don't take anyone's comments or opinions out of context. I'm no expert and neither are you.

[ghost stalker]

well.... i think i'm gonna go with iron sights..lol.
i have a bushnell trophy on my 280. cheap scope, dollar wise that is. i've had it for 6 or 7 yrs and it has always been there for me. not perfect but for under 200$can it's a good buy in my books.
no my 300 i have a burris ballistic plex. i like it very much and think it's quite the deal for about double the bush.
not rich enought o pick up a swar or zeiss but one day.

[JackRabbit]

Burris keeps coming up in conversation,and I've read lots lately on sightron ,never seen one before .I might look at these two before bying a new scope.Lots of time yet.

[Catfish]

For the money Leupolds are the best on the market. I have over 30 of them, got my my first one in 1968 and still have it. I`ve never had a problem with a Leupold, but I hear they have excellant service.

[ol_spark]

Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers there krshunter.

After all you are right, it's only an opinion. Best is a relative term based on a number of factors given. Those factors were left open to all of us. That is if I read the question properly.

Whats the best scope you've ever owned@whats your favorite scope today. What do you like about it so much?

Maybe I just should have said Zeiss and left it at that.

[krshunter]

hey spark, isn't it amazing how we can't hear a thing on the other end of these posts yet we think we detect a tone?

Anyway, you're right, best is a relative term and in this particular case I'm not sure anyone can truly say what best is. Or maybe someone with one of every scope tested under exactly the same light and weather conditions at the same time to 10,000 rounds on a big caliber or on and on and on.....And what if the one Leupold or Burris or Swaro that they got for their test was a lemon? Then they would say the they weren't good and so on.

If anyone has time here is a great article to read on this stuff. Inthe July 2004 RIFLE magazine Jahn Barsness wrote and article titled "Tough Scopes: Fact or Fiction?" Apparently he's been talking to custom rifle builders, resalers and doing his own testing for 15 years or so with every scope known to man. In summary he said there are a lot of great scopes out there that will probably work on most hunting rifles. Said that custom makers like Jarrett, D'Arcy Echols, Sisk and others like the Euro stuff but won't put anything but a Leupold on anything bigger than a .338. Not because of the optics but because they are the only variable power scope that seems to hold up on the large calibers. Most said they won't mount anything on calibers such as a .416 Rigby except maybe a Leupold fixed power.

Capitol Sports in Montana is supposedly a large volume store with complete cunsmithing shop in house. They sell everything on the market and say that they get less Burris scopes back than anything else followed by Leupold. Said they get Tascos and Bushnells back more than anything. Barsness though said that he thought the Elite's were a good rugged scope.

Anyway, very good article with lots of good research and testing into it. Still doesn't pick one out as the best as would be almost impossible to do.

To follow ol_spark, my favorite scope has been an older Burris on my Savage 99. Now a days in my budget range I still like the Burris line and Nikon. Back at ya spark!

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

Well the best scope I have is a Pecar Berlin, I thin it shade the S&B which I brought new even. Now the Pecar Berlin scopes have interchangable reticles although i ahve never done so yet. I do need to get a different reticle for one of them as it's just a plain cross hair. The three I have were all brought S/H and are all varibles, I have 2 0f the 3-7x36 scopes and a 4-10x45, all are steel tubed.

I find it strange about the US custom rifle builders only using Leupold, but then again perhaps not ther is still a lot of "if it's not made in the USA it's not good thinking around still". I happen to have a world class custom rifle builder not far from where I live just now and he builds a lot of Dangerous Game rifles which actually get to hunt and not just sit in someones safe. His workshop walls are adorned by the photos from his clients with their trophies, and the scopes they mainly choose are German low powered varible scope.

Now I will have to ask him how often his customers request a leupold scope fitted, a lot of his work ends up in the US and your current President and the last one both have one of his rifles. Their pictures recieving the rifle from the US agent are on the wall. Whether these two rifles will get to hunt I don't know