Author Topic: Yet another Optima 3-9x32 failure (Read 11865 times))

JoeV · « **on:** December 10, 2015, 05:54:22 PM »

Hatsan owners have all heard this story many times over, but I need to tell it to be able to get closure.

I own all three calibers of the 95 Vortex, and have had FOUR OEM Optima 3-9x32 scopes fail for me. How so four when I only have three Hatsans, you ask? They replaced the one from my .25 caliber with another like the original, and within 100 shots the pellets were spraying all over the target. This happened to all of the guns, so I sent a note to Hatsan via their website explaining my dilemma. I told them when I return to open sights, I maintain tight groups of 1" at 10m. Put the scope back on...garbage!

I asked if I could pay for an upgraded scope, but it was a waste to send me OEM scopes again, as they were destined to fail in short order. So they got back to me and offered the Optima 3-9x40AO scopes for $20 each. After researching the reviews on that scope, it's no better than the cheap,OEM scope.

I told the that an Optima scope was not an upgrade, and also reminded them of the people they had sent that scope to in lieu of the OEM scope, and sent it for FREE, not for $20.

I thanked them for their time getting back to me, and told them I would be purchasing scopes with durability and reliability for my Hatsans. I did tell them that I love my 95's, but they should do something about sourcing a scope that can hold up to the power of their air guns.

I was respectful,yet firm. I believe if someone sells something they know is junk, they should be held accountable for that. Better to not include a scope than to make the new air gunner think the scope is of the same quality as the gun, when that is not the case. Better to under promise and over delive than the opposite.

As I turned down their "upgrade offer," I don't expect to hear back from them. I have already outfitted the .25 and .22 with CenterPoint scopes with AO on both. Both have had hundreds of shots and still hold zero nicely.

THERE! Now that's off my chest and I can move on. I just need to drop the four junk scopes in the trash before morning so the trash hauler can warehouse them where they belong.

bmb · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2015, 06:05:59 PM »

Instead of tossing the Optima scopes, you could have any faulty ones warrantied and utilize them for non spring guns.

Old Corps · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2015, 09:39:33 PM »

Good for you Joe, it'd be nice if they eventually listen and either provide a decent scope or none at all & knock a few bucks off. I've got 2 of 'em and they haven't failed me yet............maybe because they're sitting on a shelf.

Happy to hear the CPs have held up so far. I'm going to put one of mine on my 95 Vortex .22 and my Edge Vortex .25 will remain scopeless. I'm might use one of the Optimas on a 1077 Crosman I have. Maybe it'll hold up to that at least.

BTW, huge Red Green fan here. Keep yer stick on the ice!

Ed

Yogi · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2015, 10:27:02 PM »

I'm sure than some consultant told them they would sell more rifles if they included a scope. A semi-decent scope starts around $100. Who would buy a $300 Hatsan? If they included a 1" scope people would complain that they wanted a 30mm, etc....
Just realise the scope is junk and do not expect much.

-Y

JoeV · « **Reply #4 on:** December 10, 2015, 10:29:18 PM »

Quote from: bmb on December 10, 2015, 06:05:59 PM

Instead of tossing the Optima scopes, you could have any faulty ones warrantied and utilize them for non spring guns.

I only have spring/piston guns that need scopes. All of my firearms are scoped already, and I wouldn't put Optima scopes on anything that I would depend on for food or self defense. Their reputation for premature failure is too high for my liking.

If you send me the shipping costs, I'll be happy to send the junk scopes to you, and you can turn them in for warranty. Four out of four failures speaks volumes, and cannot be depended upon in a pinch.

robertr · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2015, 11:50:07 PM »

Joe , it would be a good time to dismantle one or more of the scopes that are broken to see what actually happenned inside, may be a case of a loose lens retainer or something else you may be able to fix yourself, or just to find out for curiousity sake.

bmb · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2015, 12:55:16 AM »

Joe

On second thought, the garbage makes more sense. Four out of four failures. It's not worth the headache for me either.

Good job speaking up. If more people did the same maybe we would see some changes. If a better scope would make it too expensive maybe the could just increase their nonscoped offerings.

Bradley

SteveP-52 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2015, 01:07:36 AM »

Out of pure boredom, I actually took one of the 2 I have left and put it with the original crappy rings on top of the new Spector. Now I'm kind of curious how long it will stay working....on the sorta upside for now, it shoots pretty good groups at 20 yards.....I'll keep you posted as even on the Spector, I expect it to take a dump at some point.

GD Giles · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2015, 07:51:27 AM »

I have two of those scopes and both were given to me. I have one on my 95 and I'm giving one away to a buddy in town. I told him it's not a good scope but he has a different brand .177, a Walmart gun, so maybe the scope will survive. I hope to replace mine asap. I'm very discouraged at the groups everybody here gets with their 95's except me. I don't mind being the worst shot here but I need to know it's me and not the scope so the scope's gotta go.

Joe, are you using the Center Point 3-9x40 AO like Walmart has?

OnlyHalfRight · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2015, 08:29:11 AM »

Quote from: GD Giles on December 11, 2015, 07:51:27 AM

I have two of those scopes and both were given to me. I have one on my 95 and I'm giving one away to a buddy in town. I told him it's not a good scope but he has a different brand .177, a Walmart gun, so maybe the scope will survive. I hope to replace mine asap. I'm very discouraged at the groups everybody here gets with their 95's except me. I don't mind being the worst shot here but I need to know it's me and not the scope so the scope's gotta go.

Joe, are you using the Center Point 3-9x40 AO like Walmart has?

Take the scope off. Use open sights. Are you still getting bad groups?

GD Giles · « **Reply #10 on:** December 11, 2015, 08:31:52 AM »

I haven't shot at a paper target since last Sunday. I might get the chance this Sunday. I think my glasses are too old to try and do anything w/open sights beyond 15 yards or so. Probably less.

But I don't get the better pellets I ordered in until Monday, so it could be a week from Sunday before I get a real chance to see if it's the scope or the pellets. Or me. Probably me.

Yogi · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2015, 07:05:20 PM »

Glen get your eyes checked. If you can not see @20 yards with open sites, I am not sure a scope for 50 yard shots will be any better.
Also, while that Center Point is better than the Optima it is still not real good glass. Get good glass, then see it it is you or the gun...
-Y
PS I put a $300 scope on a $200 gun

GD Giles · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2015, 07:24:05 PM »

Hey today using the Optima I put a target out and just took one shot at 25 yards off hand, no rest, and I put that pellet 1/4" from the center dot.

But I also missed a squirrel in the back yard. I guess he was closer than I thought and I put the pellet over his head. Took off by the time I got reloaded.

I'm seriously looking at the UTG 4x32 AO. I don't think with this gun I'm going more than 35 yards out and that should be ok for 35 right?

Methuselah · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2015, 08:11:51 PM »

Quote from: GD Giles on December 11, 2015, 07:24:05 PM

Hey today using the Optima I put a target out and just took one shot at 25 yards off hand, no rest, and I put that pellet 1/4" from the center dot. But I also missed a squirrel in the back yard. I guess he was closer than I thought and I put the pellet over his head. Took off by the time I got reloaded.

I'm seriously looking at the UTG 4x32 AO. I don't think with this gun I'm going more than 35 yards out and that should be ok for 35 right?

If your not 20/20 with the glasses, you are probably better off with the scope. Adjust the ocular for Sharp crosshairs & the objective for zero parallax each range (until you verify the guns accuracy).

If you can keep both eyes open during, so much the better.

SteveP-52 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2015, 01:46:10 AM »

Quote from: Yogi on December 11, 2015, 07:05:20 PM

PS I put a $300 scope on a $200 gun

Yogi, I wasn't quite as bad as you but my avatar pic is my Mod 95...$200 rifle, $175.00 scope...

Oldman1151 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2015, 10:24:28 AM »

Got my Optima mounted and sighted in on my Hatsan 95 Vortex yesterday with great results. Could not be happier with gun or scope so far with about 400 shots fired. Now the true test to see if the scope holds.

GD Giles · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2015, 11:01:53 AM »

I don't know if anyone here has had an Optima last. It seems that for those that chose to use them the failure rate is 100%. Anyone have an Optima that's lasted a few 1000 rounds so far? I guess that is what's moving me to replace it before it breaks.

Gut2Fish · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2015, 09:07:03 AM »

Quote from: GD Giles on December 12, 2015, 11:01:53 AM

I don't know if anyone here has had an Optima last. It seems that for those that chose to use them the failure rate is 100%. Anyone have an Optima that's lasted a few 1000 rounds so far? I guess that is what's moving me to replace it before it breaks.

With the 95 power plant and up even with gas ram there is far too much thwak to expect a cheap scope to last. My stock Optima is still working and actually works well after adjusting the parallax to 60ft. They simply are not Magnum rated and are better suited for .22 rim fire. It survived 500 shots in a magnum springer but once I moved up to an AO Hawke there is no comparing. I like you started by seeing how accurate the gun was, accurate I was. Different pellets got more accurate, different holds got more accurate, manually changed the parallax on Optima and got more accurate. So I was indeed improving the accuracy of the gun and was satisfied it warranted a nice scope. 3-12X44 side AO Hawke and now the accuracy issue is me. Some days are great and others I've had too much coffee.

That Hawke scope did fail me. Shocking as that might be for some to hear but it's true. It took an accidental dry fire to damage it but it did indeed break. If a Hawke breaks on a magnum springer there is no hope for the Optima. The beauty of Hawke is lifetime warranty and optics not easily comparable in that price range. Once I had thoughts the gun problem may be the scope, tested open sights, sent back and Hawke sent me the new Vantage SF in a week. Couldn't be happier.

Like a few others posted. $209 scope on a $260 gun. If the gun doesn't deserve a good scope you shouldn't own the gun or it's your trusted shotgun.

uglymike · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2015, 09:20:18 AM »

I gave my 1 optima scope to the neighbor kid to play "pirate", gave the 95 away also.......

GD Giles · « **Reply #19 on:** December 21, 2015, 10:56:02 AM »

There's a UTG 4-16x40 AO IR ten feet away from me under the tree.

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Yet another Optima 3-9x32 failure

Author Topic: Yet another Optima 3-9x32 failure (Read 11865 times))