What is the difference between a $100 scope and a $400 scope?

[svguy]

I currently have this scope on my .22 Marauder:  UTG 30mm SWAT 3-12X44 Compact IE Scope with AO Mil-dot (amazon item: /B004KRA4YG/)

This is the best scope I've had.  To me, it's luxury.  But I've had some crappy scopes too.

I'm getting a FX Bobcat within the next couple weeks.  Most people with this type of gun have $400+ scopes on them.  What do I get in a $400 scope, over a scope like the UTG SWAT?  Do I need to spend that much?

I understand the difference between a $50 and a $150 scope.  But I've never had a $400 scope, so I don't know what makes a $400 scope better.

Maybe I just need to buy one and see the difference?

Any help is appreciated.

[wimpanzee]

most of the ones i've seen in the $100-$150 price range are like yours (which i also own two of - love em) while the $400+ range starts ramping up the magnification and objective lens size, like 6-24x50 or something. Twice the magnification, twice the price...

[mobilehomer]

Generally speaking the more expensive scopes have more finely ground and polished lenses. The internal mechanisms should be a little beefier.
The adjustments should be more consistant and accurate. The overal quality, fit and finish should also be better. But this is not always true. SWome of the less expensive scopes are very well made. 

[ezman604]

I have to say I have gotten hooked on the Simmons Whitetail for PCP's. Scope is 6-18x50 and has excellent clarity and magnification. And for around $120 or less. And Simmons has a $30 rebate on them through the end of December. I have bought two in the last two weeks!!!
Good glass can be had for way less than $400. And these are covered by Bushnell lifetime warranty. Would not recommend them for magnum springers although they MAY hold up fine.
SAFE & Happy Shooting!!!!
Dave
 

[farmerjoe99]

Generally speaking the more expensive scopes have more finely ground and polished lenses. The internal mechanisms should be a little beefier.
The adjustments should be more consistent and accurate.

This is what I've gathered from reading but I've never had the opportunity to use one...
Joseph

[ezman604]

Some day I'd like the opportunity to peer through a Swarovski Z6. But then again, maybe not.

Then I'll just HAVE to have one. And hope financing is available.
LOL

[nced]

I currently have this scope on my .22 Marauder:  UTG 30mm SWAT 3-12X44 Compact IE Scope with AO Mil-dot (amazon item: /B004KRA4YG/)

This is the best scope I've had.  To me, it's luxury.  But I've had some crappy scopes too.

I'm getting a FX Bobcat within the next couple weeks.  Most people with this type of gun have $400+ scopes on them.  What do I get in a $400 scope, over a scope like the UTG SWAT?  Do I need to spend that much?

I understand the difference between a $50 and a $150 scope.  But I've never had a $400 scope, so I don't know what makes a $400 scope better.

Maybe I just need to buy one and see the difference?

Any help is appreciated.

Difference is $300? LOL....just having some pre-season fun! 

I have a $80 4-16x40 Center Point scope that I've used for a backup during some of my hunter class field target matches and it's actually a  rather nice scope considering the price! I owned one previously and it "kicked the bucket" rather shortly after being mounted on my .177 R9, however the replacement has been pretty good! Guess that one of the issues with the low price scopes is that the QC isn't the greatest and a serviceable scope can be the "luck of the draw".

Years ago I had a old japanese 4-12 Bushnell Trophy scope mounted on my R9 fro a couple years with no problems, then I spent more money for a Weaver V16 and that scope developed a "floppy reticule" when mounted on the same R9 after only a few months. The scope was repaired by Weaver under warranty and within a month the scope suffered a busted reticule wire mounted to the same R9 and I literally trashed the scope! Point being, price isn't ALWAYS relative to the serviceability of a scope, but generally the higher price scope will be more solidly constructed and have better optics.

A couple years ago I bought a $300 4-12x40 Vortex Diamondback scope and it was a fine scope for my R9 shooting hunter class field target at the shady lanes of the DIFTA FT club in Damascus maryland, however when I moved to North Carolina and started shooting at the THAGC field target matches most of the lane markers were in the direct sun sighting into rather dark lanes. Well.....my Diamondback had really good optics EXCEPT  it exhibited extreme "image flare out" when sitting in the sun. Funny thing was that most flare was coming through the ocular lens instead of the usual front lens. Last summer I took delivery of a 3-12x50 Aeon scope on sale for $215 with free shipping and mounted it to my R9 for the ft match at the NC airgun show and was really pleased to find that I had absolutely no flare issues even though the sight-in was aiming almost directly into the rising morning sun. While as heavy as a brick the rather large 3-12x50 Aeon has been one of the better scopes I've used for my hunter class field target matches. Last week I ordered a Optisan Viper 3-12x44 MTC SCB for $349 (free shipping again)  and I'm hoping that the optics are at least as good as those of the Aeon. The reason I ordered this scope is because I READ  some good reports, it comes with a sun shade, 3" side wheel, it has a lighted multi aiming point reticule. The  reticule of the Aeon isn't lighted and they can actually get lost when sighting in on a target set in the shadows.

Bottom line......will the $349 Optisan Viper 3-12x44 MTC SCB perform a LOT better than my $80 WallyMart Center Point scope.....well.....I sure HOPE SO ! 

By the way, discounting the flare issue with the $300 Diamondback scope I found that the resolution of all three scopes viewed side by side at a target placed at 50 yards was remarkably similar to MY eyes, except the $80 CP scope does have a considerably narrower field of view which is almost like looking through a tunnel! Here is the setup I used for comparing my three scopes.........
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
3-12x40 Daimondback on the left, 4-16x40 Center Point in middle, and 3-12x50 Aeon on the right.

[Sfttailrdr46]

Some day I'd like the opportunity to peer through a Swarovski Z6. But then again, maybe not.

Then I'll just HAVE to have one. And hope financing is available.
LOL

Until I am good enough to have a manufacturer sponsor me I will have to be content to continue shooting mid level AG's and use low to mid level priced optics . At my age there is a good chance that sponsor will never happen

[rogue909]

Expensive scopes typically (TYPICALLY...) have better....

Clarity;
Simple, how clear is the target?

Magnification;
Magnification.

Adjustments;
The eye piece of my hunting scope has a second focus adjustment. If I'm looking through a particular magnification and I want to see clearer at whatever I'm aiming at, I can turn the eye piece a bit and things will clear up. Nicer scopes have even more adjustments.

Angle of vision;
Look down your scope, move your head left to right a bit, see how the image bulges a bit? Some scopes don't do that as much. When you're in Montana garbed out in equipment, it can be difficult to get the right "angle" with all your hoods on.

Light collection;
Simply put, some scopes collect light better and give a better view of the target. Imagine if you're trying to take a shot in the morning, it can be saddening if you can't see everything clearly in your scope.

Better Reticles;
Some scopes have built in BDC (bullet drop compensation) reticles. You can test it and determine where the bullet will hit at certain distances. Example, my 30-06 on 9x, the "open dot" below the crosshair is zeroed at 200yds. The major disadvantage is you can't set your own positioning on those "dots".

Glass & Fog;
See how cheap scopes get foggy? Nice scopes shouldn't do that.

Innert Gas;
Nice scopes should have an innert gas between the lenses, this prevents buildup in the scope and scewing your vision.

Rugged;
All of those "oopsies" that happen, the scope should take it. When you're loading the rifle into the 4 wheeler and it falls out, you want the scope rugged enough to not become "un-zeroed".

A LOT of this doesn't matter for plinking in the backyard or shooting at squirrels, so don't feel obligated to buy yourself a $1200 leupold VX-6.

[Kailua]

Accurate and repeatable turret adjustment.  Not like some cheaper scopes where you have to tap on the tube to get it moving.

[Sfttailrdr46]

I have a Leupold VX6 on my Browning 30-06 for 10 to 100 yards I don't believe that much glass is is needed JMO. If I were competing rather than plinking I might consider better glass but I am not shooting in the big leagues

[svguy]

Thanks for all the advice guys.  I'm blown away by how many people responded to this.  I can't thank you enough.  I can't see myself needing to go out past 75 yards so I don't need a higher magnification.  The glass on the UTG looks nice.  But I agree a clear image makes a huge difference.

Thanks to all, and especially rogue909.  I think he laid it all out for me.  NCED, great post.  I'm going to take a closer look at the aeon you are referring to.

[stretch]

If all you're going to shoot is out to less than 100 yards, unless you're competing you probably will be fine with a hundred buck 3x-9x.  If your vision is crappy, then a higher magnification really helps for targets 100+ yards.  But if you're shooting 200+ yards, then it really helps to have higher magnification.  Once you start going over 12x you really start to see the difference between good glass and cheap glass.  I've got three scopes, one I paid $50 for, another that I got for $100 and the third I paid $500.  All three are just fine for their intended purposes.

[rsterne]

The primary difference is (or should be) is the quality of the optics and mechanical parts inside the scope.... It's not really that much harder to build a scope with more magnification, or bigger lenses, or even a bigger tube.... You can find plenty of "cheap" scopes that are up to 24X, with big lenses (50+mm), and 30mm tubes, and even fancy reticles.... What you don't find, without paying more money, is better lenses, better light baffling, and stronger, more precise mechanicals (focusing, zoom, and turrets)....

While it is true that you pay more for a zoom, or an adjustable objective (even more for a side focus), and bigger lenses and tubes, and fancy reticles, you can get inexpensive scopes that have all of that.... What you are paying for (and hopefully getting) in an expensive scope is multi-element lenses that correct for optical aberrations (spherical, colour, off-axis, etc.) to increase clarity; multi-coated lenses that pass more of the available light (eg. 98% instead of 90%) through them to increase brightness; properly placed, flat black internal baffles and image stages to reduce glare; rigid yet fine reticles, in rock solid adjustment turrets that will return to exactly the same spot from both directions; smooth, repeatable, and accurately marked focusing and zoom functions; perfectly sealed, dry Nitrogen filled tubes to eliminate fogging; and packaged in a rugged yet beautiful tube....

These are the same things that make any quality optical instrument "better" than a cheap one.... The only thing you have to decide is how much to spend to get that last few percent in performance.... and then hope that what you are paying for is actually delivered....

Bob

[svguy]

The primary difference is (or should be) is the quality of the optics and mechanical parts inside the scope.... It's not really that much harder to build a scope with more magnification, or bigger lenses, or even a bigger tube.... You can find plenty of "cheap" scopes that are up to 24X, with big lenses (50+mm), and 30mm tubes, and even fancy reticles.... What you don't find, without paying more money, is better lenses, better light baffling, and stronger, more precise mechanicals (focusing, zoom, and turrets)....

While it is true that you pay more for a zoom, or an adjustable objective (even more for a side focus), and bigger lenses and tubes, and fancy reticles, you can get inexpensive scopes that have all of that.... What you are paying for (and hopefully getting) in an expensive scope is multi-element lenses that correct for optical aberrations (spherical, colour, off-axis, etc.) to increase clarity; multi-coated lenses that pass more of the available light (eg. 98% instead of 90%) through them to increase brightness; properly placed, flat black internal baffles and image stages to reduce glare; rigid yet fine reticles, in rock solid adjustment turrets that will return to exactly the same spot from both directions; smooth, repeatable, and accurately marked focusing and zoom functions; perfectly sealed, dry Nitrogen filled tubes to eliminate fogging; and packaged in a rugged yet beautiful tube....

These are the same things that make any quality optical instrument "better" than a cheap one.... The only thing you have to decide is how much to spend to get that last few percent in performance.... and then hope that what you are paying for is actually delivered....

Bob

Bob, this sounds like great advice.

>>>rock solid adjustment turrets that will return to exactly the same spot from both directions; smooth, repeatable, and accurately marked focusing and zoom functions

This is what I want.  I want to be able to zero in a scope, and get my gun out 2 weeks later and be confident it is still on the money.  I just don't have enough experience to know, yet.  I'm going to be shopping for a new scope for the new gun.  Hoping I can get a great picture out to 100 yards, maybe something in the $250 range.  I like the idea of a 50mm scope for a nice view.  I don't care if it weighs a little more.

[Pappy]

The best, and most poignant answer came from Ed ..... that being $300.  I was ready to type it, but Ed beat me to it. 

[farmerjoe99]

I have to say I have gotten hooked on the Simmons Whitetail for PCP's. Scope is 6-18x50 and has excellent clarity and magnification. And for around $120 or less. And Simmons has a $30 rebate on them through the end of December. I have bought two in the last two weeks!!!
Good glass can be had for way less than $400. And these are covered by Bushnell lifetime warranty. Would not recommend them for magnum springers although they MAY hold up fine.
SAFE & Happy Shooting!!!!
Dave
 

Could you post a link for this scope please I can't seem to find it
Thanks Joseph

[mista meener]

for airgunning twisting elevation dials all over the place is not needed being most use mil dots or other form of ranging reticle. as far as clarity in gander mountain they had bino and scopes from 100-3000 dollars on display that you could look through and if you picked the right 100-150 scope there was absolutely no difference in clarity and in there store was so big you could read signs 150 yds away. I told my friends no one believed it so I brought them there and now they believe. The CP 4-16 mil dot for 70 bucks is as clear a scope you can look through. If other guys like spending way more have at it

[ezman604]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1156168462/simmons-whitetail-classic-rifle-scope-65-20x-50mm-adjustable-objective-matte?cm_vc=J012

Rebate coupon is also on that link. If you purchase, be sure to print that off also.

[rsterne]

I did a similar test decades ago when I purchased a 3-9 X 32 scope for my Winchester Mod.88 in .308 cal.... I had the opportunity to look through virtually all the big name brand scopes, Leupold, Redfield, Nikon, etc.etc. plus Tasco, Bushnell, and several other less expensive brands.... This was the pre-Chinese era, cheap scopes were generally made in Japan, expensive ones in the USA or Germany.... It was night (on purpose), and I could look across the large store in good light, and also look down the street in the dark to assess the poor light performance.... The hands down winner was the (made in Japan) Bushnell.... It was as clear and bright as any of the expensive scopes, better than most in poor light (in fact IIRC there was only one other scope as bright, at 3 times the price), and way better than the other cheaper brands.... It was priced at the higher end of the less expensive scopes, and less than half of the big names.... I decided then and there that price didn't necessarily make a difference in clarity and brightness, but the lenses sure did!.... I had no way to assess the ruggedness, precision, or reliability of any of the scopes except the Bushnell, which I purchased, and it more than lived up to my expectations, including remaining fog free in truly miserable fall conditions in Northern BC while trudging through the woods on cold rainy days hunting Moose for many trouble-free years....

Bob