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

[mista meener]

Yes Bob you are right and the thing is the lower end scopes are even better now they were then.  Those old bushnells and the new ones are great then and now.A lot of guys make a big deal out of the image in a scope when it is getting dark and that is a sign of great lenses but anytime I stayed out long enough to see if it worked I got reprimanded by game wardens for staying to late and almost got license taken away. so twilight performance  can only be noticed for 90% of the time when it is illegal to be in the woods

[Sfttailrdr46]

  Years ago when I first started to hunt I was told that if you cannot see a dark thread held at arms length it is too dark to hunt. The person who told me that was old back when I was still a kid

[rsterne]

The law in BC allows you to hunt until a half-hour after sunset.... If you shoot a Grouse 15 min. before that and it moves 10 feet you will be lucky to find it.... However, at that time of evening the difference between good optics and bad is being able to see the Grouse's eye clearly at the ranges I hunt.... which means the difference between being able to anchor the Grouse from moving afterwards and you losing it, or not.... 

Bob

[nced]

 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.
Hummm.....I'm bettin that if you have this problem then the issue is probably the airgun and not the scope! Whenever I've had "scope issues" it has ALWAYS happened during a shooting session, not when the gun was put away. LOL....with a gun shooting those lead badminton birdies called PELLETS, even a change in the atmospheric conditions can change the poi. It's simply the nature of the beasts and the reason that every field target match I've shot begins with re-zeroing the scope for that day.

[D14Jeff]

i dont wanna look through a $400 scope ! i'm afraid i might not like my hawke varmint so much , hehehehe
but i'm just a plinker

[gard72977]

I read these thread where people bash high end scopes because they have there favorite inexpensive scope that is just as good. I work a lot and do not want to have problems with my scope when I get a chance to shoot. I had rather have one nice scope than 10 cheap ones. I like nice glass and feel I get a better shooting experience with it.

[D14Jeff]

get one of these .......
http://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-mark-8-3-5-25x56mm-er-t-illuminated-m5b2-riflescope.html
anything less is compromising quality to save a few hundred to a few thousand measly dollars .

buy once cry once 

hehehehehe ! 

[Jtlittle]

Now I want a light scope so I went 1in but the Mamba lite series surprised me. I own several Swarovski,Zeiss and leupold scopes on my powder burners so I know good glass. The MTC/mambas are great budget scopes. I have five and the first one on my RWS52 and have no problems. Love the side focus also.

[nced]

Now I want a light scope so I went 1in but the Mamba lite series surprised me. I own several Swarovski,Zeiss and leupold scopes on my powder burners so I know good glass. The MTC/mambas are great budget scopes. I have five and the first one on my RWS52 and have no problems. Love the side focus also.

I just took delivery of a 3-12x44 Optisan Viper with SCB reticule and so far I'm impressed. This scope with a 30mm tube isn't a light weight at about 24 1/2 ounces but after mounting it to my .177 R9 and shooting a few shots to zero last night, I must say that so far I'm impressed. Here is a youtube vid of the scope...........

At first I was a bit disappointed that the side focus only turned about 180 degrees from "stop to stop", but when focusing upstairs at 18 yards I found that the image "snapped in and out" quickly so I think that it will work just fine. The image is very crisp and while I've always gravitated to a mil dot type reticule thinking that the others could be too busy for my use, but to my surprise the SCB  reticule actually is rather useful. One thing I immediately noticed with the Viper was that when I did the "head bop trick" to check the parallax correction I got NO reticule movement when moving my eye side to side without even touching the ocular focus! LOL.......the "glass etched reticule" was also very sharp and crisp as well. With other scopes and my eyes I had to adjust the reticule so it was a TAD fuzzy if a "head bop" didn't move the reticule on the target.

Here are a few pics of the new scope which cost about $350......
The scope came from the box with sunshade, side wheel, and some accessory tools.
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
LOL.....I was even surprised that the accessories included a couple "spanner wrenches" useful for loosening and tightening the orientation of the metal flip up lens covers as well as an allen wrench for the set screws securing the side wheel, a battery for the illuminated reticule, and a lens cloth.
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
Pics of the scope mounted to my R9......
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

The scope came already optically centered and after mounting in a set of UTG high 30mm mounts the poi was within 1" of the aim point at 18 yards without adjusting anything which required VERY LITTLE R9 barrel bending to bring the poi within 1/4" of the aim point at 18 yards. I'll make the final adjustment to zero using the scope turrets when I get to my practice range and zero at 25 yards. By the way....I do prefer having the scope optically centered as much as possible and this can be accomplished with either an adjustable mount or simply bending the barrel. After messing with a couple brands of adjustable mounts years ago I simply started bending the barrel since it's easy to do and the "adjustments" don't "shake loose" after taking a lot of time setting up!

As a side note, the Viper side wheel won't fit between the rings of my medium 30mm UTG one piece scope mount so I'm using the two piece high mounts that I use with my 3-12x50mm Aeon scope. Actually, the Aeon scope (another heavy weight) has worked very well for me but it lacks an illuminated reticule that sometimes is needed for aiming at a field target killzone set on a lane back in the shadows so I decided to retire my $80 4-16x40mm Center Point scope as a backup in favor of the Aeon. My CP also has a lighted reticule if needed but the light is so dim that it's practically useless unless it's too dark to shoot anyway. Since they're cheap I'll order another set of UTG 30mm medium two piece mounts since they will work with a 44mm objective and I prefer a lower mounted scope if possible.

These are simply first impressions of my new scope and some time at my practice lane will be required to form a final opinion, but so far, so good!

[ancient1one]

My advice is whatever scope you decide on should be light and buy from a company with a stress free return policy. If you can find a scope with a lifetime warranty even better. Scopes are delicate creatures made of glass that can break at anytime.

You can find really nice scopes 1 pound and less like your SWAT 3-12X44 Compact. The Bobcat is an 8 pound rifle that you can maneuver easily keep it that way. Lugging around extra scope weight is unnecessary in my opinion.

[nced]

My advice is whatever scope you decide on should be light and buy from a company with a stress free return policy. If you can find a scope with a lifetime warranty even better. Scopes are delicate creatures made of glass that can break at anytime.

You can find really nice scopes 1 pound and less like your SWAT 3-12X44 Compact. The Bobcat is an 8 pound rifle that you can maneuver easily keep it that way. Lugging around extra scope weight is unnecessary in my opinion.

LOL....my .177 R9 with a heavy 24 ounce scope isn't much heavier than a Walther LGV without a scope! 
I always liked a light weight scope for my R9 but after playing with the "heavy as a brick" 30mm tube scopes like the 3-12x50 Aeon, my recent 3-12x44 Viper, or even my el-cheapo 4-16x40 Centerpoint, I found that the extra weight of the heavier scopes DOES indeed make a relatively light weight springer (like my R9) less hold sensitive, thus easier to shoot accurately.

[Boghdoir]

O.K. guys. I messed up today. I did a search on this and have done tons of reading, but would like some fresh opinions.

Right now I have a Centerpoint 4x16 on my Discovery, and I am thrilled with it for what I paid for it. This weekend I got her zeroed at 80 yards and was having a blast trying to get my groups tighter. I did notice that my adjustments seemed inconsistent but that was probably me, and I did eventually have it perfect.

Fast forward to today and I was at Bass Pro Shops, and looked through an AO Leupold VX-2.

The clarity blew me away. I have three pairs of 10x40 binoculars, (Leupold, Redfield and Bushnell, it is a long story) and the Leupolds are my favorite, that's why I looked through the VX2.

My problems are 1- I don't have $500 set aside for a scope, and 2- The VX2 has no side AO adjustment and not enough Mil Dots (it had two below the reticle, but I need more for hunting).

I have never looked through a UTG, Hawke or a Leapers. I am in Southern California and have no idea where I could go to even try to.

Do any of the three airgun brands above make a scope that compares in clarity to that Leupold? I know it is objective, but does anyone have both and have an opinion?

Please help.

[nervoustrigger]

Having owned and used several scopes in the $70 - $200 price range, including Hawke, UTG/Leapers, BSA, Simmons, Sun Optics, Vortex, and a few lesser-known brands, I have yet to find one that is as clear and bright and free of distortion as the BSA 6-24x44 sold at Midway.  My dad has been a Leupold fan for his powderburners for as long as I can remember, and he was incredulous when I let him use the BSA...and then told him what I paid for it!

Read here for some other opinions:
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=78492.0

I checked a moment ago and it's out of stock and showing up as $250 but keep watching because they often have it listed at $130 and it's a steal at that price. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/962234/bsa-tactical-mil-dot-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-6-24x-44mm-side-focus-glass-etched-mil-dot-reticle-matte?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Oh, and speaking to your preferences...it is a side focus and has four mildots in each direction.

[grobe1458]

a interesting video and info on scopes by TiborasaurusRex these were done around 2012.
interesting that many scope companies get their glass from the same asian market manufacturers

[rogue909]

Don't quote me on this or blow money until you get confirmation.

I thought that with a PCP rifle like the discovery you didn't have to use air rifle scopes. I was under the impression that with a PCP you can use standard rifle scopes.
Regarding scopes; I enjoy the Nikon scopes. It's no Leupold or Zeiss but it also doesn't run as much. Also they have a reticle that I like; BDC.

[farmerjoe99]

Don't quote me on this or blow money until you get confirmation.

I thought that with a PCP rifle like the discovery you didn't have to use air rifle scopes. I was under the impression that with a PCP you can use standard rifle scopes.
Regarding scopes; I enjoy the Nikon scopes. It's no Leupold or Zeiss but it also doesn't run as much. Also they have a reticle that I like; BDC.

Correct because pcp's don't have the recoil like springers they can use non-airgun
guaranteed scopes.
Joseph

[Boghdoir]

Thank you for the replies, I think I found my new "obsession" for the next few months. I like to do the research, it is fun for me, I will let you know where I end up and will probably ask more questions.

[wimpanzee]

I checked a moment ago and it's out of stock and showing up as $250 but keep watching because they often have it listed at $130 and it's a steal at that price. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/962234/bsa-tactical-mil-dot-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-6-24x-44mm-side-focus-glass-etched-mil-dot-reticle-matte?cm_vc=ProductFinding

that's a lot of scope for $250, and definitely a steal for $130!

[AudiS4]

Buy a FX Bobcat and even considering a cheap scope on it, is just 

You probably have seen tedholdover on Youtube, and yeah. Get a proper scope, for a proper gun. Hawke Sidewinder, fits a Bobcat. Plenty of reasons to not get a cheap and bad scope for your high end air gun, but since you ask, you probably won`t buy a good scope.

[nervoustrigger]

Good point, an FX Bobcat definitely is deserving of nice glass riding on top.  A Hawke Sidewinder is often the recommendation when it comes to mid-priced scopes (subjective).  I don't know what it is but I have just not been impressed with the clarity of any of the 3 Sidewinders I've used.  They all got cloudy in the upper quarter of the magnification range.  Built like an Abrams tank though, so great if you need something for a heavy recoiling scope killer.