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The Handloaders Bench > General > Optics and Accessories > Favorite Rifle Scope Brand


Favorite Rifle Scope Brand
 Moderated by: Timberghozt, TasunkaWitko, Blkpwdernut  

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Gunrunner
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 Posted: 15 May 2006 03:49 AM

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Thought I'd see if there's a preference for any certain brands of rifle scopes. 

I left out the high end gear like Leica and Swarovski and put in the more affordable brands.  

Leupold for me.......:thumbs:



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 Posted: 15 May 2006 04:01 AM

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Burris is clear and has a great rep so its a bit cheaper to buy then a Loupold is

 

Doc

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 Posted: 15 May 2006 05:34 AM

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I know Simmons are cheap, but my Simmon is brighter and clearer the my Leupold.  Don't know witch models they are off hand.  It could just be a bad Leupold.  Both are handgun scopes, I needed more eye relief on my crossbow until I baught a red dot scope.

Bill



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 Posted: 15 May 2006 01:12 PM

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Id have to go with Leupold, if were talking all-round use.

 

all the best

 



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 Posted: 15 May 2006 06:28 PM

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Leupold is the one that i have the most of,  but you left off the poll, my favorite , Zeiss. I also own Pentax Lightseekers and B&L Elite and Burris FF2 and a couple of Weaver Pistol scopes. I won't put a cheap scope on my rifles. :thumbs:



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 Posted: 2 July 2006 03:10 PM

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I use to buy nothing but Leopold Vari X scopes until I tried a Burris Fullfield for $200 new. I have to say the Burris is clearer and brighter at dusk/dawn and I like the Euro style eye focus. I Don't know how well it will hold up? Time will tell that. I now own two Burris scopes with plans to buy more. I think I am going to try the Signature series next. The only other scopes I am interested in is the Zeiss Conquest series. They are extremely clear! I have a bud who swears by Swarovski. I compared his Swarovski to my Burris one late evening. I was not impressed, though it might have been the way it was focused. I do not have any use for the large objective lens - 50mm and up, like his was. They make you raise your head up off the stock to align with the scope. This is the first step for disaster.

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 Posted: 4 July 2006 08:43 AM

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Gents

I see ne mention of Shmidt und Bender?

Its got some following in SA, and i must say, the ones ive used wer good optics and rugged as well.

Do any of you use the brand?

 

all the best

 



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 Posted: 4 July 2006 12:59 PM

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Greysmoke, my gunsmith at one time sold Schmidt & Bender. They are deffinantly high quality scopes for a high price. I personally do not know anyone who uses one. How much do they cost in SA?

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 Posted: 5 July 2006 11:14 AM

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Hey Blackhat

id say its slightly cheaper these days than Swarovsi's and Zeiss(aka bloody expensive!!!) but the price climb was recent. In the past we used to pay about the same for a Leupold than a Shmidt und Bender.....

a lot of the older gents that still hunt swear by them, and i must say i like them as well.....

 

All the best

 

 



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 Posted: 8 July 2006 05:36 AM

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My favorite is Leupold hands down.I have, Millett,Nikon,and Redfield scopes also but they are not Leupolds.They are good scopes but a Leupold is worth every penny.Thats just my opinion but I can not stand a scope that will lose zero, fog up when I meed it the most in crappy weather or can`t see out of it 30 minutes before dark at the best hunting times.I have never owned a Leupold that has let me down even on heavy recoiling rifles and downright being rough on them in poor weather and prolonged periods of hunting with them...



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 Posted: 9 July 2006 05:06 AM

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I gotta go with Burris on my side of the fence.  I use their Fullfield Ballistic plexs and have had nothing but prais for em.  The other one I use is Springfield.  I got a good deal on it so I picked it up.   The old Bushnells are good but damn hard to find around here nowdays.  The Bushnells from the 70's are sought after here pretty hard.

   Take care Be safe Poacher.



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 Posted: 10 July 2006 10:51 AM

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Hey gents

Poacher, regarding Bushnell, are they all good or are there some models you should steer clear of?

Im asking this cause i baught a Bushnell Banner in 4x32 almost 10years ago, it was dirt cheap comparing other scopes, it did ok, but had some problems with zero shifting. Granted, the rifle had some hick-ups as well that i sorted, but in the process took the Bushnell off and put on a Lynx 3-9x42. Never had problems with the rig everr again.

Should i take the Bushnell out of its box, dust it off and give it a try again on one of my other rifles?

 

all the best

 



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 Posted: 10 July 2006 04:16 PM

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I have the most Leupolds but there are some really good scopes to come on the scene lately. I've heard nothing but good about the new Bushnell 3200 and 4200 Elite Series. I also like Burris as well. One scope I have that I really like is an older made in USA Redfield 6-18X. I've got it mounted on my Remington 700 Heavy Barreled Varmint Model in .25-06. It is a very clear, bright scope. I can't say however how the newer foreign Redfields are.  Bill T.



This is the Redfield 6-18X

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 Posted: 11 July 2006 03:58 AM

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Grey

  Most of the Bushnells that I've heard about are the old 70's models that seem to hold together.  I personally wouldn't know a 70's model from a 90's so I just pretty much steer clear of em. The only one that I can say I've had great luck with is the Banner .22.  I've got it on an old lever action and it drills holes where I want em. 

  My uncle has a Bushnell on a 30-06 and a 270 that have been there as long as I can remember.  Those scopes have been battered and rode in a truck more miles than I have, but , they still drop what he aims at.

   Sorry I couldn't answer your question better I just don't have the answer for ya. I think you are going to have to get ahold of some ole shooters that have put many more rounds down range than I have.

   Take care Be safe Poacher.



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 Posted: 11 July 2006 07:25 AM

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Hey poach

Thanks for the info,

Its no major problem, as i got the 3-9x42 on my working rifle at the moment, so the bushnell is just a extra.

One thing i forgot to mention about the shmidts...in the days of Apartheid and sanctions we got imports to South Africa , Also marked Shmidt und Bender, but made in Hungary....price was less than the german made ones, but some say quality was slightly less than the german made ones, although still good.

 



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 Posted: 2 August 2006 06:11 PM

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I like the Leupold because there reliable and some what inexpensive.

 

 

:losers:



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 Posted: 3 August 2006 01:52 PM

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There are a lot of good scopes out there in my opinion.  But of the one's I've tried and own, Leupold wins hands down.

I'd rate my favorites as such:

1.  Leupold VX II & better
2.  Burris Fullfield/Weaver Grand Slam/Sightron SII & above
3.  Nikon Buckmaster/Bushnell Elite series & above

Scopes I avoid like the plague are Tasco (Trashco, though the older models weren't bad, before they switched countries for production, Japan-China or China-Japan, I can't remember).  I absolutely detest BSA (Bull Shit Aiming device).  I wouldn't put it on a BB gun.  I've also had terrible luck with Simmons stuff, although the Aetech seems to hold promise but all others are junk IMO.

I'd like to try Cabela's Alaskan Guide series (though they seem a bit pricey).  I also would like to try Zeiss, Kahles and Swarovski, though I honestly think they are a bit overpriced - good quality scopes but overpriced.



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 Posted: 9 December 2006 10:36 PM

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Shmidt & Bender Hungary or Germany,are EXACTLY the same in both spec. & quality,the only difference is the retail price, this is due to labour costs as the Hungarian workforce are only paid 20% of the Germans. No other difference what so ever.

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 Posted: 29 October 2007 03:52 AM

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Gunnrunner, sometime ago around 1957 or perhaps a little before then, I looked through my first rifle scope. It was a 4 power Roy "WEAVER" scope. They were dependable and worked well.

Then in the late 1960's along came the renound "REDFIELD" brand with the {widefield} lense view. This company set a tradition of quality and top notch rifle scope for the money spent. I still have a couple of those rifle scopes downstairs.

Well, REDFIELD fell on hardtimes and quality suffered a bunch! I then went to Leupold (American Company) and have been putting Leupolds on my rifle's every since. Now that is until recently, when I found there was a $100 dollar difference between Leupold's rifle scope and the Bushnell 3200 model. I bought the Bushnell and it seems to be a very good scope for the money spent. I also like that Nikon rifle scope, it beat out the Leupold in a test early this year.

Now for all you first timers looking for a quality scope for a hunting rifle, I just want to say in all honesty, that one does not have to float a loan or put another mortage on your home to by a quality rifle scope that will do you just fine,  hunting big game in the wild. There are several very good "working man's" rifle scopes to choose at your local gunstore or order from the catalog. My choices are Leupold, Nikon and Bushnell in that order.  :cool:

Last edited on 29 October 2007 03:57 AM by Hi Ball

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 Posted: 29 October 2007 06:28 PM

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And another reason I voted for Leupold and their low end models is with the lifetime warranty (some guy I know dropped his out of a tree and they fixed it no questions asked   :rolleyes:  ) if you want to upgrade the model you can send it into the customer service department and they will gladly change out the reticle for a different type or install click adjustments etcetera.

You can basically get a whole new (different) scope for around $75.00 depending on what you had done.

At age 53 my eyes are needing more and more help. A new heavy crosshair is an option to help me finish out my hunting life before I leave for the that big safari in the afterlife.

I agree the other glass makers have just as good as glass anymore but for those of you with a Leupold check out the reticle options. And they will inspect for worn parts and purge the nitrogen when they do it obviously.

http://www.leupold.com/hunting-and-shooting/resources/faq/#questionFour

https://secure.leupold.com/customshop/custom_shop.php You may have to register with Leupold to view the custom shop but heres where you can view the reticle choices/changes you can make.

Here's a view through a Schmidt and Bender 8x56mm with heavy cross hair. Plywood is at 75 yards. Bait and ravens around 65 yards. I silhouette coyote /fox at night out of the cabin window. Haaaa...there's something about blasting old yellow tooth at 3 a.m on a moonless, cloudy night in the pitch black.




The digital camera did  not focus on the outer edge of the scope but it is my best scope and the edges are cystal clear. 
 

Last edited on 29 October 2007 07:14 PM by wolfkill



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