Scope shopping 2024--any top picks or ones to avoid?

[Foggy47]

The Bushnell Elite Series scopes are of the quality of the old Baush and Lomb of years gone by. I have two of these scopes.....and on a hunting gun I am not sure what more could be asked for. A friend of mine was the sales manager for Bushnell for a time.....and he thought the Elite series competed favorably with most other higher priced optics at that time. Pretty clear glass. Though I have a somewhat heavy crosshair in mine.....as I use them in brush and they are easy to see. I don't remember the two series that were available (seems to me 3200 and 4200?) when I bought the last scopes (some years ago) but the higher number series was definitely better glass and not too much more money. I must have 20 scopes on various rifles....and the good old Vari X 3's were the best bang for the buck back when. Lifetime warranty is a big plus. Times have changed. Much more competition for that slot these days.

 

[b116757]

I didn’t mean to imply all their scopes are junk but they certainly have catered to the low end market with some of their scopes and I do wonder how good any warranty work would be from them but I do think the high end Japanese made stuff is likely very good. I’ve thought of picking up some of their higher end stuff several times just found something else that grabbed my attention more when I was scope shopping.

 

[West_Fork]

I didn’t mean to imply all their scopes are junk but they certainly have catered to the low end market with some of their scopes and I do wonder how good any warranty work would be from them but I do think the high end Japanese made stuff is likely very good. I’ve thought of picking up some of their higher end stuff several times just found something else that grabbed my attention more when I was scope shopping.

A friend just picked up a old Japanese made Tasco. Same story as Bushnell I think, known for their low end stuff, but it looks and feels like a quality scope.

I was using a weaver k4 on an old rifle at work just a few years ago. No complaints, other than the rifle is a pos.

 

[West_Fork]

Here is a beauty. This would be perfect for a glock with a switch. Only $70.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Vortex, athlon, bushnell, maven, and near every other scope “manufacturer” don’t actually manufacture most of their scopes. They all work with the same (mostly China, Philippines, and Japan based) OEMs and have scopes built to a given spec. I have a number of bushnell elite tactical scopes that are made at light optic works (LOW) in Japan. The same OEM that makes many of the nightforce scopes, top of the line vortex razors, trijicon, top of the like maven, top of the line athlon, some Zeiss, some leica, and on and on. A lot of these company also have mid tier lines made in Philippines and economy lines made in China.

 

[Foggy47]

Vortex, athlon, bushnell, maven, and near every other scope “manufacturer” don’t actually manufacture most of their scopes. They all work with the same (mostly China, Philippines, and Japan based) OEMs and have scopes built to a given spec. I have a number of bushnell elite tactical scopes that are made at light optic works (LOW) in Japan. The same OEM that makes many of the nightforce scopes, top of the line vortex razors, trijicon, top of the like maven, top of the line athlon, some Zeiss, some leica, and on and on. A lot of these company also have mid tier lines made in Philippines and economy lines made in Japan.

Many of these scope brands do not do any manufacturing. Bushnell and Tasco were some of the earliest importers of scopes after WWll. They employ some good product managers that know and understand optics systems.....and have products made to their specs (or to specs suggested by the manufactures) and do the importing and distribution....generally via some exclusive rights or agreements.

When I was at Bushnell's offices and warehouse in Kansas City.....about the only labor they had was to repackage some sunglasses for various name brands they owned. Pretty successful business plan for them. They had no more than a dozen people to do this and then had personnel to operate a huge underground warehouse and shipping operation.....that was highly automated.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

A friend just picked up a old Japanese made Tasco. Same story as Bushnell I think, known for their low end stuff, but it looks and feels like a quality scope.

I was using a weaver k4 on an old rifle at work just a few years ago. No complaints, other than the rifle is a pos.

The current SWFA “super sniper” line up is the relicensed use of the old Tasco line built to meet strict specs for a sniper rifle scope contract for the military. They are/were manufactured by LOW in Japan and regarded by many as the most reliable and solid options in their given price points. Somewhat crude for current times but functionally quite good.