Where are Scopes made?

[GrampaMike]

I just learned from a posting that BSA scopes are made in China.  Where are Weaver, Busnell, Simmons and Leopold brands made?

[timbertoes]

It "almost" does not matter, since the tooling ,equipment , etc. is generally of high quality.  

It's the moral,character, etc. of the production line worker that makes a potential difference.

the "almost" is where do you want the profits to go and be Banked at.  :eek:

[MSP Ret]

Depending on the brand and model line most scopes could be made in Korea, China, Japan, Germany or the USA. Each is usually model specific but I think all Leupolds are made in the USA. I could be wrong, things change daily....<><.... :grin:  (I thought I posted this before, maybe not, Deja Vu all over again)

[TheOpticZone]

A lot even depends on the model within a specific brand.  Example, with the Nikon Monarch, the lower power scopes like the 3-9x40 are made in the Philippines and the higher power scopes are made in Japan.  The Buckmasters are made in the Philippines.  Another one is Bushnell, the Elite series scopes are made in Japan and the lower end scopes like the Banners and such are made in China.  With Leupold, most all of their binoculars are made in Japan.  So it really depends on Manufacturer and the specific models that the manufacturers produce.

[mhans938]

As in all optics, it comes down to the dollars that the Retail company (Bushnell, Burris, BSA, Leupold, etc.) are willing to pay and what Quality level that they have in their contract with the Manufacturing facility.  You really get what you pay for on the low end scopes.  When you get to the mid-range scopes (say $150-300), most are really getting pretty close with a few standing out above the rest in comparing warranty, brightness, clarity to the edge.  An example of that would be the Weaver Grand Slam.  It gets great reviews and gets compared to some European scopes in brightness, yet is now made in a Meade (parent company) plant in China.   There are a few good quality scopes coming out from China, but most coming from there are low end, low priced product which is not going to very good quality.  Japan has 3 major facilities and all are capable of producing very good quality.  Just depends upon the contract for the product.
       Nikon has stepped their Buckmaster line(new line out now, not the pre-summer 2005 or earlier) with some new coatings that will get the light transmission up to 92%, same as their Monarch.  Now it is gettting to be a toss-up on which to buy, Burris Fullfield II or Buckmaster in the 3-9x40 series

     If you get into the lower priced scopes, stay with a brand that has that lifetime warranty.  If you do your research you will find out the good and the bad about each line, I also look to see how much refurbished product is around due to the fact that if there is a lot of that product, I want to stay away from that stuff.  

     If you need to stay in the $50-100 range then look at the post-2004 Tasco (Bushnell now owns it but there is no warranty for anything that does not have BPO on the end label), Bushnell Banner and Trophy.  $100-200 would be Bushnell Trophy, Legend and Nikon Buckmaster and Prostaff, Burris Fullfield II and Weaver Classic and V series and of course the Leupould VX-1(forget the Rifleman, entry level and no or little difference to the VX1 which is an updated Vari-XII).  Over 200 I would look really hard at the Weaver Grand Slam (there have been comparisions in some hunting magazines between the Grand Slam and the Zeiss Conquest, field and stream or outdoor life I think).

     This is to long but remember you get what you pay for.

Mark

[myarmor]

I get harrassed by saying this, but I am actually surprised how BSA's scopes have improved in quality, and clarity sense they changed there manufacturing. Everyone I have looked through was before they changed things, and these were trash in my book. But now they are actually pretty clear, and a lot sharper than they were. Though I can't say from experiance how well they can hold up to recoil, seeing that I only put my new 4-16x40 Mil-Dot on my 17HMR.
But LawDog can.
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=74911

[ajshoots]

I have never been willing to spend alot on scopes which most people are complete opposite. I always had Tasco and Bushnell until I looked through a BSA air rifle scope! After buying a BSA supersport air rifle I put a 2-7AO air rifle scope on it and fell in love with it. I have since put BSA contenders on 3 rifles and a Deer Hunter on a 22lr. I hear many complaints about BSA but I can't find one. They are far superior to what I was used to and have preformed flawlessly. I have had excellent luck in low light and at night. Zero hasn't changed on any of them and my guns do get banged around from time to time. I e-mailed BSA about light transmission and got the response that my contenders are 94%. Whether or not this is true, I have no way of checking but they are really nice in low light. As far as clarity I am very impressed. This could be the difference between my BSA been AO and my cousins LeupoldVXI not being AO but he was very upset after spending $270 on his VXI and my $90 BSA was clearer. You do get what you pay for, But I feel like I got a $200-$300 scope for $90! :shock:

[jeff223]

you interested in a 8-32 BSA Contender scope?like new for a good price?

[tallyho]

you interested in a 8-32 BSA Contender scope?like new for a good price?

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