Great post 30-30man !!!
Interesting to me , my father sold appliances at Sears and raised 3 kids as a single parent. He hunted for 30 years with a Sears Mod 53 (win 70) 30-06 and a 4x fixed scope, his old plaid hunting jacket , orange cap. and I cannot remember one single year were we didn't have deer in the freezer or his so called "cheap" rifle and scope combo didn't perform well. And go figger his kids didn't have to go without new school clothes cause he was selfish and purchased expensive hunting gear. And personally if Wallmart has the rifle I'm looking for at the right price , I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.
Some on this thread make it sound like if I can't afford a 500 - 1k scope I shouldn't be in the woods. Well that sure news to my grandfather , father., my blue collar friends, family members and myself. Some of these posts are just plain ridiculous. and some need to get off their high horses. When did hunting become a yuppie elistist sport? must have happened when my back was turned and I wasn't lookin..
I do not have a lot of disposable income , never will have. I will never be able to afford a 1k scope (maybe in my next life). And frankly if I could I would probably buy my wife or kids something nice instead. What I do search for is a quality scope in a price point I can afford. It has nothing to do with "instant gratification" as one person posted. It has everything to do with life. Mortgage, Kids college tuition's. I drive a 6 year old truck (used when I bought it) and will probably never be able to afford a new truck in my lifetime. Our big family vacation once a year is camping for a week, not trips to the Caribbean. However , I'm certainly not going to put hunting on hold for 9 years just so I can save up enough money to buy a 1k scope or custom rifle to enjoy hunting and put meat in my freezer.
The responsible person is the one who lives within their means. I purchase the best quality optics , rifles, Ammo and gear affordable within my budget. This usually keeps me and my wallet in the 200.00 - 300.00 range when shopping scopes and it takes a very long time to even try to squirrel away that much. For those that can afford more , my hat's off ta ya, But I can't, not without shirking my other responsibilities to my family.
Based on others recommendations from this site, I have made a few (as some would label them Cheep) scope purchases this year. They were at a price I could afford , Quality has been top notch in both cases, and the Timberline provided features I was only able to find on more expensive scopes. GB speaks highly of Mueller. I'm hoping around Christmas maybe I will get a chance to check them out provided the purchase of home heating fuel doesn't get in the way. But then again maybe I won't need to since me and my 600.00 rifle and 220.00 scope should probably not be in the woods anyways. That reminds me I need to put my fishing on hold till I can purchase that 400.00 rod and real I'm never gonna be able to own. Ridiculous.
For those that are in the market for a less expensive quality scope I do recommend you check out Burris's Timberline series.
I think these two scopes have provided me the biggest bang for the Buck this year. Thanks to all who helped with their suggestions.
Bushnell elite 3200 2-7x32
Rainguard really works
Multi-coated optics
Bushnell Elite Bullet-Proof Warranty
Burris Timberline BP 4.5x-14x-32mm.
Hi Lume fully multicoated lens system
Parallax Adjustable
3.75" – 5" eye relief range
Forever warranty