My introduction to Pentex scopes, not good.

[Catfish]

My uncle brought out a Savage 17 HMR with a 3 x 15 Pentex scope for me to zero for him. The thing was grouping areond 4 in. at 100 yrds. I put on 1 of my 24 X Leupold scopes and bore sighted it. The first shot was close enough to the point of aim I fired a second. I could not find the second shot through the scope so I fired a third. It made the first hole alittle larger so I fired a fourth. It made the hole alittle larger. I walked down and the second shot was so close to the first it did not enlarge the hole enough to find in the 24 X scope. From 4 in. to the .2`s made me take the Pentex scope off of my most wanted list. Anyone else have experance with the Pentex scopes?

[Dave in WV]

I've got a Pentax Lightseeker 2x8 I really like. I've had it close to ten years now.

[sweetwyominghome]

Just because that scope did not contribute to good groups does not condemn the maker.
 
Any company can put out a lemon. And any scope can suffer impact damage as well. Mounting inconsistencies can be a factor also.
 
I've had a number of Pentax scopes over the years and have been extremely pleased with the quality. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything significantly better than the LightSeeker series in models costing less than $1000.
 
What model was this one, by the way?

[pastorp]

Never owned one of their riflescopes, but I do have a pair of their Binocs I really like....
 
Regards,

[mcwoodduck]

Could your uncle have mis mounted the scope?
Did you remount the Pentax and then see if it was the scope or the mounting of the scope?
I think it unfair to yell about a product before you take all the variables out of the problem.
The first time I mounted a scope I did not have the propper tools and method down and the accuracy suffered.  Someone that had a similar set up could not believe what I was doing and showed me the proper way to mount a scope.  The rifle went from hoping to hit the tree when squirrel hunting to picking exactly where to stick the bullet on the tree rat.
Nothing wrong with the scope, well till the rifle fell over and bent the scope.  But that is a different story and why I carry a spare rifle with me for hunts.
Give the Pentax another chance on a different rifle.  Mounting of the scope may make all the diiferance.

[Graybeard]

Never owned one and honestly have never been tempted by any Pentax product not camera, scope or binocular. That's not to say there is anything wrong with them they have just never tempted me to get one.

[cwlongshot]

I have a 4 and 6X fixed cheapies and like them for want they are.. cheap scopes.
I have one of there 8x40 RP Binos. I have used them for years and and really LOVE them.
 
CW

[ratdog]

i had the same problem with a new bushnel banner got it on the target finally then something  broke inside took it back to cabelas and the gave me a new one. no problem now .ive bought 4 simmons not problem for a third the price  .

[jackruff]

Haven't used one of their riflescopes, but nobody makes better cameras, in my opinion.

[possume]

pentax scopes have replaced my nikon monarchs for the price i think they cant be beat.when someone shoots my guns they ask about the scope then for some reason our next trip out they seem to be tunning in their pentax .   

[30-30man]

The Pentax lightseeker must be a different animal than the gameseeker.  I recently had a gameseeker to go on a 30-30.  The crosshairs rotated inside the tube.  I've never seen a scope do this, not even a cheap tasco. I've seen crosshairs break and even shift, but not completely rotate.  I won't buy another.

[hunt-m-up]

Had a Gameseeker overnight once, never made it to a gun. Seems the Lightseekers are a whole different animal, quite a few people seem to be happy with them.

[possume]

hunt-m-up why did your scope not make it to your gun? how can you judge a scope and never use it ? i have 3 gameseekers they are just as good as my lightseekers my brother has 2 gameseekers and several of my buddies have a mixture of them they all have been good so far

[hunt-m-up]

After a couple hours of adjustment back and forth trying to find the proper eye relief to make it usable, it never gave a better view than a half-plugged sewer pipe. The ballistic reticle was not even remotely comparable to the Burris version, crosshairs were rough, not crisp. Might have been a poor example I ended up with, but it was a new scope not used and that's all it took for me. Mass produced Chinese scopes can have a great deal of variation in quality.

[hunt-m-up]

We may be talking about 2 different scopes mine was a new Gameseeker II. I believe there was an older Gameseeker that could have been better optics and not made in China.

[possume]

hunt-m-up   i looked at my scopes i have the original game seekers one is made in china 2 is made in philipines and my lightseeker says vietnam i beleive my muzzleloader has been ruff on that scope . i understand trying to find eye relief thats fits your eyes when i was younger i didnt wear glasses and could see out any scope as i got older i had to get glasses and the variuos scopes i used  i couldnt. i could not get the eye relief or clarity i once had or wanted so thats when i started shopping and found pentax it might be my eyes but pentax seems to work for me better than any other scope ive looked at

[anuguy]

Pentax Pioneers are the same as Burris Fullfield II.  Pentax lightseekers are the same as Burris Signatures. The Pentax XL are the same scope as the Burris Signature Select.  The Gameseekers are made in China and I dont believe Burris makes those. I called Burris once and asked if they could install a Taper Plex reticle in my Pentax pioneer and they said YES. I believe they are the same scopes except for a few outer cosmetic differences to make them appear to be made by someone else.