Author Topic: scopes under 300$ aren't worth havin'!!! (Read 2309 times)

buckslayer · « **on:** February 28, 2005, 10:16:49 AM »

so says dave henderson, a very respected outdoor writer. i guess he would have a heart attack if he shot my ultra slug gun w/ its bushnell 3200 3-9x40 in it thats takin' 80 shots and never moved for under 200$. or maybe he should shoot my huntsman w/ its bushnell trophy 3-9x40 thats takin' 100 heavy bp loads, for under 85$. or how 'bout that simmons 44 mag for 100$ on my .280 thats had 200 rnds through it and its still on target. how about that tasco on my .22 , the wourld class for under 50$ thats never failed to KILL squirrels...........................dave henderson and many other outdoor writers feel this way- its a shame......

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 28, 2005, 10:27:02 AM »

In about the last 45yrs, I've only bought 2 scopes that cost over $250 and only one over $300, so I guess I have only had one scope in all that time that was worth having....Most scopes that do the job and maintain zero over the years don't have to cost that much, just depends on the shooter's criteria for a scope that works for them. I wonder how many Leupold Vari-X owners are out there that don't know their scopes aren't worth having because they cost less than $300!!

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2005, 10:56:41 AM »

Respected by whom? I've never even heard of him. Clearly he has no business calling himself an outdoor writer if he has no more knowledge than that.

Nightrain52 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2005, 10:59:27 AM »

Any and every time you pick up a hunting rag the experts tell you your rifle won't hit anything without a scope that costs the down payment on a vehicle or a pair of $500.00 binoculars and if a person wants to spend that kind of money on them thats fine. I could never afford the high dollar stuff and had to make do with what I could afford. If you search around you can find good serviceable optics at reasonable prices.

Hazard · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2005, 11:34:23 AM »

yea i dont think this guy is correct, i only own 2 scopes, a Nikon buckmasters 3-9x40 on my .223 Handi and love it the optics are superb if u ask me, it was $200 and i got it for CHRISTmas, but ill prob never spend much more money on a scope. I also have a 4x28 simmons 22 mag on my marlin .22 and ive killed numerous animals with it, never has let me down it was $50 i believe, the only scopes ive seen with poor optic quality for a cheap price (i don't want a huge arguement about scopes here and no offense intended either) was the Simmons 3-9x40 8-pionts that come on the Savage highpowers and some of the .17's, you guys have all seen these packages, great guns but i think they buy the (inferior) scopes from simmons for a cheap price and slap em on those guns and sell em, i dont know for sure. My buddy has a 8-point on his .22 and its fine, but 3 of my other buddies bought the savage simmons combos and they are not as quality as scope in my eyes and theres. just my 2 cents remember im not bashing anything or anyone here so lets not start an arguement please.

Hazard

bang_off · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2005, 12:02:46 PM »

I wonder what this guy thinks of a $200 Handi then? :-D

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2005, 12:16:57 PM »

A $200.00 dollar handi with a $50.00 scope ain't worth havin, Less than $300.00 so everybody send me yours and I'll make sure they get properly attended to. :wink:

mr.frosty · « **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2005, 12:24:32 PM »

I dunno my bushnell 3200 works great on my 300 wsm.
I have a 1x30 Trophy reddot scope on my 480 SRH.
I have a set of the xs ghost rings for my 1895, gee whiz I aint still
near 300 bucks for optics unless you count spotting scopes then I go
over the 300$ limit.
Did meet a guy who paid 800 clams for a Swaroviski to mount on a Kenny
Jarrett 300 so he can go to Africa, didn't even consider a Leopold!

hellacatcher · « **Reply #8 on:** February 28, 2005, 01:16:03 PM »

There are 4 deer that don't know how much the scopes cost when I pulled the trigger. :-D

DakotaElkSlayer · « **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2005, 01:31:13 PM »

:-D That writer cracks me up! I got a Bushnell Trophy on my .280 Handi and the optics are real good and real bright. I also have a Simmons Whitetail Expedition...which is an incredible scope. Ya got to check 'em out if you never looked through one.

Jim

hunt127588 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:09:34 PM »

So how much money _DO_ gun writers make? I mean, they are always recommending Leupold, Zeiss, Kahles, Swarovski, etc. Surely these guys are bringing down $200k+/year??? In all honesty, I have never figured out why these guys are recommending this or that knowing that a lot of these guys work hard for their money. I also know that advertising pay the publisher's bills but seriously, people can't afford to have $300+ scopes on every gun. I own everything from Bushnell to Leupold and I like most of them. Optics are definitely an area where you get what you pay for but I think you can have a happy medium as well. After all, my Bushnell Trophy on my Knight has killed more deer than that Zeiss still sitting on the sporting goods rack I couldn't afford.

mrlizzzard · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:23:14 PM »

My Mueller lighted 2x7x32 is the brightest scope I ever looked thru.It would kill a deer in my basement closet with the lights off.$129 del. Opticzone
lizzzard

while99 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:26:59 PM »

I've been using 4x Leupold scopes for 38 years and, as far as I know, they are still under $300 and they still work great for my purposes.

James B · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:36:39 PM »

I have a lot of good scopes that didn't even come close to 200.00. I can find a scope for around a 100 that will do everything that I need and many around 150.00.

handirifle · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2005, 05:09:17 PM »

Guess I'll have to get rid of my Simmons Aetec and 44 Mag. They were both under $150, so the must be worthless.

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:36:32 PM »

What good is ignorance if you can't show it off?

Rusty <><

Mac11700 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:33:45 PM »

I have just 1 word to call him.... SNOB

Mac

tscott · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2005, 12:06:10 AM »

I've got a $40 scope, tasco 3x9. Clerk at Dick's "any problems bring it back"! I shot 7 muzzleloader deer with it. Also have a Vari x III, on a 1955
99f, an obvious difference, but not noticed when looking through either at deer. I think writers must be paid to hawk big names!
I don't shoot much after zeroing a rifle, but my experience is that even cheap scopes haven't changed or lost zero, by banging around on a hunt,
or stored in a cabinet.
My favorite el cheapo = Bushnell Sportview!
Clarity? I got good vision> Hasn't been an issue so far!

rp · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2005, 02:31:57 AM »

Outdoor writers for the most part are just "product pimps" when it comes to reviewing gear. How often do you see anything other than a very mild distaste for a tiny issue with the product?
Writers are often either out-right given or allowed to purchase to of the line products as very low price after taking it on a hunt for review.

I do think you get what you pay for to some extent, but the cost of advertising and just paying for trade name can't be over looked.
I purchased a pair of Zeiss binos from Sierra Trading Post 10X30 diafun on clearance factory serviced with full warranty for $250. They are very good! Do your homework - find a good deal - move on with a :grin:

The cost of good glass will always be higher than lower quality glass and the higher tech coatings will cost more than old tech. Making a good scope is not a high tech today so you can have a very good scope @ reasonable cost. If you want the newest most advance scope available, get out your wallet! I don't need OnStar... I can still unfold a map. :roll:

dave375hh · « **Reply #19 on:** March 01, 2005, 03:59:20 AM »

As Graybeard said, "respected by who" I've been at this for 38 years and I never heard of this jerk. I wouldn't call him a "product pimp" or a "SNOB". What he really is is a sellout, and the shooting public that reads his claptrap are the ones being soldout! A lot of people will read it and buy the whole thing just because it was in a magazine. Gunwriters get most of their stuff at a discount or free, didn't you always wonder where all those demo products went? Just keep plenty of "grains of salt" handy when reading the rags. Whenever someone puts their foot that deep in their mouth I never again believe a word they say.

stiff neck · « **Reply #20 on:** March 01, 2005, 04:22:58 AM »

Anything under $300, eh? Is he talking about MSRP? What if it's on sale or clearance? And does that include tax? I need to know because I want to make sure my equipment is "worth having". Anybody know Henderson's email so I can ask him?

Sourdough · « **Reply #21 on:** March 01, 2005, 06:13:20 AM »

I've got many Bushnells, and had trouble with two. Bushnell replaced them with an upgrade at no cost to me except mailing them back to Bushnell. So I'm happy with Bushnell. I've got two Simmons 44 Mags, they don't gather light quite as well as the Bushnells I just don't carry those in low light situations. During the summer we don't have low light situations anyway. Now I will say for my 30-06 Handi I did go a differant route. First I put a Simmons 44 Mag on it. That one lasted about one year, shook it apart on the 4-wheeler. Then I put a Bushnell on it, (one of the Bushnells I sent back later) it quite working after about two years. I then put a Shepard on it mainly for long distance shooting. I like the shepard due to it's range finding ability, and the way it draws light. I use this one in the winter when we don't have much light. During the winter we have far more light from the moon than we get from the sun.

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #22 on:** March 01, 2005, 07:13:26 AM »

I've seen some of Dave Henderson's stuff in Buckmasters as well as other publications. He has been around.

buckslayer · « **Reply #23 on:** March 01, 2005, 08:21:52 AM »

i've read all his books and he highly recomends H&R slug guns. so i know he dosn't have any thing against "cheap" guns-calls em' the best production slug guns out there..........................

?? i wonder............................

Joel · « **Reply #24 on:** March 01, 2005, 08:27:13 AM »

Product Pimp is close, but yore still aiming a trifle high. Think employee rather than,uh, management. I only rarely buy Gun Magazines anymore unless there is the occassional article on singleshots or some sort of cartridge/weapon history article that is interesting.

Greysky · « **Reply #25 on:** March 01, 2005, 10:05:10 AM »

Magazine publishers and writers plug for those product manufacturers who pay the most to be featured in articles.

The variable power Tasco scope that was already mounted on my barely used .243 NEF when I purchased it, helped me turn this fine little rifle into a tack driver.

If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.

cricman · « **Reply #26 on:** March 01, 2005, 01:17:12 PM »

Are ya' sure his shaky, little, unsure, hands didn't slip on the type writer, and add a zero where it shouldn't be? He might have meant a scope less than $30 isn't worth having! :-D

cricman
204 Handi / Simmons ATV
270 Handi / Simmons 44MAg

Long Live the Handi Rifle!

Will_C · « **Reply #27 on:** March 01, 2005, 02:54:09 PM »

I have been reading this thread since the first post. Dave Henderson is the outdoor columnist for the local newspaper here in the Southern Tier of New York. I have met him once or twice, and he seems like a pleasant enough guy. I do know he is well-known for his writing on slugs and slug guns, and has published many articles and a book on that topic. I have not read anything he has written that would be as obnoxious as saying "scopes under $300 are no good." In his book he advises "that you get what you pay for" in regards to optics, but, heck, haven't many of us given that advice before? I know I have given it and received it numerous times.
I am not presuming to speak for Henderson, and I don't know him, but I would be interested in knowing the details about when and where he wrote that scopes have to cost $300.
Will

AZ223 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 01, 2005, 06:03:52 PM »

Never read the article myself, but my .223 UV with Bushnell Trophy Elite came in at just under $300 together...3/4" at 100yards is pretty pitiful, and I just hang my head every time I'm at the range...OH, THE SHAME!!! :oops:

OTOH, I've never had a jackrabbit ask me how much my rig cost before popping it's head... :?

Graybeard · « **Reply #29 on:** March 02, 2005, 01:55:41 AM »

There are few true bargains in optics but there are some. You really do get a lot for your money with the Mueller scopes at this point in time. Rich's marketing method is keeping down cost while allowing high quality. My biggest gripe is still the lack of lower power models and those without the lighted dot. While I like lighted dots some times for sure not always. When he gets the line fleshed out if he can keep quality up and price down he's gonna have a real winner line of scopes. Bushnell across the product line are fine bargains. You really get a lot for the money you spend.

Magazine writers all get pretty much all the product they want to use at no cost to them. Guns, scopes, binoculars and all of it are sent in for review at no cost to the magazine or the writer. They do not get to keep them for free however. They must pay a writer's discount price and that varies by manufacturer. Lee almost gives it to them and Redding actually charges more than you can buy it for at wholesale discount from many catalog outlets. Most are somewhere in between. Almost universally tho the stuff is sold at great bargain prices to writers. None of the major magazines allow their writers to take the gear for free after the review period, at least none I'm aware of. Just sending it all back can add up to. For instance it cost me $50 to return the FA83 in .454 Casull after I reviewed it. The FA97 cost a bit less as I let my FFL dealer ship it and he gets better shipping rates than me. It still ran about $30 to return.

Still it's been my observation that the more highly the items are praised the larger the paid ad in the magazine that month by that company. Rather strange coincidence don't ya think?