suggestions on good budget scope

[scotty30-06]

Hey guys looking for info or experience with budget scopes....would love a super nice one but not in the budget soooo....jus seeing if anyone know which ones are good and what to stay away from.

[BCBRAD]

Don't know what your budget is but look at good used as you will get a better scope for your $$$

[scotty30-06]

Yea kinda what I was thinking....150-200 dollar range

[Vladimir Poutine]

Yea kinda what I was thinking....150-200 dollar range

Well you might not get much for that. Optics are personal. Wait, beg borrow or steal. You will rue the day you settle for something that will suck your eyeballs out.

[Drillbit]

I had an Elite 3200 for awhile that was very tough. It was strapped to a skidoo lots and never lost zero.

It was a 3-9x40

[rocksteady]

I am impressed with the Vortex binos, I bought. No experience with their scopes

[scotty30-06]

Yea I was thinking vortex.....and the Bushnell I have now I have a good group at 250....just a little hard on the eyes....its for my rem 770 30-06

[Weatherby Fan]

Hey guys looking for info or experience with budget scopes....would love a super nice one but not in the budget soooo....jus seeing if anyone know which ones are good and what to stay away from.

Can you be more specific to your scope needs, 3-9x40 duplex ??

[Wentrot]

I'd go for the crossfire^^^^

[scotty30-06]

Not overly educated on scopes (I know I should be more and starting to learn)....always just used what I could see through but now getting more into it....really just looking for better eye relief

[BCBRAD]

http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/crossfire-II-3-9x40-with-v-plex-moa-

Good eye relief 3.8"

[russm]

I dont think I'd buy a used scope personally, no way of knowing how it's been treated or if adjustments work, id be worried about ending up with a paperweight.

[Wentrot]

I dont think I'd buy a used scope personally, no way of knowing how it's been treated or if adjustments work, id be worried about ending up with a paperweight.

Send er back and vortex wil send you a new one then...

[scotty30-06]

Yea vortex is what I think I'm gonna get....love the sound of there warranty

[Ferenc]

Leupold M8 in 6x42.... If you can find one .

[Wentrot]

Yea vortex is what I think I'm gonna get....love the sound of there warranty

Had a spotting scope damaged in shipping and they took care of it in a week.

[scotty30-06]

Wow that's fast turn around....i like that customer service

[todbartell]

Vortex Crossfire II 3-9x40 $239

[ajr5406]

In the same boat last year I bought a Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40 and really like it. Don't have much to compare it too but would certainly buy it again.

[scotty30-06]

Great info guys keep it coming

[1977]

I have a vortex Dimond back 3-9x42 and a bushnell elite 2-7x32 very happy with both ones on 300 mag and one on 308 win

[walks with deer]

Like the vortex.. my Bushnell lasted 12 years and disenagrated that said 12 years.

[CodyRules]

For the money the crossfire is a good bet, i have one that came on my mossberg patriot. But if you can wait and save do it you'll be happy you did!

[RiverOtter]

PM Singleshotneeded, I'm thinking with his new LW NightForce, he'll have lots of "good" used Bushnell 3200's for sale.........;-)

[guest]

Save and buy a quality scope ........ It's woth it . all mine ....... Are Leupolds vari x 2 and 3s ....... At 35 years old some and used in high Mnt country hunts tough on gear..... only ever had to return one and it was fixed for free. Lifetime warranty. Great scopes for the money.

[tarzan]

Save and buy a quality scope ........ It's woth it . all mine ....... Are Leupolds vari x 2 and 3s ....... At 35 years old some and used in high Mnt country hunts tough on gear..... only ever had to return one and it was fixed for free. Lifetime warranty. Great scopes for the money.

this is good advise, i just bought the new leopold VX-6.

[Poguebilt]

Love my Vortex CrossFire II 3-9x50 with Illuminated reticle!

[TreeStandMan]

I just got my son a Vortex Crossfire 4-12x44. Seems like it will do the trick, but if it doesn't last it's got that warranty.

[Shooter Jr.]

I guess I'm going to be the first to be "that guy"....
I've had terrible luck with vortex, and I was a vortex dealer for a few years. It literally seen countless Vortex products (quite a few BRAND new out of the box) fail. I've had to send back 2 of my own scopes brand new out of the box, and I've seen two others first hand that had to be. When their products work, there okay, when they fail, it sucks. I watched a perfect opportunity for my GF to shoot her first deer at 60 yards walk away, after some rain that morning fogged up the scope so bad you couldn't see through it. The products are decent, their reliability is crap. I don't trust them at all. They blamed me tightening down my scope to 18 inch/lbs in leupold PRW rings being the reason the brand new scope won't hold zero. Something about me crushing the internals...

Rant over i guess....

Anyways, i wouldn't put much faith into vortex optics myself, nikon has the same warranty, and decent optics. If you can swing it, try and find a leupold VX1 3-9x40, they can be had for about $300... If not, I'd look into Nikon, or even Cabelas house brand (i know i know....) pretty impressed with my GFs binos from them, and they have lifetime over-the-counter replacement program.
just my .02 employed in outdoor retail. And no, i have never or will ever work for Cabelas or a big box store.

[Drillbit]

^ I've had good nikons too.

Never tried Vortex (heard too many warranty stories) so can't really comment on them.

I run Leupolds on most of my guns, but Swarovski on the ones that I grab when it matters.

I'd look for a good used leupold

[Ohwildwon]

Vortex Crossfire II 3-9x40 $239


There you go...

Just remember, high end Scopes, Binos, etc are made to take a beating...
This one, not so much...:-)

What's the rule of thumb? Spend as much on your scope as you do your rifle?

[SSG-man]

For a bit more than your budget Redfield Revolution are on sale. $279.

Call them a poor mans Leupold if you will but they are nice. Good glass, great eye relief.

Or the Leupold Rifleman for around $309

[russm]

I went from a bushnell 3-9x40 to a diamondbAck 3-9x40 on my savage and was much happier with it, i just got a new browning that will more than likely get a higher end scope but that's just because its a higher end gun, lots of guys like to trash the vortex stuff but I haven't had any issues with mine in the 2 years I've had it.

[barry1974w]

I've been pretty happy with the redfield that I put on my wife's rifle, pretty good glass for the price. I've never used vortex, but some of my buddies do and they're pretty happy with them. Another one of my friends uses scorpion scopes on everything and he thinks they're great. I haven't seen them mentioned in this thread. Anybody on here have much experience with scorpion optics?

[savagecanuck]

Another here for a nikon prostaff or a lower end bushnell elite. I do have a crossfire 2 and never had an issue but the clarity is much better on the bushnell and nikon. I too would save a little more and get a better optic.There's a deal to be had if you wait and keep looking. Vortex diamond back hp is a big step up from the crossfire. Cabelas has them on sale quite often. I purchased a bushnell elite 4-16×40 AO DOA reticle for $399 on sale, regular $600 and made in Japan.

[280 77]

X3 on the redfield , I was intent on the diamondback until the fellow behind the desk asked me to look through both then decide . I walked out with the redfield . they are owned by leupold so I knew the customer service would be excellent if needed. That being said i recently picked up some vortex diamond back binos for my son because they were on sale , and I am happy with them .
I do know of a couple of guys who have had issues with the diamondback riflescopes right out of the box.

[avadad]

I looked at vortex, redfield, leoupold,and ended up getting the bushnell 3200. For my eyes it offered the best clarity. Tough as well. I fell on it and put a good scratch on it and it still held zero…I was amazed.

[browningboy]

I have a Bausch and laumb elite 3200 on my 338 since 95, never an issue and never has lost zero and been through hell and back.. Always thought of upgrading the scope but common sens says why?

[Mikeyman]

Myself and several hunting friends have Vortex binos and scopes mostly diamondbacks and crossfires. We must all be lucky none of us have ever had any issues with them.

[Sharpish]

For $150 you can buy a really nice set of adjustable iron sights. 8-)

[260rem]

picked up a vortex 3-9x40 crossfire for my rem mod 7(260rem) as I was on a tight budget,love it do not regret the purchase been 2 years now with no issues.