Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Let's Talk $100-$200 Scopes

FFII 3-9x are $135 on Amazon

Always looking for used Vortex Viper 2x7 prefer the BDC reticle, or Redfield Revolution 2 x 7 with the circle plex. Both work well with none of the issues of the Leupold 2 X 7 had about 5 plus all had issues.

Thinking about this post, I bought a Maine Vue scope in 2006 for $75. Slapped it on a 243 and used it for many years before I sold it. That scope wasn’t going to WOW anyone but it was a pretty nice scope for the money. I can’t remember where it was made

I also have a Redfield Revolution on a 7600 carbine that has been rock solid and a Leupold M8 4x on a Ruger that has been fine

In the 20 years since this post, I’ve bought scopes I thought were going to be good and weren’t and others to take a chance on that have been decent.

Knew that and forgot.
I bought 2 3x9s, a 2x7, and some variable rinse scope when Natchez blew them out. Have a 3x9 on an AR.
It’s good, nowhere near the eye box of the 3200s I bought when they were blown out. Still have one of those in the box, wish I had bought a lot more.

Sitting on a couple FFIIs I haven’t been able to use.
Wouldn’t fit on a Yugo Mauser worth spit.

My sole knock on the Japanese made Weaver V series scopes was the eye box and eye relief. The only time I have ever been scoped in my life was with one of those on a 30-06. Laid out over a spindly alder to take a shot (shots) at a nice Kodiak blacktail.

The only Jap Weaver's I liked were the 2.5x.

I bought a used Hawke Vantage 4x (32mm obj) AO scope a couple years ago off the big auction site for $76 shipped. It has been a fabulous scope. Great in low light (11 layers of lens coating), excellent edge-to-edge resolution, crisp finger adjustable w/e knobs that track true and hold zero, plus a lifetime warranty. . They have offerings in: fixed 4x, 2-7x, 3-9x, 4-12x, 4-16x, 6-24x configurations, many with or without AO. New, they sell for ~$110-170ish. So far, my Hawke Vantage 4x AO scope has been a pleasant surprise.
Hawke Vantage rifle scope product line

Other $100-200 scopes I have, and like: Weaver Classic (Japan) 2.5x, B&L 4x-40mm, Lyman AA Permacenter (2.5x and 8x, both bought used), Nikon pre-Monarch 4x, Weaver micro-trac steel tubed 2.5x, 3x and 4x, 1980's Japan-made Bushnell Banner 4x (40mm) which is very bright and sharp.

About 10 years ago, I got tired of looking at the mud in all my cheapazzd scopes. My eyes were getting older and I was losing about 10 minutes of hunting on either end of the hunting day.

I bought 3 Bushnell scopes: an Elite(sub $400), a Trophy(sub $300), and a Banner (sub $100). I couldn't tell a whole lot of difference between the 3. Since then, I've been buying the Banner 3-9X40 for nearly every rifle. I'm happy as a clam. I can now get in the stand an hour before sunrise (a half-hour before legal hunting) and look through any of my scopes and see perfect detail. I have also taken a shot at a whitetail at 150 yards in the last minute of legal hunting and down the beast without a hitch (unless you count the muzzle flash blinding me in my right eye for a minute afterward). The change of scopes has also removed a glare issue I was getting at one stand when I was shooting into the mid-morning sun.

Provisos:
1) My maximum range on a whitetail is about 250 yards. I zero 2 inches high and let it ride.
2) I find a load and pretty much keep it for 20 years.
3) I don't fiddle with the dials

What I can tell you is that I have had zero failures, zero scope-related snafus, and zero complaints.

They do not compare with a VX-2. Closer to a Vari-X II glass wise.

I've got 5 of them, V-9, V-7, RV-7 and 2 K-2.5's. and never had a problem. The k 2.5's rode on 12 gauge pump slug guns for years and hundreds of rounds. Never got scoped, always held zero. The V 7 and V-9 are or have been on .30-06 and .308 rifles without issue. Never noticed any of them having an overly critical eye box.

Then Minox 3x9 was a good scope have about 5 none have broke on all kinds or rifles. Clear and adjust correctly. No longer made.

I'm not going to lie, I've had significantly better luck with Simmons scopes than I have with Leupold. As have most of the guys in my hunt club. Imo they've never gotten near the credit they deserve online.

That said, I probably haven't bought a new Simmons in 10 years or so. I can't really personally speak to the current models, but several guys in our hunt club have used recent production models without complaints.

I do think the Burris FFII or the E1 are some of the best values in a hunting scope. That's the way I generally tend to lean when looking for a budget hunting scope these days.

Yes- they are not the same.

They are made in South Korea. They are good scopes and from my sample, optically as good as the LOW Jap made Classics. The one I owned was very well finished .It also tracked well.

The thing only I don't like about them is they follow the current "Euro-trash" design trend in scopes- bulky Euro style oculars with talk capped turrets(Why?) and a few ounces heavier .

Having said all that, I would buy another if I need a scope for a low bolt lift rifle .

If the older Jap LOW Weavers were made again today they would be $200 to $300 . Most here would not buy them. Which explains why they are no longer made.

My Weaver experience is minimal, but I still find favor in the 2-7 and 3-9 Redfield Revolutions. Clicks are a little mushy, but that's been about all I can say negatively. Probably used 15 of them and haven't seen any issues yet for a basic "set it and forget it" hunting scope. The still pop up on the used market for $150-$190.

I am trying to recall things from nearly 3 decades ago. I had one (maybe 2) 3-9x38s whatever series that was and a 3-9x50. The 50 did have a bit of a fussy eye box and what I recall as substantial tunnel vision. I had the 38 on a Ruger boat paddle 30-06. Eye relief wasn't terrible, but it was tight enough that in a sub-optimal field shooting position it'd could be an issue, and it was for me. Somewhere I have an old school printed pic of my Remington 7600 in 35 Whelen. For some reason or another in my mind's eye I am seeing a Weaver on it. I'll know when I look at the pic. Nonetheless, they were really good scopes for the money and the tunnel vision eye relief complaint was not a huge deal for me with the exception of the scoping incident.

I still have a Weaver Nitrex that is fantastic. Wish I'd bought a load of those and the Grand Slams when Natchez closed them out.

The Weaver Classic V scopes were very good. The only version that was a bit herky was the 2-10×38.

Good thread.

Herky?

More like downright awful, like looking through the tube off a roll of paper towels.

Interesting...back in the 70's I was poor but still bought my first ever new rifle. A Rem 788 in 308. Found a new 4x Tasco in a local gun shop and went hunting.

That Tasco is still going. I have it on a 22 rifle and it has never had an issue. The 788 went away in a divorce and I still wish I had it.

I still have a couple of Japan made 3-9x32 Tascos from the '70's in use on .22's and while they are not as good optically as a modern scope they still work fine.