Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best Bang for the Buck in a 3-9 rifle scope?

I need a quality, but low cost scope for a .270 do-it-all rifle.

So far, the best quality/performance I've seen for $200 or below is the Bushnell Elite 3-9x40 for $199.

Anyone have any suggestions for a better price scope that can compare to the 4200? Or a better scope for the same price?

Thanks,
Czech1022

Burris FFII is pretty decent at a reasonable price

The 3-9x40 Redfield is only $150 and its pretty good, lifetime warranty from Leupold too boot...

You can get the Minox from Doug on demo for about $250. Very nice glass for the dough. The elite 3200 line is very nice for that price point. The Nitrex line from Weaver is available at Natchez for less then $200 and is also very good glass.

[quote=Lorne]Burris FFII is pretty decent at a reasonable price [/quote

Big time the way to go!

Dober

I must be the only guy on the planet that doesn't like Burris.

The Conquest, IMO, has a bit more "Bang" than the 4200. However, with the price sliding < $200 on the 4200 these days, it's much further ahead on the "Buck". Redfield, Burris, & Diamondback may be less $ than a 4200, but they're going to be less glass, too.

Now, if you'd consider a 2-7 scope, the Vortex Viper has (again, IMO) the best bang/buck of any scope on the market today: "almost" Conquest glass, for $175. The Viper has a pretty significant size & weight advantage over the 4200, but either way you're getting really great glass. It's up to you whether or not 7x would cut it for your purposes, or if you'd really prefer a 9x on the top end.

FC

Im not crazy about them either.

For under $200 in a 3X-9X-40mm I would go with the Burris Fullfield II. The Bushnell Elite 3X-9X-40mm, is it the 3200 or 4200? If it is the 4200, that is a heck of a deal.

I picked up a slightly used Vari X 2 3x9 with duplex crosshairs for $150 + $9 tax the other day for my M700 270. Mounted it in Weavers,boresighted it with my eye and cutting the x at 50 yds with 6 rounds. I like Burris also but when I can find good, clean used Leupolds for less than 1/2 retail I don't think to long about it if I need it. Before anybody feels the need to give me a dose of chit for the Weavers I also have factory irons on this gun for a backup deal and the Weavers are pretty dang repeatable. Magnum Man

While the sub $200 3-9x40 4200 is probably going to be tough to find now that they have been closed out even at ~$240 these are still the best scopes you can buy in this price range.

The glass is on par with the VX-3 and perilously close to that in the Conquest (I've had both). In addition you get the superb, effective Rainguard coating, tough construction, and accurate tracking.

I'm a huge fan of Burris scopes and while the FFII doesn't reach the level of the 4200 they are a really great deal on a tough scope.

My vote goes to the Burris FF II. After about ten years of service I picked up a spare for $119.95 on sale in the Gloss.

Nope you are not.

Not on the Burris bandwagon here either-

I have and use scopes by Zeiss [3],Leupold [3], Baush and Lomb [3, my 4200's are labeled Baush and Lomb], Burris [2], steel tube Weavers, old Redfields, a Kollmorgan or two and several other less expensive scopes. I still like my old El Paso weavers, and find the better brands are all very serviceable, not so the Simmons, Tascos and such. My 3X9 Burris FFII is a very serviceable scope, my 4.5X14 FFII on my .204 I don't like as well, although its been a part of the untimely demise of a good number of song dogs and spotted cats. Keep in mind, I've been doing this a long time and don't trade, sell or throw too much away...I killed my first deer in 1949...with a .257 bob and a steel tube 4X Weaver.

+1 on the Weavers being repeatable. They don't weigh much either.

I've used and owned the 4200, 3200, Viper, Diamondback, FFII, Conquest, Nikon Monarch, VariX-III, VariX-II, etc, and I would rate the FFII as the best bang for the buck. It's not the best scope of the bunch, but it is the most for the least.

+1 Conquest. The best 3-9 on the market. They're in the $360+ range if you shop around. They'll stand tall, side by side, anything even near that cost range.

IMHO,

DF

I'm also looking for 2 scopes in this price range. I found new Nikon Monarch UCC 3-9x40's with the BDC reticle for $199 plus shipping. Have also been considering the new Burris Fullfield E1 3-9x40 (about $160) as well as the new Redfields. I like the look of Burris' new E1 reticle, but have never owned or used a Burris product. I can get a 4-12x40 Redfield for about $160 as well. I have Leupolds, Monarchs, and a 4200 on some of my other rifles. I just need some less expensive glass to put on a few other guns for awhile. What do you guys think about my situation. How does that Monarch UCC stack up to the rest? Thanks!