What have the reviews of the newer Tasco scopes been like? I'm thinking about one of the Target/Varmint/Tactical type scopes in 6-24x or even the 10-40x. Would go on an inexpensive rifle with virtually no recoil.
Buy quality buy less often.....
The only Tasco scopes worth even looking at are the Japanese ones. The Tasco Titan, World Class Plus were made in japan as too were some of the World Class scopes. It should be printed on the body of the tube.
Forget ones made in China or elsewhere..........
Gus
Gus_K,
How long has Tasco been made in China? I don't know where my Tascos were made, but they seem to be about as good as my other scopes.
Gus_K,
How long has Tasco been made in China? I don't know where my Tascos were made, but they seem to be about as good as my other scopes.
Ring,
That's a good question - I may actually ask someone who may know and get back to the forum....
Gus
I've only had one and it was a World Class IV in 3-12X40, I think. I bought it and put it on a Handi-rifle in 243 Win for my wife. She shot her first moose with it, and used it for several years. It seemed to hold up okay. Guessing it was about a 1990-93 vintage. Sold it with the rifle. She now has a Burris on a Tikka 30-06 (Older version rifle) and it is FAR superior in all aspects. A few bucks more, but worth it.
I do not know where it was made, but #1 SIL has one on a .17 Rem. 700, and it is a coyote killing machine. It came with the rifle used, and he has never seen a need to replace it. His regular hunter has a Swarovski 3-10, so he knows what a good scope is like. jack
The Tasco World Class 3-9x 40mm that I purchased new in early 1996 was made in Korea. It lasted for 765 rounds of 303 British on a sporterized #4 Lee-Enfield before it crapped out in 2007. The rifle now has a 4-12x 40mm Redfield with the accu-range reticle and it's a lot better than the Tasco ever was.
my 56 year old eyes won't look thru anything of less quality than a leupold scope anymore
at least i won't shell out money for anything of less quality than a leupold
today at 325 yards i could see .204 bullet holes plain as day punched thru a steel target with my swarovski 4-12
save up your money and buy once - cry once
i ain't crying about the swarovski and the nightforce
Darn! I was hoping to hear the newer ones had improved. I'm normally a Leupold man and dont mind ponying up for nice scopes on rifles that go on hunts for what may turn out to be once in a lifetime animals. My problem is I love buying and trying different rifles, but hate to spend the money on a great scope for each one. I usually get great deals on the rifles and scopes dont seem to be on sale as much. Thought maybe i'd try a Tasco since this rifle would only be used on paper and maybe coyotes, but sounds like I should probably go with a lower magnification Leupold if I want to lower the price.
While it is not bad advise to buy the best optics your wallet can afford, there is nothing wrong with a Tasco if that is what you can afford....
Sure I'd love to have a lot of big name scopes on ALL my rifles.. many of mine wear Leupolds... but not all..
I wear Specs... so I buy scopes I can see thru.. regardless of the name on them..a few brands I won't touch, due to knowing they are junk from personal experiences... Barska and BSA are a pair I wouldn't purchase...
I do know the higher magnification tho you go and the more bells and whistles, yet with low price.. is not an option if you want a durable scope...I ended up with a Tasco 10 x 40 x 44 mm...
It was given to me... and then it was given by me to someone else... I may still have one around here, I don't know... I just know I had no use for it...
at the same time, I don't care how 'good' the glass may be, I can see very well out of many scopes past 14 power, or past 20 power on the best of them, regardless of their max magnification..
take a Leupold 45 straight power BR Scope... no matter how I try, it looks like looking thru a dirty fish bowl full of water to me...great optics of course, but poor eye sight on my end..
so if you can see thru it, and it will hold up under the rifle calibers recoil... go with whatever is good for you and good for your budget....
banjomule,
I wonder how many of these "experts" have actually used a Tasco of any vintage. I use them a lot and recommend them a lot. In all that I have not had a failure on one of my rifles.
I've had and used several Tasco World Class scopes and while they were certainly adequate when I was poor and uneducated there are many better scopes out there than most Tascos for not much more money.
Just about any used Burris FFII is better as are Bushnell 3200's or the best bargain out there if you can still find one, a $200 Elite 4200 3-9x40.
All of these blow the non-Titan Tascos away.
I am not poor nor uneducated. Both my car and truck were paid for without payments. My Swarovski and Bushnell 6500 did not require payments. I paid cash for my boat. Not only that I got a GED when I was fifty-one. How many can say that?
And yet my experience with Burris of any price have included sounding like a baby rattle on my .375 when a Tasco lasted as long as I wanted to leave it mounted. My experience with Burris on my .223 is Burris 8-32X Signature is three failures. Replaced with a Tasco and troubles went away.
No matter how good a 3-9X is the Tasco 4-16X glass is so good there is no contest when one wants to see more detail. You just can't turn a 9X up to 12X or 13X or more.
I merely related my actual experience with Tasco scopes and my subsequent experience with other scopes which I find are far superior.
Your results obviously differ from mine but my conclusions are just that, my conclusions.
I had a Tasco World Class on my 760 in .308. The tubes separated after a couple of years use. For the price, I would pass. The classifieds is a great place to obtain quality optics for good prices. Personally, I think the Nikon ProStaff as a baseline optic and work up from there. Especially on center fires.
Not to stir the pot, but I have had a Tasco World Class 3-9x40 TV View on my 760 308 since about 1993. Still hasn't took a crap and I even took it off for a few months and put it on my first 7 mag to see how it shot.
It was made in Taiwan according to the sticker.
Obviously not the best optics, but clear enough to allow me to make a 517 yard shot on a little coues with very little light left. Figure no need to change the scope if its not broke.
I am now a big fan of the Vortex scopes. I enjoy them and find them good for the money. Days of the Tasco on any new rifle is long gone.
On a side note, my dad is still old school and he had me mount a blister pack Tasco he got at wally world for $30 on his 30-06 Savage. After about 100 rounds now, the stupid thing still hasn't took a crap. I hate the scope, but he thinks its the best thing on earth. Some people never grow out of the old ways I guess.
Kique
You can prolly say of the Tasco what people say about the .30-30 -- it has brought down more deer than any other.
I have long believed that cheap scopes are not as bad as many people say. Yes, they have their detractors, but with as many of them as are out there, few people are actually complaining about them.
My view:
(1.) Buy the best you can afford.
(2.) Don't be ashamed about it.
It's like anything else. A mansion isn't a starter home.
Steve.
A bad shooter will make any scope look bad, so will a bad rifle.
I had a Leupold take a crap on me, thought my rifle had developed a problem. Got shed of the rifle and kept the scope and mounted it on my new rifle before it hit me... twas the scope all along.
Wish I had that rifle back
I was kind of disappointed when my Tasco World Class, (mentioned in my earlier post), died after 11 years cause for all those years there were no problems with it at all. My only complaint was that it wasn't as bright as any of my Leupolds. I've compared it to them at twilight off the back deck looking down the field behind me. I was low on $$ when I got it and I knew it wasn't a Leupy but it always functioned well. I've seen other Tascos that survive and thrive for many years but I'm still a Leupold guy. Even though I'll admit to having a BSA 2-7x 32mm on my 10/22 since 1999, but it's just a plinker/squirrel gun and I'm still waiting for that one to crap out.
Tasco Australia just got back to me . They did say that they manufactire scopes in many countries and the country of manufacture is on the box and scope.
They still do make some scopes in japan too.
Gus
I have seen a few Tascos with decent glass, but I have yet to see on with decent eye relief. I despise crawling a stock to get a good sight picture, so no Tascos for me.
TASCO? don't waste your money on it. Whatever you think of Bushnell, just mark one tick down for Tasco.
I have a Eroclass Tasco on my 264, only because it was there when I bought the rifle. Until it fails I see know need to buy another. Going on 8 years now.
I just could not buy a Tasco with any confidence in it when I go hunting. I would at least any up for a base line Nikon or used Leupold low end scope. I don't own any "Elcheapo" rifles and I won't own any "Elcheapo" scopes.
Good advice from rj308. Buy once cry once. You will cry a whole lot and often if you buy a cheap scope.
I've bought a couple of blister pack Tasco's out of the bargain bin at a mart store. I couldn't get either one sighted in.
Like I stated before, Japanese made Tasco's are the good ones to look out for.
Forget the others - not worth the effort.
Gus
I will admit up front that I am a east of the Mississippi hunter that mostly hunts on neighbors farms etc. so I am pretty easy on my equipment mostly carrying it where I go no horses, no atvs etc. I currently have mostly leupold and burris scopes now because I have more discretionary income than 30 years ago, but I have used several tasco's in the past and have always had pretty good service from them. Most of mine have been plain 4 power scopes and I still have 2 . One is a compact 4x from Japan that has been on my 22 for at least 20 years and I don't believe I've turned a knob since it was originally zeroed. The second is a 10 year old silver antler I got in a trade and it has served as the temp scope for several new rifles that were acquired and a scope not yet selected for them. It is of chinese origin. Both have held up well and zero and hold it reliably. I really can't speak for the newer variables much as my exposure to them is limited. I do know hunters that when I watch them could tear up an anvil, Their equpment is rusty and beat to h--- from bouncing around on an atv or under a truck seat and frankly I suspect many of the horror stories you hear on the internet are from these guys. However if you buy a $40 scope it probably isn't going to be quite the scope that a $200 scope or a $400 scope. However I do wonder sometimes how some of the lower tier scope makers make as good of a product as they do for the price and frankly having been in manufacturing finance for 30 years I can tell you it is not just cheap labor as direct labor cost is not the only major cost in most manufactured products and I cannot believe that the cost difference in a tasco lens and a polished lens from schott glass can account for several hundred $$ at the wholesale level. I suspect there are some pretty hefty profit margins and advertising/marketing costs associated with the " better scopes".
My experience with Tascos that came on guns as package deals, bought because of a coupon that came with the gun, came on used guns, and blister pack ones is that they are junk.
It's basically a pin the tail on the donkey approach and when the adjustments randomly match the point of aim not touch anything again and pray you never have to go through the sighting in process again.
Seems there are some decent models out there. The Tasco connoisseurs are welcome to them.
My experience with Tascos that came on guns as package deals, bought because of a coupon that came with the gun, came on used guns, and blister pack ones is that they are junk.
It's basically a pin the tail on the donkey approach and when the adjustments randomly match the point of aim not touch anything again and pray you never have to go through the sighting in process again.
Seems there are some decent models out there. The Tasco connoisseurs are welcome to them.
No worries ....if you come across any Tasco Titan's or World Class Plus scopes send them to me.........they are gold!!!
Gus
