Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best LR scope under $1500, article

I like it. Smart man.

TFF!!!!! Only on the wild Internet can so much entertainment be obtained for free!!!!! LMAO









Take care, Willie

Max:

Full-on Schott glass and Zeiss' premium multi-coatings in these. The last thing to worry about is low-light performance.

I got to use all 3 models. They were superb. The 3-18x50 is my huckleberry.

Rick

Thanks for the info.

Kind of missed the point, didn't ya?
NOTHING is made perfect by anybody...

Could relate a few experiences, (not stories), actual product defect situations I had to endure that "great (vetted?) companies chose not to make right; but so what?


If you look at life as some kind of daily shell-game experience, where everybody is out to cheat you out of a buck, then I can understand trying to limit your chances of being scammed.

If everyone had waited until NightForce or Vortex were "vetted" to buy their products, then they probably wouldn't have become the companies they are today. There are, afterall, consumer protections and reasons that a new firm KNOWS it has to deliver innovative and better products if it is going to ever be successful.

Not everyone is a prospective buyer for many reasons.
Whatever makes you happy.

For others who might venture to try a new thing, sometimes you score big! And sometimes you score big and get a lifetime guarantee that you won't be disappointed later if there's ever a problem.
That's even better!

Already being a Zeiss guy, I have a new item on my list of wants and desires.

I wouldn't own a Zeiss if it were free. Their scopes are junk. Good spotters and OK binoculars though. Best scope under $1500....Sightron. They actually track and repeat correctly.

Another odd claim is that you need ffp for long range. All my scopes are sfp and I shoot long range a lot. There are trade offs to both...

Dog,

What do you think of the Super Sniper variables in SFP?

Strong words on Zeiss but I guess you have earned the right and may be right. However, I own a victory that is flawless in its tracking. I was hesitant about their tracking ability when I picked up my 1st one. I actually posted a question here about their turret precision with no answer. I have not spun it a lot so it may fail but I will give it the chance. It's only flaw isn't really a flaw at all. It's FFP #8 reticle is a fantastic hunting reticle but for long range precision work it is too heavy at full power and the subtensions are too wide for any reference. Again it is perfect through the magnification range for hunting. The scope serves its intended purpose very well since I will only dial to 400 or so with it on game depending on wind.

FFP VS SFP is a matter of reticle design and personal preference. At low power the FFP referencing reticles are often hard to see until you get into mid power and up. Some are better than others but you get accurate feedback at all powers if you can read it. SFP Reiticles only provide accurate references at full power. Half power with an accurate zoom dial. For guys that don't like to shoot at max power this can pose a problem. Again a matter of personal preference. I tend to shoot at top power past 300 yards depending on the top value.

A scope with a reticle that doesn't match the dial is an absolute abomination to me. i.e. Mild dot with MOA turret. Stupid in my opinion...

Buy a MIL/MIL or MOA/MOA. Don't mix them. K.I.S.S.

The trend in tacticool has created a lot of new scopes and technologies. Shooters have a lot to choose from nowadays. I cannot deny that the new SWFA 12x42 has been impressive for its purpose. I paid less than $250 for it. Is it birder glass? No, but who really cares?

Sad that this is the kind of 'testing' recommendations are based on.

Friend of mine has a Zeiss Conquest V6 https://goo.gl/y8MpXA amazing quality. Okay just over $1,500 but the view is amazing!

So we can sleep when the wind blows
The best info I recieved today Thanks

Locally we have a really awesome gun smith
The only thing I think I have ever strongly disagreed with is thier scopes
I know why they sell them but its marketing for thier store

They always come back to the life time warrenty and I always think so what
All the Locals have this brand on thier gun and talk about how great they are most dont even have the eye piece adjusted (didnt know it was adjustable)
But honestly that are great guys and have great service just dont care for thier scope recommendations

This is probably why Cops dont carry Taurus they have a life time warrenty but do you trust your life to a warrenty?

Hank

I find it funny the number of people here that judge the quality of long range optics solely based on glass clarity.

You are not going to beat a Nightforfce NXS (used or on sale) in that price range.

the zeiss looks pretty cool, I like my NF nxs, not crazy about the reticle for hunting here in the woods.

+1

Adequate+ glass with superior function is where my money goes...

Great post. Leaving out the scope brand involved must have taken considerable effort!

Never packed in anywere, but I always took a spare rifle to camp when hunting far from home (more than an hour). Never had to use it, but it was there for just such situations. This is also why hunting rifles used to wear irons, which while limited, are better than completely wasting a trip. A spare, lightweight, pre-sighted scope, when weight considerations allow, or even a red dot weighing a couple of ounces would be cheap insurance in such a case. Wouldn't have saved your shot opportunity, but would have kept you in the game.

Wow, I could not have left out the brand name.

i would think the materials, manufacturing processes and chemistry that goes into quality optics, or anything else, determine the cost.
You may pay more for the high end but you also have a better chance of getting a better product.The less you pay the better chance you have of getting a lesser product. I shy away from products that talk too much of the great warranty. I would rather hear why their product won't need the warranty or what the return rate is. A product with free replacement means it did not cost much to produce. with me a free replacement will be sent down the road. A lifetime warranty just tells me the manufacturer does not have confidence in what they are selling.
As far as a 1500$ scope. An nxs nightforce would be near the top, it may not be the brightest, but the resolution and mechanics will be excellent. a used s&b, or a german zeiss(not the american market zeiss) would be a choice.. i am sure there are others, but i have experience with these.

I am not a fan of the NF IHR, and i don't like their moar, I have not looked at a mil dot type set up from them. My perception is that most manufacturers make either a sniper scope or a hunting scope... a perfect setup for me would be a zeiss Z plex in a NF 2.5-10 x 42.

Really ? The standard I use is which scope(s) do the job which includes stay zeroed when they get whacked good and hard. For that, you need experience or the experience of those you trust.
Half the cost of a Leupold, Burris, etc. is in the warranty costs ? Well, let's see here. I've got an old Leupold that I bought second hand many years ago. Made in the early 80's ? No letters in the serial number it's so old. I've got another that I bought new made in the late 80's. I've got an old B&L I bought new in 1972.
The B&L has been wacked really hard in one fall and less so in several others. No repair costs. The second hand scope has had a similar history. Two repairs, one for a reticle, and one for a frozen AO. The 80's scope I bought new, has had one broken reticle. The B&L has never needed repair.
Then there are the "old Leupolds" I bought 10-17 yrs. ago that have needed nothing. That includes three 6X42's, two FXII's, 4X's, one 3.5-10X40, and one 3-9X33 Compact. And you are trying to tell me their costs were 50% for repairs ?
BTW, I've seen more than one etched reticle break. At least the wire reticles I've broken still allowed me to use the still zeroed scope. When the etched ones break, the whole thing shatters. E