Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics My Experience With Rifle Scopes

Well, I haven’t had 19 scopes croak, but it has been a few.
Weaver 3x9
Redfield 1 3/4-5
Nikon Monarch 4-16
Leupold VX2 6-18
Leupold fixed 6 (real old scope)
VortexViper 6-24 PST FFP (sent it back, they had a look and returned it saying it was OK. Seems to be OK).

Surely a correlation in recoil energy based on cartridge and rifle action (auto or not), total weight vs durability.

A 223 AR won’t give the impulse like a 338, 416, etc.

Round count also should be a potential factor. So many variables..(factors)...affecting reliability.

oldpinecricker- funny isn't it? Along those same line why is it some cheap brands have terrific felling click adjustments and my $400 Leupolds feel mushy?

Hanco a 40 year old Redfield......pretty sure we could get a go fund me going for ya :-) fully multicoated will blow your mind!!! JK

At this point I'm not even sure more money buys more dependability/durability in a scope. I've got a couple 3-9x Tasco's from the late 70's, a Weaver K-3 from the 60's and a couple fixed 4x Bushnell Banners from the early 80's that still work perfectly despite much use and abuse. On the other hand, I've had 2 Sightrons, a Nikon and a Redfield {Leupold manuf.} that cost way more than any of those {adjustment for inflation taken into account} that failed very quickly with little use.

IIRC, the cheapest scope I used to kill a deer, a 6x40 Bushnell Sportview...not great optics, but held it's POI on my Swede '96 sporter...neck shot a buck from a climber in Tensas. IIRC, it was labeled refurb but looked new....paid either 25 or 40, cannot recall. Glass was 'marginal' but it did the deed. My first deer died from a K-4 w/plain CH. It fogged in bad weather but it held POI on my 7RM.

Since then, I have graduated a bit in optic quality...You pays your money and takes your chances as they say.

I’ve had some lower end scopes (Mueller) fail to hold zero and one Leupold fail. The Leupold was on a Browning A Bolt .280 Remington with the BOSS system. Leupold fixed it but wouldn’t guarantee it on the rifle with the muzzle break and suggested the CRS BOSS. They said it made it recoil forward like an air rifle???
Anyone have opinions on scopes that hold up the best on rifles with muzzle breaks that produce more stress on the scope?

I have been fortunate I suppose in that I haven't had a lot of problems over the years with scopes, have had a few serviced and only a couple have required repair.

But then I am a set-and-forget shooter.

While my scope inventory and experience is not as great as some; I have only had 2 semi-failures. Both issues were something loose or binding the power ring making the Leupold VX-2 adjustment stuck and the Kahles sticky and rough. Both still held zero and were promptly repaired by the manufacturer free. The VX-2 was on a .35 Whelen and the Kahles is on a .300 Wby. Older Redfields, Bushnell Scope Chief and Sportview, a passel of Leupolds, several Burris Signature Selects, two Kahles, and a Sightron have never failed (yet).

No muzzle breaks on any of my rifles.

I had two old Redfield Widefields fail. One, a straight 6X on a 700 Remington 7RM, fogged and the other, a 3-9, on a .280 Remington Mauser, started shooting 5 inch groups. They were both old so I just replaced them.

It didn't really fail but was never right from the get go, was a 4-12X40 Vortex Diamond Back. I'd had it for about 5 years but was never satisfied with the eye relief. So I called their Customer Service and told the tech it had about 1 3/4" relief at 12X and about 2 1/2" at 4X. They told me to send it in so I did. Their turn around time was really fast at about 10 days of which over half was travel. They sent me a new scope with much improved eye relief. I'm very impressed with Vortex Customer Service.

I bought a Leupold Rifleman that would group in one spot and then open up about an inch and then group in another spot. I took it back to Academy where I bought it and swapped it for a Nikon Prostaff 3-9X40. It's been on the rifle for 11 years, no problem. I did end up with another Rifleman that has been flawless for 10 years. I've had good luck with Nikon, Leupold, and Weaver. I do have one Redfield that is 53 years old, a straight 4X I bought new in 1966 on a new rifle. I still have the rifle too. But that scope has been on a Winchester 94AE since 1981 and never shifted POI or fogged, It's still clear as a bell.

I have several Nikons and Leupolds and still have an old El Paso made K-6 Weaver. I keep it for a spare because it holds zero and is clear for a 70s technology scope.

I have several Leupolds from Rifleman to VX-3s. I have recently bought 4 VX-3i 3.5-10X40s. I also have an older (like 6 years) VX-3L 4.5-14X56, It is clear but no better than the VX-3is.

I love good scopes but I don't think they warrant the price you pay for what they do. I hear people say you need the best optics to see in low light. I, being an old Hunter Ed Teacher, believe you shouldn't be scoping out the territory with a scope mounted on a loaded rifle. That's what Binos are for. I can hunt and kill as much game with a Leupold Rifleman or hell, a Simmons whatever. I buy good scopes because I can, not that I need them to take game. I've found that if a scope holds zero and doesn't fog and is relatively clear that it will suffice for hunting. I have some good Nikon Binos for looking around the field looking for and identifying game.

I had a Tasco World class as the first scope I ever bought. A long time ago. Made in Japan. I moved that scope around to different rifles and adjusted it a lot. Never a problem. Let if go with a rifle I sold. Never had a bad thing to say about it

I have had two that were not cheap scopes "fail". A VX-2 that just about needed a pipe wrench to change power, and a Meopta that I bought with a fogged objective. The Leupy was repaired. The Meopta was replaced. I've had a number of Bushnells, Tascos, Simmons and BSAs Fail that I thought nothing of and just threw in the trash without a second thought. Never had a failure with a Zeiss, Swarovski, Schmidt and Bender or Weaver.

I also have a few of the low end scopes that have been around quite a while and never failed. Well, no BSAs that haven't failed.

I've only had failures with 2 Minox scopes, the only 2 I ever owned so never gain. Had a problem with a Vortex scope. Had 2 problems with SWFA scopes. Never had a Leupold problem either and I've owned more Leupolds than all other brands combined.

I've had a few scopes crap out in the last 12 years. Vortex Diamondback 4-12 that was replaced, a Bushnell Elite 3200 4-12, that was adjusted on the windage all the way out new from the box. It was repaired. I have thrown a few other scopes in the trash that crapped out. a Bushnell, Simmons, and another brand that slips my mind. All that went in the trash were under $100 new.

Bought a noname 4X Japanese scope ay back in.........when I was a teenager. Put it on a smallring '98 in 7X57. The cross hairs disappeared after a few boxes. Since I had spent my last 20$ for it and the source was too far away to return to. I mad a couple of tolls and pulled it apart. Tried all maner of material for crosshairs, hair, dog hair,nylon fibers from woman's stocking. Finally settled on a fiber pulled from a man's dress sock. Glued a set in an they werent perfect but they killed a lot of chucks and a few deer. It was worth it to watch someones face when they looked thru the scope the first time. The fibers held up for years and never lost zero. They were just never perpendicular. Had a Simmons variable lose "0" after a few shos, as well as the erector tube.. Had a Nikon Monarch go to 2 groping on a smokeless muzzleloader. 2 separate groups about 3 inches apart. I bout a couple of Bushnell Banner 2 1/2X scopes back in the 70s. One had a clever set of ribs on the tube that would clamp to a set of Weaver bases. Crosshairs were always aligned with that one. The glass is as expected for the 70s but they are still in use today. I have an older Leupold 36 target that someone(?) , one of the dogs dropped and the crosswires are floating. Gotta figure figure where to send it for repair since its a Premier mod. I have a couple mixed pedigree scopes that seem OK on a rimfire but seem shaky on anything with recoil. Also have a Hawke airgun that the vertical crosshair is not continuous across the middle of the field, must have been first day on the job.

I never spent over $200.00 for a scope , and only had one failure. and it was a lupie that someone traded me. they fixed it for free.

Had a cheap 3/4" tube (Tasco?) scope on my first single shot .22 for 45 years of trouble free service. Then one day, the reticle just disappeared... Purchased a fixed power Swarovski off eBay and sent to Swarovski to have the reticle changed as soon as I received it. It came back with the new reticle as requested, along with a laundry list of other stuff they had fixed, and a list of "Do's and Dont's" to prevent same issues in the future. Got the sense that the scope was probably not exactly functional when I purchased it. Note to self...

I've had several Leupolds fail, and yes they are great about fixing them, but I don't trust their scopes anymore. I recently had a SWFA SS fail on me, but it was my own fault. Dropped the rifle and damaged the scope:




Upon emailing SWFA, and explaining what happend and that it was my fault, they prompted me to send it in under warranty. This was Skylar's exact words: "Thank you for your patronage for SWFA.
We can address that under the warranty promptly." I sent the 16x SS in a few days ago, we'll see how they handle it...

As for dealing with other outfits and their warranty: I sent in a Bushnell elite 4200 with rainguard coating, that I had bought used here on the fire. The seller didn't tell me the lens coating was scratched. I figured bushnell would fix it. Nope, they did nothing but send the scope back, saying they could not treat it as a warranty issue, as the scope had not been properly cared for and damages were from improper cleaning of the scope lenses. I also sent in 1 Burris FFII 3-9x40 that I bought used off of ebay. It didn't track well or hold zero, so I sent it in to Burris. They fixed it and sent it back to me with no charge. As of now, I don't own any Leupolds or Bushnell's, but do own a lot of Burris, and Zeiss rifle scopes, along with 1 weaver CV16 4-16x42. I've also used a lot of Nikon rifle scopes, but never had an issue with them.

I have owned Tasco,Simmons,Redfield,Weaver,Burris and Leupold. Never had a Burris or weaver fail on my rifles. Simmons is trash. Most Tasco is trash. Had 1 good one. Redfields both failed. 1 soon and 1 after 25 years. Leupold have been decent. Sent 1 back and all of them have terrible adjustment. I use them on my rifles that could break a scope. But I like them once they are set. I trust Leupold,Burris, and Weaver to hunt with.

I had one scope that self destructed after less than a 12 shots. It was around 10 or 12 years ago.

It was mounted to a 30-30 NEF. Perhaps it was embarrassed into failure, but what made me chuckle was that this particular scope - a Simmons - got a good write-up from a writer of note. Based on his recommendation, I purchased one. It was a Simmons - but not one of the Phillipine Simmons scopes. I should have known better, but thought, hey, maybe they got their act together. They had recently changed ownership, and it got a thumbs up from someone I trusted.

In one respect, I'm glad the scope went south. That range trip, I also shot my Chrony. It was beginning to act up anyway.

SWFA will stand behind their stuff. Last scope I’m worried about.