Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 4X scope

Good grief! Who makes a decent 4X scope anymore?

i put a 4x40 swift reliant (made in south korea) on my .308 bolt rifle. flat view. crisp edge-to-edge. more than sufficiently bright in my back yard woods well into sunset. just a few shots so far, to get it on target. tracked well.

Bushnell Banner or the Swuft

The biggest diff from the Leupold is the eye relief isn’t as forgiving on the cheapO’s, and the weight.

Swuft makes a 4x32 with real Leupoldish specs and I think its the better choice unless you have a long action problem.

It’s a shrinking market. Large scale production equals lower costs, so popular variables can be produced cheaply, as was long the case with 3-9s. Most won’t, IMO pay the increased cost for something less versatile. Some will, of course, but maybe not enough to keep them in production. Someone will be along shortly to declare the used market shows that there is a lot of demand, but the folks who make and sell them apparently don’t agree, which is really what matters, not what you or I do.


So we’re stuck with used, cheap, and spendy stuff like Kaps. Any of them may serve just fine, considering the simple design. I went used for my last one, an M8. Was about $200. It was predictably vague while sighting it in, but perfectly adequate to the task of looking good on a vintage custom 98 and will work in the woods too.

Dang! I looked at their website and they have not only TWO 4x scopes, but some gloss and silver models too. A Boomer’s wet dream! Have to keep them in mind. That 4x40 should be pretty dang bright.

Do you know if all of them are made in Korea?

Had a Swift 3x9 that came on a Sako Fiberclass. Sighted it in and it was fine. Went deer hunting with dogs and had a nice little 8 point running towards me, threw up the rifle and was looking at an X! The reticle came loose at some point. They gave me a new scope but my confidence in it was lost. That was many years ago and probably not their top of the line scopes. I have had a 4X on a Ruger 10/22 that worked well. I need a scope for a Savage 99 .300 Savage and might have to find a used Leupold 4X somewhere

the 4x40 is korea made. i don't know about the others ...

the bushnell banner is a good one, but not as bright or flat as the swift. my 4x banners always have tracked well ...

It's crazy isn't it? Sales determine what's available. I guess most people are buying 40-120x90 tactical scopes for the 100 yd range.

I have bought the Karl Kaps 4 x 36 factory direct to my home on Oahu, delivery was in about 5 weeks and costs about 600 each. I bought two. I have also two Kahles 4x scopes to compare, and the Kaps is brighter. One Christmas Kaps offered their 8 x 42 roof prism binos delivered to me for $300. And yes I bought two sets.
I also bought a 2-8 x 42 FFP Kaps and it compares well in all aspects to my S & B Summit for half the price. All scopes/binos built in Wetzlar, Germany.

I will check out the Swift 4x next. Thanks for the heads up.

You will like the Swift so much, you can just send that German garbage to me.

I will pay 1/2 the shipping!

I have a 4x Nikon on my 308. It is a really good scope but I've heard that Nikon isn't making them any longer.

Nikon is not making ANY scopes anymore.

Hawk the classifieds Buddy, find a cherry old gloss M8 4X long tube leupold, i have a couple, hits to 400 yards are cake, and yes they offer plenty of light for legal hunting hours.