Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles cheapest scope you use on your AR - that functions well

Little different question I think.

What is the cheapest (dollar-wise) scope you actually have (or had) on your AR that worked as it should?

I'm also wondering what variable power scope with top end at over 14x fits this category for you all (cheap)??

thanks. mainly curious (not necessarily looking to buy something)

Leupold or Redfield. Any other "cheap" scope, your just wasting money. Always buy the best possible optics you can afford.
Remember the old saying "you get exactly what you pay for" ! It's especially true when it comes to Optics. Trust me, I've tried the "cheap" route with scopes. You will regret the decision every time....

Like I said, I'm curious. Call me George. I'm wanting to know who out there is willing to go out on a limb and say - hey, I'm using a $150 Tasco... and I'm putting the bullet where I'm aiming! And my cheap scope is holding up without question.

I KNOW that inexpensive is NOT going to be of the quality, repeatability, visibility, etc of the more expensive scopes. Just wanting to satisfy my curiosity.

I have always used a tasco target scope for all my competition AR load testing. Works fine since 1989 or so.

not my top choice but at the time its all I could afford....

have shot groups as small as 5 shots at 600 at 1.25 inches basically.

I had a bushnell 3200 10x tactical that was the cheapest scope I've run on an ar. The upside is it seemed to handle the recoil and tracking seemed ok, the downside is I could not get the scope to focus at 50yds or closer. If you are only shooting at 100yds or more, it's an ok scope.

The one thing I've noted on higher magnification cheap scopes it the image is cloudy, so you really can't take advantage of the higher magnification.

But now that I've started using better than just ok scopes, I simply can't stand lesser glass and am not willing to sacrifice. Every time I've tried to save $ on a lesser scope I've been disastisfied.

Weaver K6

Bushnell Elite 3200 Fixed 10x, got it for $200 on sale from Midway.

I only have one AR with a scope on it, my coyote rifle. It wears a 3.5-10X50 IL Reticle Nikon Monarch.

I haven't bought a scope other than Leupold in years but I guess the cheapest one I used was a vari-xiii I know I tried a 1-4 and a 3-9, hated the 1-4.

A $100 Burris 2-7X FF-II I bought from Graf's that rides on my DD V7.

No doubt I'll get a laugh here but I put a Red Star 4x on my AR(gun show buy 20 years ago.$10) Grouped less than an inch with several brands of ammo. Still on the rifle when I sold it.

I have a Millett 1.5 x 6 power with a lighted dot on my coyote gun and it's held zero for sometime. Not expenive but has worked fine.

I think a VX1 or a Nikon Pro Staff could fill the bill nicely. I think they are great cheap scopes. Also like Redfield and Burris, Vortex... I guess there a quite a few in the $200 or less that would work fine.

On my personal 16" M4 I have a Bushnell TRS-25 I paid $97 for and it puts the bullets right where they need to go for both my wife and I.

On my fullsize 20" barrel AR I have a Leupold 3.5-10x40

anyhing will work fine

Weaver V-16 works very well for us.

Look for a used Buckmaster 4.5-14, mil-dot if you can find it. I have three. They all work great, optics are clear, adn the adjustments repeat. Hard to beat for about $200 or so.

One AR i use a Alpen it is the cheapest scope i use

BSA Red Dot $34.00 LMAO

It sits on a Used $1200.00 Colt.

I had it on my bench and thought what the heck...Accurate out to 50-60 yards. You will not hit anything and I mean Nothing at 150 yards. LMAO

It was just for fun.

I can't decide...EOtech, Aimpoint, Leupold, or Nikon.....Dreaming of a ACOG!

Got a Leupie 4.5 -14 VXIII "Tactical" on one flattop varmint rifle AR, go a VXII 1-4 on an M-4 type. Cheapest I've ever used is a no-name Chinese made 3X or 4X carry handle mount scope that I picked up for $25 or $30 used. Terrible optics...don't use it for anything much but have never had trouble shooting sub MOA with it on my Colt HBAR. Go figger...