Inexpesive Optics, Worth It? (Video)

[Losing_Sanity]

Some people just can't part with the money for higher end optics. Mainly because they don't have it or other obligations take priority. I have used cheep bargain optics with some success,even liked some of them, and others were total waste of effort. Now I generally try to buy fairly good optics and believe a guy should buy the best he can afford, given an individuals budget.

As I was searching for other information I stumbled on this video. If nothing else the video is good for a laugh. The end result was not to good so you have to watch it to the end. Enjoy!

 

[kmott]

I will say , for those who want good optics but swaroski is out of range. this weekend I got a chance to compare a new pair of vortex razor 8x42 to my twentyish year old Swarovski SLC 10x50s and the vortex actually pulled in more light during the dawn and twilight hours. I was impressed with them.

think one could pick up a new pair somewhere around 11 or 12 hundred maybe less if you watch for sales. I might just buy a pair for a backup

 

[mtmuley]

I will say , for those who want good optics but swaroski is out of range. this weekend I got a chance to compare a new pair of vortex razor 8x42 to my twentyish year old Swarovski SLC 10x50s and the vortex actually pulled in more light during the dawn and twilight hours. I was impressed with them.

think one could pick up a new pair somewhere around 11 or 12 hundred maybe less if you watch for sales. I might just buy a pair for a backup

And this one time, at band camp.... I had to use the warranty. mtmuley

 

[Bluejeep]

I like his testing method.

As with most things, you get what you pay for.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

I like his testing method.

As with most things, you get what you pay for.

It would be interesting to see a high end scope with the same features get launched like that. I'm not sure to many would hold up either. But they will replace them.

 

[std7mag]

I will say , for those who want good optics but swaroski is out of range. this weekend I got a chance to compare a new pair of vortex razor 8x42 to my twentyish year old Swarovski SLC 10x50s and the vortex actually pulled in more light during the dawn and twilight hours. I was impressed with them.

think one could pick up a new pair somewhere around 11 or 12 hundred maybe less if you watch for sales. I might just buy a pair for a backup

So in talking INEXPENSIVE optics you jump immediately to $1,100-1,200??!!
Again someone with more dollars than sense.

Then there are people like me, that to justify being able to buy a $200 scope is saving for 3 months!

 

[Bluejeep]

@Losing_Sanity here you go

 

[Losing_Sanity]

@Losing_Sanity here you go

Wow! Impressive!

 

[kmott]

So in talking INEXPENSIVE optics you jump immediately to $1,100-1,200??!!
Again someone with more dollars than sense.

Then there are people like me, that to justify being able to buy a $200 scope is saving for 3 months!

lol. I was just pointing out that I liked those binos .pity your so full of envy and hate.

IMO,there is no such thing as a decent $200 dollar pair of binocs and not really much in scopes under $300 either.
I get that some don't have money. nothing wrong with that. for lots of years I had to buy the cheap shit myself.
but you would do better by improving your own situation , then getting angry because I can afford what you cannot.


I pity you for being hateful with envy.
we both know that poor people would buy more expensive things if they could. don't waste your life hating because others have what you wish you had. just go out and work harder for it.

you say I have no sense but it seems I had enough to get what you couldn't.

 

[noharleyyet]

Wow! Impressive!

The guvmint will be purchasing NF for hammers.

 

[sbhooper]

Cheap is relative to what someone feels is within their economic means. Generally, I don't like the super-cheap ( Simmons, Tasco, etc.) type of optics, BUT if that is all that somebody can afford, then they are better than nothing. Some hold up quite well, especially on a rifle that is not a heavier recoiler. I have never gone overboard in the other direction, either. I would love to have Nightforce optics on all of my rifles, but my go-to range is the 300-600-ish dollar range. I have sent a few scopes back on warranty, over the years, but that can happen, even with extremely expensive optics. I have a Vortex Diamond bino that has been great, and I got it when they were closing out the model for a bit of an upgrade. They were not very expensive, but I do not spend hours behind the glass, either.

 

[ida homer]

Too far boys, not cool. By either party.

The vortex diamondbacks are decent for the money. I’ve got them as backups for buddies or to leave in the truck. Not too many other companies will back $200 glass with a warranty like thAt, even if you do have to use it.

 

[ShadowFast1]

I think some budget optics are better than others. 90% of the game I've taken was using a Primary Arms 4-14x. I've moved it around on a couple of different rifles, it's been carried around, dropped and it holds zero.

 

[ChrisAU]

I will say , for those who want good optics but swaroski is out of range. this weekend I got a chance to compare a new pair of vortex razor 8x42 to my twentyish year old Swarovski SLC 10x50s and the vortex actually pulled in more light during the dawn and twilight hours. I was impressed with them.

think one could pick up a new pair somewhere around 11 or 12 hundred maybe less if you watch for sales. I might just buy a pair for a backup

Refurb 10x42's are $725 at aaoptics.com, just throwing that out there for someone wanting high quality glass on a less than Swaro budget.

 

[std7mag]

lol. I was just pointing out that I liked those binos .pity your so full of envy and hate.

IMO,there is no such thing as a decent $200 dollar pair of binocs and not really much in scopes under $300 either.
I get that some don't have money. nothing wrong with that. for lots of years I had to buy the cheap shit myself.
but you would do better by improving your own situation , then getting angry because I can afford what you cannot.


I pity you for being hateful with envy.
we both know that poor people would buy more expensive things if they could. don't waste your life hating because others have what you wish you had. just go out and work harder for it.

you say I have no sense but it seems I had enough to get what you couldn't.

I am full of neither of those... Just pointing out the obvious on a errr, budget friendly optics thread.
Do i save up to buy optics in the $200-400 range? Yes.
Can I buy more expensive optics? Yes And just me being me, instead of the Razor line from Vortex, I'd opt for US Optics.
Doing so would take some creative bill rescheduling on my part. Something I'm not willing to do.
Do my lesser expensive options get the job done? Yes, or I would not own them.
Alas, some of the more expensive items have features that either I do not like, or do not want.
My $100 8X32 Vortex Raptor binoculars do everything I need them to do. Plus they are super light weight.
Ditto my $130 Celestron C70 spotting scope, with the eye piece package. The filters really help for different lighting conditions.
My most expensive scope is a Sightron STAC 4-20X50 MOA. Got from Amazon on an "open box" special for less than $400. I shoot 600 yard F-Class Open with that scope. Often shooting 1,000 yard also. This scope is comparable to the Viper class but with finer reticle that doesn't flare out nearly as much!

As to the original video. No way in heck would I do that with anything I own! The Nightforce video was cool though!!

PS. Dad always told me to work smarter, not harder...

 

[Don Fischer]

Some people just can't part with the money for higher end optics. Mainly because they don't have it or other obligations take priority. I have used cheep bargain optics with some success,even liked some of them, and others were total waste of effort. Now I generally try to buy fairly good optics and believe a guy should buy the best he can afford, given an individuals budget.

As I was searching for other information I stumbled on this video. If nothing else the video is good for a laugh. The end result was not to good so you have to watch it to the end. Enjoy!

How do you tell a guy that has been using X Brand $150 scope for fifteen years, without complaint, that his scope is cheap for any reason at all? inexpensive maybe but cheap?

 

[Irrelevant]

There's nothing worse than cheap scopes. They cost me time and time again. I finally working on righting the ship.

 

[noharleyyet]

Bought a 4x12x50 AO Simmons as my first adult scope. Poor as a church mouse & saved for months as it was over a hundy. Atop a Smith & Wesson 30-06 rig with a cratered Weaver my dad gave me when I was in high school. That Simmons was a Hubble but it did what it was supposed to do.

 

[Bluejeep]

The guvmint will be purchasing NF for hammers.

The price point would be about right for what the government spends on such simple things

 

[std7mag]

How do you tell a guy that has been using X Brand $150 scope for fifteen years, without complaint, that his scope is cheap for any reason at all? inexpensive maybe but cheap?

Don,
Alas there is a major difference between inexpensive and cheap.
I look at my Vortex Crossfire II's and my Sightrons as inexpensive.
The Barska i had bought was cheap! Although not totally inexpensive, at least to me.
And was only scope i ever tried to get warrenteed. Ended up in the trash can!