Doc-

There was a Savage 'Plastic Fantastic' -- some new model bolt gun (can't keep up with it all) in '06 out at the ranch.
It was essentially a tip in a trade deal and didn't function much more as an example of how funny looking and cheap feeling the new breed of entry level rifle has become...

...until it finally made it over to the benches and consistently printed dime sized groups with an absolutely crappy bushnell scope screwed to it's forehead!!

That thing freakin shoots.

If the rifle you got your kid is anything like it, get good mounts and put whatever glass you want on it, you sure didn't break the piggy bank on the rifle.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have an anschutz position rifle that I use as the 'longer range' (non grille wearing) pest control system for the downtown crib.
Years ago I'd been looking at a nice set of sights for it, diopter and all that crap, when I was given one of those ultra cheap chinese ultra compact 4x fixed power scopes that came with an SKS bolt shroud mount.
It's worked perfectly for over ten years.
I run CB Long in that rifle (totally silent, only the sound of the brass peening the bolt, sput from the muzzle) and have put hundreds of squirrel, raccoon, opossum, and feral cat down with it, almost every time a one shot drop.

There's a case of expensive rifle, totally cheap as hell scope, and total success, but in that case there's been as much recoil in hundreds of rounds as one from the centerfire bolt rifle.

--Tinker