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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles

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shrike
.224 member


Reged: 16/07/04
Posts: 29
Rifle scope expectations
      #24528 - 19/01/05 10:18 AM

I have in the last 10 years send back 3 leupole vari-x111 scopes. None of the scopes were at the extreme ends of their adjustments, they were mounted without stress in the rings/bases. Still, they all started to skip.
Scopes were 1.75x6, one 3x , one 3.5x10. The heavy recoilers were a .358 Win and my .338Win. Soooo....not much there.
Another scope a Leupold 6.5x20 0n my .308 target gun develloped severe paralax.
Other Websites mention similar breakdowns in various top of the line brands.
Leupolds service was outstanding and fixed the problems free of charge, the 1.75x6 had to go back a second time.
The short and long of his essay that I find such scope performance not acceptable. Specially since the Leupie is one of the top of the line scopes. On a hunt, scopes can be the factor of failure or success. Lifetime warranty is great, but I rather have a more solid product.
I perceive scopes being nowadays promoted mainly for magnification, clarity and brightness, not reliability.
What do I expect in a scope?
First of all, RELIABILITY, meaning repeatability back and forth of settings and recoil proof performance.

Although nice, I do not primarily NEED the latest and brightest lenses in a scope, I do not object to improvements as long as the rest of the scope gets the needed attention for improvement too.
I spot my game with my BINOCULARS, not my scope. I do not want to spend extra money on a scope just to count the nosehairs on a moose. I gladly spend that extra dough on a set of binocs or spotting scope that will do that.
My binocs/spotting scope are top of the performance line, with it I spot and judge the animal whether I want it or not.
Then I use my scope to put the cross hairs on the vital zone and fire the rifle. There is only so much clarity, crispness and brightness I need for that. I need foremost that reliability, not the ability to count nosehairs.
Of course it is easier for the manufacturers to put in with big fanfare, the latest piece of glass then redesign and improve the innards for improved performance. Specially if the buyers think scopes are "good enough". May be as consumers we should point out that "good enough" is not good enough, specially if it happens on a hunt. May be we should push the MFG to pursue excellence rather then good enough.
Am I out of lock step with most other shooters????


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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: shrike]
      #24530 - 19/01/05 10:55 AM

In reply to:

Am I out of lock step with most other shooters????



shrike,
No definately not.
I am after that same total reliability.
I'm a Leupold man through and through and have been for many years but I have had a few dramas with various Leups from time to time.
As you say their repair service is very good.
Right at this very minute I am packing up my 9x25 gold ring Leupold bino's to send stateside for repair.
I got them out to show my boy how clear they were the other day and found that something has come unstuck with the internal lenses and there is a funny looking splotch across the image!

Yeah, I agree that I also put reliability above all else.


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vapodog
.300 member


Reged: 28/12/04
Posts: 237
Loc: Nebraska USA
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: 4seventy]
      #24537 - 19/01/05 12:20 PM

Grit your teeth.....grab your chair because you're definitely not going to like this.......it's the way it's worked for me and I'm sticking by what has worked for me.
Talk about the Leupold warranty and repair policy.....Yes it's good.....but in my experience Bushnell is better. Strangely enough of all the scopes I've returned for repair one was a steel weaver many years ago and they refilled it with nitrogen and reblued it for me No charge and quickly. One was a Bushnell that I hit against a rock and they repaired it for me no charge and in less than 10 days and one was a Leupold target scope that took three weeks to get back and it wasn't right when I got it back either.

I've owned more than 100 centerfire rifles over my life and every one has had a scope on it and those are the only three that I've ever had to repair. Here's the rub.....the scope that has served me most reliably over the years is ...Look the other way a second here.....Tasco....yes I tried to type it softly to not offend anyone.....but they have worked well for me and I mean EVERY ONE.

You didn't hear me brag about extreme clarity and I'won't make that claim. However in no case whatever was the clarity of optics so poor that I couldn't use it fully for the intended purpose.

One of my favorite scopes is a very light 3 X 9 Leupokd compact because it's extremely lightweight and just works well. But it does nothing for me than sit on a .257 Rob M-70 featherweight and weigh less than any scope I can buy. On my first African Safari I opted for the scope that had been on the .300 H&H and went with it as it had proven itself in the field.....yup...you guessed it.....a 3X9 Tasco......$39. A scope twenty times the price would not have worked better!!!

After all this I hear folks that say they had x amounts of Tascos and they all was junk.....whatever....it's just not been the case for me.

--------------------


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slammer6delta
.224 member


Reged: 31/12/04
Posts: 47
Loc: KY
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: vapodog]
      #24554 - 19/01/05 05:01 PM

Vapodog,
I have to agree with you on this one i've owned several tasco's over the years and i've basically never had any problems out of any of them. I have one on a 243 right now works perfect, my stepbrother has had one on his 257 WBY mag for years and it still works just as good as the day he bought it. Any of them I have ever used have always worked for their intended purpose. As a matter of fact tomorrow morning I am gonna put a tasco 2.5x10 on a 270 WSM and if it works good then it will be the scope that stays on it for good.
IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT..
and yes I've got Leopold, Nikon's, the new Weaver's etc. but I still have Tasco's and as long as they work i'm going to use them.


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Bigfive
Sponsor


Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 362
Loc: Freestate,South-Africa
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: slammer6delta]
      #24583 - 19/01/05 10:20 PM

i am in the market for a new scope to fit on my .243win BRNO.Currently I have 6X42 S&Bender on. Iwant something stronger that will make my longer shooting more comfertable but yet i must also be able to use the rifle in the bush.
Any suggestions???

--------------------
"Hunting is a way of life"
Bigfive,South Africa


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shrike
.224 member


Reged: 16/07/04
Posts: 29
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: Bigfive]
      #24723 - 21/01/05 08:11 AM

Bigfive,
consider the very versatile 2x8 Leupold vari-x111.
It probably will do what you want it too.
It is a very usefull range of magnification for different types of big game rifles.


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shrike
.224 member


Reged: 16/07/04
Posts: 29
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: vapodog]
      #24726 - 21/01/05 08:18 AM

Vapodog,
I hear you. I bought a second hand Sako forester .308 with a Tasco 3x9 on it. I shot it for the first couple range trips with the Tasco. Then, when I decided I wanted to keep the rifle I put a Leupold on it.
The Tasco did not give any trouble, it performed fine.
It was just that I did not feel comfortable and had no confidence in it.
May be the Tasco would have given me a lifetime of service, may be not.
We have to do what we are confident and comfortable with.


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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: Bigfive]
      #24768 - 21/01/05 02:49 PM

Bigfive,

Take a look at the Trijicon website for the Aimpoint scopes........I have one on my .375Ultra, a 1.25x4x and it's a tough piece of gear........getting another for a .350RM project. Excellent warranty service, I'm told, but you'll probably never need it. The prices on the website are list and they are cheaper on some of the optic sites.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."


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jro45
.300 member


Reged: 25/12/03
Posts: 192
Loc: DE, USA
Re: Rifle scope expectations [Re: shrike]
      #24994 - 24/01/05 04:31 AM

Myself I prefer Leopole scopes on my rifles except my 416 I have a Burris 2 3/4. I just get tired of taking them off and sending them out to be repaired thats why I like Leopole
scopes haven't sent any of them back for repair.I do have one tasco, It been good also so far.


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