Rifle Scopes Bomb proof fixed 10x

Gohring65

Cheap bastard
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Minuteman
  • Feb 13, 2017
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    How about a new fixed 10x from one of the top tier with the absolute best glass, like the touted ZCO glass. 34mm tube with a thick wall. Tons of travel in the 1k$ range. That would give us poors a taste of the nice glass and bomb proof internals.
     
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    Add 1k to that...

    Nice! I wasn’t aware of that one, but not surprised SB would have that.
    When I get to 2k$ I would have to get something with variable mag just because 2k$ scope would be a one or two time purchase, but 1k$ I have several rifles that I would definitely spend 1k on. I had the SS on a 308 for years now, and honestly to 1k yards I never felt really handicapped.
     
    SWFA 10x42HD ($600) if they ever come back in stock. USO also now makes a new fixed 10x ($1500 I think).

    There is not a $1,000 fixed 10x on the market that I am aware of. You kinda got four options if you include the “classic” SWFA 10x42.
    Yes, I’m aware of those, but I’m talking that serious glass. That shit everyone has a hard on for right now, including the latest reticle.
    ZCO
    March?
    As easy and cheap as it seems to throw together a 34mm variable scope with good enough tracking and robust enough to survive a prs season for under 1000$, I can’t see why a top tier company couldn’t put out a special run of fixed 34MM 10x with the nicest possible glass, the latest reticle and excellent tracking for 1k$ ish..
     
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    He ain’t wrong^^^

    As much as some may want a premium 10x, it might not produce enough sales profit to break even on.

    I get it, for the longest time its what I wanted to. I have made many posts about it on here as well.

    The optic I want made, a 2.5-10x32 FFP, is about in the same boat as a fixed 10x. Simple in concept, but could be a risky business decision to invest the money into one.
     
    SWFA 10x42HD ($600) if they ever come back in stock. USO also now makes a new fixed 10x ($1500 I think).

    There is not a $1,000 fixed 10x on the market that I am aware of. You kinda got four options if you include the “classic” SWFA 10x42.
    That $600 is the Samplelist price. New are $800. It’s tempting to pick one up from the samplelist but I have no idea what I’d really do with it. I have a ridiculous amount of rifles and 3 have a 6x super chicken on them the rest are variables from various mfgs. My LR rifles I like to pull double duty and hunt with them but I don’t live out West in wide open country so use variables. I could always swap scopes I guess.
     
    Yes, I’m aware of those, but I’m talking that serious glass. That shit everyone has a hard on for right now, including the latest reticle.
    ZCO
    March?
    As easy and cheap as it seems to throw together a 34mm variable scope with good enough tracking and robust enough to survive a prs season for under 1000$, I can’t see why a top tier company couldn’t put out a special run of fixed 34MM 10x with the nicest possible glass, the latest reticle and excellent tracking for 1k$ ish..

    You still need most of the BOM to build a fixed power.

    Lenses aren't cheap. IIRC, the mark 8 they were paying $800 for just 1 single lens. Coatings and prescription glass are expensive when you need them to be good enough for the "super good glass" experience.
     
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    This idea pops up with reasonable regularity and once we do any sort of a semi-serious analysis, the volumes are not really there.

    I have some nostalgic draw to fixed power 10x scopes and I am working on an article where I use a 10x with an offset RDS for a caveman 1x/10x set-up.

    I currently have three 10x scopes: SWFA SS Classic 10x42SF, SWFA SSHD 10x42 and US Optics FDN FX10. The USO is more or less what you described, except it is not $1k and there will never be enough demand to make it go down in price that even if it was economically feasible.

    There was a long thread on it a year or two ago here, I think.

    ILya
     
    You still need most of the BOM to build a fixed power.

    Lenses aren't cheap. IIRC, the mark 8 they were paying $800 for just 1 single lens. Coatings and prescription glass are expensive when you need them to be good enough for the "super good glass" experience.
    800$ lenses puts it in perspective. Lol
     
    This idea pops up with reasonable regularity and once we do any sort of a semi-serious analysis, the volumes are not really there.

    I have some nostalgic draw to fixed power 10x scopes and I am working on an article where I use a 10x with an offset RDS for a caveman 1x/10x set-up.

    I currently have three 10x scopes: SWFA SS Classic 10x42SF, SWFA SSHD 10x42 and US Optics FDN FX10. The USO is more or less what you described, except it is not $1k and there will never be enough demand to make it go down in price that even if it was economically feasible.

    There was a long thread on it a year or two ago here, I think.

    ILya
    To be honest, I’d settle for SWFA to up date to 10 Mil turrets and a little more of a tree reticle, I’d be happy at around 500$. 34mm tube would really sell me on it.
     
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    Yes, I’m aware of those, but I’m talking that serious glass. That shit everyone has a hard on for right now, including the latest reticle.
    ZCO
    March?
    As easy and cheap as it seems to throw together a 34mm variable scope with good enough tracking and robust enough to survive a prs season for under 1000$, I can’t see why a top tier company couldn’t put out a special run of fixed 34MM 10x with the nicest possible glass, the latest reticle and excellent tracking for 1k$ ish..
    It is such a limited market, why would they expend the energy to create this?
    You and maybe three others would buy one.
    Not much use in ramping up production, which costs a significant amount of money for a return that would never see a profit.
     
    I was looking at it as a novelty run for someone like ZCO, latest reticle with the best glass as possible. It should be relatively easy to produce, but I do understand there could be some tooling that would need to be purchased, but not sure.
    the tubes shouldn’t have to be produced specifically for fixed power, it should be just grabbing one off the shelf. As far as the mechanics, it seems simpler to make a fixed power scope, but I’m purely speculating on that.
     
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    It is such a limited market, why would they expend the energy to create this?
    You and maybe three others would buy one.
    Not much use in ramping up production, which costs a significant amount of money for a return that would never see a profit.

    That is exactly the problem. There has to be something else it offers, given how good modern variable scopes are.
    Perhaps, super large adjustment range? or maybe, quite on the opposite end of the spectrum, something that is super lite yet still superb optically.
    I keep on looking at March's eyepiece zoom scopes and wondering if something like that could be applied to a lightweight robust and optically excellent design like a 10-15x50, for example. There are some issue there to overcome (eyerelief change) and nothing from March will ever be cheap, but that could be an interesting alternative.

    ILya
     
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    I was looking at it as a novelty run for someone like ZCO, latest reticle with the best glass as possible. It should be relatively easy to produce, but I do understand there could be some tooling that would need to be purchased, but not sure.
    the tubes shouldn’t have to be produced specifically for fixed power, it should be just grabbing one off the shelf. As far as the mechanics, it seems simpler to make a fixed power scope, but I’m purely speculating on that.

    S&B tried to do this novelty run on a 6x PMII a while back. A ton of people said they wanted it, but once it came to actually opening up your wallet, it was not exactly smooth sailing if memory serves me right. They made on production run a couple of years ago and it did sell, but I think it took a while.

    The basic problem is that the market for fixed power scopes is just too limited to put any investment into it. I do agree that is SWFA could add a tree reticle to their 10x42HD, 10mrad per turn turrets and single dot illumination it could do well, but the price would have to stay under $1k.

    ILya
     
    I've always wanted a fixed 12x or 14x (I usually set my 6-24x, 3-18x, 3-15x etc... on 12-14 and forget it's a variable) with a stainless tube, 10 mil locking turrets, etc... Just a simple bomb-proof hunk with superb optical quality. Nobody will ever do it, though. 8x or 10x zoom ratios look cooler on paper lol.
     
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    S&B tried to do this novelty run on a 6x PMII a while back. A ton of people said they wanted it, but once it came to actually opening up your wallet, it was not exactly smooth sailing if memory serves me right. They made on production run a couple of years ago and it did sell, but I think it took a while.

    The basic problem is that the market for fixed power scopes is just too limited to put any investment into it. I do agree that is SWFA could add a tree reticle to their 10x42HD, 10mrad per turn turrets and single dot illumination it could do well, but the price would have to stay under $1k.

    ILya
    Ilya,

    Do you have any insight on why SWFA hasn’t updated their reticles in forever?
     
    This idea pops up with reasonable regularity and once we do any sort of a semi-serious analysis, the volumes are not really there.

    I have some nostalgic draw to fixed power 10x scopes and I am working on an article where I use a 10x with an offset RDS for a caveman 1x/10x set-up.

    I currently have three 10x scopes: SWFA SS Classic 10x42SF, SWFA SSHD 10x42 and US Optics FDN FX10. The USO is more or less what you described, except it is not $1k and there will never be enough demand to make it go down in price that even if it was economically feasible.

    There was a long thread on it a year or two ago here, I think.

    ILya
    Count me in as interested in the 1/10x Caveman article.
     
    Ilya,

    Do you have any insight on why SWFA hasn’t updated their reticles in forever?

    Not really. if I were to make a guess, probably due to the same supply chain issues everyone is having. They are having a hard time keeping any of the current models in stock, so it is hard to justify beating up the manufacturer with changes.

    ILya
     
    I don’t get this, “a fixed 10 power is cheaper to manufacture”. Leaving aside the economies of scale aspect:

    The tube, most of the lenses, turrets, adjustment apparatus, illumination, effectively everything is identical - except the extra lens portions that provide for variable magnification.

    Overall in terms of raw material, tooling, and time spent in a CNC; it’s really not much more work to make the design variable.

    Then when you factor in you’ll sell 10 times as many if designed as a variable magnification scope - the idea is, and always will be, dead in the water.
     
    I'm less concerned about price. More interested in it being tougher and getting less compromise in the lens arrangement. Simpler optics, easier to get superb image. Splitting hairs no doubt.
     
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    To be honest, I’d settle for SWFA to up date to 10 Mil turrets and a little more of a tree reticle, I’d be happy at around 500$. 34mm tube would really sell me on it.
    So you want them to completely reengineer it and drop the price?

    You don't want to spend $2k for the S&B but want ZCO or March to make you one for $1k.

    I think you need to adjust your expectations.
     
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    Don't see the need for high dollar glass at 10x. I'd go with the SWFA 10x ($300-400). It has a reputation as a great tracker and bullet proof. The only downside is the turrets aren't overly crisp.