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Rifle Scopes Used glass options?

P

PNW_Steve

Private
Minuteman
May 12, 2020
30
1
Hello Everyone,

I am going to dip my toes into the realm of long distance shooting. Most of what I have done so far ends at 200 yards.

I have been researching rifles and accessories and have been a bit surprised that the glass I have been looking at rivals the rifle in cost. That got me wondering how the used market in glass is. Are there examples of "the best scope of 2016" to be had used at a favorable price?

My aim is to upgrade the glass on my current bolt rifle as well as add to the AR-10 that I have in the works. I will be shooting either .243 Winchester or 6mm Creedmoor. I will be starting out at 200-400 yards and hope to find a spot where I can shoot beyond 400 yards and convince the farmer to let me build a bench :)

Can you all give a hand selecting reasonable used or NOS glass for my application? Can it be done for $500?.... $300?

I am new to this discipline of shooting so please reply slowly and use small words :)

Thanks Everyone.

S.
 
If you could up your budget to around $750-8 you could find a vortex viper gen 2, other than that you could look into some of what Athlon offers in your price range, I don’t have any of the Athlon scopes but have heard and read good things about them. If you can swing more cash you won’t outgrow the optic and it will still be a good investment for when you do get a chance to shoot out to 8-1000 yds. There’s lots of choices out there others will give more suggestions than what I can as all I’ve ever used is the vortex razor line and some nightforce optics and I do have a viper gen 2 in 5-25.
 
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I recommend Used all the time, there are great deals to be had right here on the Hide. For the $500ish price look for Vortex PST II scopes as well as Burris XTR II scopes. I picked up a Bushnell LRHSi 4.5-18x44 a couple months ago for under $700 which is a great scope for that price and I think Doug at Cameralandny might even be blowing out some of the LRTS scopes which are essentially a newer version of the LRHS.

Instead of building a bench, another option would be to learn to shoot off a tripod.
 
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If you have anything like a 3-9 now, use it for 400 yards. Save your pennies until you can really step up in quality, like $800+.
Heck, I shot my pronghorn last year at 450ish on 7x, and shot a coyote in March at 921 on 7x too.
 
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gr8fuldoug said:
We are cutting deals on the LRTS 4.5-18x44's, just give us a call 516-217-1000
Click to expand...

This deal is actually pretty good if you are just getting into longer range shooting
(And IF they can do any better.... it would be even more tempting)

camera land deal.JPG
 
Thank you for the recommendations.
gr8fuldoug said:
We are cutting deals on the LRTS 4.5-18x44's, just give us a call 516-217-1000
Click to expand...

Thank you.

That looks inviting but I am really trying to start modestly until I am certain that I want to really dive in. An $1100 scope may be a bit much for me to "test the waters".
 
Check out the Athlons that Doug has at Cameralandny. They are not bad scopes for the money, and in the future, if you want to move up, you could put the Athlon on a 22 or pass it along to a younger relative or something.
 
lancetkenyon said:
If you have anything like a 3-9 now, use it for 400 yards. Save your pennies until you can really step up in quality, like $800+.
Heck, I shot my pronghorn last year at 450ish on 7x, and shot a coyote in March at 921 on 7x too.
Click to expand...

My current 3-9x40 Redfield has issues and is ready to be retired. This time last year I was looking at a replacement 3-9 but did not pull the trigger on it. Now I am looking at something with 18x max or more.

I did run through the classifieds here and saw plenty to drool over. Unfortunately most of it is a bit beyond me so far. eBay seems to have a pretty good selection of used glass. I have been poking around there to see what I could find.
 
PNW_Steve said:
Thank you for the recommendations.


Thank you.

That looks inviting but I am really trying to start modestly until I am certain that I want to really dive in. An $1100 scope may be a bit much for me to "test the waters".
Click to expand...
If you call him...it isn't $1100...
 
Maybe a vortex diamondback tactical? I’m not sure if the turrets track excellent but it comes with a nice reticle so you could reach out to 500 yards and beyond easily with just holdovers. A less costly option to dip your toes in.

Arken Optics scopes are reasonably price and I’ve heard they’re a great value. A usable reticle and supposedly track well also
 
If you are willing to buy used, the PX here is great. If buying new, give Doug at www.CameralandNY.com a call. They are sponsors here and will be well worth your time....
 
PNW_Steve said:
Thank you for the recommendations.


Thank you.

That looks inviting but I am really trying to start modestly until I am certain that I want to really dive in. An $1100 scope may be a bit much for me to "test the waters".
Click to expand...

However something to think about is you can save money by getting something good from the start, rather than going cheap and then having to upgrade.
If you don't have a Kestrel, which is fairly useful in shooting, that deal is a decent package.

Lots of other choices, but don't get something you will have to upgrade from soon when not much more would get you something that will go a long ways.
 
502Chevelle said:
Check out the Athlons that Doug has at Cameralandny. They are not bad scopes for the money, and in the future, if you want to move up, you could put the Athlon on a 22 or pass it along to a younger relative or something.
Click to expand...

I expect that I am missing something.....

I looked at the Athlons at Cameraland and saw this:

Product Description

Product Description | Camera Land NY
cameralandny.com cameralandny.com

From the description and reviews it looks promising. What concerns me is the price. Is the $334 scope as good as the reviews make it sound?

I was hoping to get into a decent used scope for under $500. The Althon looks too good to be true.....

What am I missing?
 
wjm308 said:
Instead of building a bench, another option would be to learn to shoot off a tripod.
Click to expand...

But then we are going to start recommending $450+ ball heads and $1300 Tripods...heh....this place is really expensive :)
 
W54/XM-388 said:
However something to think about is you can save money by getting something good from the start, rather than going cheap and then having to upgrade.
If you don't have a Kestrel, which is fairly useful in shooting, that deal is a decent package.

Lots of other choices, but don't get something you will have to upgrade from soon when not much more would get you something that will go a long ways.
Click to expand...

I don't want to buy cheap. I want to buy value.

If I buy a modest scope to start with, I can cycle it down to a lesser rifle and then buy nicer for my long range gun if needed.

I have been looking at ballistic computer apps for my phone. Would you recommend the Kestrel over the apps on a smartphone?
 
I bought a Vortex Strike Eagle last year for my daughter's 6.5CM. 3-18×44, but I think it is discontinued. Great scope for $300ish.
 
Kestrels are nice especially in a match, I started using the phone apps and they worked just fine, eventually went to a kestrel with the applied ballistics and it is nice, but definitely not a necessity especially just getting started.
 
Anyone still running the Vortex PST Gen II with the EBR-2C's on blow out sales since it is a discontinued reticle?

How about all the sales on the Nikon FX1000 that was blowing them out for cheap?
 
PNW_Steve said:
I have been looking at ballistic computer apps for my phone. Would you recommend the Kestrel over the apps on a smartphone?
Click to expand...

The Kestrel gives you the information you need to put into your ballistic application.

Things like wind, temperature, Altitude Density and humidity start having effects at longer ranges that make the difference between a hit or miss.

Being able to check the wind at the very least is a big plus once you start pushing past the 200 yard range.

Now you can buy fancy kestrels that have ballistic computers built in, but that's probably not in the budget for now.

I would suggest based on your question that you seriously consider going to your account settings and choosing the upgrade to online training (less than $20 a month) and watch all of Frank's online videos that show you about all this stuff. You can turn off the subscription any month you choose.
 
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W54/XM-388 said:
The Kestrel gives you the information you need to put into your ballistic application.

Things like wind, temperature, Altitude Density and humidity start having effects at longer ranges that make the difference between a hit or miss.

Being able to check the wind at the very least is a big plus once you start pushing past the 200 yard range.

Now you can buy fancy kestrels that have ballistic computers built in, but that's probably not in the budget for now.

I would suggest based on your question that you seriously consider going to your account settings and choosing the upgrade to online training (less than $20 a month) and watch all of Frank's online videos that show you about all this stuff. You can turn off the subscription any month you choose.
Click to expand...

OK.... I was looking at something similar. It had the sensors in one unit and Bluetooth to connect to your phone running the ballistics app.
 
PNW_Steve said:
I expect that I am missing something.....

I looked at the Athlons at Cameraland and saw this:

Product Description

Product Description | Camera Land NY
cameralandny.com cameralandny.com

From the description and reviews it looks promising. What concerns me is the price. Is the $334 scope as good as the reviews make it sound?

I was hoping to get into a decent used scope for under $500. The Althon looks too good to be true.....

What am I missing?
Click to expand...

Any thoughts on this one?

Earlier in the thread someone recommended Althon.
 
This is the best scope you can get for 500 bucks plus or minus.

www.natchezss.com

Weaver Tactical Rifle Scope - 3-15X50mm 30mm SF Illum FFP EMDR Reticle 33.9-6.8' FOV 3.98" ER Black Matte

Weaver is proud to offer rugged riflescopes designed specifically for tactical applications. As part of the Super Slam™ series, these tactical scopes are manufactured to the strictest tolerances in order to perform in the harshest environments. Powerful 5x magnification Fully multi-coated...
www.natchezss.com www.natchezss.com

Japanese glass from LOW and it is crystal clear as well as very bright. The reticle is outdated but it will work.
 
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I think you’d be plenty happy with that, I’ve never seen one in person so I can’t comment on firsthand experience but someone will chime in that has had firsthand experience with one I’m sure, but I think it would serve you just fine.
 
PNW_Steve said:
OK.... I was looking at something similar. It had the sensors in one unit and Bluetooth to connect to your phone running the ballistics app.
Click to expand...

If you have the money to step up to one that does the wireless communication to your phone, there are both the Kestrel models as well as some other companies ones that do it. Having the automatic link up does save time and effort.
 
If you can’t find a good used scope in your budget check out the Athlon Midas Tac. It’s a good value scope that you may want to consider. It’s certainly in your budget and it’s as good or better than the reviews. Has lifetime warranty which is a big plus imo. Check out the reviews on YouTube. A fella named Rex put it through its paces along with another guy that put one on a custom 6mm cm and shows it’s tracking and repeatability. Otherwise save up and get you a night Force.
 
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In the link it says second focal plane under the specs
 

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Your good man I knew they made both just didn’t want the op to go the wrong direction.
 
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That’s what I heard too. I don’t think I’d buy a scope knowing there may be no service after the sale. Might also want to think about the quality of products being produced by employees facing unemployment and the potential losses typically associated with loss of employment. Just something to think about.
 
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lancetkenyon said:
Isn't Nikon getting out of the scope business?
Click to expand...
Yes, which is why Europtic bought everything from them and is selling at a discount. Their current warranty is "No Fault" for a lifetime but I'm not sure how this will be affected in the future.

Edited to include response from Nikon FWIW:
 

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Definitely don't be afraid to buy "used" from classifieds. I have bought quite a few from classifieds at steep discounts from new and can't hardly tell they weren't new. Most of the time if you don't end up liking it you can resell it without really taking a bath on it. I like the Leupold VX5 HD's, Vortex Viper Gen2 as well as some of the others mentioned above. Good luck with getting into the sport. You don't have to start out with fancy expensive stuff. Spend more on ammo and enjoy the shooting - you can always upgrade later!
 
arrow179 said:
Definitely don't be afraid to buy "used" from classifieds. I have bought quite a few from classifieds at steep discounts from new and can't hardly tell they weren't new. Most of the time if you don't end up liking it you can resell it without really taking a bath on it. I like the Leupold VX5 HD's, Vortex Viper Gen2 as well as some of the others mentioned above. Good luck with getting into the sport. You don't have to start out with fancy expensive stuff. Spend more on ammo and enjoy the shooting - you can always upgrade later!
Click to expand...

I have no problem shopping from the classifieds here. I went through them once and didn't find anything that jumped out at me. I will keep an eye out there and if you should see something that looks suitable feel free to ping me :)
 
If I added up all the money I spent trying to save money... I'd have an AI or a custom rig and a Nightforce or S&B and have been one and done.

I know it's hard to wait and justify the expense, trust me, I just wanted to get in the game. I spent more hours researching the best equipment that fit my imaginary budget, only to end up wasting even more time wondering if it was me or my equipment that sucked (yeah, it was partly me on any given day :LOL:). For the hundred of dollars in ammo, hours and hours at the range, more hours asking questions and chasing answers... all valuable experience in the pursuit of this fine art, but frustrating nonetheless when you're walking away from the range with a bunch of targets that are embarrassing.

Keep waiting on the PX, keep saving your money, and spend as much as you can the first time. Not sure if anyone has recommended the SWFA scopes yet? Fixed 10x for $300 I think?

And hey, if you spend more than your comfortable with and find this ain't your bag, you can always ditch it here and recoup a fair amount of your investment. Quality used equipment sells very quickly.

Good luck with everything!
 
Both Weaver and Nikon are out of the scope business and I would not trust the support for products from either brand. Well, I did not trust the support from Nikon when they were still making scopes for what it is worth.

I would not touch either with a ten foot pole given how many options there are today. Now, discontinued scope from a brand that is not leavimg the business is a different ballgame altogether.

Shopping used is not a bad idea, but I can't rely on that when I make recommendations. If I were just getting into this now, my recommednations are fairly simple.

Either spend $300 on a SWFA fixed scope or $850 on Steiner P4Xi from Doug.
The 4.5-18x44 LRTSi is a very nice scope as well, but for a dedicated precision rig, I'd be looking at the P4Xi for similar money. If you are looking for a crossover scope, then LRTSi would be a better option.

ILya
 
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koshkin said:
Both Weaver and Nikon are out of the scope business and I would not trust the support for products from either brand. Well, I did not trust the support from Nikon when they were still making scopes for what it is worth.

I would not touch either with a ten foot pole given how many options there are today. Now, discontinued scope from a brand that is not leavimg the business is a different ballgame altogether.

Shopping used is not a bad idea, but I can't rely on that when I make recommendations. If I were just getting into this now, my recommednations are fairly simple.

Either spend $300 on a SWFA fixed scope or $850 on Steiner P4Xi from Doug.
The 4.5-18x44 LRTSi is a very nice scope as well, but for a dedicated precision rig, I'd be looking at the P4Xi for similar money. If you are looking for a crossover scope, then LRTSi would be a better option.

ILya
Click to expand...

I actually asked that specifically to Bushnell. They will warranty the weaver scopes for the first 30 years. I'm sure that means replace them with something of similar value as fixing or repairing might not be possible but they will indeed take them in.
 
stello1001 said:
I actually asked that specifically to Bushnell. They will warranty the weaver scopes for the first 30 years. I'm sure that means replace them with something of similar value as fixing or repairing might not be possible but they will indeed take them in.
Click to expand...

I am sure they will, but what will they consider equal value? If you go by price, it will be one of their Chinese FFP scopes.

ILya
 
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koshkin said:
I am sure they will, but what will they consider equal value? If you go by price, it will be one of their Chinese FFP scopes.

ILya
Click to expand...

I've thought about it, and I would make sure to argue in my favor of course. Yeah you can get the scopes cheap now because natchez is closing them out but you're just gonna have to argue how it's Japanese LOW glass and it's high retail. Either way, I like the scope enough that if I was the in market for a scope in that price range, I could care less that Bushnell can't replace it with an exact model scope. They are great pieces of glass and I would go for it.
 
Really hard to beat the SWFA fixed scope's value. A fixed 10x will be a great fit for your .243 at the ranges you listed. When you eventually want to upgrade, the 10x makes a great backup, hunting, or rimfire trainer scope.
 
PNW_Steve said:
Any thoughts on this one?

Earlier in the thread someone recommended Althon.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go below the Midas glass - I can see 223 holes in paper @ 600, and marks on steel out to 1000, so it's usable, clarity equivalent to a PST G2, but brighter. Not as good as Bushnell Japanese glass. I bought a second Midas BTR (4.5-27, SFP) because the first one was such a good value. Old BTR Midas and Ares used the same glass, but Midas was SFP, which I preferred, because the reticle was thinner at high mag, and the subtensions are correct @15X rather than at max mag, like many other SFP scopes. Athlon warranty makes a used purchase safe.
 
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