The Scope Carousel Continues ...

Started by klallen, October 24, 2011, 10:02:33 PM

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klallen

... i have a savage 111 gt hunter in .270 that's worn 3 different scopes in the last 9 years i've owned it. i'll find a better place for the scope it has and then have to replace. well, i'm there again. i'm looking at 2 scopes on sale in the $300 range at midway :
 
weaver tactical grand slam 3-10x40mm mil-dot $399.99 on sale for $299.99
nikon buckmasters 6-18x40mm mil-dot $369.99 on sale for $309.99
 
right now, i'm leaning towards the weaver. it's reference points appear to be much finer then those on the nikon however, i've never used either make or model on any of my rifles.
 
would appreciate hearing any experience on the grand slam or buckmasters line of scope the membership might have. positive or negative.
 
thanks.
 
k

sakorick

#1
The reason they are on sale(JMHO) is because they are very expensive kind of "near miss" scopes. Pony up for the Zeiss or Zwarovski and don't look back. The Nikons are very heavy and pretty common. I own a Weaver K4 that is 50 years old that still works good.....The new ones made by Leopold......P'tooey. Regards, Rick.
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

klallen

holy mackeral, sako.  i've kinda set the upper limit for this scope around $300.  a little more wouldn't kill me.  cheaper's always better.  don't get me wrong, i like spending $$$ on glass as much as the next guy but i can't bring myself to spend swarovski money for a $340 rifle.  lol.  darn scope'd probably stop working all together when it figured out it was riding on a savage.
 
more then anything else, i think weaver and nikon have my interest simply because i've never worked with either.  in general, opinions i've gotten lean weaver but i can't find a whole lot on this particular model.  they aren't listed as a standard weaver offering.  tripped across a claim that they were / are a midway exclusive.?.?.?.?  sounds reasonable as the review i was reading (positive, in general) had one picture where you can actually see a midwayuse stamp inside the objective end of the scope.
 
spent the day looking at alternatives, too.  burris' new fullfield e1 scopes look really good for the price.  that floating b-plex e1 reticle is neat.  used to only be available on their 6x premium line of scope but now comes in these nifty little packages.  got alot of faith in the fullfield II line of scopes and this line is supposed to only build upon that quality.  another option.  i love options.
 
this may come down to a coin flip.
 
 
 
 
 
k

TackyDriver

I guess it depends on how you are going to use your rifle. I can't argue with Zeiss or Swarofsky. I hear that in Europe it is common for hunters to spend more on their optics than on their guns. I'd have to save up my blue chip stamps for a LONG time though.

Savage rifles have a reputation for accuracy out of proportion to their price so I don't think ANY glass is too good for yours. But, getting back to non-OMG prices, the 3-10x zoom range seems more practical for general hunting
use. Will you be using your .270 at longer ranges where the 6-18x zoom range is better suited?

I've never had a Nikon scope but have experienced excellent customer service with repairs for their other products. I bought a Weaver 2-10x50 scope about five years ago and haven't had any complaints. The 50mm objective was more than I wanted but was the only one the store had that went down to 2 power. That big bell in front makes my BAR look like it's wearing clown shoes but man, does it gather light. Will you have any use for the mil-dot reticle? I've never learned to use one and would worry about the clutter around the cross hairs. Your experience may be better. I wish you luck on your shopping quest.


It would be a shame to waste a perfectly good mistake by not learning from it.

Jamie.270

#4
I'd vote for the Burris, but I've had great luck with the one's I've had.  Especially my old Fullfield 2-7x.
I have a new 4.5-14x timberline with the B-plex for my .270, but now that I see the e-1, that looks even better.

Oh and Rick?  I believe it is Redfields that Leupold is producing, not Weaver.  I looked at their offering in the 4-12 range, but opted for the Burris because the Redfield didn't have any parallax adjustment.
QuoteRestrictive gun laws that leave good people helpless, don\'t have the power to render bad people harmless.

To believe otherwise is folly. --  Me

klallen

morning, t d .  you're 100% correct.  top end 9x or 10x is probably more appropriate for the cartridge.  that consideration's one of the reasons i'm leaning weaver over the nikon. and thinking about the burris e1.  very nice price for the 3-9x40.
 
no, longer range work isn't in this rifle's future.  350 - 375 probably at the outside so the lower mag would do fine there, also.
 
"Will you have any use for the mil-dot reticle? I've never learned to use one and would worry about the clutter around the cross hairs. Your experience may be better."
 
regarding reticles with reference points     ...     i really like'm.  i like taking an afternoon and matching up dots or hashes to real world trajectories of a handload.  just gives more info to work with when in the field if there happens to be a hold over situation present itself.  lots of folks are kinda down on these types of scopes.  and that's ok.  but i've worked with them for so long, anymore, it looks strange to me if there isn't something at least on the lower vertical.  i only have one scope in the safe on a .280ai without reference points.  maybe i need to move that scope over to the .270 and put the new one back on it.?.?.?.?    hmmmm.  something i hadn't considered before.  another decision, now.  lol.
 
i think i'm starting to hedge that way, jamie.  i'm not so sure it wouldn't be smartest to move the tasco titan 3-12x from the .280ai over to the .270.  a new 4.5-14x e1 would work real well on the .280ai.
 
 
k

Hunterbug

I'd probably go with the Weaver. I have never been a big Burris fan. I am with you on one thing, Zeiss or Swrovski area bit pricey for me too.
Ask not what your government can do for you. Ask how your government can go away and get out of your life.
 
 
The unarmed man is is not only defenseless, he is also contemptible.
Niccolo Machiavelli

sakorick

Quote from: Jamie.270;116688I'd vote for the Burris, but I've had great luck with the one's I've had.  Especially my old Fullfield 2-7x.
I have a new 4.5-14x timberline with the B-plex for my .270, but now that I see the e-1, that looks even better.

Oh and Rick?  I believe it is Redfields that Leupold is producing, not Weaver.  I looked at their offering in the 4-12 range, but opted for the Burris because the Redfield didn't have any parallax adjustment.

I vote for the Burris. The BP reticle works like a champ and the weight and optics are right up there.....Made in Colorado too.  Redfield and weavers are Chinese so to me it doesn't matter who markets them.

An old German Jager told me years ago "show me a expensive rifle with a cheap scope and I show you a piece of junk.....show me a cheap rifle mit a Zeiss scope and I show you a nice rifle"! Helmut 1978.

Regards, Rick.
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

JaDub

Check out Konus and Leapers tacticals for `reasonably` priced scopes.........    I`m VERY pleased with mine.  Sure, I`d drive a Ferrari but  my budget can`t afford it.  The two mentioned brands have been everything I hoped they would......and more.
 
 JaDub

davidlt89

I like Nikons and they are priced right!!! I have had the buckmasters and it worked very well night hunting coyotes. I currently own two prostaffs which are half the price of the nikon and I certainly have no complaints. I am very seriously thinking about switching out the prostaff on the 25-06 with a buckmasters myself. Don't be afraid to get a "normal" reticle. Mildots just take all the fun out of it:greentongue: the zeiss conquest is "in" your price range, and has been reported to work well!!!! I ordered one for Rick I believe not to long ago! God bless.
Romans 12:2
     
2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

sakorick

Quote from: JaDub;116721Check out Konus and Leapers tacticals for `reasonably` priced scopes.........    I`m VERY pleased with mine.  Sure, I`d drive a Ferrari but  my budget can`t afford it.  The two mentioned brands have been everything I hoped they would......and more.
 
 JaDub

I own two Konus rimfire scopes and was surprised at their quality.....best low end scope I've looked through. I would try out their variable power scopes based on what I've seen and read. Regards, Rick.
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

Jorge in Oz

Can't go wrong with Leupold. I love these scopes.
"The Germans brought the best hunting rifle to the war. The Americans brought the best target rifle. The British brought the best battle rifle!"
 
"The early church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity." ― Leonard Ravenhill

sakorick

Quote from: Jorge in Oz;116736Can't go wrong with Leupold.

Oh yes you can! Years ago, I saved up my money for a Vari X II 3x9 and mounted on my Zavodi 243. One day I was checking the zero for the upcoming deer season and my tack driver was shooting 3+ inch groups. After 2 days of frustration, I took the scope off and put on a Burris 3-9......the rifle shot 1/2 inch groups all day long. I boxed up the Leupy and shipped it back to Oregon. A month later it came back tagged no problems noted. I shipped it back with a letter and test targets showing the groups shot with the Leupy and the Burris and said please fix this scope. It came back about a month later with a tag that said "internal failure, repaired". That was the last Leupold I ever bought. The scope is back on the Zavodi and it works fine, however, the experience was very frustrating to say the least.

We had a scope test here at the farm about 6 years ago(our county was among  the first in Missouri to initiate the 4 points on a side rule) testing the low light capabilities of various scopes. At 100 yards scoping a 8 point buck rack we noted the results from sundown until 45 minutes after....4 people looked through each 3-9 power scope every 5 minutes and here are the result with all scopes set on 6 power:

At 10 minutes past the Tasco failed, At 15 past, the Leupy failed, at 20 minutes past, the Burris failed, and at 40 minutes past you could still count the points with the Zeiss. Shooting hours here are from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. We were all surprised at the results. I'm sure that Leupold has better coating on their newer scopes these days, however, my Leupold days are over. Regards, Rick.
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

klallen

#13
appreciate the suggestions and opinion. given me some good things to consider.
 
i have two leupolds (one vari-x III, one vari-x II). of my own choosing, they've both been back to the custom shop for better reticle installations. i've got no complaints about either now. interesting low-light field test, sako. what tasco were you working with? the only tasco i took a chance on with a big game rifle was their discontinued titan line of scopes. and the test has gone wonderfully. found two on a discount shelf years back when they were eliminated and so that played into the experiment, a bit. i have one of their 3-12x with a larger 52mm objective on the .280ai. and a 1.25-4.5x on my .416rm. it's been a real nice test run. i certainly can't think of another tasco product i'd put on a .416 . lol.
 
i know lots of folks are brand loyal when it comes to their scope purchasing. sound reasoning behind that. i'm pretty much the opposite, though. my collection's kind of a hodge-podge of various experiments with things previously unused. educated experiments, albeit, that have turned out real well, for me, for the most part. i have favorites, like anyone, that i'll run back to in a pinch, but generally when a scope is needed, i first consider what i've never used. that's the appeal of nikon and weaver. and the new burris e1 line with the reticle i've never used.
 
as of right now, i'm 80% certain i'm going with the e1. however, struggling with the decision of which one. simply getting the cheaper 3-9x for the .270 and being done with it. or moving the tasco on the .280 over and jumping price up about $150 for the 4.5-14x replacement i'd want.?.?.?.? looking into availability and pricing now.
 
be nice to have the funds just to buy these various scopes that i'm interested in when i see them go on sale and already have them stored at the house just waiting for the next rifle project to come home. not in the cards for me, though.
 
 
 
 
k

TackyDriver

Hi Klallen. May all of the decisions you struggle with be so pleasurable. Rick, thanks for describing the twilight optic test. I agree that it's interesting. I guess I'll have to harvest a buck so I can have a rack for my own test purposes. What sort of background did you have behind the rack in your test?
It would be a shame to waste a perfectly good mistake by not learning from it.

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