Best varmint scope for under $350.00

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bill1227

New member
For woodchucks (groundhog) hunting 200 - 500 yards. I already have a Bushnell Bannor dusk to dawn 6-24X40 it was about $150.00. Do you see much differance for the money between the bannor and say a $300.00 Bushnell Elite ? I don't get to handle a lot of scopes.

I like milldot or simular for holdover.

Thanks in advance.........
 
I am afraid to even say this, but the 6-24 BSA I just put on a 220 swift has impressed me. I have Leupolds on all my other rifles and love them. However I am having to send 2 of them back for repairs. Let the "bashing" begin as I have my head covered.
 
bill

i just picked up a nikon buckmaster a couple of weeks ago and really like it. it's a 4,5x14 and has mil dot. from what i read in a lot of forums nikons are junk, if ya ain't got a us optics ya ain't crap. i compared it to leupolds in the store and outside and i really couldn't see 700$ worth of difference. so i bought one.

when i got it home i placed it on a 458 win mag. thinking the turrets were going to fall off at anytime because it's not a leupold i fired twelve shots using 500gr bullets, thats all i could stand to enjoy, thank you very much. to my surprise the glass was still intact, and wonder of wonders the turrets didn't fall off either. my shoulder sure hurt though.

since then i have mounted it on a 22 1/4 ai. bore sighted it and done the walk around the square on paper and it was perfect. shot 100yd groups that were in the 6's. now i understand i could tighten my groups by 1/2 if i had a leupold, swarovski, or us optics but that would scare me half to death. groups in the 3's from a savage, well schucks everybody knows them things won't shoot worth a crap. your lucky to hit the side of a barn, from inside the barn.

i really like the nikon and highly recommend it. it's a great scope and value at $279.00.

if you think this report is somewhat acidic ya oughta catch me when i'm in a really bad mood. he. he.

p.s. it has side focus also.
 
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hitman-I say a guy shouldn't have to worry about being "bashed" for being honest. I have one Luppy that I have had to send back, but I was more than happy to get it back, and happy with its performance over the years. Purchased it back when I was a kid, and its been on a couple of hard hitting 300 mags. It fogged a couple of times, but that was here in the Pacific Northwest under very wet conditions. I just bet Leupold never did find anything wrong with it. Since the purchase of that scope years ago, I now own a few more, most in the Tactical version. Very nice optics, and made close to home.
Not everyone can afford expensive glass such as US Optics, or Nightforce, or even the upper end Luppy's. I try and stay away from European glass, because of a survey I had read a couple of years ago from outfitters stating that more very expensive European glass has failed on expensive hunts than any other. Thats enough for me. They have excellent glass, but the tubes can be rather week, so I am told.
I would have to say that my experience with Nikon optics is exceptional. Clarity is exceptional, and the price is offordable, even for the working man (like me!). I've heard from some benchrest friends of mine that adjustments are not as repeatable as others, be we aren't talking benchrest now are we? I have also heard some very good things about Bushnell's Elite series of scopes. I've read some reviews from guys who should be writing reviews on optics, not just magazine authors that have little knowledge.
Be sure to tell us of your choice, and how it has worked out!
 
Hitman--I'm in southern Mich, you're in NW Ohio, I should be able to hit you from here, but not using a BSA. The Buckmaster mentioned is a good scope for the money IMHO. The Weaver classic v 4-16x40 is also very reliable for about the same price. Both are under $280 and good scopes--2MG
 
LOL I bought this scope because the price was "CHEAP" and I was curious. We sighted it in yesterday and I was impressed with its performance for what it is. The gun it is on is a ruger MKII target stainless laminate 220 swift. Its repeatability was very good at 200 yds. I shot five shots with a groupng of .3 and this was with some loads we were testing for the gun. I am not saying at all that I am trading in my 5 Leupolds I am just going to get the 2 fixed.
 
Hitman, just kidding! I've also had a few cheapies work remarkably well. I've also seen or heard of nearly every brand fail at some point. For the money though, as cheap as BSA's may be, there are still scopes with better looking optics IMHO--2MG
 
I do agree with that. The original plan for this BSA was a 10/22 that I built but put it on the swift since I had to take my VXII off to get repaired. Like I would stay away from ther sweet 17 scope as I have a "bad" bushnell that has better optics. Hey I can laugh at myself on this one because I have talked all of my buddies into buying GOOD glass and they have all bought Leupolds. I will ask this though does anyone have a Burris that they like. A buddy has a Signature that has worse vision than this BSA. I have a Burris 2-7x on my 44 mag and I love it but I have not been that impressed with their rifle scopes.
 
In have a 3200 elite 5 x 15 x40 its under 350 bucks and Its seems pretty good to me. I've had it on a 22-250 and now sits on a A bolt 204,
 
I also have seen good and bad Burris scopes. With most brands you pretty much know what to expect. Burris is a little different in this respect in my experience. In general, I would say they make better handgun scopes than rifle scopes--2MG
 
The elites are quite good. They are what pushed Leupold into the new VX line and only the VX3 is slightly better at twice or more the price.

Jack
 
I got a Nikon Buckmaster a couple week ago to put on my new 22-250 Tikka. Can't say I have anything bad to say about this scope. Very clear and picks up light very well. I got the silver 14.5-14x40 w/side focus and it cost $255 about $266 shipped to my door. I'd definately look at this line of scopes. Might save ya $100 bucks for some other toy.

Mahamari
 
I just bought a Nikon 4.5x14x40 SF mildot. I have one just like it with the Nikoplex on my bolt gun and love it. I plan on putting the mildot one on my RRA Varmint EOP if RRA ever decides to make any more. I ordered my AR from them the first week of May and still nothing yet. Everytime I call them I just get the run-around. I hope to have it by winter time.
 
I appreciate all the replies. One thing I notice whenever scopes are a topic the words "clarity, detail,definition,etc. are used to describe scopes that usually cost more. While I am sure this is true to the trained eye, personally I have not seen the difference between them to justify 3-4 times the cost from a hunting perspective. I am just trying to understand how that "detail" relates to accuracy. I do understand how it relates to photography. I don't have a problem paying more for a scope if it improves accuracy at the above yardage to warrant the higher price. It would seem that the important factors for accuracy in a scope would be "holding zero", point of impact,etc. to where it was set. Accurate & true 1/4" adjustments along with durability,fog,rain,etc.
I can shoot a 5 shot group of 1" at 200 yards with my 22-250 Tikka T3 Varmint using my Bushnell Banner 6-24X40, I believe it is the rifle doing it along with proper magnification and holding zero. What I don't understand but often here when speaking of the benefits of higher priced scopes is "detail" in relationship to accuracy. I guess what I am looking for is "what do you get for your money in terms of accuracy with the higher priced scope". My detail & light at 20-24 power and long range with the banner seems o.k. It may be that with a higher priced scope I could see the woodchucks eye color at 400 yards rather than the eye. What I don't understand is how that would help with accuracy ? I know it makes for better photography.
Locally when I have asked this question many have said, "well look at the bench rest shooters 90% of them use XYZ brand........that should tell you something". It does..........it shows that many copy a certain set up.......but, it does not answer the question. I really do like quality and will pay more for it as long as I can see and understand the difference. For me varmint rifle scopes main feature should be accuracy at long distance. I can see it in certain rifles but, scopes I always here "clarity" or "they all use this........so...........must be it's good".
Just some thoughts..........I am not photographing I am shooting varmints. I have a feeling good scopes can be had for less these days and the differance between high end and value may be more about picture quality than accuracy.
 
Actually Bill, IMHO, you have it backwards. There are more scopes with good glass now than ever, but repeatability and toughness is still what separates the men from the boys if you ask me--2MG
 
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Actually Bill, IMHO, you have it backwards. There are more scopes with good glass now than ever, but repeatability and toughness is still what separates the men from the boys if you ask me--2MG



Interesting view.........you may be right, thanks.

I think "repeatability" would be key, like the "good glass" .......most are pretty tough. Keeping the shot placement the same......well, I was told by a scope manufacture that "he has never seen any scope that will do that perfect".
 
Just to throw a little gas on the fire...I have a Simmons 6.5x24x40 AO on a .22-250 Howa that I took pdog shooting a couple of weeks ago and shot a number past 500yds and one at 703yds (lasered) after having the rifle dropped on the scope twice.

Dropping it loosened the reticles and I had to keep rotating the scope in the rings to the left to keep them vertical/horizontal to the point where the turrets are now at close to a 45deg angle but after each adjustment the scope still held a perfect zero without resighting. How many scopes would do that? I think I paid $90 for it.

Before the flames get too high I should say that at higher magnification the difference in optics quality was pretty obvious (before dropping, LOL) between the Simmons and the Nikons I had on other rifles that day, and though the Simmons was acceptable even at high mag, I'll be replacing it, probably with another Nikon as I have had really good luck with them.

Good Shooting

Leon
 
I have two burris signature series (4x16x44 and 3x9x40 Bal Plex) I love both of them. The first I bought off of ebay, and shortly after mounting I needed to have the elevation adjustment knob repaired. Great service, transferrable lifetime warranty and they had it back to me in working condition in 5 business days.

Nothing wrong with Leupolds,Weaver at all. And I've seen alot of good reports on the Bushnell elites. There are some times I wish I still had my Loopy Vari-x III in 3.5X10 along with the .270 I had to sell to fund my divorce /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 


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