Unfortunately, I forgot to mark the original thread as "do not archive", so it got eaten by the archive server. I've reposted the old info out of the original thread.





PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES IN MIND WHEN POSTING IN THIS THREAD:

• DO post helpful, FIRST-HAND advice if you have it.



• DO post about what you like, and what you don't like about the particular optic in question.
  
  
  
  
  
  



• DO NOT post "you get what you pay for" - we'll assume that the person looking for advice has figured that out.



• DO NOT post about things that aren't relevant.
  
  
  
  
  
  



• If you ask questions, try to make them SPECIFIC.



• Keep in mind that this FAQ entry is supposed to HELP people figure out what acceptable choices are.

If you can't abide by these rules, expect to have your post deleted.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this is about inexpensive (aka "cheap") optics. THEY ARE PRIMARILY FOR PLINKING/DUTY USE.

 

squirrelslayer1: I
purchased a 4-16x50 Centerpoint scope from Walmart. It has held its
zero in.223 for many rounds. The glass is fairly good unless you zoom it
to the max. I paid about 60 dollars for it.



bybon: I like two that have worked well for me.  First is a Swift.  My 2X
pistol scope resides on a Mosin 91/59.  It has taken the recoil of that
little beast without any indication of trouble.  I think I paid a little
over one hundred.  The second, is a Micro Dot 2 X 7.  It has pretty
good clarity, is light weight and has a one MOA dot.  I have used it on a
FAL and it works well.  I think I paid about two hundred ten years ago.



jjc155: I have a Mueller APV (All purpose varible objective) in a larue mount
for my AR that I use for Coyote's. I have other Mueller scopes too on
other guns. IMHO Mueller is one of, if not the best budget glass out
there.





http://muelleroptics.com/





Sorry. The four mueller scopes that I own (2 APV one on an AR and
one on a 17hmr, Multishot on my .50 ML and a quick shot on my turkey
gun). All the glass has been very clear and bright even at higher
magnification. They have all held their zero's including the one on my
Muzzleloader that has about 300 rounds heavy load rounds through it. No
problems with reticles. The Mulitshot has a lighted red dot at the
center of the reticle which is nice during low light deer hunting.





The price was the original factor when I initially looked into them but the quality is what has brought me back.





Mueller Multi Shot2x7x32


year purchased: 2007


amount paid:159


firearm mounted on: Thompson Center Triumph .50cal ML


number of rounds through firearm with scope mounted: 300ish


Uses: (ie range/hunting etc):Deer Hunting.





Mueller Quick Shot reflex


year purchased: 2006


amount paid:120


firearm mounted on: Remington 870 12ga


number of rounds through firearm with scope mounted: 200ish


Uses: (ie range/hunting etc): Turkey Hunting.





Mueller APV 4.5-14x40


year purchased: 2008


amount paid:120ish


firearm mounted on: Savage .17hmr


number of rounds through firearm with scope mounted: 1000ish


Uses: (ie range/hunting etc) Hunting, Plinking and target.





Mueller APV 4.5-14x40


year purchased: 2009


amount paid: 120ish


firearm mounted on: RRA AR15 via a Larue QD LT104


number of rounds through firearm with scope mounted: 500ish


Uses: (ie range/hunting etc) Coyote hunting.



tpsoken: I've been plenty happy with my 6.5x20x50mm Simmons White Tail Classic on
my 10-22.  $109.99 from Midway right now (I think it was $125ish when I
bought mine), clear glass all the way out to full magnification,
parralax adjustible down to 30 ft., tool-less1/4 MOA adjustments, matte
wrinkle black finish, available in MIL-DOT (mine isn't, didn't know much
about reticles when I bought it 5 or 6 years ago), has held zero for
thousands rimfire rounds , and has a lifetime warranty.



blwallace5: Primary Arms M3. This unit is priced at $69 for the optic, $79 if you
want Primary Arms to include a mount suitable for use on an ar15. The
low mount included in the $69 is not high enough to give a cheek weld.





The unit was extremely easy to zero, and has not had to be adjusted
yet after 300 rounds. It comes with 7 brightness settings, in my
experience 3-7 will be the most useful in normal daytime uses. Leaving
the battery on brightness level 3, the batteries lasted two weeks, or
about 336 hours before starting to dim. Will update with all other
useful daytime brightness settings when done testing.




BattletweeteR: http://www.osprey-optics.com/featured-products/3-9x42-illuminated-rangefinding-glass-reticle-rifle-scope.html

jimlostt: I am in the middle of a test of a Vortex Sparc.  I am using it on my
Lage m10 and after I run it for 3000 round on FA then I am moving it to
my FA NFC and after 1500 rounds on that I wil finish my testing.





so far it has 600 rounds on FA 45 and it has been holding up no shift in POA and im pretty happy with it so far.



Saintless: I still think IMO one of the best options out there when it comes to a
decent low priced scope is the Vortex 6-24x50 from SWFA ($99).


Glass is clearer than most in this price range, and my son has been
using on my 18" rifle for over the last 6 months with no issues - Approx
800 rds.









dogbutter99: i am having pretty good 'luck' with leapers 1x4 long eye relief.





dislikes:


glass is not super clear like my burris..


some fish eye


not entirely sure if this can be a combat item (i doubt it).. i would have to rely on my iron sights.





likes:


locking turret


set zero capability


holds zero


cheap $89


long eye relief


allows lots of head movement


near 1x


i have shot way past 1500 rounds with it now.. had it about 2 months.. no issues..


it's on primary arms rings.. and holds zero after re-attaching..



BiggerStick47: One of the best low end scopes on the market is the Nikon Buckmaster
4.5-14 mil-dot. While I use them on my .22s primarily, I have used them
on 5.56 and .308 guns without issue. They track well and have relatively
good glass.



Matt_Krush: Bushnell XTL trophy DOA250 on my H&R 12g slug gun. 3x9x40. Really
clear, 5' eye relief...Supposed to be built for .375 HK magnum loads


Probably paid $140..



shadowcop: I wrote a review on the UTG 1.25-4X scope.


http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=18&t=515562





I've also been testing a UTG 3-12 X with parallax adjustment. So far
so good. Main complaint is the cross hairs are thicker than I like.


Just a heads up. UTG is moving thier Optics Line to the U.S. next year. UTG Optics will be U.S. made by U.S. workers.


Don't see that too often any more.



I have Two Mueller scopes. One is a 3-10 Sport Dot. I've had it mounted on several weapons. It's one of my favorites.


Second is a Tactical Mil Dot 8-5-25. It's not as clear as the Sport
Dot but has been a reliable scope also. Used on a 16" Bull Barrelled
5.56 for 200 yard shots and 2 .22's for precision groups, mostly due the
the adjustable objective.



brasidas: I have one of the Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7x32 scopes on AR carbine.  It
has very nice glass, is made in Japan, and has a lifetime warranty.  It
seems really rugged.  I have had it for about 3 years and have never had
any problem with it.  I use an RRA mount.  They are $150 right now from
Natchez.  The 3-9x40 version is $140.  It is a great scope.





Another reasonably priced quality scope is the Weaver V series.  The
2-7x32 is about the same price as the 3200.  The 3-9x38 is a little
cheaper, but I have never tried that one.  The glass is not quite as
nice as the 3200, but is still good, and the reticle is a little thin.  
It is lighter and more compact than the 3200.  It is also made in Japan.



gee223:







This is a 1-4x Leatherwood CMR. The glass is extremely clear and
bright, but magnification is closer to 1.1-4. It definitely provided me
with much higher optical quality than I expected for a $250 optic. The
downside is the very small eyebox, but this is manageable with a solid
cheek weld and good practice. Its illumination is functional in near
darkness without flooding the tube. Though not technically daylight
visable, the green illumination can be seen against dark targets if you
wish to use it during daylight hours, against bright targets the reticle
is seen as black which is fine by me. I have not tested the hold over
marks past 200 yards formally, but they seem quite functional out to
about 400, and I have not shot past that. The turret design is easy to
set  up and is very solid. Adjustments are positive and they track
accurately and are repeatably. As usual, the flip up caps included feel
cheap and probably won't last, but unusually they fold nearly ask the
way down when open. This tiny feature is enough to make me call the
company and order more from them should I need a replacement set.





For ~$250 this is a great value. I guess at that price point it
starts approaching the mid price range, but if you can swing it, it is
deformity worth a look. The biggest negative by far is the tiny eyebox,
and if that is important to you don't buy this. For me it is fine, and I
don't see any reason to replace this scope until funds for a
significant upgrade are found. I decided to try this after having a
Millett DMS which is functional  but large, heavy, and has the glass of a
dirty fishbowl.

BDA: I've had good success shooting my Benelli MR1 rifle using a Vortex
Sparc.... several hundreds of rounds, cold temps (michigan.. 8 degrees
last range trip). So far, great battery life.. easy to use... quality
mount... no loss of zero. Cost was $199 at AIM surplus.





I've also mounted a Lucid HD7 on my ACR, with excellent results to
date. So far, one range trip for about 400 rounds rifed after zero...
again, cold michigan weather, with good brightness (auto brightness
feature works very well) and very little loss of zero when changing
reticle styles. Maybe 1-2 MOA to the right of "zero" for my dot, when
switching to the crosshair reticle.





Both work very well... and at $175 shipped, the Lucid looks to be a great deal for an entry level red dot.



lightguy: Natchez shooting supply has a sale on their Nitrex line plus a $50 or $100 rebate.


In all honesty I have not recieved the scope yet HOWEVER I have done
extensive research, read all the reveiws on this scope (mine is a 2x10
50MM etched reticle) and came to the conclusion this is a slam dunk. A
$600 dollar scope for $180 final cost. Even at $600 it has been said to
compare to the very best and more costly premium scopes.


I screwed around long enough that the 3x15's etched were gone.





Got this in yesterday. I opted for a shade as well for $16 extra on
sale. Used 1" tall 6 screw Weaver rings for my 20" bull barrel with a
DPMS alloy tube handguard.Nice cheap rings.


The scope just clears when a Bultler creek lens protector is on.


Scope had to pushed forward to the first picatiny notch to allow proper focus.


Scope glass is very nice. Reticle looks usefull. The BDC supplied
chart starts at .223 so its compatible. Japanese components and build.


Clicks are 1/4" and the tube is only 1" but I'd rather have a 1" quality scope than a 30mm cheapo.


I have a stupid money Leupold on a .50 BMG single shot and yes I would say the Nitrex compares. Not exactly but very nice.



ArmaNotSoLite: I bought a Lucid optic for $250 when they were first introduced. It came
as a 1x, but had a 2x screw on magnifier that came with it. It was a
nice piece for a cheap CQB type weapon. I sold it to my buddy a bit ago
because he needed a cheap optic for his new Stag.





Here's the link to my review on Gunkings. Its fairly in depth, and I hope it helps. Lucid HD-7



TheRealMags: I
have had good luck with the Millet 1-4x DMS on a 20 inch AR. I also am
impressed with the CenterPoint 4-16x mil dot from Walmart.



InfiniteGrim:



Centerpoint


-Adventure Class


-4-16x40mm





Opinion: Good budget scope, for $60 at walmart is actually very nice
and will hold up to recoil. I have never heard of these breaking from
reasonable recoil (as in not mounting it to a .50BMG)





Rifles: Mounted to Mosin nagant for 40 rounds, and held up fine, now on my father's AR-15.





Optics: Ok on lower powers, past 12x it becomes hazy even in the
most perfect conditions. Illumination is nice, adjustments are ok, and
the adjustable paralax is a great feature





Centerpoint


-Power Class


-3-12x44mm





Opinion: This scope continues to impress me. It was $154 originally
but many places that carry it also have  15% off coupons making it a
great deal. This scope is very nice, and NOTHING like the ones found at
walmart. They are in a different "class"





Rifles: Mounted to my 5.56 18" SPR. I have shot .44 moa 5 shot
groups at 100 yards using this scope. I also dropped it on a screw
driving leaving a small dent, but it works fine.





Optics: Much clearer then walmart one I previously mentioned. It has
a 30mm tube which allows more light. The scope stays clear and bright
through its magnification range. I have the side adjustable parrallax
version which is VERY nice. The only downside is the markings for
distance are definetly off. It may be my bad vision, but to be parallax
free at my local 100 yard range I have to set it at 270 yards. The
adjustments are right on, and have locking rings. The parrallax adjust
works well to focus at any range though. Looking at a house 350m away I
was able to focus to see the detail in the bricks on the chimney, and
successfully used the mil dots to estimate the range within 10m





-Side note.... The only thing I do not like about this scope is that
because it is compact the availible space of the tube for putting rings
on is very small, no one piece mounts such as LaRue of ADM mounts will
fit it as they are around 1/4" too long.








Sight Mark


Triple Duty


Fixed 6x42mm
Opinion: This is a solid 30mm scope. Because it is fixed power it is
extremely "bright" I got it for $99 shipped and I think its worth
double that. The only thing I do not like is that the mil dot crosshairs
are not "long enough" There is a thick black bars which are about 2/3
of the height and width and 1/3 is the mildot crosshairs. Another thing I
do not like is the turrent styles. They are much taller then they need
to be. I keep my rifle in a soft case and the adjustments were too big
to fit, even though my larger Centerpoint 3-12x fite nicely.





Rifles: I have tried this on both my 16" 5.56 carbine and my 18" 5.56 SPR.





Optics: It is the brightest "budget" scope own. The first time I
used this scope was on a relatively dark day, and it was pouring rain,
yet when looking through it it  actually looked like it was sunny out,
which really impressed me. It is so bright because it is a fixed scope
wit a 30mm tube.




zulthor: Contrary to some comments here on other posts I like the osprey optics
10-40x50 .  So far i've only shot it out to 200 yards but I'm getting
groups that are better than I should out of my Howa .308 bolt action.  
My groups range from between .25 MOA to .65MOA at 200 yards.  I even had
a ten round group that was just less than 1.5" at 200 yards.





1/2" group at 200 yards with a $140 scope and a $300 gun I'll take
that.  This weekend I'm going to shoot it out to at least 450 possibly
more so i'll see how it does at those ranges.  Before I bought it guys
were telling me it would suck... well I'm 250 rounds of .308 in and it
rocks.  





As the post below me mentioned about eye relief... the 10-40x50 does
have relatively short eye relief.  When other people shoot my gun they
scope eye themselves(although not to the point of injury, just
embarrassment).  Although my stance on that it is shooter error, not
being used to recoil of a lightweight .308(not that the recoil is so
harsh).



Espos1111: I have an Osprey 4-16X42 Tac, or something like that. I have it on my AR
7.62 upper. The rings it came with work well on a flat top upper but a
1/2" or 3/4" riser is recommended to help access the charging handle. It
has held up well so far, around 200 rds through it. Glass is clear. My
only complaints are:





1. It took almost 50 rds to sight in at 100 yds. First shots were
about 2' low and to the right. I couldn't spot them by myself as they
weren't even on the target board. Had a friend help out spotting. After
that it was spot on for the next 150 rds.





2. At higher magnification the eye relief is VERY touchy. It seems
like if you move your head a millimeter one way or another you can
"black out". At lower powers it is not like that at all.





3. See-through cap are hard to flip up. You end up pulling the caps off instead of them flipping up.





Minor complaints and at $129 (Natchez) for a lighted rangefinder
reticle its not bad. I have spent the same on worse. My other scope is a
Nikon M223 much better but 2-3x the price. No complaints on that one.





Edit: I forgot to say the reticle hairs are very fine, not thick as
some cheap scopes are. I could clearly see cartridge casings, we were
shooting at, at 100 yds around the cross hairs. Also at dusk or darker
the lighted reticle does not over power the scope with light, even with
it turned up all the way, and only the cross hairs light not the whole
reticle.

+1 - I don't know about the current line, but I've used Tasco Pro-Point red-dots on PCCs and rimfire handguns for years with very good results.  No idea how they would hold up to heavier recoil/more powerful platforms.

I bought a Centerpoint 4-16x44 scope at Wal Mart partially due to InfiniteGrim's decent review. It was to finish off my son's super-budget first hunting rifle (.30-06 Mossberg Maverick for $179). I told him if he wants a better scope he can pay for it.



Notable features:

Front lens parallax adjustment

4-16

Adjustable target-style knobs for windage and elevation. You can reset them to zero and lock the turrets down.

Comes with flip-up scope caps

Illuminated red or green

Comes with rings/weaver bases, but they are too high for your average bolt action. Probably OK for an AR though. I replaced them with Millet Angle-Loc rings.



It's an OK scope for the money. Even with the adjustable parallax adjustment, the reticle shifts as you move your head. Not by a lot, but it's noticeable. The exit pupil is pretty finicky and it's hard to get a clear picture - even at 10x. It's not terrible, but more of a hassle than with a more expensive scope. Clarity is decent, but it's not as sharp as even a budget name-brand scope. The illumination will probably be useless; even at the lowest setting, the glare from inside the scope tube will probably mess with your night vision. I can't comment about how accurate the turret adjustments are since I didn't shoot a "box test".



Basically, it's your average complaints you'd have with a budget scope. It has stayed zeroed so far through about 40-50 rounds of .30-06, and I think it will do fine for a budget starter scope until he can afford something better.

I've got a Primary Arms 4-16x40 in the Primary Arms Deluxe mount on one of my AR's.  I think I paid $159 for the scope, which certainly qualifies as a "budget" optic. I don't claim to have experience with a lot of high-end scopes, aside from a Kowa spotting scope I used to have, but I think the P.A. 4-16 is a very good scope.  The glass is very clear, eye relief is decent even at maximum magnification, and the mil-dot reticle is accurate (calibrated at 16x).  The turrets are resettable to zero using the little torx wrench included with the scope, which is nice.  I will update this as I gain more experience with it at longer ranges; farthest I've shot it as of now is 200 yards and I have no complaints yet.  

The only "con" that comes immediately to mind is the included flip-up caps; I won't say they're useless, but they don't fit very tight.  I put some duct tape around the inside of the cap and that tightened up the fit enough to make them useable.

Bad pic: