Im looking for a scope for a .308 and on a budget; I want to stay under 200. and closer to 125. if possible.
I usually hunt evenings here on a cattle farm and most of our deer activity is very close to dark. I need something good for low light. My plan is a 3-9x50.
I went to Academy Sports with a plan to get the bushnell Banner 3-9x50 it think it was around 120.
My mistake was looking through the Nikon prostaff 3-9x50 and there is no comparison!! The Nikon's 200. I can see the difference and believe its worth it but want to be aware of any cheaper options.
I read on another forum that the Simmons whitetail classic from Midway was a great scope for the money and better than the standard Simmons.
Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated. Thanks :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
I like my Leupold, but every one I have talked to says the Redfields are the way to go. Made by Leupold in the USA... :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
I had a Simmons Whitetail Classic for a while. It was decent...until I fell on it. :D
Cabela's had the Bushnell Elite 3200's and 4200's on clearance a while back. They might still have some. The 3200 was $129, and the 4200 was $199. I bought one of each. They're both 3x9x40's, though. Their brightness has never been an issue for me. The Rainguard feature is priceless, though.
Love my new Redfield Revolution and everyone that I know that has one would not trade it for the world. Recently just bought a Weaver 40/44 that is a 3-10 x 44mm and really like it. Paid $160 for the redfield and $150 for the Weaver. Would go for the Redfield on a primary gun. Good Luck!
(http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/davisd9/CopyofDSC01434.jpg)
The 3-9 X 50mm redfield is $199. It is worth the money, but I have the 40mm and can see with the scope in a field way past what I can see with my naked eye.
Check out Natchez Shooters Supply.
They have some great prices on good brand name scopes.
Just keep scrolling down until you find what you want.
http://www.natchezss.com/optics.cfm?contentId=opticstype&opticsType=9&category=20
IMO your scope is the most important part of a deer rifle . Spend a little extra & get you a Leupold VX2 - 3x9 40mm scope for that 308. A little over 200 bucks if you shop around. For early morning & late evening ( CRUNCH TIME ) you will never regret it. I love my Leupold scopes.
Good Luck vaturkey :newmascot:
50mm will be a great choice for light gathering but it will most likely cause you to use high scope bases and you may not get a good cheek weld on your stock...something to think about anyway...I don't like having scopes mounted too high and having to shoot with my head up. I've had about all brands of scopes out there...one thing to remember now is most low priced scopes except Leupold or Burris are going to be made in Korea or China.
I have Leupolds, Burris , Redfields, Simmons, Sightrons etc. alll good scopes.if you ge tthe right models .....a decent scope for the money I have found is a Simmons Aetec or have you considered a great condition used scope,....lots of dealers have used scopes for sale...I have bought several used Burris scopes (because that is my favorite). The older Burris Fullfield scopes are great made in USA scopes.
Anyway some things to think about... I live in Kansas and when I rifle hunt many times the shots are 250-300 yards so I'm depending on a good scope.
Honcho
On a budget I would go with Redfield or Weaver and both are made in the USA.. :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
Check out Optics Planet.
Cabelas just sent a flyer in the mail and they had Nikon Prostaff on sale for 150. You wont go wrong with the Nikon.
Here is a 3-9 x 40 in a matte silver for only 129.99
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Nikon-ProStaff-Riflescope/729045.uts?WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104752080
It looks like the matte blue Pro Staff is 159.99
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Optics/Riflescopes%7C/pc/104792580/c/104752080/sc/104535180/Nikon-ProStaff-Riflescope/1213653.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-optics-riflescopes%2F_%2FN-1100246%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104535180%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%253Bcat104752080&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104752080%3Bcat104535180
Thanks for all of the pointers fellas!! :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an :smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
You can get a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 for around $110 shipped on ebay at times.
I wouldn't get to caught up in a big 50, the glass coating, exit pupil, and individual eyes have more to do with it light transmission.
I run 44mm on several scopes including a Swarovski and a few Zeiss. It doesn't take a 50+mm bell to have great low light performance. I have several 40mms as well that do quite well in low light. Well enough to get me in trouble if I chose to do so.
Also, don't rule out the older pre "Master Series" Simmons Aetec 2.8-10x44. I have a couple and must say they are impressive for a low cost scope. One of the only good scopes Simmons has ever made IMO. They work quite well in low light and handle rain on the lenses much better than many high end scopes. You can often find them used like new for about $80. I purchased two this year, one for a rifle I inherited and one for my Cousin's MLer. He's loving his on his MLer. I've rolled one on a ML10 for many years, it's never lost zero, been to IA a few times, and has accounted for many of my nicer bucks.