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$250 scope vs $500 plus scope for hunting

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Sparky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sparky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/30/2011 at 22:38
My experience with Bushnell CS has been excellent to say the least. I think we only hear about the problems and not the majority of good resolutions. And I think there are probably times when every scope manufacture did not resolve an issue to the customers satisfaction. I can remember working in retail and a customer had an issue. We could have given them all their money back, a new one at no charge and shot the manager and they still would have been unhappy with us.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/31/2011 at 00:02
Yea, you have to commit seppuku in front of them, as well.  THEN, they'll be happy...
Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/01/2012 at 22:16
Not being able to adjust the brightness of the Firefly down, once charged, is a serious problem IMO. On the other hand, the reticles are fairly heavy and good in low light when not charged.
The higher end scopes aren't just about low light performance. The better lenses have better contrast and resolution balance. This allows you to see a lot more detail when getting ready for the shot. I have been hunting with Zeiss binoculars for almost thirty years. Many times I would glass game across marshes that were on the edge of cover. I had no problem viewing them with my binoculars. When I would bring my gun up, all of the branches that could have wounded an animal were gone. Better glass helps when picking an animal out of a group, also. For these reasons I have been upgrading.
I have used Bushnell CS for binocular repair with no problems.
Doug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dwgriffith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/06/2012 at 12:14
I love the 4200 but am not a Firefly fan.  I have found that when fully charged it can be way too bright and obscure vision.  Go with a 50 mm w/o Firefly reticle and you won't be disappointed.
Life is hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.   If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough too.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dwgriffith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/06/2012 at 12:22
In the 250 - 500 dollar price range, Weaver Grand Slam and Sightron SII scopes shouldn't be overlooked.  I also have two Weaver SuperSlams that I caught on sale and am ecstatic with them.  They are 2 - 10 w/ 50 mm objectives.  One has a standard duplex reticle and the other the etched EBX.   If you can find one of them on sale don't be afraid to buy it.  Their normal price is outside this price range, but the GrandSlam is right there. My 3.5 - 10 w50 mm objective is clear, bright, tracks wonderfully, and has good (not great) eye relief.  Same for my Sightrons.  Hope this helps.
Life is hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.   If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough too.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gremcat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/19/2012 at 21:33
Think about all the money you spend on gas, liscense, guns, ammo clothes , and then figure how much time you spend in the woods. When  making the one shot you have on a nice buck  do you want to second guess your scope. That said if you can't afford 500 dollars on a scope then shop smart and buy what you can afford. Being in the woods matters most to me anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rustic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/20/2012 at 12:21
Originally posted by gremcat gremcat wrote:

Think about all the money you spend on gas, liscense, guns, ammo clothes , and then figure how much time you spend in the woods. When  making the one shot you have on a nice buck  do you want to second guess your scope. That said if you can't afford 500 dollars on a scope then shop smart and buy what you can afford. Being in the woods matters most to me anyway.


A budget being tag "weighted" does make the most sense.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gulf1263 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/21/2012 at 02:21
Our weather here in Alaska is extreme, big changes in temperature and barometric pressure and to get to many locations you have to fly, use ATV's or snowmachines. Vibrations and bumps can kill a scope. Flying presents problems because many times your rifle and scope have to be strapped outside the fuselage.
After you have spent a bunch of time and/or money to get to an area to hunt you don't want your scope to die, so spending extra for a sturdy scope that works makes sense. The standard for sturdiness if you will are the VX-II (2) and VX-III (3) Leupolds. Several dealers have told me that they sell more and get fewer back than any other brand, (some Burris models are close). They are not the most bang for the buck, don't have the best optics but they work, seals don't crack or leak as much and you are more likely to have a functioning scope that allows you to hunt.
I notice that many guides here use them, also many PH in Africa when it comes to stopping animals that can stomp you, tear you apart or eat you.
Some of the newer European scopes are just beginning to get a decent reputation but at twice the cost most people stick to the tried and true. I have had to follow up wounded animals when someone's scope went down and it is not fun. (I am not and never was a guide) It was just part of being a state employee.
Hunting in the "lower 48" may not be as extreme...I have noticed though that when many of the big name writers come up to hunt on their own dime they use Leupolds.
Less extreme conditions may not require as sturdy a scope so you can save a few bucks, save for the best glass you can afford and save some more...just make sure it suites your needs.
Thanks
Art
Good day.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dakotaman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/21/2012 at 09:32
I like the Firefly reticle real well. I don't like lugging a battery around to power my reticle and I don't like hoping that the battery is charged just when I finally need it. A little flashlight zap on the Firefly lasts for a couple of hours and if you call varmints before sunup or into the we small hours of dark, you will appreciate seeing that reticle. The dull white reticle color is perfect for me and I like it much better than the green or red reticles in low light conditions. There is nothing in that reticle to bother you during daylight hours.
I use the 4200 Elite and can see and pop coyotes out to 600 yards with no problem. The mil-dots provide exact point of aim for those long shots and instantaeous visibility of windage. It is nice to see the bullet hit where the dot is at that range. The mil-dot is wonderful for instantaneous ranging too. This fall I would have missed an antelope without it. I thought the antelope was 600 yards or so but instantly saw on the reticle that it was 500 yards. I used my trusty 500 yard mil-dot and hit the heart head on for a perfect shot. 
 
I've only had to use Bushnell CS once. An airline crushed my scope. They were responsive, polite and gave me a good deal on a comparable replacement scope.
 
Of course it depends on how you will use the scope. If you are in nothing but thick timber you need as low a magnification as possible and don't need to pay for long range performance. If you shoot a long way, varmint hunt and need to hit running game a higher magnification variable will be needed. Most of my rifles carry very low paralax 6-24x type scopes and I can shoot from 10 yards to 1000 yards very predictably. My brush guns carry 3-9x40 or 3.5-10x50 and I can hunt in very low light out to 400 yards with confidence. The 4.5-14x is a nice hunting tradeoff if you only carry one rifle.
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