Best quality optic sub 1k

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Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Stix » 19 Dec 2018, 2:10 pm

I need to replace a scope & curious on peoples experience in comparing optics.for quality....

Needs to be lght-ish weight...used on a walk about hunting rifle.

Magnification in the order of 4-16...3-15...or greater, but needs to start at max 4x.

I want reasonable quality glass capable of resolving reasonable highlight & shadow detail...

If its of interest, its to replace a bushnell elite 4500 4-16x40.

Cheers :drinks:
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Ten » 19 Dec 2018, 2:21 pm

Swarovski optics are second to none, and you could find a used Z3 4-12 for 1k.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by JimTom » 19 Dec 2018, 2:25 pm

Mate have a look at the Meopta scopes. I have a Meopro on my Manbun. Less than $1k.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Bent Arrow » 19 Dec 2018, 2:47 pm

I know you want the bottom end to start at 4, but FWIW I have got a hawke 6-18 x 50 that I've been very happy with, and the $ are well under your budget. Could be a brand worth adding to your list of scopes to look at.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by TassieTiger » 19 Dec 2018, 2:49 pm

I can talk to several Bushnells, several Tascos (Japanese and later models), Chinese no name - surprising!! , several vortex low end (3-9’s) and several Leopolds including a fixed M8 that I’ll be selling.

The surprise in my “field” has been the Bushnell banner for the money (as long as expectations are in line) but if I could only have one scope for rest of my life inside your budget ——
2nd hand Leupold vx3 6.5-20...these are currently running around $1400 new. I picked one up for $700 a few months back from qld gun exchange and literally just bought another efr model vx2 (6.0-18) second hand for $850. If I see another come up - it will be hard not to buy...especially if it’s vx3.

For what it’s wirth - I don’t think the budget bottom Leo’s are any better than the half of the price, bushnell or Japanese Tasco s - at least to my eyes.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Gaznazdiak » 19 Dec 2018, 5:23 pm

Hawke without question.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by albat » 19 Dec 2018, 7:02 pm

if its lightweight you need then leupolds are king , i have the vxr firedot and a mate has one too , for hunting the firedot is exceptional in low light and running shots , 30mm tube and good clear glass
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigrich » 19 Dec 2018, 7:38 pm

hey stix, mate a couple of weeks ago i upgraded from the vx-2 3-9x40 leuplod on my 6.5 to a 4.5-14x40 vx3-i loopy, and i gotta say i'm impressed. nice and clear, i really like the thickness of the duplex recticle in leupolds. the retail on it was $855, but i traded some old scopes to my gunshop and got a few hundred off . i run leupold on all my rifles, i really like the freedom 3-9x40 on my cz rimfire. for $320 new it's a nice clear scope. i've had other brands, but this is my preference. the only other scope for similar money that i like is meopta . the glass in them is probably better for around the same price actually. the only thing i don't like about them is their a bit bulkier around the eyepiece like a zeiss . get to a big GS with a broad range and check 'em out mate :drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by TassieTiger » 19 Dec 2018, 7:51 pm

Leo’s = lifetime, no questions asked, no matter whom current owner is, warranty...I know some others make those claims but I’ve actually experienced the leo warranty via a dropped rifle that landed on scope. Totally my fault. Fixed free of charge, no questions, as per brand new.
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Gaznazdiak » 19 Dec 2018, 7:51 pm

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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigrich » 19 Dec 2018, 7:58 pm

Stix wrote:I need to replace a scope & curious on peoples experience in comparing optics.for quality....

Needs to be lght-ish weight...used on a walk about hunting rifle.

Magnification in the order of 4-16...3-15...or greater, but needs to start at max 4x.

I want reasonable quality glass capable of resolving reasonable highlight & shadow detail...

If its of interest, its to replace a bushnell elite 4500 4-16x40.

Cheers :drinks:


what are ya puttin it on stix ?
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Bent Arrow » 19 Dec 2018, 9:12 pm

Screenshot_20181219-214055.png
Screenshot_20181219-214055.png (1.03 MiB) Viewed 7580 times


Couple of 2nd options on used guns ATM
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigfellascott » 20 Dec 2018, 6:44 am

I've got Zeiss, Leupold, Jap Tascos and Nikon, I gotta say I really like the Nikon scope (3-9x50) it's been a real eye opener for me, it's every bit as good if not better than my $1300 Zeiss scope!

I've compared it to the high end Leupy VX6 and Swaro stuff and honestly, for me and my eyes I really didn't see a huge difference in performance, maybe slightly sharper clarity but really not enough to justify buying one for the $3k price tag I'll put it that way.

The VX6 Leupy had a wider field of view, was much a muchness brightness wise as the sun went down and last light etc, same with the swaro, i've compared plenty of scopes side by side in all diff light conditions and spotlighting etc to this thing and it's held it's own very well indeed which surprised the hell out of me considering it's price tag and the price tag of the others.

Just buy whatever you can afford Stix, I'm sure it will be ok which ever way you go.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Stix » 20 Dec 2018, 6:59 am

Thanks guys...

Yes the Leopold w'tee is attractive for sure.

Bigrich--its going on walk-about meat harvester.
Also, we dont have much range of scopes to look at in this state mate...nothing like you lucky fellas on the eastern seaboard.

Ill have to see if i can look through some of those hawke scopes...thanks for that link Gaz.. :drinks:

I like the look of that swarovski BA... :thumbsup: they really are nice to look through...!!
However ive realised i will only get a store credit so i doubt they'll give me coin back in which case ill be restricted to what they have available to them only ... :thumbsdown:

Hopefully someone here keeps the hawke range in stock...

Thanks again so far guys...aporeciated... :drinks:
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Stix » 20 Dec 2018, 7:18 am

Hey bigfella...what is the model range of the Nikon ...?
(By range i dont mean magnification)
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Urastus » 20 Dec 2018, 9:08 am

bigfellascott wrote:I've got Zeiss, Leupold, Jap Tascos and Nikon, I gotta say I really like the Nikon scope (3-9x50) it's been a real eye opener for me, it's every bit as good if not better than my $1300 Zeiss scope!

I've compared it to the high end Leupy VX6 and Swaro stuff and honestly, for me and my eyes I really didn't see a huge difference in performance, maybe slightly sharper clarity but really not enough to justify buying one for the $3k price tag I'll put it that way.

The VX6 Leupy had a wider field of view, was much a muchness brightness wise as the sun went down and last light etc, same with the swaro, i've compared plenty of scopes side by side in all diff light conditions and spotlighting etc to this thing and it's held it's own very well indeed which surprised the hell out of me considering it's price tag and the price tag of the others.

Just buy whatever you can afford Stix, I'm sure it will be ok which ever way you go.


There's no such thing as a free dinner :D Nikon specialise in lens manufacture. There is something else to consider though; the less magnification the better. Given 2 scopes the same quality, a 3x scope (eg 4-12) will be better than a 4x scope (eg 4-16). Less complexity, greater light transmission, more robust. Zoom scopes will never be as good as a fixed magnification scope in the same quality range. Also, if you want parallax adj., an adjustable front objective is better than a side adjustment. An extra lens and added complexity is needed for side adj, whereas an adjustable objective is very simple, it just moves the objective lens in or out. So the leupy VX6 is 6x magnification; the nikon 3-9 is only 3x magnification. As well as that the nikon has a 50mm objective (more light). This means the nikon is still good at 9x in low light. If you're leupold is 3-18x40, then in low light you'd want to drop it to around 8x magnification or less. It's to do with our pupil size (average of 5mm); you divide the objective diameter by 5 to get your highest magnification for low light. 50mm / 5 = 10; 40mm / 5 = 8. After saying all this, I look for a 3x magnification with adjustable objective (if you want to adj for parallax). This could be 3-9x40, 4-12x40, 6-18x50. I'm not recommending it because it is the first scope I've owned, but I found the leupold mark ar mod 1, 4-12x40 with AO https://www.leupold.com/scopes/rifle-sc ... -4-12x40mm or 6-18x40 with AO https://www.leupold.com/scopes/rifle-sc ... -6-18x40mm They both get good reviews in the US. If you can go smaller, the Nikon Prostaff P3 Target EFR 3-9x40 AO has an awesome reputation for great quality at a cheap price. The crazy looking camel dude :D recommended hawke; I did find this in my search http://www.ausarms.com.au/links/product.php?id=41308 amazing value if it is a good scope.
Last edited by Urastus on 20 Dec 2018, 9:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigrich » 20 Dec 2018, 9:13 am

Good write up. Yanks like their Nikon, that’s for sure. Nikon does make some good cameras and telescopes as well
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Urastus » 20 Dec 2018, 9:32 am

bigrich wrote:Good write up. Yanks like their Nikon, that’s for sure. Nikon does make some good cameras and telescopes as well


In general, they don't like spending much on glass! Although Leupold, and anything American made, is very popular there. The number 4 scope on amazon (#4 but highest number of reviewers) would be less than AU $150 https://www.amazon.com/UTG-3-9X32-BugBu ... M4DV73EFPH I suppose this is because the majority of them are in the AR crowd where accuracy isn't the number one factor.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Gaznazdiak » 20 Dec 2018, 10:39 am

G'day Stix,
That link is an Aussie store, I put that up to show the models in the range you were after, I actually bought mine from
https://www.tacticalscope.co.uk/about-us-1-w.asp

Even with shipping from UK I got it more than $300 cheaper than anyone here could match.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigfellascott » 20 Dec 2018, 3:55 pm

Stix wrote:Hey bigfella...what is the model range of the Nikon ...?
(By range i dont mean magnification)


Just the Prostaff mate, It's a great little scope to use (mine normally sits on the 204) and it's been used to pop bunny heads out past 300m at very last light (you couldn't see the rabbit with the naked eye but was able to with the scope. :drinks:
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigfellascott » 20 Dec 2018, 4:05 pm

I don't like paralax adjustment on a hunting scope, it's not necessary, you just need something that you can get a quick bead on and get a shot off ASAP - fiddling with paralax etc is just a PITA in hunting situations (Yes you can set it on 100m) but what's the point in having it - it's not needed in hunting situations, much better to keep the mag range in the low end 3-9 or even lower (depends on the general terrain one will be hunting in as to what is suited) but you don't need a scope that has say 18x max when you are taking 50m shots for example, you should be able to shoot a deer at 300m easily if you know your outfit and again higher mag isn't needed at all, infact it's more of a hindrance more than a help.

Keep it simple and don't waste a heap of $$$ on features you really don't need (paralax, wanky reticles etc.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Bent Arrow » 20 Dec 2018, 9:00 pm

Stix wrote:Thanks guys...

Hopefully someone here keeps the hawke range in stock...

Thanks again so far guys...aporeciated... :drinks:


The gunnery had a few Hawke scopes in stock last time I was there if you want to look through a couple........
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigfellascott » 21 Dec 2018, 6:06 am

The Hawkes do look like a nice scope alright - I’m not real fussed on the reticle options but there was one or two I could live with I guess. I don’t like fine xhairs as a rule on a hunting outfit.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Gaznazdiak » 21 Dec 2018, 10:00 am

bigfellascott wrote:The Hawkes do look like a nice scope alright - I’m not real fussed on the reticle options but there was one or two I could live with I guess. I don’t like fine xhairs as a rule on a hunting outfit.


My 10-50×60 has the TMX reticle. A bit busier than the simpler cross hairs I was used to, but now I'm up to speed on it I'm quite happy.
Hawke also released a balliatic calculator app for smartphone with presets for everything from .177 to 12g slugs and compatible with all their reticles.
You can use it for range finding, holdover intercepts etc.

Their illumination is also stepless, so it's not intrusive like some. When I first turned it on, I got the sh!ts, thinking that it didn't work. It was just that on the lowest setting you can only see the illumination when it's dark enough to need it.

If I ever get another rifle, it will definitely be wearing a Hawke.

Of course, I'd love to have the Nightforce B.E.A.S.T, but $5500 is just plain silliness.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigfellascott » 21 Dec 2018, 2:46 pm

I don’t mind the illuminated dot - bit not interested at all in a busy reticle, I like to get a quick shot off when needed and some of the reticle are to thin and busy for my particular tastes.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Gaznazdiak » 21 Dec 2018, 3:08 pm

You've got to go with what works best for mate, that's for sure.
Hateful to pay considerable $ and then kick yourself every time you use it. :thumbsup:
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 21 Dec 2018, 4:40 pm

You need another gun....I reckon a howa manbun ... lol
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigrich » 21 Dec 2018, 4:51 pm

i know i'm not a fan of mildot recticles. i found the zeiss terra recticles good for quick focus, the outer recticle lines are heavier than leupold.
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by bigfellascott » 21 Dec 2018, 10:40 pm

Gaznazdiak wrote:You've got to go with what works best for mate, that's for sure.
Hateful to pay considerable $ and then kick yourself every time you use it. :thumbsup:
:drinks:


Yeah I like simple mate, can't stand all that clutter when I'm looking through a scope (I know they have a purpose) just nothing I've got a use for to be honest, I do like the some of the illuminated dot offerings out there but so far managed without them so will continue to do so at this stage. :drinks:
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Re: Best quality optic sub 1k

Post by Stix » 22 Dec 2018, 7:50 am

bigfellascott wrote:Yeah I like simple mate, can't stand all that clutter when I'm looking through a scope (I know they have a purpose) just nothing I've got a use for to be honest, I do like the some of the illuminated dot offerings out there but so far managed without them so will continue to do so at this stage. :drinks:


Have you ever shot a good amount with a busy reticle Bigfella...?

I only ask cos i have 3 christmas tree reticles (varmint style reticles) & in the heat of the moment they dont bother me at all... :unknown:

Im not pushing either way mate...just saying... :thumbsup:

Having said that, when i see some of those reticles with hash marks on the main vertical & horizontal staff/lines, i get the feeling i would hate them, but ive never shot with them so :unknown:

Hmmm...
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