Good hunting scope?

[Topgun 30-06]

I read exactly what you said and was just making a statement that 22 scopes are not intended for heavy recoil rifles like your Rum. Put whatever cheap junk you want on it or any big boomer and sooner or later you'll probably have problems. I'll stay with Leupolds and not have to worry whether one's going to fall apart when I get a shot at a deer or elk out in your great state that I hunt every year.

 

[chucknbach]

Have you tried any of these inexpensive scopes mentioned? That Center Point I have has held up so far, about 300-400 rds from .243, 7mm-08 and 7RM. We'll see how that Simmons .22 scope holds up, I got it mounted up on the 7RM.

I personally put the best glass I can afford on. The Nikon Monarch that was on the 7 mag went on my sons gun. Not everyone can afford better than an inexpensive scope or in my case afford it right away. I don't believe anyone can guarantee they will fail. Sorry not trying to bust your chops as I understand that you don't want to mess up your out of state hunt and that's ok.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I fully understand that not all people can go with top of the line equipment, but putting that 22 scope on a Rum is about as silly as anything I've ever heard of in 60 years of hunting/shooting! Sorry, but that's as polite as I can be on the subject. To answer your question, yes, I have one inexpensive Tasco World Class 3x9x 50mm on a sporterized 03A3 Springfield 30-06 that doesn't get a 1/2 dozen rounds through it a year. It was purchased over 20 years ago when they were making fairly decent stuff and it's only used up at my northern MI property. All of my Rugers, Sakos, and pre 64 Model 70s from .243 caliber up through 30-06 that I have in my safes and that are used on a regular basis for big game hunting are topped with Leupolds. I'm not into the belted magnums as I see no reason for them in what I do and hunt. Any piece of equipment can fail, and that's why I like Leupolds and their guarantee, but have never needed it. Maybe you should take a poll of members and ask if they would put that 22 scope on a Rum compared to a Leupold that's designed for centerfire rifles. It would be like running a 4 ply street tire on my Silverado 4x4 out on the back roads of Wyoming compared to the 10 ply Coopers that are on it. One of the latter might fail, but chances are very minimal compared to running a street tire out there.

 

[dieselboy427]

This thread seems to get a lot of attention. I know people that have had Nightmare break. I've had a Burritos XTR fail. They all have that possibility, but honestly, so do your rings and base. Epoxy your base down. Torque and loctite the screws. Torque the ring cross bolts, back off torque, repeat until the torque wrench handle stays in the same approximate angle. Check true of the rings and lap them. I have seen 40% give or take contact on even the best rings. Install the best you can afford. center the caps and torque them as well. I call manufacturers for torque values if they aren't listed. True the reticle. I use a plumb bob and a level. If you mount it this way it will eliminate the other failure points.

I am sticking by my SWFA SS suggestion. They May not be Tasco price range, but try to find many negative comments. They just don't seem to have many other than they don't have xxxx feature.

 

[dieselboy427]

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f42/swfa-ss-20x-220-shipped-96593/


That seems like the kinda deal yo
u may be looking for. Its not mine.

 

[Nomad]

For a good scope look at leupold. Was at a pawn shop a couple of years ago found a standard
3.5 X10 VX3 for 250.00 dollars standard duplex sent it to leupold and had target knobs put
on it and they checked it out as well the cost of the knobs was about 160.00 dollars.
Went out and did the balistics fps and bullet BC with JMB program for come up. Went back out and did a final check of the JMB program of bullet drop made adjustments to 600 yards.
Very please with all things.........

 

[chucknbach]

I fully understand that not all people can go with top of the line equipment, but putting that 22 scope on a Rum is about as silly as anything I've ever heard of in 60 years of hunting/shooting! Sorry, but that's as polite as I can be on the subject. To answer your question, yes, I have one inexpensive Tasco World Class 3x9x 50mm on a sporterized 03A3 Springfield 30-06 that doesn't get a 1/2 dozen rounds through it a year. It was purchased over 20 years ago when they were making fairly decent stuff and it's only used up at my northern MI property. All of my Rugers, Sakos, and pre 64 Model 70s from .243 caliber up through 30-06 that I have in my safes and that are used on a regular basis for big game hunting are topped with Leupolds. I'm not into the belted magnums as I see no reason for them in what I do and hunt. Any piece of equipment can fail, and that's why I like Leupolds and their guarantee, but have never needed it. Maybe you should take a poll of members and ask if they would put that 22 scope on a Rum compared to a Leupold that's designed for centerfire rifles. It would be like running a 4 ply street tire on my Silverado 4x4 out on the back roads of Wyoming compared to the 10 ply Coopers that are on it. One of the latter might fail, but chances are very minimal compared to running a street tire out there.

Actually the scope for 109 dollars you scoffed at IS a center fire scope.
I did however put my $140 .22 scope on my 6.25 lbs 7mm rem mag fired 40 rounds through it today and it held up nicely. Tomorrow I'll take it prairie dog hunting. Please concede the point so I don't have to keep this scope on for elk season or the next 5 years just to prove you wrong.

Just because it's marketed as a .22 scope doesn't tell you it was built any different than a center fire scope or maybe it was. Neither one of us has any proof one way or another. Yet

As far as a poll is concerned. I'm not interested in what everyone thinks as much as what is actual. Sometimes they can differ. I would think 60+ years you'd have figured that one out by now. Going in my opinion was worth about as much as yours. Mostly logic with assumptions and guesses. If you've never mounted a Simmons .22 scope up to a magnum rifle you have about as much right as me to flap your gums. Right now I'm taking a $140 bet that my kung fu style is stronger.

 

[chucknbach]

Here's some pics of the sweet spots of the 2 different powders I was using today all the rest were under an inch not bad for a cheap .22 scope!

4 shot group

3 shot

 

[Topgun 30-06]

You won't find me conceding anything on this one as most knowledgeable people don't put a cheap scope of any type on a centerfire rifle that has the amount of recoil like the ones you're talking about and not expect it to fail at some point. It might be 40 shots and it might be 400, but it WILL fail at some point because it's guts aren't built to take the pounding from the guns you're putting them on. I'm sure if it flies apart during your prairie dog hunt that we won't hear about it either, LOL!

 

[WildRose]

Actually the scope for 109 dollars you scoffed at IS a center fire scope.
I did however put my $140 .22 scope on my 6.25 lbs 7mm rem mag fired 40 rounds through it today and it held up nicely. Tomorrow I'll take it prairie dog hunting. Please concede the point so I don't have to keep this scope on for elk season or the next 5 years just to prove you wrong.

Just because it's marketed as a .22 scope doesn't tell you it was built any different than a center fire scope or maybe it was. Neither one of us has any proof one way or another. Yet

As far as a poll is concerned. I'm not interested in what everyone thinks as much as what is actual. Sometimes they can differ. I would think 60+ years you'd have figured that one out by now. Going in my opinion was worth about as much as yours. Mostly logic with assumptions and guesses. If you've never mounted a Simmons .22 scope up to a magnum rifle you have about as much right as me to flap your gums. Right now I'm taking a $140 bet that my kung fu style is stronger.

You aren't proving anyone wrong, all you are proving is that there are exceptions to every rule.

Occasionally one will get lucky and have a cheap scope not fly apart on a magnum rifle.

Occasionally one will be unlucky and have a 2,000.00 plus scope fly apart on the first shot from a light weight non magnum caliber.

Exceptions to rules however do not mean it's a wise idea to put a cheap scope on a magnum rifle because the odds are not in your favor and one can throw a hell of a lot of money and waste a tremendous amount of time buying and replacing cheap scopes vs spending good money, one time and having a great piece of glass for life.

I'm not made of money either, far from it in fact, but I've learned my lessons with cheap glass over the last thirty years and as a result even if it means I'll have to put off buying one for a few extra months while I save up some extra cash it's more than worth the wait and better money spent in the long run.

 

[chucknbach]

You aren't proving anyone wrong, all you are proving is that there are exceptions to every rule.

Occasionally one will get lucky and have a cheap scope not fly apart on a magnum rifle.

Occasionally one will be unlucky and have a 2,000.00 plus scope fly apart on the first shot from a light weight non magnum caliber.

Exceptions to rules however do not mean it's a wise idea to put a cheap scope on a magnum rifle because the odds are not in your favor and one can throw a hell of a lot of money and waste a tremendous amount of time buying and replacing cheap scopes vs spending good money, one time and having a great piece of glass for life.

I'm not made of money either, far from it in fact, but I've learned my lessons with cheap glass over the last thirty years and as a result even if it means I'll have to put off buying one for a few extra months while I save up some extra cash it's more than worth the wait and better money spent in the long run.

I agree with you on most parts and I do put the best scope I can afford on my hunting rifles and like you I will save for better. I took my Monarch off that 7mm and put it on my sons new hunting rifle and put the kick around Center point on there till I had enough for the Vortex I was saving for, which I just picked up yesterday. The Center Point had quite a few more rounds put down range than the Simmons and it held up nicley. I had been thinking that the Simmons was good enough to go on a centerfire, this thread was just the excuse I needed to do it, kinda glad I did it cuz' it has way better glass than the CP.

I don't agree that the lower priced scopes are guaranteed to fail or are eventually going to fail. The only thing I can give you is you have a better chance of getting a lemon over a higher priced quality scope and most of those will be caught with in the first couple of rounds fired.

 

[chucknbach]

You won't find me conceding anything on this one as most knowledgeable people don't put a cheap scope of any type on a centerfire rifle that has the amount of recoil like the ones you're talking about and not expect it to fail at some point. It might be 40 shots and it might be 400, but it WILL fail at some point because it's guts aren't built to take the pounding from the guns you're putting them on. I'm sure if it flies apart during your prairie dog hunt that we won't hear about it either, LOL!

I guess you and I aren't in the "most" catergory as you have a Tasco on one. Why hasn't it failed yet?

Was on the Simmons sight ealier and they say all their scopes will take the punishment of at least 1000 rounds on some .416 elephant gun. What do you know about the internals that they don't?

I don't like being wrong but it would be just plain wrong if I didn't come back on here and admit I was if the scope fails. I will let you know if it does. I was out again this morning and no failures. You have one more chance to gloat as I'll be taking it out for the last time tommorrow afternoon before I mount up my new scope. I'm not worried.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I need to stop on my way through Gillette in three weeks and meet you, as I think I've finally met someone as stubborn as I am, LOL! First, you are a selective reader and want to use just part of what is said to try to prove your point. The Tasco World Class 3-9x50 I have is an old one that was made much better than what they are known for now. It is on a rifle that doesn't get shot more than 3 times a year to verify zero before I take it up north to hunt whitetails where shots are well under 100 yards. The other "go to" rifles that I'm taking out to Wyoming for deer, elk, and antelope this year have various Leupolds on them and I wouldn't even use the name of the other scope in the same sentence with any of them! I'll be using a .243 Sako for antelope with a 4-12x40 VXI, a 25-06 Ruger M77 for deer with a 3-9x40 VXI, and a pre 64 Model 70 Winchester in 30-06 for elk with a 3-9x40 VXII. If I shot anything heavier than 30-06s, I would go up to one of their more expensive models as the guts in a scope are what you're paying for along with the glass. The only reason I use that Tasco is because it was put on that 03A3 when my Dad rebuilt that gun and gave it to me for my first centerfire rifle when I bought property up in northern in 1973 where I can use a rifle here in MI. They aren't allowed down here in zone 3 where I live. Every time I use it I want to take that Tasco off and use one of two Leupolds I still have in the closet just sitting there in a box doing nothing, but I just can't convince myself to do it because of the nostalgia that rifle/scope combination have---comprende? Your last line or two of your post to WildRose about lemons is basically what we are trying to tell you, but you just sort of said it in a different way.

 

[chucknbach]

When I talk about lemons I'd say well if Leupold has .05 % bad scopes coming off the line. Then Simmons might be at 1%. Where as what I'm getting from you is every Simmon's will fail on a high power rifle.

I think if I made it to 90 years old and wore out several rifles on this Simmons scope you'd probably be telling me. "Just wait it's going to break any day now!"

I have 4 Simmons scopes 1 that goes on mine and the rest on my kids .22's and have had O problems with them.

Well we're not going to find out if it will hold up in the long run as it's coming off. I did however have it out today and if I can get a 1 shot hit out to 1300yds on a man sized target I'd say it was working pretty good. I can't say that about some of my wind calls today but no problems with the elevation ones..

I thought this was funny. I was shooting today with a guy from work that I'd never shot with before and what does he show up with? His main hunting rifle a .30 06 with a Simmons on top. He said it's been on there for about 10 years with many rounds down range and he was happy with it.

I know 1 .22 scope with 60 or 70 rounds is no scientific study but I believe your more than likely not going to have a failure with one of these.

Top Gun stop on by when your out here, after a couple of beers we'll have Simmons scopes mounted on all your rifles. We can scratch off the name so you can live with yourself.