What is a poor man's Night Force?

I would suggest that you don't put glass quality at the top of your list when deciding on a scope for LRH. It is easy to do this as so many guys only talk about that one aspect of a scope. In reality it is maybe the least important factor in choosing the right scope. In today's optics market it is hard to not buy glass that is at least good enough to get the job done with ease. Look for a scope that is tough with a solid reputation for durability and turret repeatability. Then find the one with the features you want. Then make sure the glass is acceptable.

My 2 cents.
 
I would suggest that you don't put glass quality at the top of your list when deciding on a scope for LRH. It is easy to do this as so many guys only talk about that one aspect of a scope. In reality it is maybe the least important factor in choosing the right scope. In today's optics market it is hard to not buy glass that is at least good enough to get the job done with ease. Look for a scope that is tough with a solid reputation for durability and turret repeatability. Then find the one with the features you want. Then make sure the glass is acceptable.

My 2 cents.

I agree with Scot here. With the competition in the budget long range scope arena, glass is going to good no matter what. Some companies do a better job with coatings which help in low and high light situations. However, there are only so many glass manufacturers.

I purchased a Vortex Crossfire 8-32x50 a couple years ago for my 223. The glass was good. Tue fine reticle was awesome for long range work. But it would not track right and the ao drove me crazy in the field. I sent it back and put a PST on it. Tracks perfectly. Great glass. Fine reticle. And side parallax.

For my shooting this is a perfect combo.

Definitely look for the features you want as well as the glass IMO
 
I think the glass on the Diamondbacks are great. The Vipers are not any more clear that my eyes can see. What the Vipers do better is in high and low light conditions and eliminate chromatic abberations. They also seem to not have the distortion around the edge of the glass.

If the Diamondback came in higher magnification I would use it for shooting paper. For field conditions I like the coatings on the Viper glass for glassing into a sunrise or sunset and low light of dusk.
 
dariuszczyszczon how do you like your Millet ??
I agree with you guys, No sense having a $3000.00 rifle if all you can afford to put on it is a 3x9x32 BSA.

Right now, I have 2 Millet New Generation Varmint Target 6-25x56 side focus Mil dot 30 mm tube. with Large Knobs. They were the best glass that I could afford! I have ask all these questions so when I get some money I can upgrade! And know what to buy.
The Sightron 3's look real good and I like the 8-32x56!!
I am still in hopes to stuble across a Tasco 10-40x50 Japan made to put on my A bolt 223WSSM, I did get lucky and had a Tasco 6-24x50 made in Japan and I put it on for now. I am sure lots of you guys think I am nuts for wanting a Tasco 10-40x50 made in Japan. Last year I was over on the hide forum and a well know shooter stated that the 10-40x50 Tasco was the best glass ever!!
All I want to do is go to the range just one time with out any problems!
Later
Greg
 
That millet so far has not given me any problems but its on my 22-250. The glass in the sightron is more crisp which is better for low light. Both scopes i'm happy with. I do know that there is less hassle with warranty issues on the sightron. They offer an instant turnaround so if i ever do have a problem i wont be waiting weeks for a new scope. Also the millet is a 1/8 click and the sightron is 1/4. So the sightron goes on my big game rifle and the millet goes on the coyote gun. Make sure you get a good pairs of rings and a Picatinny rail so you don't have problems with the scope slipping. Also use locktite on your screws.
 
Thanks Loner!
I think I am going to keep looking for a Tasco 10x40x50 mil dot made in Japan. I went back a couple years on the Hide and learned that the Glass in that Jap made scope was top notch. I have never owned a china made Tasco and I never will but I have owned several of the big varible Jap made Tasco's with real good luck!
Later
greg

I had one for about three days, and just didn't like it. I traded it for a World Class + in 8-32x/50mm lense scope, as I already owned one. Looks like a Leupold MK.IV, and tracks better than their Var III's do. They will still get mirage above 27x, but so will my Leupolds in the same light. I also wouldn't count out the Weaver T series scopes. Never thought much of one till I got my hands on a T36. Better than Burris for sure, and at least as good as the Leupold without parallex issues. But I'm like others and say to start out with a Sightron
gary
 
Of all the scopes out there, I would probably have to list the Sightron SIII @ the top of the list, for price compared to what you actually get. I bought one from Tikka Lover a while ago, and I have put it through its paces, and I LOVE it!

So Sightron SIII at the top; then you could check out Weaver Optics, they also are really nice for the money (I have a few of those also, in different power ranges). Another I hear about frequently, not on here though (and I don't have any personal experience with them yet), is the Nikko Stirling brand line of scopes. I just bought a Nikko in 3-10x42mm for my new "short range" .308 Win. I haven't mounted it yet as I'm in the process of painting the gun... Glass seems ok; the eye relief seems a little close (we'll see when I mount it on the rifle), but eye relief isn't as big of an issue just from the bench.

I'm sorry, I had a Millett. My buddy kept telling me how good it was, so I bought one. It was fair, so I ended up selling it, and that's when I bought the Sightron SIII! You get what you pay for when you buy Millett in my opinion (they are a decent scope, not AWESOME, for the money). My buddy has since purchased a Weaver tactical scope, and doesn't mention Millett anymore lol, I think he's kinda embarrassed to compare them... An individual scope from a company may be awesome, but you need to look at a company that produces these regularly lol, otherwise the guy before may have purchased that "1 in a million scope" and you just have the regular "run of the mill" one. From these posts, Sightron keeps popping up...

Say what you will lol, my LR rigs all have good scopes on them, but I just had to try the Nikko... Worst case, I blew $200...:rolleyes:
 
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After 40+ years and lots of scopes(and rifles), I have found Ruskin's philosphy to apply much more often than not

The Common Law of Business Balance is a meditation on price attributed to John Ruskin. It reads as follows:
"There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person's lawful prey. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money -- that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot -- it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."
 
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