Best Budget Scope

Whats the best scope for around $500? Looking for a 4x12or16x50. Burris Signature, Meopta Meosport, Leupold Freedom or VX3 in 40mm, vortex? Not looking for a high end scope at this point just something solid for a kids gun.

I got the Meosport 3x15x50 and put it on a 6.5 Grendel AR. Been thoroughly impressed so far and honestly like it better than my Optika 6. I got it around Christmas time from B&H photo for $399. Comes with decent Meopta rings as well. The illuminated red dot in the reticle is nice and my son loves it.

Personally for $500 and under the Vortex Viper HS is the ticket

In that price range, I really like Meopta

Meopta or for a hair more, Zeiss

I’d steer clear of vortex

I agree with the first statement but please explain about Vortex. I have a couple and may be looking at a couple others to upgrade scopes. I’m interested that there may be something I’m over looking. Thanks

What are the better Meotpa models in that price range? I saw they had several options.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...new/1/leupold-vx3hd-4-5-14x40-cds#UNREAD

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...new/1/sig-whiskey-5-3x15x52-scope#UNREAD

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ta-optika-5-4-20x-led-scope#Post19212503

They aren't great. Keep your box and receipt handy. It is well known they have great customer service for a reason....lot of people have had the pleasure of using it. Really just depends on what grade scope you buy from them I have a Razor that works fine but it wasn't made in the Philippines.

I’ve owned 3 of their products, 2 went back for repair within a month. The 3rd came on a used rifle I bought. I gave it to a kid. Also, I was t impressed with clarity on the scopes or binos

Thankfully the 2 Diamondbacks I have, haven’t had any issues. They seem to be decent glass for the money.

I have several vortex scopes. Hunting and amateur LR shoooting. Never had a problem.

Hands down, Meopta Optika5 3-15X44 Z-Plus reticle. Well under $500 when you can find one. They sell out as soon as they arrive.

You can find a Trijicon Accupoint in that price range. I don't think you can do better under 1k.

I have several Vortex scopes and have had zero problems.

I like my vortex viper hs. No problems with it so far. 2.5-10x44.
I have a VX Freedom 3-9x50, it's not bad. leupolds just work for me. It's sort of like buying Tacoma or 4 runner, the entry price is high, but so is resale.

Terry is gtg

The words scope and budget don't belong in the same sentence

Used Zeiss Conquest 3-9 or 3.5-10x50. Got 3. Haven’t paid over $450 for any of them.

Got a Meopta Meostar 3-10x50 (silver color) with 30mm tube I’d sell you for $500

Watch the used Zeiss scopes. Some are chinese counterfeits.

I have bought from SWFA when they had the used scope site samplelist but its no longer. Is there another source for used/demo scopes?

Cameraland NY usually has a good selection of demo and open box optics on their website. Or give them a call, super friendly and helpful folks.

scopelist.com

This. I own over 20 Vortex products from Diamondback to Razors. Trijicon optics are just flat out impressive, and usually 20-30% more

Budget - it is pretty hard to beat a $250-300 (on sale) Vortex Viper. Midway was blowing out old Viper 3x9x40 1" tubes for $200 during Christmas time.

Europtic has a sale right now on Vortex with an additional 15% off and free shipping over $250.

I thought the Chinese Leupolds were the common problem.

They are, or at least were. They've (Leupold) been working hard to get the fakes off the market.
eBay is full of fake Zeiss scopes though. Or was last time I checked.

If it’s not a hard kicker(doubt it is),Eurooptic has Trijicon Huron 3-9x40 with a simple bdc @$299…

Pm to you

Diamondback hp fogged up on me this year on a buck. To hell with a vortex...

Love mine, eye relief is fine on the .270 I put it on.

Internally or externally?

Every Vortex I have tried has been amazing in full daylight, and less than optimal in low light. One had a serious low light parallax issue.

Love them for daylight range use, but don't want one on a hunting rifle.

I'm going to chime in on the Vortex issue and share my opinion. May I say from the start, this is my OPINION...

I am not a Vortex fan. I have owned one of their products and will never spend a dime of my money on another. The scope that I owned was not clear to my eyes, wasn't very good in low light, and to me, it was cheaply built.

My biggest beef with Vortex as a company?

They are a pretender, a "want to be", in the optics industry. They want to be in the league with other higher end scope manufacturers, but the cold, hard fact is they don't manufacture most their products.

As far as I can tell, they claim to manufacture only one product in their entire line-up. That would be the Razor HD AMG scope, that is allegedly made in Wisconsin. This is a scope that retails in the $2,499.00 to $2,999.00 price range. Not real affordable for the average hunter.

The rest of their products are made for them by other scope manufacturers, that slap the "Vortex" trade name on them.

Razor - Made in Japan
Viper - Made in the Philippines
Diamondback - Made in the Philippines
Viper Red Dot Series - Made in China
Diamondback Tactical - Made in China
Strike Eagle - Made in China
Crossfire - Made in China

You guys wonder why so many problems occur with many of their scope models? Just look where many of them are being built. This is a company that has built their reputation on their warranty. It's a good thing they have the warranty policy that they have. Sooner or later their junk will fail.

Yep, in my opinion, they are the little brother in the optics industry. Kinda like Aubarn is to Bama...

They aren't worthy enough to carry the jock straps of Luepold, Meopta, Zeiss, Swarovski, S&B, and many others.

All of which, are companies that build their OWN products, in their own manufacturing facilities.

Rail on me if you want, this is truth about their manufacturing, and I already stated the rest was my opinion.

Great post Cuz.

One question I have NEVER asked when buying optics is "what is the warranty?'"

The best warranty is one you never need to use.

Amen, brother! This man is right.

The XM157 is made in the US. Although it is $10k each.

Zeiss doesn't make all their own stuff either. They have farmed out manufacture of several of their lower end scopes, but I believe all their high end stuff is made by them.

Yep. Some Zeiss models are made by LOW in Japan.

Trijicon and NF as well as many others use LOW.

I have a friend with a high end razor (3k) and he has had to send it back twice. He is in the process of getting his money back.