Budget scopes

[lamar_hunter]

I just bought a redfield 3x9x40 and like it alot. 150 bucks. lifetime warentee and made by leupold who has a really good reputation. it was a no brainer for me.

[Pathfinder101]

You could also go on Ebay and pick up a used Leupold 3x9x40 Rifleman or VXI for about $150...

[Atroxus]

I generally try to avoid buying used things online since you have no way of knowing if the previous owner(s) "drove it like they stole it", or handled it with kid gloves.

[bobcat]

No need to worry about buying used Leupolds, as you can just send it to them if there's anything wrong with it and it will be either fixed or replaced with a new one.

[Atroxus]

I did not know that. Definitely good info for next time I need a new scope though. 

[carpsniperg2]

banner series have always worked good for me.

[Pathfinder101]

No need to worry about buying used Leupolds, as you can just send it to them if there's anything wrong with it and it will be either fixed or replaced with a new one.

Yup.  I'm watching about 5 of them right now...

[bowhunterforever]

banner series have always worked good for me.

Me too, I have two of them.

[Pathfinder101]

banner series have always worked good for me.

Me too, I have two of them.

I have had two Bushnell Banners.  Both of them wore out after about two years and wouldn't hold a zero.  That's when I finally sacked up and bought a Leupold.  I liked the Bushnell when it was working, but got tired of replacing them.

[jackelope]

I would imagine that the inexpensive scopes like Banners work pretty fine on lower recoiling rifles.  If you put a cheap scope on a .338, odds are it's gonna break.
I have a banner but have never used it. I just mounted it on my 22-250. It seems to be ok but not great. Pathfinder, what rifle did you have yours mounted on that broke them?

[hillbilli]

I have 3 or 4 of the bushnells, 3-9x40's they sell for about 60$, one of them is the mildot, and it was 99$. I've mostly had them on .308's, the savage muzzleloader,.22's and such, nothing really hard recoiling. they have held zero, and are fully coated optics, which is not the best, but generally when its ten minutes past legal light and you're on the way to the truck, and look up and go 'what is that?",  and a look through the scope (of your of course by now unloaded rifle), and see that oh its a stump... then its a decent scope. i havent killed one yet, all of them i've bought are still in service, the oldest bought in probably '98. so yes, they are fairly cheap foreign scopes, and no one is going to warranty them, i've been happy with them, and my primary hunting rifle still carries one, even though i have a couple of 4x40 nikon monarchs..

[bobcat]

You can see through a Banner 10 minutes past legal shooting time?  

I can't see a dang thing through my Leupold Vari-x III right at the end of shooting time, let alone 10 minutes later. Those Banners must be a lot better than I thought.

(You do realize legal shooting time is 30 minutes after sunset)  

[jackelope]

I've got the 6-18x50 on my yote rifle...it is decent at best.

[carpsniperg2]

yeah they are good like i said but all mine are on 223 or 22 my cousin just put one on his 308 and my best friend has one on his 30-06 but as far as magnum cals i would not use them and trust them but middle to light cals for around 80-115 i don't think there is anything wrong with them. i just put a 6-24x40 mildot on a new ar-15

[Pathfinder101]

I would imagine that the inexpensive scopes like Banners work pretty fine on lower recoiling rifles.  If you put a cheap scope on a .338, odds are it's gonna break.
I have a banner but have never used it. I just mounted it on my 22-250. It seems to be ok but not great. Pathfinder, what rifle did you have yours mounted on that broke them?

I had them on my .270s.  First one was on my .270 Husquavarna, I kept having to readjust it.  It would hold the zero for a few months, then I would have to resight.  I sold the gun (with that scope and a warning that you may need a new scope soon).  When I bought my Rem 700, I mounted a Bushnell Banner 6x12x50 on it (I always have been a slow learner) and it shot just fine until last summer.  I had it dialed in when I shot it in June, then took it out in July and it wouldn't even hit paper.  It's sitting on my shelf right now, replaced by a Leupold I could afford (VXI 4x12x40).  Now I am in the process (slowly) of replacing my other scopes with Leupolds.