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Originally Posted by Marrjob  Sooner, I'm jumping in here late but read all the previous posts on this thread. I have a Redfield 3x9x40 on my Ruger 77 in 308 and various brands on other weapons. The Redfield was what I thought the top of the line when I bought it a couple of decades ago, $200 then Where does the Redfield fall in your list of scopes? |
The only experience that I have with Redfield is looking through some a few years back. Not good. But I have heard that they were excellent optics before the 90s and sometime in that decade the quality slipped.
Someone can correct me if I am wrong but my understanding of the Optics world is that very, very few actually make the glass. So a scope company designs a good line of scopes, orders top quality glass, puts together a great scope and builds a reputation for quality. Then a few years down the line the company grows management changes and becomes more bottom dollar orientated than quality and they get cheaper glass, move the manufacturing to a cheaper location, maximize profits and live on the old reputation. Not a good recipe for long term success but it happens. Nikon comes to mind. So what may be good today may not be so good next year. This is why you hear alot of "I have such and such and its great" followed by someone elses "I bought that last month and it sucked" (well that and about 80% of stuff posted on the internet is BS).
Like I said though I have read some great reviews on the older Redfields.
I am no scope expert but I have taken some time (and money) to try out several. The things that are important to me may not be as important to someone else. I used to use cheap scopes but when I started shooting more I quickly learned to not waste my money on them. I used to think spending over 200 on a scope was crazy, now I think spending less is a waste (unless its a 22, airgun etc.).
What I look for is
1. Ability to hold zero. (cant test without buying it but cheap scopes fail here very hard). Also I like to see a scope return to zero when I adjust the turrets for different bullet weights.
2. Clearness. Most all the better scopes pass this well enough for me. I really wont argue about which brand is brighter or clearer than the other because really there just isnt that much difference.
3. Eye relief and exit pupil. I dont like getting a scope jammed into my eye and I really cant stand a small exit pupil on a scope. Its annoying and hard to quickly find a target.
Thats really it for me. If I am paying 300, 400 or 500 bucks for a scope I am gonna be careful not to drop it or bang it around so I havent ever really found out which ones are the toughest.
I like sightrons because the are the cheapest ones currently available that do well in all 3 of those things I list and they have a lifetime warranty (although I have never had a chance to test it).
Here is a good place to get some great info on optics
The Optics Talk Forums