What is the best/worst scope you have tried?

Budget

Best
Nikko Panamax
Close second was an old Sabre 3-9-42 which wasn't bad for the money.

Worst
Hawke Airmax 2-7x32, I really don't see what everyone raves about with these, I can see why they're the rfds darling as the mark up must be huge!

£200+

Best
Optisan EVX, for £200 I don't think you can beat it.

Worst
The MTC lightweight hobby, £50 more than the Optisan but with worse glass!!!

£350+
Best
Leupold Vx freedom 3-9×33 EFR, turrets shoe it's bottom end but the glass is excellent.

Worst
Vortex Venom, purple fuzzy edges everywhere.
 
Low (£5-100)
Worst - Vector Cerato Utra Compact 3-9x32 IR
Best - Hawke Vantage 3-9x40 AO (the original range, not the 'fast mount' version)

Medium (£101-399)
Worst - Vector Minotaur Gen II 12-60x60 VEMP-LR (technically this could also sit in the 'High' category as the RRP is over £400)
Best - Element Helix range (both SFP & FFP)
Vector Veyron 4-16x44 (both SFP & FFP)
Vector Sentinel-X 10-40x50
Optisan EVX range (both SFP & FFP)
Konus Pro-Plus 6-24x50

High (£400-1000)
Worst - Vector Minotaur Gen II 12-60x60 VEMP-LR (technically available for circa £375 but the pricing at most dealers is over £400)
Best - Nikko Stirling Diamond 10-60x60 MDIR (no longer available but was priced around £1100 new for the MDIR version. But could be had for under £1k)

Top (£1001+)
Worst - N/A
Best - Nikko Stirling Diamond 10-60x60 MDIR (Big Nikko Mk3) (no longer available but was priced around £1100 new)
 
I like my ZEISS scope, smooth, bright, crystal clear and tracks perfectly. I also likes Mesopotamia, S&B and Lightstream scopes I’ve owned in the past.
I really didn’t like the Hawke Side Winder 30mm - image was and quality was questionalble.
All time worst scope I’ve ever had my hands on was a BSA - total garbage.
N
 
Hawke 4-16 x 44 mm IR, SF, compact has been excellent for 7K to 8K shots at 17 FPE on my HW95L .22. Nikon scopes on my crossbow and black powder rifles. Burris E1 on my WIN M70 30-06. All of these manufactures have excellent CS if needed,
 
If you are only shooting sub 12 to 60yd you dont need a £700 pound scope as long as you can get a reasonable image your good to go! This b* "=ks about light gathering abilities means you get another 15 minutes before you can see nowt big deal! I would rather just stick a pard on then darkness is not a problem. Talking of which the daylight image is pants compared to the cheapest Hawk scope but every body raves about them! I feel better now i have got that off my chest!:whistle::)
 
TR158 said:
Low (£5-100)
Worst - Vector Cerato Utra Compact 3-9x32 IR
Best - Hawke Vantage 3-9x40 AO (the original range, not the 'fast mount' version)

Medium (£101-399)
Worst - Vector Minotaur Gen II 12-60x60 VEMP-LR (technically this could also sit in the 'High' category as the RRP is over £400)
Best - Element Helix range (both SFP & FFP)
Vector Veyron 4-16x44 (both SFP & FFP)
Vector Sentinel-X 10-40x50
Optisan EVX range (both SFP & FFP)
Konus Pro-Plus 6-24x50

High (£400-1000)
Worst - Vector Minotaur Gen II 12-60x60 VEMP-LR (technically available for circa £375 but the pricing at most dealers is over £400)
Best - Nikko Stirling Diamond 10-60x60 MDIR (no longer available but was priced around £1100 new for the MDIR version. But could be had for under £1k)

Top (£1001+)
Worst - N/A
Best - Nikko Stirling Diamond 10-60x60 MDIR (Big Nikko Mk3) (no longer available but was priced around £1100 new)
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Great I am expecting a Vector Cerato Ultra Compact for my HW44 any day now..........
 
Best Nikko Sterling Panamax 4-14x50 AO
Worst Hawke Panaroma 4-12x50 AO
Stopped buying Hawke scopes years ago for Nikko scopes
 
Harold said:
Great I am expecting a Vector Cerato Ultra Compact for my HW44 any day now..........
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Now then, the caveat here of course is that what suits my eye (or not in this case) may not apply to you. It's also a matter of perception having been used to better glass. You may find it suits you 😉
 
Worst, old bsa plastic bodied things, came with various names on them but utter rubbish, best & best value, a pecar 8x45 champion my mate found for me at a car boot for £20, exellent glass. Another good cheapie is the simmons 1.5-5x32 budget scope, had one for years on lots of springers & still going strong, Though not as good in low light as my old fave the whitetail 1.5-5 x 20WA though. love them so much i've four now, all on rifles being used.
 
Old thread revival alert!!!!

Worst - Some weird "Walther" 3x9-32 compact with illuminated mildot. Nothing more that a toy. Why did I buy it?

Best - Nikon Prostaff 3x9-40ao efr. How I wish they still made these.
 
Best is leupold and immersive optics and worst is a hawke that come as a package deal with my brocock just couldn't get on with it so it had to go I had another hawke on my hw100 and it wasn't bad but compared to a leupold it's like looking at an old TV compared to HD
 
I have had plenty of good scopes over the years, recently I'm enjoying fixed mag scopes

I used to like the old hawke panorama models,

The current vantage side focus models I am pretty sure these are airmax scopes but with a standard ret for a lot less money

I wish I still had some of the nikon prostaff models, these were very nicely made

Enjoying the optisan cp, and the vector veyron scope are fantastic value for money, also has the same ret as the optisan

The only scope I have had a problem with was an mtc mamba, and mtc wasn't interested when contacted (this was about 10 years ago) so never bothered since
 
Worst;
Several Hawke scopes which have long gone.
Middle range;
Simmons WTC’s and Pro Airs
B’nell Legends and Elites.
Nikon Prostaffs.
Vortex Diamondbacks.
Top range;
Zeiss absolutely !
 
Worst For Me - and i make that clear, my eyes might be like pickled onions compared to other users, so don't take it personally if you have another opinion! - Simmons 1 - 5 x 20 I honestly cannot work out why these are so well regarded. I've got a Nikko fixed 6 mag Mountmaster here that dusts the little W.T.C. and I've looked through loads, all the same.
Other Simmons older scopes - in fact all of the other W.T.C. and Deerfield Golds were better than the little W.T.C to me.

Best Swarovski, Leupold, Zeiss, Old Bushy 3200, SWFA, Nikon EFR. . In order of Optical Performance. But not much beats a Bushnell for durability. Never seen a broken (genuine, not the snyde badged auction site) Bushnell.
 
Best. Pecar Berlin champion 4x36.

Other good scopes I'd mention. Niko gold crown, hawke airmax/vantage. Simmons W. T. C

Got a wulf scope recently and that's pretty good. Have a Gamo 4x32 and for the money no complaints.

Worst is bsa 22 special. And I'm sry to say niko mountmasters. Never get on with them for whatever the reason is.
 
Captain_Slackbladder said:
Of the top end, I think ZCO is the best all round scope I’ve tried. March are also excellent. Nightforce are great if reliability and robustness are your priorities.
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I love scopes almost as much as guns, soooooo tend to spend far to much money on them
The absolute peak in my experience is March, for clarity and resolution, plus they zoom up to x80 for their BR scopes.
i have a Schmid ans Bender, it’s very bright, but the glass clarity is no where near what I would have expected.

how do the ZCO compare, I’ve never seem them on guns?
 
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