Scopes

Recently, Leupold has been dropping a bunch of new products that are a direct effect of listening to what the their consumers want. This new VX-5HD 4-20×52 CDS-ZL2 is yet another great scope that many of you have been asking for.

If you’re willing to buy a scope without the Made in the USA sticker, what are your options? What kind of features, quality, and price points can you expect from scopes made in China, South Korea, or the Philippines? To get a sense of the market, I chose three scopes to test…

Bushnell had a wide variety of their three scope line offerings (PRIME, NITRO, and FORGE) on display at SHOT 2019. Each of the three lines includes an assortment of riflescopes, binoculars range finder and/or spotting scopes.

Bushnell has been at the forefront of rifle scopes for many years now, largely after a successful move into the tactical market. Considering the name Bushnell had a decade in the past, that was no small feat. I laughed the first time it was suggested that my Counter Terrorism force try the then-new HDMR. But I wasn’t laughing at the end of the training day. Bushnell did the impossible, they transitioned from a cheap hunting scope to a world-class sniper option.

There is a popular saying that many gun enthusiasts know, “Buy once; cry once.” Basically, this means that it is generally worth the extra pain and expense to buy a high quality, expensive product instead of many budget options. Vortex’s new optic, the Diamondback Tactical 6-24×50 destroys this mantra with its quality construction, many features and high optical clarity all while maintaining an itty-bitty price tag.

On a recent South Texas hunt with the Nosler M48 Handgun, the Burris 3-12 let me see well enough to shoot right up to dark and then several minutes beyond. It took some good bouncing around, in hunting blinds and vehicles, and held zero.

Leupold’s new addition, the VX-3i optics series, is a solid buy for any long-range hunter or shooter on a budget.

As the flagship of the Bushnell Elite Tactical line, my expectations are high for the XRS II. I’m happy to report that Bushnell hasn’t failed.

As optics companies strive for ever better and cheaper scopes, a clear winner has emerged. The consumer. We live in the golden age of optics and weapons, as evidenced by this weeks test of the Leupold Mark 5. At a combined cost of under $4000 for optics and rifle, using .60 cent per round ammo, I was able to test a sub half MOA weapons system. Even 15 years ago, you would be lucky to match that at any price outside of a benchrest rig.