Thread: NC Star

I'm looking for a semi cheap way to put a "tactical" magnified optic on my AR until I can get my hands on an AimPoint or something of that sort. I want something, short if you will, like the ACOG or AimPoint length but for right now it needs to be cheaper. Looking for something in the 2x-4x range.

How are the NC Stars? More specifically the Mark III Tactical Series, has anyone had any personal experience with them? I did a search and couldn't find anything helpful.

TIA

I went through the same thing looking for a placeholder scope on my cetme, i heard nothing but bad things about the compact nc star scopes. I ended up getting a utg 6x tactical scope, it has rubber armor and looks good for 60 bucks. It works very well so far, i put 80 rounds and it stayed zeroed. We'll see how long it lasts, but i like it so far.

I highly recommend getting a Vortex Strikefire red dot. $149.99. Not sure if you want a red dot or not, but this Vortex unit comes with a 2X magnifier you can screw it in or not. I have this on my Saiga 7.62x39. I can actually hit what I'm pointing at with it

I agree that the strike fire is a great optic for the money but the magnifier that it comes with cuts the field of view so much it's almost worthless. It's a great red dot though(I also really like the millet single reticule models and have used them a lot). If you want a scope, rather than a red dot, look at the Bushnell Banner series. I have their 1x-4x and it only cost me around $80 and has held up on my 45/70 for about 200 rounds. It's not "tactical" but it's nice and clear and has pretty good eye relief.

I've got an NC Star fixed 4x on my 10/22. It's got an illuminated reticle (duplex I think). The illumination seemed to work fairly well before the battery died. It's got something like 7 different intensities. It seems to work fine, I've only put about 200 rounds through it since I put the scope on. I've never taken the time to get it dialed in, just made adjustments while shooting offhand, but it seems to hold it's zero. It still shoots minute of grapefruit at 70 yards.

The glass seems to be pretty clear for a cheap scope, especially compared to the similarly priced scopes I've played with in the past.

I think they're good scopes for a dedicated plinker or for short term use. I think this is the one that I've got.

http://www.ncstar.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=57

Originally Posted by e28rusty

I went through the same thing looking for a placeholder scope on my cetme, i heard nothing but bad things about the compact nc star scopes. I ended up getting a utg 6x tactical scope, it has rubber armor and looks good for 60 bucks. It works very well so far, i put 80 rounds and it stayed zeroed. We'll see how long it lasts, but i like it so far.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the NCSTAR company is making about half the scopes out there (BSA, BARSKA, TASCO etc.)? The few I've had have held up well, and have decent optics considering how cheap they are. Great optics are lost on me as I wear eyeglasses these days.

If your AR is accurate at 100 and 200 yards, as most of them are, you might want to consider getting a scope that has an AO feature so you can put it in focus. The advantage is that you could set it to a closer focus range if you ever had a need for that (zombies?). The only short scope I know of that has that feature is sold by Sun optics (prob. made by NCSTAR, lol) and called a shorty fourty, I have never seen one but considered getting one a while ago for a similar weapon. I think they are 3-9x40 power.

A couple years ago, I watched a Police Officer show up to TCGC with his AR and a brand new NCstar scope.

Officer showed up in a nice, shiny new Hummer H2, but had a DPMS or Olympic AR-15 and the NCstar. Watching him zero his rifle, which he claimed was the rifle he kept on duty, was almost comical, if it wasn't for the fact that someday he might actually have to use it to save a life.

Long story short, it didn't adjust accurately, and it didn't hold zero, even on a 5.56 AR-15.

I've heard that the fixed zoom scopes hold zero better, i know my father in law has a 3-9x nc star that shifts when you zoom in or out.

Originally Posted by e28rusty

I've heard that the fixed zoom scopes hold zero better, i know my father in law has a 3-9x nc star that shifts when you zoom in or out.

I don't know why people can't accept that POS glass leads to crappy results?

Why waste money on crap that is known to be crap? There are better options (such as the Vortex offerings) for not much more money.

i would say spend a little more and get mid priced optics you may find you dont need the high priced optics check out primary arms

my most regretable purchase was getting a high end magnifier (but that was before the clone wars) what a waist of money it does give a extra inch of eye relief but not worth the extra $400 for a magnifier guh!

Originally Posted by itgoesboom

I don't know why people can't accept that POS glass leads to crappy results?

Why waste money on crap that is known to be crap? There are better options (such as the Vortex offerings) for not much more money.

Just took a look, I would guess that NCSTAR or it's parent company (New Centruy) makes Vortex. Heck, if you go on the NCSTAR web page they offer to sell you scopes with your own brand name on it. Bugeye brand, "Much Better than NCSTAR because we say so"!

Originally Posted by bugeye

Just took a look, I would guess that NCSTAR or it's parent company (New Centruy) makes Vortex. Heck, if you go on the NCSTAR web page they offer to sell you scopes with your own brand name on it. Bugeye brand, "Much Better than NCSTAR because we say so"!

Comments such as yours do nothing but demonstrate your own ignorance.

There is more to a scope than who puts it together. For example, where the parts came from, who designed it, quality control factors, warranty, etc.

Vortex does contract out the assembly of their optics to various factories throughout Asia, but they are having them built to a higher standard than we see with NCstar.

In fact, one of Vortex's higher end offerings (which runs $2,400+) is in very high demand with precision shooters. I say this as someone who neither works for, with, nor uses Vortex optics.

However, they make good stuff, they stand behind their product, and it is fairly priced.

Compared to NCstar which makes crap.

You pay your money, you take your chances. Your chances of not wasting money improves if you actually do a bit of research.

My opinion is this and its not really fact at least not all of it

the thing with chinese scopes is this

the really cheap models are assembled by the 5-7 yr olds

the mid range by the 8-11 yrs olds

and the high end by the 12-14 year olds


i'm just kidding around of corse i think some Chinese stuff is pretty good just not the really cheap stuff it may be fine for airsoft and bb guns that have no recoil

i did a search for reviews for one of the scout scopes . i found some guys loved them put them on mosins which have quite a kick to them but there were some that said they fell apart on the first day at the range

like i said before you dont have to spend a lot to get decent optics look at simmons bushnell primary arms spot hakku

My buddy went with a NC STAR for his Thompson contender in .223
Long story short he HATES IT ! Won't hold zero , fogs up realllllllll bad. He's wishing he would have waited a lil while and spent a few more bucks on something decent. Most generally you get what you pay for, be patient & wait until you can afford to get what you want.

Originally Posted by Brandon44647

Most generally you get what you pay for, be patient & wait until you can afford to get what you want.

Normally I'd say that's good advice, but if it's going to be awhile before you buy your "actual" scope I'd say go for it. I'd never trust one of these cheap scopes if it was variable power, but Midway has the fixed 4x for $20, and you can return it if it's defective. Granted, the glass won't be the greatest, but that's just more motivation to upgrade later.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=929757

Originally Posted by itgoesboom

Comments such as yours do nothing but demonstrate your own ignorance.

There is more to a scope than who puts it together. For example, where the parts came from, who designed it, quality control factors, warranty, etc.

Vortex does contract out the assembly of their optics to various factories throughout Asia, but they are having them built to a higher standard than we see with NCstar.

In fact, one of Vortex's higher end offerings (which runs $2,400+) is in very high demand with precision shooters. I say this as someone who neither works for, with, nor uses Vortex optics.

However, they make good stuff, they stand behind their product, and it is fairly priced.

Compared to NCstar which makes crap.

You pay your money, you take your chances. Your chances of not wasting money improves if you actually do a bit of research.

I only looked at the cheap stuff as that is what you were recomending. Chinese made scopes are becoming generic products and there are way too many companies selling essentially the same products. R&D and product development cost lots of money and take lots of time and I am an expert on that subject.

You must have noticed the same thing?

Originally Posted by eldbillbo

My opinion is this and its not really fact at least not all of it

the thing with chinese scopes is this

the really cheap models are assembled by the 5-7 yr olds

the mid range by the 8-11 yrs olds

and the high end by the 12-14 year olds....

There is another level that you are overlooking. The REALLY high-end stuff is put together by the political prisoners in the slave labor camps. You want to try to get the ones that are assembled right after the one meal per day that they get; the quality-control seems to be a little better on those, unless the maggots in the rice are still alive in which case they tend to get a bit distracted during the assembly process. In that case, you are better off going with the ones put together by the 12-14 year olds. I think they feed them a little better.

You get what you pay for. I learned my lesson buying an NC Star red laser and it was what it is - cheap.

My husband has this scope and swears by it, and had had multiple scopes. I think he paid $200 for it. It is not an NCSTAR but a Lucid HD7

http://www.mylucidgear.com/

NC Star is good for airsoft or display only. Even the best $200 NC star looks like pure $hit when you compare it to the cheapest $200 leupold.