Best of the "cheap" scopes

[Idaho44]

I have to say my price point for a scope is the $100 to $200 range (sale price or pawn shop). One of the first scopes I bought (actually it was payment for a job) was a Realist 4x. Nice scope but it did fog (my fault). So having done the major brand road trip, I now look for a fixed power, a medium (e.g. 2-7 etc.) variable range, decent clarity (wall chart or lettering on a distant sign) and an internal display that I can SEE clearly at all powers if it is a variable. It is a personal choice but one that needs to made by the user and not a recommendation. Reviews help but like a recipe they are just a starting point.

 

[Hueco]

They are very much in the hunting realm, but I just heard of rgunsngear.com on a podcast.
They rent guns and gear. Maybe worth checking out.

Looks interesting...but I don't see scope rentals on their site.

 

[Vaultman]

Looks interesting...but I don't see scope rentals on their site.

Yeah, binos and spotters are there, like a camera shop would have lenses. Just not scopes. I can imagine renting binos and spotters, but when a scope has to be mounted on a rifle and tight, I am sure they would end up with damaged returns.
But it would be nice to kick tires on a scope before you bought.

 

[Jcon268]

If you can get your hands on a used Nightforce/USO/Steiner at around $1k thats where you want to be. Scope tech doesnt make leaps and bounds every other year unlike the tech field.

New: Steiner P4xi, Burris XTR, Swarovski Z3, Sightron SIII (one of my favs)

Vortex glass is unusable at this price point past 15x. Tracking is mushy too.
Leopold has good glass but abismal tracking. I keep them on my hunting rifles because of their lightweight.
SWFA variable has decent tracking but when you take it past 10x its blurry and chromatic aberration becomes an issue (tried two)
SWFA fixed is good, but at $1k I think I want a variable.

The Steiner P4xi that I have has amazing glass for under $1k. I have an opportunity to buy a M5xi right now blem'd for a great deal from Steiner. I don't really need another scope at the moment but might in the future and it's under $2k... I won't say exactly how much but it's a steal. If I had to have all P4xi's I wouldn't be disappointed

 

[trevi]

I like to drop big dollars on guns but am weary about dropping big dollars on scopes. I also prefer open sights but that really limits many hunts or targets to 100 yards. I used to top out at $100 on popular name scopes for hunting and they did the job well. I have hunting scopes from Tasco for Varmint, Nikon, Baraska (works great for me, holds true), and I recently bought a Burris Veracity, my greatest expense on a rifle scope. These scopes are well south of $1k and they performed for my needs. I just do not understand the fancy functions of these scopes.

 

[Jcon268]

I like to drop big dollars on guns but am weary about dropping big dollars on scopes. I also prefer open sights but that really limits many hunts or targets to 100 yards. I used to top out at $100 on popular name scopes for hunting and they did the job well. I have hunting scopes from Tasco for Varmint, Nikon, Baraska (works great for me, holds true), and I recently bought a Burris Veracity, my greatest expense on a rifle scope. These scopes are well south of $1k and they performed for my needs. I just do not understand the fancy functions of these scopes.

It's not necessarily the fancy functions but rather the fundamentals being able to work properly. To track properly, the erector and the turret splines have to be precise and hold up to repeated use with the same results. As simple as it sounds, it's easy to get wrong. Also glass clarity... do you need $3,000 glass? No. But there is a point where low glass quality will impede your ability to put a shot where you need it in certain conditions. Is it overly bright and washes out the picture? Is it too dark out and you can't discern the image? Is the reticle usable in all conditions?
Granted there are reticles that you pay money for that really come down to the end user like the Horus, Tremor reticle etc. Those aren't my cup of tea but I can see why people would pay for them for a given use (ELR) precision and whatnot.
At a minimum, a scope has to track properly - no questions asked. The farther off the tracking is, the farther it gets off as you move from zero. Then the glass has to be of at least the quality to do the job you need it to do....which can vary from person to person. So glass is important but perhaps not quite as important to some people. I also want my scopes durable. If I break scopes from regular handling, I'm out that money and could have then bought a more expensive scope anyways. Last, the reticle selection is almost completely subjective.