Cheap scope feasibility

[xsn10s]

To me more with less as far as scopes go would be peep sights. I would rather have a good set of irons than a cheap scope that I cannot trust to hold zero under recoil. Been there...done that...never again.

Irons fail all the time too.

 

[Teri Anne]

Irons fail all the time too.

Irons failing has not been my experience. A good, note I said good...set of iron sights will retain the set zero while the shooter may have trouble aligning the sights. I used Iron sights almost exclusively on M-14 match grade rifles for a lot of years shooting over the national match course out to 600 yards or M16 rifles shooting in combat matches out to 400 meters and the sights never let me down. Most times if the bullet didn't go where I wanted it to go it wasn't the fault of the sights, it was the nut behind the sights.

 

[Darryle]

You are a good man Orkan, that's straight up badass!

 

[xsn10s]

Matches are matches.

 

[xsn10s]

And when the M16 were first issued they were considered by some to be cheap plastic "poodle shooters".

 

[milo-2]

300, have a whiskey, the pic is named after you

 

[Teri Anne]

And when the M16 were first issued they were considered by some to be cheap plastic "poodle shooters".

I was one of those serving in Viet Nam at the time. I was physically taken by the company First Sergeant and Executive Officer out of my hovel in my hootch early one morning and forced to take my M14 and turn it in and get a M16 to replace it. I was not a Happy Camper not only having to turn in my M14 for a M16 but the way it was done, which I have to admit was due to my reluctance to furn in my beloved M14. However...unlike others who simply bitched about it I took my issue M16 (which was a brand new Colt out of the box) out to the berm around the airfield and sighted it in and found that despite it's limited range (400 meters) it was quite accurate. (1 MOA) Set my battlesight zero since I only had 100 meters to play with and found that the battle-sight and flip rear sight worked quite well during our perimeter defense skirmishes. Over the years shot M16's in competition over many a combat course of fire and while never fell in love with it respected it for what it could in fact do in the hands of someone who knew how to actually shoot. (There were very few of us at the time) rather than simply spray bullets out into the wilderness so to speak without any definite target in sight.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

I was one of those serving in Viet Nam at the time. I was physically taken by the company First Sergeant and Executive Officer out of my hovel in my hootch early one morning and forced to take my M14 and turn it in and get a M16 to replace it. I was not a Happy Camper not only having to turn in my M14 for a M16 but the way it was done, which I have to admit was due to my reluctance to furn in my beloved M14. However...unlike others who simply bitched about it I took my issue M16 (which was a brand new Colt out of the box) out to the berm around the airfield and sighted it in and found that despite it's limited range (400 meters) it was quite accurate. (1 MOA) Set my battlesight zero since I only had 100 meters to play with and found that the battle-sight and flip rear sight worked quite well during our perimeter defense skirmishes. Over the years shot M16's in competition over many a combat course of fire and while never fell in love with it respected it for what it could in fact do in the hands of someone who knew how to actually shoot. (There were very few of us at the time) rather than simply spray bullets out into the wilderness so to speak without any definite target in sight.

What was your MOS? What years were you there? I'm assuming early bc of the rifle swap. My best friends dad did a rifle swap while a commander there.

 

[xsn10s]

I was one of those serving in Viet Nam at the time. I was physically taken by the company First Sergeant and Executive Officer out of my hovel in my hootch early one morning and forced to take my M14 and turn it in and get a M16 to replace it. I was not a Happy Camper not only having to turn in my M14 for a M16 but the way it was done, which I have to admit was due to my reluctance to furn in my beloved M14. However...unlike others who simply bitched about it I took my issue M16 (which was a brand new Colt out of the box) out to the berm around the airfield and sighted it in and found that despite it's limited range (400 meters) it was quite accurate. (1 MOA) Set my battlesight zero since I only had 100 meters to play with and found that the battle-sight and flip rear sight worked quite well during our perimeter defense skirmishes. Over the years shot M16's in competition over many a combat course of fire and while never fell in love with it respected it for what it could in fact do in the hands of someone who knew how to actually shoot. (There were very few of us at the time) rather than simply spray bullets out into the wilderness so to speak without any definite target in sight.

So that's a good example of making something work even if it wasn't considered ideal, much like the cheap scopes. As far as PA scopes some models have been put on scope killers like the SCAR and have survived. As I said before it's not the ideal situation. Does it fulfill a need? Sure can. I'll put cheap scopes on varmint truck guns if necessary. On duty style firearms I'll put on proven systems. That includes replacing iron/ plastic front and rear sights.

 

[JRH]

Very helpful post everyone, it helps a lot of people including myself.

 

[Sockeye66]

IMO, a solid good "cheap" scope is a Tasco Euro Class, I have a 3-9x44 and if you google the story behind these you'll know what I speak of. The internals are high quality, and the glass is as well.

 

[xsn10s]

I was one of those serving in Viet Nam at the time.

And BTW thank you for your service.

 

[ButterBean]

I was one of those serving in Viet Nam at the time. I was physically taken by the company First Sergeant and Executive Officer out of my hovel in my hootch early one morning and forced to take my M14 and turn it in and get a M16 to replace it. I was not a Happy Camper not only having to turn in my M14 for a M16 but the way it was done, which I have to admit was due to my reluctance to furn in my beloved M14. However...unlike others who simply bitched about it I took my issue M16 (which was a brand new Colt out of the box) out to the berm around the airfield and sighted it in and found that despite it's limited range (400 meters) it was quite accurate. (1 MOA) Set my battlesight zero since I only had 100 meters to play with and found that the battle-sight and flip rear sight worked quite well during our perimeter defense skirmishes. Over the years shot M16's in competition over many a combat course of fire and while never fell in love with it respected it for what it could in fact do in the hands of someone who knew how to actually shoot. (There were very few of us at the time) rather than simply spray bullets out into the wilderness so to speak without any definite target in sight.

Welcome Home

 

[baldhunter]

I went top of the line cheap scopes,about $150 range, on a 7mag once,lifetime warranty can't go wrong.First scope,great glass,even killed a few animals using it.It lasted fifteen rounds and was done.Twenty dollars shipping fee.They sent me a brand new scope.Wow,that's great!Great warranty!Second scope,brand new,couldn't even sight my rifle in and it broke.Sent it back,plus another twenty dollars.Wow,gotta love that lifetime warranty.They sent me another brand new scope.New scope to the range,seven shots later,no good,sending it back,plus another twenty dollars.Top of the line model no longer available so they sent me the next best model,tougher scope,still great glass,gotta love the lifetime warranty.That scope lasted about fifty rounds and broke.Gotta love that lifetime warranty.Another one sent back,plus another twenty dollars.They sent me another brand new scope.Wow,I love that lifetime warranty..............About twenty five rounds later,dang it broke too????? Come on man,that 7mag doesn't kick that hard,but it sure killed the hell out of those cheap scopes.Another one sent back,plus another twenty dollars and once again,they sent me another brand new scope.I could have bought a $200 scope to start with and saved myself a lot of frustration,time,ammo and money to start with.Ended up selling the new scope and put that money towards a better,$250 scope and every scope purchased since then has been in that price range or more and have lived happily ever since then.Sure there are great scopes in the cheap scope range and even expensive scopes can break too,but it's like the old saying,"You get what you pay for".That's my story and it is a true story and I'm sticking to it.