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Reliable tactical hunting scope under $1500, impossible or not?

Thanks so much for all the great replies a lot of very very wall thought out experienced based replies that also doubled as educational.

I would absolutely love to buy Swaro binos and S&B, NF, USO, Kahles scopes, but the reality is I can not afford any and still meet all my financial responsibilities of my family. I am also hindered considerably by my aversion to and refusal to buying made in China products unless I have no other option and with scopes I have some made in Japan or Europe options.
Over the last almost 2 years have set aside what OT I could afford and sold a few scopes that have sat unused for several years to be able to afford to put together a long range rig, this included having to buying a rifle, reloading dies, brass, bullets and powder as I already have sufficient numbers of BR/LG/RFL primers and eventually a scope, one piece base and rings.

I have made multiple financially mandated compromises while doing so. For example I had decided to budget for and buy a Gen1 Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5CM not because it is THE MOST popular or practical LR rifle cartridge at the moment, but because it was all around more practical to use and cheaper for me to reload for than a 308. Then I stumbled across a Savage10FCP SR in .308/W and unfortunately was not available in 6.5CM and there was but one at this price so I had to grab it then and there and for less than 45% the cost the RPR and I bought it. That significant cost savings allowed me to buy my 308 Winchester reloading supplies and what I had left over combined with other set aside funds am now looking for a scope that will serve double duty for my fun long range rig and longer range hunting.

Thanks again for helping me become much more educated about rifle optics.
Oh and BTW, the Savage shoots way better than I ever dreamed it would.
 
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For me driving word on this thread is - "Reliable" - like will it produce consistent results under every circumstance every time. I got to admit I have a price barrier on scopes set at $1,000. Severe tactical requirements are of some interest, but not needed for my use but if they were I would double my barrier to $2,000.

I have had some very nice Leupold VXIII scopes fail, like they would not hold zero and needed to be sent into Leupold for repair. Spend much time & money on some trip then have an optical disaster is not good! The ability to squeeze a few minutes of shooting time in the late PM is of no consequence if the scope quits. Leupold seems sort of evasive when queried as to internal adjustment improvements in regard to dependability.

Presently my VXIII's are reserved for range use. Any trip away has VX3i's on my rifles. I also tote along a detached SWFA scope of some kind, appropriate for the occasion, sighted in & having similar quick detach systems as the Leupold's. That way, if allowed, I can pin a target on a cardboard box having a rock inside it & minor adjust the SWFA zero at 200 yards should the nice Leupold quit.

I have heard- "that cheap SWFA scope is sure ugly" & "probably like looking thru the bottom of a coke bottle" I treat my SWFA scopes nice & don't smash them around to prove how tough they are and they always can be depended on.
 
ButterBean said:
Do not hesitate and get it before its gone, Doug has the greatest price on everything out there, it's not to good to be true
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ButterBean can you offer me an opinion of the Iluminated G3 reticle for use as a dedicated medium to medium long range hunting reticle? Especially at minimal power in low light situations in heavy cover?
 
DartonJager said:
ButterBean can you offer me an opinion of the Iluminated G3 reticle for use as a dedicated medium to medium long range hunting reticle? Especially at minimal power in low light situations in heavy cover?
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Yes I can, Its no problem at all with an illuminated reticle, For FFP in low light, low power situations without illumination its easy, Dial down to your lowest power, place the animal in-between the heavy stadia and let her eat,
 
If you're getting FFP (which I personally prefer and recommend, but YMMV) then illumination is helpful especially in lower light situations (early dawn, dusk, dark timber, etc).
 
ButterBean said:
Yes I can, Its no problem at all with an illuminated reticle, For FFP in low light, low power situations without illumination its easy, Dial down to your lowest power, place the animal in-between the heavy stadia and let her eat,
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Thanks Butterbean, I have heard so many good things about the FFP Illuminated G3 reticle for use hunting I am going to brake a decades old financial rule of mine and spend well beyond my budget (which I do so rarely it is HUGE for me to do) and acquire a LRTS-i for strictly hunting use and also am going to give FFP scopes a try after dismissing them when I first looked at them 5 years ago then two years ago, but those were all non-illuminated reticles and reticles designed for PRS or LE or LRS and not at all for hunting. These scopes have except for one thing absolutely everything else I want in a LR hunting scope.
It doesn't hurt I am getting both scopes with mounting systems combined for less $$$ than one VX6, V6, NF and way less than two V4's would've cost me and I am reasonably confident if I do not like them I can re-sell them and re-coup 90% or more of my money.
 
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It surprises me that with so many choices in scopes and at reasonable prices, you guys tend to pick all the old makes. There are some new kids on the block that really play big in the tactical market. For hunting there are the normal stalwarts plus a number of cheeky upstarts that produce very handy scopes. Broaden your horizons and you might be surprised at how well they perform.
 
Tripodmvr7 said:
It surprises me that with so many choices in scopes and at reasonable prices, you guys tend to pick all the old makes. There are some new kids on the block that really play big in the tactical market. For hunting there are the normal stalwarts plus a number of cheeky upstarts that produce very handy scopes. Broaden your horizons and you might be surprised at how well they perform.
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There are a few reasons I tend to shy away from any new products or equipment especially from a new company and the more complex the piece of equipment is being offered from by optical standards, a very new company the less willing am I to be if you will, that companies "Bata Tester" as it has become known as. And if I have never ever heard of you before I consider you a "New kid On The Block" Now add in there is IMHO, no other piece of hunting equipment I will ever buy that is more important to my success as a hunter than my rifle scope and I hope you will see why my instincts compel me to buy only from well established optics manufacturers. If this scope was going to be used strictly for shooting other than hunting then I would be far more willing to give the "new kids on the optics block" a try. I also have been doing my absolute best to avoid at all costs buying products made in Communist China for years now ( I admit I often do buy from CC but I often have little other choice) and all nearly all companies affordable tactical scopes costing under $600-$700 with even half let alone most of the features I want (like zero stop and locking turrets) are made or assembled in China.

Please keep in mind I am hunting and target shooting with these optics and when it comes down to it they are NOT tools I will EVER use to help me earn a living but purely items I use for my hobbies. Granted my love of hunting and shooting is only less important to me than my family and my country, but at the end of the day they are purely and essentially items for my hobbies not my means to earn a living.

I also have a very specific list of must have requirements in a scope that I am going to be spending 2-2.5X more for than any pervious scope I have ever purchased and for any scope that meets the minimum of the majority if not all those requirements to cost only $400-$600 and not be on a close out considerably AND an older model featured in a discontinued by the manufacturer sale (like the Bushnell DMRII-i for nearly 50% off I just ordered) and will most certainly NOT be the "latest greatest with all the latest tactical scope and optical innovations it almost HAS to be made or assembled in China.

I realize and accept my scope dilemma is entirely self inflicted but I have set my standards and will not deviate from them. I also know that nearly EVERY scope manufacturer today that sells lower end affordable optics all sell scopes made in Communist China, even Bushnell I know sells more made in China Scopes than one's made in Japan like the DMRII-i I just ordered and the ANIB LRTS-i (another older discontinued scope model I am getting at a phenomenal price from a private seller) I am in the process of acquiring.

Neither one of these scopes I am buying could I have bought for anywhere near theses good of prices prior to them being discontinued by Bushnell. And neither one for that matter could I have afforded to buy let alone both if they were still selling at their pre-discontinued by the manufacturer close out prices. For people like me who wish to buy as good of scopes as they can afford buying older less than state of the art scopes now discontinued and being sold at 40-50% off their original price is a great way to get a lot of scope for a lot less money.
After researching tactical scopes in the sub $1.5k range about the only feature the DMRII-i and LRST-i do not have is HD or ED glass (something that was not on my 'must have list") and the fact that they both have 99% of every requirement on my must have list including NOT made in China I felt they were such an incredible bargain I have yet to find a match to let alone be bested.

What more can I ask for in a previously $1250-$1350 dollar tactical scope discounted to $725 than:
Excellent warranty from a very well established Giant in the optics and scope industry
Proven to be extremely durable and extremely reliable tactical scope
Both Turrets resettable to zero
34mm and 30mm main tubes
Rock solid and dirt simple to set and essentially tooless zero stop
Locking windage turrets
Side Parallax adjustment
Illuminated Mil reticles very well suited for hunting (at least I have been assured they are by those far more knowledgeable then myself)
Bushnell propriety EXO external lens coating that repels water, dirt, oil, dust and protects against scratches.
NOT made or assembled in communist China

I honestly feel for the type of reticle I want that is as close to a traditional cross hair type that is also illuminated, allows for quick range estimations , hold overs and hold off, (the G3-i reticle seams pretty close to perfect for me and my intended uses but that will have to be reserved for when I try it out) has an excellent reputation for durability and reliable dialing and return to zero, it's NOT made or assembled in CC, along with all the other features it has that I really wanted I just don't see how you can beat it for $725.
For MY purposes and for what I want to do with it I just don't see how any scope would have served me better that I could have afforded. Yes to be 100% honest there were other scopes I felt would served me better but they all were AT LEAST 2x-2.5x more expensive and most definitely out of my realm of affordability. The ones costing less either had RFP reticles or non illuminated FFP reticles I didn't want/like or were made/assembled in CC.

And yes I have no doubt within 24 hours after mounting one or both on my rifles I will stumble across a better not made in CC scope at a better deal. But at some point I had to stop looking and make a purchase as I have already been looking for over 2 years so my purchase was hardly what you would call hasty or impulsive and my rifle I had bought for LRS along with scope rail has save for limited use last years deer season has been otherwise gathering dust in my safe along with 10lbs of 4064 and 500 175 SMK.

It will take a few weeks but hopefully by March-April I will be here singing the praises of my scope purchase. I already know the rifle can shoot sub-.5 MOA at 100 and 200 yards with cheap Federal Power Shock ammo. I'm drying to see what it will do with Lapua brass, SMK's and my best quality hand loads.
 
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DartonJager said:
Thanks Butterbean, I have heard so many good things about the FFP Illuminated G3 reticle for use hunting I am going to brake a decades old financial rule of mine and spend well beyond my budget (which I do so rarely it is HUGE for me to do) and acquire a LRTS-i for strictly hunting use and also am going to give FFP scopes a try after dismissing them when I first looked at them 5 years ago then two years ago, but those were all non-illuminated reticles and reticles designed for PRS or LE or LRS and not at all for hunting. These scopes have except for one thing absolutely everything else I want in a LR hunting scope.
It doesn't hurt I am getting both scopes with mounting systems combined for less $$$ than one VX6, V6, NF and way less than two V4's would've cost me and I am reasonably confident if I do not like them I can re-sell them and re-coup 90% or more of my money.
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If you don't like it I'll buy it as long as its in Mils
 
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