NcStar and Barska

[revoltin2012]

I am looking at a Barska 3-12x40 Tactical Rifle Scope. I know it is cheap, what I need to know is...how bad is it? and is there a better scope for under $200? Specifically this scope http://www.swfa.com/pc-7020-1046-bar...fle-scope.aspx

[LibertyOptics]

NcStar is worse, esp if you need service. I would HIGHLY recommend you "reach" for a Vortex Crossfire. They are only a little more $$ and are way better, with top notch customer service.

In stock, and we discount to Calgunners. How much are those scopes you are looking at?

Scott

[mecam]

I'd take the Barska over the NcStar. Barska CS is pretty good.

[mecam]

On second thought, I would take LibertyOptics suggestion.

[joelogic]

What's the Calgunner discount?

[Darklyte27]

wow those crossfires are pretty cheap as in cost.
Are they the "great bang for the buck" scopes scott?

what puzzles me is why do they have mil-dots and MOA adjustments?..

[B.D.Dubloon]

Both are fine, I have a couple Barska optics and they are great considering what I paid for them.

I only have one NCstar scope and it is decent but I haven't really used it that much to have a thought one way or the other on it. Some of there aluminum parts (rails, etc) are not the best.

[LibertyOptics]

wow those crossfires are pretty cheap as in cost.
Are they the "great bang for the buck" scopes scott?

what puzzles me is why do they have mil-dots and MOA adjustments?..

Yes, great bang for the buck.

Because 95% of all mildot scopes are crrently confgured this way, and 99% of all mildot scopes ever made have this configuration. The mil/mil craze is a recent consumer phenomenom. Our military snipers have been getting by without it for years, the benefits are just recently being realized.

Scott

[revoltin2012]

The barska is $154. I looked at the Crossfire...not sure about it. It has to adjust down to 3x-4 would be ok, have a mil-dot or moa reticle, and cost less than $200. And I would really like FFP- I know, dreaming. I will be putting it on a Schmidt-Rubin K-31. While I'm thinking about it, is there a significant difference between a steel and an aluminum scope mount if they are otherwise identical? Also, how does an ill. reticle work exactly? Did I mention I am new to scopes. I have always used iron sights because most ranges here just aren't very long.

[revoltin2012]

I really like the looks of the Falcon Optics Menace 4-14x44mm FFP Tactical Rifle Scope. I can't spend that much though.

[FMJBT]

Have you looked at Leapers scopes? Their Accushot series are pretty decent and priced about the same as Barska.

[revoltin2012]

I don't see anything about the optics coating on the leapers. Why is that?

[maxicon]

The Leapers are almost assuredly coated, but the coating may change as they change factories or lens specs, so they may not want to put it in writing.

The general experience with cheap Chinese scopes is that some work well and last a long time, while others are junk and don't hold up - these can be the exact same models from the same line. A few will be bad right out of the box. This is one of the things you get for the low cost - mediocre quality control and the luck of the draw.

Now, if you get a good one, that's great. If you get a bad one, it may not be obvious at first, especially if it works for the first hundred/500/whatever rounds. Speaking from experience, you can spend a lot of ammo chasing a wandering zero before you figure out your scope is bad.

You can buy a good magnified scope for under $200. There are a few - Leupold Rifleman/VXI, Weaver, Burris FFII, Nikon Buckmaster - and you'll find they don't have the features of the high-end scopes, or the cheap Chinese tactical scopes. Getting something cheap with tactical knobs and reticles, illumination, AO, etc, means they're cutting corners somewhere.

My recommendation is to stick with the better name brands with better warranty and better support - that way, when your scope has problems (and even S&Bs have problems), you don't just throw it in the trash. I've got a handful of Chinese scopes, and some of them are pretty durn good for the money, but the less you spend, the more likely you are to have problems.

[Darklyte27]

revoltin2012, did you ever get a scope? and if you did how do you like it?
im looking into those crossfires.

[xfilterx]

If your budget is around $150, go with the Nikon Buckmaster 3x9-40. You can get them for around $150 new on ebay.