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**Jwind** · 08-12-2011, 8:38 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think its so you can get a bigger scope on, without it touching the barrel. And so you can get a more comfortable cheek weld. May be a few other things to lol.

**Cowboy T** · 08-12-2011, 9:27 PM

Can't help you with the higher-end, since I don't own any, but good scopes in the $100 to $200 range include the following:

Nikon ProStaff (which I've used)
Redfield Revolution (which I own)
Simmons Whitetail Classic, regularly on sale at MidwayUSA (also own this one)

The ProStaff and the Revolution, I would trust on a harder-kicking gun like a Mosin-Nagant or .30-06 bolt-action. The Simmons Whitetail Classic seems to do very well on semi-auto .223's (AR's, Mini-14's, etc.), especially at longer ranges.

For less than $100, the BSA scopes seem to work well on my Ruger 10/22, due to the relative lack of recoil. But I wouldn't try them on, say, a .30-cal bolt-action.

**brando** · 08-12-2011, 10:42 PM

There is inexpensive and there is cheap. Stay away from cheap. Good, inexpensive scopes may not be as durable or full featured, but do well for plinking and simple range shooting. The more expensive scopes tend to have higher quality glass giving them a clearer distortion-free picture, have more precise turrets, are more durable so recoil and knocking them around doesn't cause tracking errors, and have more advanced features.

The Burris, Bushnell, Nikons, etc are popular because they're sub-$1000 and are often good enough for plinking at the range

The middle ground tend to be the best values as they have a nice balance of quality vs performance. I think IOR Valdata, Nightforce and (sometimes) Leupold fit this sub-$2000.

The high-end will be mil-grade scopes that are very durable, precise and have top-quality glass. Schmidt & Bender, Hensoldt, US Optics fit this $2500+ range.

There are some that fit inbetween the mid-highend like Zeiss and Swarovski, and those tend to have top-quality glass but are designed for hunting applications, so you find duplex reticles and whatnot.

Optics should be looked at as an investment. i like to compare them to buying a monitor for a graphics-oriented computer. You buy a really good monitor and it will last a long time; long enough that you'll likely replace the computer a few times before replacing the monitor. The same goes for good optics and rifles. Now, keep in mind there's no good reason to buy a high end scope for a plinking .22LR or a rifle you only plan to shoot a few times a year - that's where the less expensive scopes make a lot of sense. Buy if your life depends on your rifle, you should get a quality scope. If you're shooting competitively, you'll notice a difference when replacing that cheap scope of a mid to high-end scope.

Ultimately, it's like buying a rifle in the first place: it all depends on your needs.