BSA Contender?

[MrSam]

I almost pulled the trigger on a Vortex Crossfire II, until someone mentioned that I should look at the BSA Contender?
Does anyone here own this specific scope? I am looking at the 4-16x40 and
6-24x40 models. I'd like something I can alternate between my AR and Rimfire.
How's the field of view on it? Pictures looking through the glass (showing FOV) would be great, if anyone has any.

[kcheung2]

Disclaimer: I don't own either so take this for what it's worth. I'm assuming you're comparing the 3x-9x $140 Vortex since it's about the same price as the BSA models. At that price range, there are a lot of compromises & buying a cheap scope is a false economy. In general, in a budget scope I would shy away from extra features because they are poorly executed & are done more to impress casual shoppers rather than be a truly useful feature. When they are that cheap, adding features disguises how cheap the fundamental components really are.

The BSA's high magnification might seem like a plus but it's really misleading. The glass quality is such that the practical useful magnification is about 9x or so. Anything beyond that, the edges get blurry, the eye relief is way too close, and the eyebox is tiny. I'd have serious doubts that a box test can be done reliably, or that the reticle can withstand repeated shocks.

The Vortex is an honest 3-9. No extra frills. Just glass & repeatable turrets. Most optics experts (i'm not one) would suggest you increase your budget a lot. But even going to the $200 mark would get you much better options than either of these 2.

If you have a Sportsmans Warehouse nearby, they'll let you look through their scopes.