Originally Posted By: j.hennesAnd this is why I always tell guys to buy their scope first! I know that I am excited to buy a new gun, and will prioritize the savings for a gun. A scope is not as fun to save for, so buy a scope equal or MORE expensive than the gun you intend to buy. Once you have purchased your scope, then the interest and excitement only grows and the priority to save for the gun only grows.
No one I know who has gone about it this way has been disappointed! But more than a few guys I know who have gone about it backwards, gun first then scope, have been plenty disappointed.
If you are in the position to buy a great scope the same day you purchase the rifle, great, ignore this recomendation.
I have to say that that's as sound a strategy as you'll find. I can't abide inferior glass, especially in the 6-24x and 8-32x class. I'd rather wait the extra time for more money to get excellent glass than rush into something less. I hate the foggy or edge distortion most budget glass has.
I've got an Elite 4200 6-24x on my 243WSSM, out coyote hunting awhile back we were looking at eyes in a tree we were pretty sure was a bobcat, my friend couldn't see what I was seeing while he held the spotlight through the budget glass he has on his .22-250. I told him to look through my scope while I held the light, he was blown away at how well he could see the branches and what was on them from 125 yards away.
That said I picked up a screaming deal on closeout Truglo 6-24x and an 8-32x, they are way better than I could ever have expected. They were shooting for the $300 market and seem to be an excellent buy there. I got them for $99 each.
One more thing to say about scopes, each manufacturer makes an array of models at different prices. The lower end models may be entirely different than one middle or a higher end model. These can even be made by other manufacturers. The person who decides all of one brand is crap because of an incident with a lower end model is missing out on specific models.
The Swift Premier 6-24x and 8-32x list at over $300 but can be found online for about $225/$250 or so. Recommending them for clear glass at their highest range, and perfect repeatability walking them "around the box" I've had people respond with, "I tried one and it was junk". What they tried was the entry grade not the Premier. If you haven't tried the specific model you don't know what you are talking about.