budget scopes for 308

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marrajack

Well-Known Member
I am getting a 308 from my local FD, and although I would love to be picking a ziess, swaro etc to adorn her, that boat sailed!!!

The lad in the shop keeps all the top end stuff, however has mentioned the Hawke - endurance/eclipse as a valid choice, and his hunting partner has one on a 308 and loves it (these lads have put massive numbers on the grass day and night).

What I would like to ask the great and good of SD is, thoughts on glass in that prce bracket (250) .#

Hawke, Vector, Vortex, Redfield etc - I would prefer one witha ill dot if possible

Any feedback appreciated
Marrajack
 
I'll be the first to state the obvious.... Forget new scopes with that budget. My advice would be to buy a secondhand Zeiss/Swarovski 6x42, it will cost you £250-£300 but will always be worth that. After that put a fiver a week in a pot and in a couple of years upgrade to a 3-12. Trust me, you will never regret buying good optics.
 
+1
get the best you afford the glass do's make the gun buy cheap buy twice
from the names in your post i would go redfield but then again i would not put poor glass on top of any of my toys ebay feller/uk/usa. save up and get what scope you wish you had got don't rush for poor glass.
 
The Hawke Endurance30 IR 3-12X50 or 56mm I have 2, one on a Ruger No.1 in 7x57, and the other on a Sauer 202 XT in 7mm Rem Mag....try Uttings you will not be disappointed ATB Tony
 
I concur with most of what has already been said but with two exceptions. Forget about Redfield, had one once and it was the worst scope I have ever owned so unless they have changed you will be wasting your money. As for Uttings great until something goes wrong then you will find that their service is utter rubbish.
 
8x57 said:
I concur with most of what has already been said but with two exceptions. Forget about Redfield, had one once and it was the worst scope I have ever owned so unless they have changed you will be wasting your money. As for Uttings great until something goes wrong then you will find that their service is utter rubbish.
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Redfields are rubbish had a new one on the rifle one day came as a combo deal with the rifle still in the drawer so bad I would not sell it to anyone as I would think I had cheated them
 
70's ones were good as used by carlos hathcock usmc snipper proven scope as vgood but as i said i would not put a cheap scope on my toys all mine are S&B 8x56 or Big Sky SIIBSS 6.5-20x50D so not the cheap end of glass
 
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I paid £250 for my second hand 8X56 S&B though they usually make a bit more these days. I could probably sell it for more than I paid for it.

Don't buy rubbish, and don't read reviews of glass written by Americans as they have a totally different perspective on the meaning of "good" than we do. Even if you have to save a little longer, and another £50 would offer you a lot more options, hold out for a good second hand fixed magnification scope. I think S&B are probably the best value, Zeiss have the best glass and Swaro have a strong brand image. Something 6X42 or 8X56 will do you for a lifetime and don't worry about illumination - I shoot sika in dark commercial forestry at last light and have never needed an illuminated scope. You might want it, but you don't need it.
 
Iv got a 8x56 S&B Hungarian on mine, paid around 300 for that. Great scope and I love it, good in low light, fixed power isnt an issue I find. Second hand Zeiss Duralyt if you could find one might be worth a look??
 
+1+
ps i have used a 60/70's refield in the 80's on an m40a1 and i'am not an american it was as good as it could be then times move on so do's glass

caorach said:
I paid £250 for my second hand 8X56 S&B though they usually make a bit more these days. I could probably sell it for more than I paid for it.

Don't buy rubbish, and don't read reviews of glass written by Americans as they have a totally different perspective on the meaning of "good" than we do. Even if you have to save a little longer, and another £50 would offer you a lot more options, hold out for a good second hand fixed magnification scope. I think S&B are probably the best value, Zeiss have the best glass and Swaro have a strong brand image. Something 6X42 or 8X56 will do you for a lifetime and don't worry about illumination - I shoot sika in dark commercial forestry at last light and have never needed an illuminated scope. You might want it, but you don't need it.
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paul o' said:
70's ones were good as used by carlos hathcock usmc snipper proven scope as vgood but as i said i would not put a cheap scope on my toys all mine are S&B 8x56 or Big Sky SIIBSS 6.5-20x50D so not the cheap end of glass
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Read a story that Hathcock had problems with his Paul. Apparently some of them had plastic reticules that would sag in the hot sun in Vietnam. The quality of Redfield scopes deteriorated to such a point that the USMC dropped them.

Agree with you about buying a second hand S&B though they take some beating. Another one worth looking at is a fixed power Meopta. I think if you only have a limited budget you need to forget about an illuminated reticule though.
 
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I concur with most of the above gentlemen I've done the cheap stuff all failed under stalking conditions I'm talking about getting wet getting knocked and loosing zero to easily one I had fogged up inside, any scope is ok down the range its when in the field that it matters.

The price I paid for two cheap ones I could have brought a S&b 8x56 which I now have three of and think there awesome come wind rain or shine never loose zero totally reliable, if you have £250 your nearly there just wait it will be worth it just my opinion though mate I've been there done it and paid heavily for it.....
​
 
I bought a second hand Leupold VXII 3-9 X 40 for £100 a couple of years ago as an emergency .308 scope. Its long since redundant but I've kept it because its my old dependable. If all else fails there's always the Leupold. Miniscule duplex reticle is an aquired taste but it never shifts zero and the low light performance is far better than I expected. In fact its better than the 50mm Hawke Nite Eye I had on my HMR.
 
After much soul searching, and following guidance along the same lines as I have received on here from our lass, ordered a ziess last night,
hope the thread was not all in vain
 
lass being the wife ! if so she no's best feller and the sad hung dog look aways works :rofl: :love: been working for me for the last 31 yrs :thumb:

marrajack said:
After much soul searching, and following guidance along the same lines as I have received on here from our lass, ordered a ziess last night,
hope the thread was not all in vain
Click to expand...
 
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