What we gonna do about this. I love America and I prefer things made in USA. But modern scopes for modern guns, potentially for a casual competitor, what am I gonna do?

I have a few scopes and have bought and sold many, most were probably Chinese. Almost everything is Chinese or at least partly so. My preference is for quality goods either made in USA or imports made in the free world i.e. not China. Asian stuff is fine, I don’t need to tell ya’ll Japanese is awesome. Phillipines too perhaps on a tighter budget.

What we got out there in the similar, hopefully $300 to more like $600 budgetary constraints, as my ideal Elmer Fudd scope? Similarly priced but not a Fudd gun scope. I might like a high magnification Leupold EFR with a fine crosshair. A bit Fuddy. Might not be ideal for a .308 hunting rifle and maybe a competition of some sort once or twice a year.

The SWFA might be an option for me. Also U.S. Optics. At least we are keeping it under $1,000.

$1,000… that is almost a whole set of good tires on my pickup. Man that is hard to let go of. Making all these big plans here, reloading, custom rifle, scopes. Plus I obviously have a impulse control issue when find a gun I have only read and dreamed about, and i have enough spending money to take it home. Especially when I don’f have a .308.

Everybody should have a good .308. Even if it is the only rifle in the safe. Can you blame me for taking it home?

But all my big plans!

Help me get the right scope for the right price, without giving my spending money to enemies of the United States of America.

Burris XTR II 5-25 or Vortex PST II 5-25 both can be had for under $700.

What 308 did you take home (or are planningto)? What are you going to hunt with it? And what kind of competitions are you going planning to shoot?

I snatched up a Ruger American Gen II. It’s a good accurate gun. Not a competition rifle by any means but I plan to get my feet wet and why not? I am a 3x9 scope, set it and forget it kind of hunter but I kind of want to see what this gun will do. And I always wanted to do a shoot, i can tell ya’ll have a good time with it. Might even learn to dial and shoot and kill stuff a long ways off.

I would love love love to bust coyotes from as far out as I could hit them. And pigs too.

I am averse to heavy scopes, I really hate to put something on there heavier than 20 ounces or so. But i know it has to be a tradeoff.

I think that SWFA might be the deal.

This kind of splits the difference. It does not say if the reticle sub tensions are correct at what magnification. So maybe this, or maybe the fixed 10x that Scott showed me

https://swfa.com/swfa-3-9x42-ss-hd-mil-quad-reticle-30mm-tube-1-mil-clicks-ffp/

That is a FFP scope, so the substentions will be accurate at any zoom. The 9x will hamstring you in any competition, but it's got everything else that you need. I'd use that as a hunting scope any day. The only gripe I have with SWFA is a lack of a zero stop.

If you can wait, watch the website every week. They tend to have a sale every other month.

Thanks that is good to know

BTW, if you do go with this scope, you'll definitely want to toss the zero 2" high at 100 thinking out the window. FFP and mils is what got me to abandon that thinking.

Well if the scope lives up to the reputation then it should track good enough to record my adjustments for different loads and use the data to dial in with them. I can sight in with Gold Medal Match and reset my turrets to “0”, and keep a data book for scope adjustments and different loads.

Because you already said that or because you think I should verify after making adjustments? I understand the importance of verifying your scope. I might not have killed a pile of deer but leaning on experience I have sighted in and or helped to sight in and train probably over a thousand 18-20 year olds on how to shoot… even with old damaged ACOGS that tracked so poorly you had to slap them after every adjustment. I don’t normally like to post about stuff like that but the facepalm… ok i have to tell you something about myself.

With that and a crappy worn out M4 that shoots about 4 MOA I hit man size targets to 300 yards every time I qualified. At 300 yards that is a 12” group… if uou have consistent velocity and no wind. Military ammo and any wind at all on the range leaves little to no room for error at 300 with a 14” 5.56 carbine. And this is all with rifle sighted in at 25 yards and straight to rifle qual. So i do have a clue.

I am at least competent enough to bore sight by eyeball at 50 and sight in a scope in 2 shots. Eyeball adjustment. So there is that.

If the scope tracking is going to be an issue with the SWFA then we go back to set it and forget it, only use loads that are close. Or pick one and run with it.

but at a minimum I am shooting federal gold medal match and also one other load with a hunting bullet.

Yeah i know i look like a total douche posting that. Not trying to pound my chest… but I am not a pup looking for advice on sighting in my scope. I need help selecting a scope…. Edit… and anecdotal data on this 180 grain federal bullet.

Ok new plan. This is my zero compromise rifle scope and what will go on my .308. For “$999”, not today or tomorrow. But maybe in a year. Or maybe sooner if I catch a deal on a similar leupold, MK3HD Tactical or etc. In the mean time I am just gonna leave the Athlon on there and work within the limitations that presents. It is serviceable to hunt with.

If the leupy don’t track, i guess i will find out.

https://www.leupold.com/mark-4hd-2-5-10x42-m5c3-ffp-tmr#detailed-reticle-information

If you are going to spend a $1,000 on a new unproven model from Leupold, I’d recommend going with something proven for the same price.

Nightforce SHV.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/night...0137-3be7-00163ecd2826?variation=1940868

What exactly is your experience as a hunter using an optic to make ethical shots on game? How many kills, ranges, results of your shots (DRT vs. tracking a kill), etc.? There are options and methods out there, knowing where you're at could target responses to save you some time and $.

I have a 3x15 LHT for sale. Made in Japan

Dang Scott. Don’t ask me why i never thought of that one. Thank you for this idea, this is what i will probably do. I thought Nightforce cost more.


onlysmithandwesson- bud out. I *fully* understand what my poi will look like at range based on what it looks like at 100. Longer distances i will need to shoot the gun at range to verify. 200 yards i will be o.k. Past that, sure, only with a gun that is zeroed specifically for that ammo and with verified data.

I will have a look

Don't ever buy U.S. Optics

Burris XTR II is always a great budget scope. I'm pretty scope snobby and I have one in service.

Everything gets zeroed at 100 yards. Even my .300 Norma Mag that has made hits at 1.25 Mile (2180 yards) is zeroed at 100 yards.

For $1K that NF SHV is a good buy. I've used several of them that were on customer's rifles. When I was getting DOPE for them, they tracked like Night Force is supposed to track.

EGW or Night Force pic rail. And Night Force Ultralite rings are my darlings. Made in USA, great machining, and they hold up.

That sounds perfect. A price point scope that is of quality, not priced cheep but made affordable, made in America. That is the scope that my rifle deserves.

Well no. It’s made in Japan from a quality manufacturer. LOW I believe. And well worth the money. I’ve heard people complain about the turrets and the glass quality but they’re trying to compare it to far more expensive glass.

So I am looking for a unicorn. Is there anything at least assembled in USA, decent glass, tracks well, about $1000?

Burris XTRII Assembled in Greely, CO. There’s my scope

Mine says made in the Philippines.

Tight eye box and meh glass but around that $1000 range they are in the leaderboard with some others that can be found on sale. XTR reticle sucks for hunting

Most i have found on line boast “assembled in Greely, Colorado. Not made. But at least the parts are assembled by American workers.

The XTR Pro series are machined in Greely, still does not say they are “made”in Greely.

I think everything else from Burris may be 100% produced overseas and imported but none from China.

So far as I have read online, nothing from Burris is imported from China. All imports are sourced in the free world. And nothing is of poor quality, reports on THF are pretty much unanimous that Burris does not offer anything of poor quality.

I will snatch up the cheapest Burris walmart special “for now” and give it a test drive on the Gen II.

No, just about all the really good scopes that track correctly are made by low in Japan. The closest to made in USA is the Nightforce nxs 2.5-10x42 but it’s around $1500 street price and is sfp. The new Maven RS1.2 2.5-15x44 would be worth checking out. It’s around $1200 and made in Japan.

The scopes that im using for western hunting and around Texas are the Swfa 3-9, Swfa 6x, bushnell Lrhs 3-12x44(discontinued), Nightforce nxs 2.5-10.


I’ve read mixed reports on Arken but I’ve been around a few of the new Arken line that so far seem to be tracking and holding zero but they are Chinese.

Once you get a scope that tracks correctly and holds zero it sure makes life easier.

SWFA Fixed 6x is a gem for $299. That would be a good all around optic if you are comfortable shooting distance with only 6 power.

The Burris XTR Pro is actually made in USA. Probably Japanese glass. Burris is what I am probably gonna go with. Even if I can’t afford the XTR Pro made in USA.

Leupold’s low end probably barely meets the minimum standard to be called *made* in USA. At least Burris is trying to provide quality at s price point and keep some American jobs, and doesn’t deal with enemies of the United States at all. I am pretty sure Leupold does even if it is the minimum.

Yeah i have bought some Chinese scopes, and a lot of Chinese stuff but when I look at that “made in China” it feels wrong. Sometimes I don’t even look at the origin. But as I get older I pay more attention. Why not Phillipines? How about Taiwan, China is their enemy too. Mexico? Mexican labor is 1/3 the cost of Chinese labor. China beats their competitors with slaves.

You vote with your money, boys. It’s our fault we are in this mess, sometimes it is hard to find goods of any kind with no ties to China. Leaning forward, making an effort to avoid Chinese goods and support our allies.

I could do it. Might not be very competitive in a match but it would be a great hunting scope. Hard to best a solid fixed hunting scope. But I think the Burris XTR line is where it’s at.

I would prefer an SFP to a FFP anyway, it can be had.

Night force and SWFA, I will still take into consideration for this rifle, if i find a good deal with spending money in my pocket.

And yes i would still consider a Leupold, especially on another gun. But Burris has got it going on. They are heavy though, XTR’s are about two pounds!

XTRII = Philippines
XTR Pro = USA

Schott glass.

Also, Burris = Steiner

I’ll take that Also, good to know. I appreciate it.

I stumbled across this one. VX3HD, simple 3-9x40, 0.1 mil adjustments, plain mil dot reticle that does not make my eyes hurt. Fixes parallax at 150 yards. And it weighs in just under 16 ounces.

That, and a set of aluminum Warne Vapor rings (vertical detachable, not split) keeps my whole rig just under 7.5 pounds.

I think it would work perfectly on both of these rifles I am scope shopping for. I might get 2!

https://www.leupold.com/mark-3hd-3-9x40-30mm-p5-mildot

My Ruger American in 308 is a tack driver. Bedded stock with aftermarket tactical bolt topped of with a Vortex 4-16x44 viper VG6 Gamma muzzle break very nice set up.

I hemmed and hawed a few days and settled on the MK3HD 3x9 with the standard mil reticle, not illuminated. Then I hemmed and hawed because for a little more, the 4x12 has side focus. Then I hemmed and hawed and figured the SWFA SS 10x is the best buy and has side focus.

AND THEN a fellow member of the THF brotherhood offered me a killer deal on his MK3HD 3-9x40 tmr firedot. So that was a no-brainer.

https://www.leupold.com/mark-3hd-3-9x40-p5-illum-firedot-tmr

Thanks Brad

I'm glad it worked out. Will be really nice on that 308. I thought I wanted a real scope on my AR and then realized I gotta have the 1x bottom end. If anyone else is on the fence, this Leupold has some of the best glass under $1500 that I've seen. Reminds me of the SWFA HD 3-9x with better reticle and turrets and the glass is even a little better and it's about as American as scopes get these days. I'll probably regret selling it at some point, because it's a really, really nice scope. But for now I hope Bryan gets some good use out of it!

I appreciate you brother

I like the Firedot TMR. Great hunting reticle.

I bought a VX-3HD with the Firedot last year. It’s come in handy during some shots taken at dusk on hogs. I haven’t noticed accuracy affected by the slightly thicker reticle when target shooting.

Well i am patiently waiting my turn to use the 100 yard range. I eyeballed the 50 yard bore sight, fired two shots in case the erector tubes needed to settle after a big adjustment. I don’t know how important that is with today’s scopes but it is how i always did it. Well them two shots were touching.

Made one quick adjustment, bull’s eye. So it tracks 😎

Damn fine scope. Best glass i have fooled with.