Why are scopes so expensive?

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caliusoptimus said:
Title pretty much says it all.

I've never owned or used a scope over a few hundred bucks. I've bought a few of the cheapo CVlife FFPs on amazon recently with no obvious problems. What's the deal?

Edit: not really talking about nightvision scopes... for that the price makes a bit more sense.
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I'm not sure I understand your post. Is a $200 scope expensive to you? I can find scopes for $20. So the price scale is just a smidge above the pocket knife market. There's pocket knives available for $5, and pretty nice ones for $40. Very nice ones for $200, and ridiculously extravagant ones for $2000.

Scopes are basically just 3 or 4 times the price of a pocket knife, and given the precision glass cutting and mounting that's required, it makes sense. Much harder to make a scope than a pocket knife.

In the States my impression is one of the better sources of quality affordable scopes is Gideon Optics.
 
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delooper said:
I'm not sure I understand your post. Is a $200 scope expensive to you? I can find scopes for $20. So the price scale is just a smidge above the pocket knife market. There's pocket knives available for $5, and pretty nice ones for $40. Very nice ones for $200, and ridiculously extravagant ones for $2000.

Scopes are basically just 3 or 4 times the price of a pocket knife, and given the precision glass cutting and mounting that's required, it makes sense. Much harder to make a scope than a pocket knife.
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Sry I could have made my question more clear.

What would you expect a premium scope (just as an example, a no compromises scope costing several thousand dollars) to do better than a budget (sub $500) scope?

Obviously the jump from the $30 range to the $300 range is massive in terms of zoom, brightness, reticle, features, material, and pretty much every other way. How about $300 to $3000?
 
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Why are some camera lenses so much more than cheapo camera lenses? It's all in the coatings, calibration, reliability, etc. I doubt it's a profit thing, but rather things you can't see. My March competition lens has several special elements in it that reduce the aberrations and fog that results from mirage. If these things aren't important to you, then buy cheap scopes. Magnification is just one of the things that concerns competition shooters.
 
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rsfrid said:
Why are some camera lenses so much more than cheapo camera lenses? It's all in the coatings, calibration, reliability, etc. I doubt it's a profit thing, but rather things you can't see. My March competition lens has several special elements in it that reduce the aberrations and fog that results from mirage. If these things aren't important to you, then buy cheap scopes. Magnification is just one of the things that concerns competition shooters.
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For camera lenses... the difference between 300 and 3000 is usually pretty significant. High end ones will have large apertures, little distortion, mechanical stabilization, power zooms, autofocus, matched T stops in a set, color accruacy, matched color profiles for a set of cine lenses, par-focal zooms... just to name a few examples. Expensive lenses often make styles of photo or video that were previously impossible possible. You get into the $200k range and there are broadcast TV lenses that do things no other lens could dream. Naturally, there's snake oil at every price level too.

Is it the same way with scopes? Am I missing out on something amazing by being stingy?
 
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I have a $50 scope and a $3000 scope. Guess which one has better quality glass, better clarity, better tracking, no distortion, and solid as a rock?


You pay for nice things. Buy once, and cry once. An high quality item will last a long time. Quality will still be there in 5 years and it will still work just as good as it did when new.
 
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woogie_man said:
I have a $50 scope and a $3000 scope. Guess which one has better quality glass, better clarity, better tracking, no distortion, and solid as a rock?


You pay for nice things. Buy once, and cry once. An high quality item will last a long time. Quality will still be there in 5 years and it will still work just as good as it did when new.
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What do you mean by tracking? And does distorion play a roll in accuracy or precision?
 
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caliusoptimus said:
What do you mean by tracking? And does distorion play a roll in accuracy or precision?
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Tracking is accuracy and repeatabily of turrets. Distortion moving crosshairs or target is similar to parralax in affecting accuracy. I like to think in terms of ball bearings. They make a million balls then sort. 1% are almost perfect, they go into $400 spindle bearings, bottom 90% go into $5 skateboard bearings. They look the same but function is at the price point and accuracy purchased.
 
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Tracking - shoot the square- so take a shot then run a 1/2 dozen clicks side ways take a shot the down or up 1/2 doz clicks take a shot now return to your horz original settings take shot then return to original vert. setting take shot. if the scope tracks correctly you should spot on with your first shot in theory. 2nd question is yes, if you can't see clearly you are not going to be spot on. You might have a small area dead center in a inexpensive scope but quickly degrades to the edges , unless perfectly aligned behind scope it will throw you off. simplistic answer
 
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caliusoptimus said:
Sry I could have made my question more clear.

What would you expect a premium scope (just as an example, a no compromises scope costing several thousand dollars) to do better than a budget (sub $500) scope?

Obviously the jump from the $30 range to the $300 range is massive in terms of zoom, brightness, reticle, features, material, and pretty much every other way. How about $300 to $3000?
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This interview on Forgotten Weapons with Mike Branson (Gideon Optics) tells you everything you want to know.


Straight facts from an industry insider with no BS coating it.

There's also an excellent interview on prism scopes


and red dots.


The main point of advice I liked from the interview is that mid-range items will usually do everything you could ask. If you ever decide you really need a specific detail for a concrete reason, that's when you should consider possibly getting a higher-end item. Something that matches your specific requirements.
 
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Tracking is for dialing your turrets. If I move my elevation turret up 20 clicks and fire, I need to be sure that when I go down 14 clicks and back up to 20...that I hit the EXACT same spot...and then back down 20 clicks for my zero spot.

Color is important to reduce eye fatigue and strain. When looking through cheaper glass your eyes will be strained and you fatigue quicker. This can also play a role if hunting. Different animals in different areas look different. You need a scope that is able to show the animals in the truest form and not distorted or blurred. Think of a red squirrel high up in a tree that is covered in shadows. You need to be able to see the color of the squirrel apart from the branches, leaves, shadows, and anything else.

A high end optic really is something else. If you have a chance look through some high end glass, and shoot with it. If you are near any one here talking I am sure many will invite you to shoot with them.

Now will a $50 scope see a target at 50 yards and be ok.....sure. Just like the rifle, it all depends on what you want to do with the rifle.
 
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when a manufacturer sets out to build a scope there are two basic premises . one is i am going to build the best scope i can or two i am going to build the best scope I can for x amount of dollars. And those ones that build a scope for x amount usually an attribute to put more money in,i e reticle, weight ,magnification glass the list goes on, then they have to skim somewhere so we pick the ones that have the attributes we like and live with the shortcomings.
 
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Scotty1 said:
With my “normal” scopes ($500-800), I can see my shots at 100 yards. With my one great scope, I can see the texture of the targets at 100 yards. My best scope has kinda snobbed me up a bit, and now I want clearer glass on everything …
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I was the same way when I got a Vortex PST-2. Really enjoyed that splurge and went for a Tract Torric, and that is an amazing scope. Next was the Element Theos and WOW!

I do have an Arken SH4J on my Dawson and for a $600 scope....it is great. If I buy more optics it will be that Arken. It is a scope that really shoots above its pay and it isn't lacking on anything that I need.
 
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