Best rifle scope under $40

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  • Biggie313

    Molon Labe
    Feb 23, 2010
    1,223
    Essex
    Looking for a cheap but decent rifle scope for under $40. I deer hunt out to 100 yards so I dont need super power. I usually shoot on 5X on my other rifle. I do hunt early mornings and dusk, so the larger the objective lens the better. Anyone have any online links? Sportsman's Guide has this on sale.

    http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=677983&ecid=EX23D
     

    Half-cocked

    Senior Meatbag
    Mar 14, 2006
    23,937
    Walmart has been selling a cheap brand called "Centerpoint" in blister packs, I have heard a couple of o.k. comments about them.

    In that price class, though, I wouldn't expect the greatest optics.
     

    Treeguy

    Active Member
    Jan 14, 2010
    453
    Boonsboro
    I cant see why you wouldn't spend $100 on a hunting scope, you get what you pay for for sure with optics. And $40 will get you a junk glass. $100 gets you better junk glass. $150 + starts to get you into the better stuff
     

    DZ

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 9, 2005
    4,091
    Mount Airy, MD
    I think you are better off using a firearm with iron sights and sticking to shooting hours that allow you to clearly see your target and sticking to a range that you are comfortable at. Put your $40 into ammunition and practice shooting at typical field positions.

    In my opinion, putting a $40 optic, that is unlikely to hold a zero, on your firearm is irresponsible.
     

    Biggie313

    Molon Labe
    Feb 23, 2010
    1,223
    Essex
    Well... the gun was only $150 from a family member. and to be honest. I have only shot crappy scopes in my life, and have never had a problem at 100 yards. I dont feel like I need a $100+ scope to put it where I need it on a deer. +/- 1" is plenty good at 100 yd. So I dont see a reason to spend more. I do not need/want to shoot quarters at 300+ yds. And not hunting sunrise and dusk is not an option. That is the prime time for whitetail
     
    Walmart has been selling a cheap brand called "Centerpoint" in blister packs, I have heard a couple of o.k. comments about them.

    In that price class, though, I wouldn't expect the greatest optics.

    Centerpoint scopes are designed for air rifles. I have one on a Gamo Whisper, in 3-9x40, and it suits that purpose very nicely. I havn't heard of anyone mounting them on actual firearms.
     

    mike_in_md

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 13, 2008
    2,282
    Howard County
    My recommendation is to spend at least $200 for a scope that will go on a deer rifle. Cheap scopes do not deal well with shock and vibration. Forget about the glass breaking; That probably will not happen. What will happen is much more annoying; the retical will break and you will not even know it until you fire a few dozen shots off a bench and realize that the groups shouldn't be 3 feet apart at 100 yards. Ask me how I know. If you can't afford a decent scope you should stick with iron sights. My 2 cents.
     

    Inigoes

    Head'n for the hills
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 21, 2008
    49,353
    SoMD / West PA
    Centerpoint scopes are designed for air rifles. I have one on a Gamo Whisper, in 3-9x40, and it suits that purpose very nicely. I havn't heard of anyone mounting them on actual firearms.

    Yep, they are sold for rifles and shotguns also. I have a couple the $69 packs, not bad for an out of the box solution. The really cool feature is that they're illuminated.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    most anything under $100 is probably made in the same chinese factory, they just use different magnification lenses on some, and put different decals on them depending on who is repackaging them. For cheap scopes, it is highly reccomended to stick with a low fixed power, they don't have as many issues as higher power scopes, and far less than the cheap variable power ones. For cheap glass, the Nikon prostaffs probably have the best optics, and are relatively rugged, but run about $100-$200 for basic models, under that, it really doesn't matter much.
     

    BeltBuckle

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 14, 2008
    2,587
    MoCo, MD
    I'm with treeguy and DZ et al. $40 won't get you into glass that is much better (and sometimes could be worse) than iron sights, IMHO. Under a hundred yards, if you've spent any time sighting in and practicing, I find iron sights to be more than adequate.
     

    mbz300sdl

    Gone living free now!!!
    Apr 12, 2010
    10,644
    South Carolina
    My recommendation is to spend at least $200 for a scope that will go on a deer rifle. Cheap scopes do not deal well with shock and vibration. Forget about the glass breaking; That probably will not happen. What will happen is much more annoying; the retical will break and you will not even know it until you fire a few dozen shots off a bench and realize that the groups shouldn't be 3 feet apart at 100 yards. Ask me how I know. If you can't afford a decent scope you should stick with iron sights. My 2 cents.

    I'm with treeguy and DZ et al. $40 won't get you into glass that is much better (and sometimes could be worse) than iron sights, IMHO. Under a hundred yards, if you've spent any time sighting in and practicing, I find iron sights to be more than adequate.

    I tend to agree I am frugal (aka cheap :)) and I only have iron sights on all my guns except I did spend $20 bux on a red dot for my 10/22 but I was raise and taught on irons so I am decent with them.
     

    zoostation

    , ,
    Moderator
    Jan 28, 2007
    22,857
    Abingdon
    Another option if you don't want to spend much is the 5th generation Leapers scopes in fixed 4x or 6x. They're built to be very shock resistant and the absence of a lot of extra parts for a zoom tends to make them simple and reliable.
     

    lx1x

    Peanut Gallery
    Apr 19, 2009
    26,992
    Maryland
    Centerpoint scopes are designed for air rifles. I have one on a Gamo Whisper, in 3-9x40, and it suits that purpose very nicely. I havn't heard of anyone mounting them on actual firearms.

    i have them both on 308 and 223.. they work great..
     

    Adams74Chevy

    Hits broadsides of barns
    Oct 3, 2007
    2,699
    Carroll Co.
    Centerpoint scopes are designed for air rifles. I have one on a Gamo Whisper, in 3-9x40, and it suits that purpose very nicely. I havn't heard of anyone mounting them on actual firearms.

    The one I picked up a Wally World says it's good up to .416 Rigby...of course if I owned a .416 Rigby I'm pretty sure I'd be able to afford something a little nicer for it than a Centerpoint Scope. :D
     

    mike_in_md

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 13, 2008
    2,282
    Howard County
    I tend to agree I am frugal (aka cheap :)) and I only have iron sights on all my guns except I did spend $20 bux on a red dot for my 10/22 but I was raise and taught on irons so I am decent with them.

    My bad experience with a cheap scope was a $49 Simmons 3x9 scope on my Ruger 10/22. It worked great for about 1 year and then my Ruger started shooting huge groups...drove me nuts because there was no obvious visual damage. Even the retical looked visually okay. It now has a $199 Leoupold scope on it that has a lifetime warranty. I can only imagine how much sooner a cheap scope would break on a center fire rifle. Lesson learned - Pay once pain once, or do like you and use iron sights. It's tougher to get more reliable than iron sights.
     
    The one I picked up a Wally World says it's good up to .416 Rigby...of course if I owned a .416 Rigby I'm pretty sure I'd be able to afford something a little nicer for it than a Centerpoint Scope. :D

    Good point. I've never read up on them much, the one I have came mounted on the rifle when I bought it secondhand. The original owner mounted it as an upgrade, and works nicely for the shooting I do.
     

    tosainu1

    Active Member
    May 10, 2005
    825
    Bowie Md
    Not to be a jerk or anything but as a hunter you have a responsibility to clearly see your target and what is behind it. There was a case in Virginia not too long where the guy mistook a white t shirt for the throat patch of a whitetail deer. If your not willing to spend decent money on a scope as well as binoculars then you have no business hunting in low light.
     

    Biggie313

    Molon Labe
    Feb 23, 2010
    1,223
    Essex
    Not to be a jerk or anything but as a hunter you have a responsibility to clearly see your target and what is behind it. There was a case in Virginia not too long where the guy mistook a white t shirt for the throat patch of a whitetail deer. If your not willing to spend decent money on a scope as well as binoculars then you have no business hunting in low light.

    That is just stupid. I am not a stupid hunter and i do not take shots at white objects. I know the rules and laws. I can clearly see a deer with a $1 pair of binoculars. Not talking about night hunting, but like 20 mins after sunset. I know my land and the rules and responsibilities. Using a cheap scope is not making me irresponsible... maybe less likely to get a perfect shot. but like i said I have never had a problem hitting 1" groupings at 100 yds. I did not come here looking for a lecture or have $500 scopes pushed on me. I just wanted some links to the best cheap scopes. There are thousands and thousands of hunters who have gone their whole lives without ever using a $500 scope. and plenty of deer have been taken with cheap scopes.
     

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