Buy once, cry once- optics?

[swampy14]

Are budget scopes even worth it or should I continue to save and get a more premium optic?
I’m currently building a 7BC and dropping the rifle off for a rebarrel job at East Texas Precision.
I have a suppressor on the way and the last piece of the puzzle is an optic. I would like to use this rifle for this hunting season but given the time constraints I’m not sure if I will have enough time to save for the optic I want.
Maven Rs1.2 2.5-15 or S2H 3-18

I could potentially snag an Arken lh4 4-16 or maven crs3 4-20 before season given their cheaper priced points. But dont want to have to upgrade optics down the line. Would these be worth it or would I be

 

[CRJR45]

Trijicon Accupoint 3x18 is all that rifle will ever need .
But once and never regret it. JMHO .

 

[dårlig jeger]

SWFA 3-9 were in stock last I checked. Pick one of those up and try it for a year or two.

If you still want to upgrade, should be easy to sell second hand for a decent if not full return. But you might like it.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Are budget scopes even worth it or should I continue to save and get a more premium optic?
I’m currently building a 7BC and dropping the rifle off for a rebarrel job at East Texas Precision.
I have a suppressor on the way and the last piece of the puzzle is an optic. I would like to use this rifle for this hunting season but given the time constraints I’m not sure if I will have enough time to save for the optic I want.
Maven Rs1.2 2.5-15 or S2H 3-18

I could potentially snag an Arken lh4 4-16 or maven crs3 4-20 before season given their cheaper priced points. But dont want to have to upgrade optics down the line. Would these be worth it or would I be

Having handled both, I would get the S2H 3-18x over the RS 1.2. But the S2H definitely won’t be ready before hunting season unless you got in on the first pre-order. Or you overpay for one from some scalper.

If you could find an RS 1.2 secondhand for about $800, that would be a good deal. I don’t think it’s worth $1400 new.

If it was me, I’d get a SWFA 3-9x or 3-15x. They might even have a 4th of July sale on them. With a heavy preference for the 3-9x. You could also get a fixed 10x. As a budget scope, that’s really hard to beat.

Or… I would look really hard at the Trijicon AccuPoint 4-16x. That’s a scope I don’t own, but lust after.

Until you get up into Nightforce prices, I don’t think anything else is worth considering.

 

[swampy14]

Having handled both, I would get the S2H 3-18x over the RS 1.2. But the S2H definitely won’t be ready before hunting season unless you got in on the first pre-order. Or you overpay for one from some scalper.

If you could find an RS 1.2 secondhand for about $800, that would be a good deal. I don’t think it’s worth $1400 new.

If it was me, I’d get a SWFA 3-9x or 3-15x. They might even have a 4th of July sale on them. With a heavy preference for the 3-9x. You could also get a fixed 10x. As a budget scope, that’s really hard to beat.

Or… I would look really hard at the Trijicon AccuPoint 4-16x. That’s a scope I don’t own, but lust after.

Until you get up into Nightforce prices, I don’t think anything else is worth considering.

I’ve seen some rs1.2 at about $840 that’s why I was considering it.

I’ve debating the S2H scope just because it will force me to save and the next drop is in December and it will be a lifetime optic. Great glass and extremely reliable and a perfect mag range for what I need.

 

[kkp005]

Swfa 3x9 or a Triji credo 2.5-15 in Mils from Eurooptic . Have a few of both and really like the trijis .
Get in on the next S2H drop and start saving for one of those..
once that s2h scope comes in , buy a tikka 223 for the old Swfa or Triji you already have

 

[Matt5266]

Get the SWFA so you have a scope now and can start practicing. Then you can either sell it for close to what you paid or keep it as a backup scope if you decide you want something else.

 

[mc1119]

SWFA 10x for budget, or the 3-9 if you have the funds.

Then like others said, save for the S2H and get on the waitlist.

 

[BCDJR]

So a custom rifle build….barrel work…suppressor….all for a hot rod caliber. Don't waste money on inferior scopes. I assume you want to shoot or hunt a longer range? I would consider FFP scopes with superior glass.

 

[Sully_44]

Like many others have said, get a swfa!

 

[ColPenguin]

Buy a SWFA for this season. The SWFA 3-15 is a better value at its price point than Maven RS1.2 at its price.

You can get a S2H scope for next year. Best case it's going to be 6 months out from your pre-order, it won't be here for this hunting season. So it shouldn't be a consideration for something that you want to build for right now. It's a next year, or future scope.

 

[1000yards]

I've done a fair amount of hunting and range work with both the RS1.2 and the SWFA 3-9 this past year. I understand they are very different scopes on paper, but for my purposes (that is hitting animals and steel plates out to 500 yards) the only practical difference is that the RS1.2 is heavier. The parallax adjustment, illuminated reticle, extra magnification, and (arguably) better glass of the RS1.2 do not increase my hit percentage on the range. And none of it matters for killing animals.

 

[RockAndSage]

Are budget scopes even worth it or should I continue to save and get a more premium optic?
I’m currently building a 7BC and dropping the rifle off for a rebarrel job at East Texas Precision.
I have a suppressor on the way and the last piece of the puzzle is an optic. I would like to use this rifle for this hunting season but given the time constraints I’m not sure if I will have enough time to save for the optic I want.
Maven Rs1.2 2.5-15 or S2H 3-18

I could potentially snag an Arken lh4 4-16 or maven crs3 4-20 before season given their cheaper priced points. But dont want to have to upgrade optics down the line. Would these be worth it or would I be

OP, I'll +1 what others have said about some of the Mavens, SWFAs, and Trijicons for this season, and from everything I can tell, the S2H later on in the year. I have money down on 2 of the S2Hs, in the first shipment.

Some perspective that might help: Keep in mind that "buy once/cry once optics" means very different things for scopes vs observation optics.

As an absolute glass snob who will literally spend up to 12hrs a day on occasion inside optics when scouting mule deer, there's a direct correlation between price, quality, and in-field performance in how long you can stay inside that glass without eye fatigue. On top of how well you can see deep into shadows, and keep you observing when the sun's down. But those are just not the metrics you judge a scope by. A scope needs to be rugged, because it's a sighting device in rough conditions. But even just a proper hunting reticle inside meh glass in dim situations can keep you in the hunt as long as premium glass keeps you observing, down past legal shooting light.

One of the biggest and most annoying things I've learned since being on here is just how vulnerable almost all scopes are to a drop, or just transportation vibration - and how a small few brands are relatively bulletproof, such as Nightforce and Trijicon. There are very few budget scopes that are genuinely rugged, and the ones guys shared above fit that bill. A Trijicon will keep its resale value on or off Rokslide, as probably would an SWFA. I suspect there will be a ton of Mavens, along with others, getting sold off once the S2H scopes hit the market.

 

[BCDJR]

So a custom rifle build….barrel work…suppressor….all for a hot rod caliber. Don't waste money on inferior scopes. I assume you want to shoot or hunt a longer range? I would consider FFP scopes with superior glass

 

[BishBeCool]

add NF to the mix. great scopes