regarding country of origin, I dont think the country has anything at all to do with quality, it's just correlated because there are only a very small handful of factories in each of the countries in question that nearly all optics are made in, and each of those factories has different machinery, culture, market niche, etc. Outside of that, a factory is a factory, QC is QC, it's all pretty scientific and quantifiable. In that sense, since LOW makes an inordinate amount of the optics that are made in Japan, scopes made in japan are associated with that particular factory that happens to be really good. The equivalent chinese factory(s) happen to be less good, or their market niche is focusing on products to a different price point. But if you ever get a chance to visit a high-end manufacturing facility in China (I dont know optics, but there are many in other industries), it is every inch as modern, clean, shipshape and quality-focused as any American or German manufacturing facility I've been in, which is more than a couple. It is also dependent on the scope-company's specifications and how much oversight they provide at the factory on materials, parts (and parts suppliers), and during build--it is entirely possible for the same factory to turn out both very good and not-so-good products based on all of those factors.
Also, I think folks should be careful lumping all of the scopes from a brand together based on one or two samples of one or two models put through what is arguably the harshest testing protocol on the planet, when other scopes from the same company are made to a different price point, in a completely different factory (and country). I have an athlon scope, their Cronus BTR, which is made at LOW in japan. Same factory many "tested" scopes are made (as well as some that have not fared so well in testing). I've had my scope for about 4 years, havent beat on it (its on a prs gun, which is a use-case I consider pretty gentle) but it has performed flawlessly for that entire time holding zero and tracking reliably with regular use. In that same time I HAVE had several leupold and vortex scopes not hold zero under similar conditions, so I consider my particular athlon scope to be better quality than those I've compared it to. I have also had my ass handed to me numerous times at our monthly PRS shoots by folks using the chinese-made athlon scopes , so while I probably wouldnt buy one for a hunting rifle that I'll take a trip where I saved points for 10 years and spent airfare, planning time, etc, I for one do not look down my nose at them becasue from what I have personally seen they dont seem to be holding anyone back.
Also, I think folks should be careful lumping all of the scopes from a brand together based on one or two samples of one or two models put through what is arguably the harshest testing protocol on the planet, when other scopes from the same company are made to a different price point, in a completely different factory (and country). I have an athlon scope, their Cronus BTR, which is made at LOW in japan. Same factory many "tested" scopes are made (as well as some that have not fared so well in testing). I've had my scope for about 4 years, havent beat on it (its on a prs gun, which is a use-case I consider pretty gentle) but it has performed flawlessly for that entire time holding zero and tracking reliably with regular use. In that same time I HAVE had several leupold and vortex scopes not hold zero under similar conditions, so I consider my particular athlon scope to be better quality than those I've compared it to. I have also had my ass handed to me numerous times at our monthly PRS shoots by folks using the chinese-made athlon scopes , so while I probably wouldnt buy one for a hunting rifle that I'll take a trip where I saved points for 10 years and spent airfare, planning time, etc, I for one do not look down my nose at them becasue from what I have personally seen they dont seem to be holding anyone back.
