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Posted on 03/04/2018 8:32:18 PM PST by Washi
Hello, all.
I'm no stranger to shooting. I hunted for small game, growing up, I qualified, in the Army, as an "Expert" rifleman, and I occasionally take the family out shooting now.
Though I was an Expert in the Army, that shooting was limited to 300 yards, and since I was in the Signal Corps, I really only shot once per year to retain my qualification.
I've recently become interested in long range shooting. I've been looking at optics that would lend themselves to that pursuit. I know that brands like Leupold and Nightforce are the heavy-hitters in this arena, but they are WAY too expensive to justify their price for a hobbyist.
Looking around the optics and long-range shooting forums, there are many "Optics Snobs" that will bad-mouth any brand other than the big, expensive dogs in show and dismiss the other brands out-of-hand.
My question, finally, is: Have any of you ever shot with "Monstrum" brand optics, and if so, what is your opinion of them?
They are Chinese made brands, so there is a black mark against them to begin with, but people who have actually used them have expressed surprise at how much quality and performance they provide for the price you pay.
“the big, expensive dogs in show and dismiss the other brands out-of-hand”
There is a reason for that.
When it comes to optics, you really DO get what you pay for.
I’ve never even seen one ....
I’m a cheapskete when it comes to optics too; but my long range scope is a Bushnell Elite, while my shootin’ buddies all buy stuff that costs twice as much as my Bushnell did.
But I did happen to see a review on one of the Monstrums just a few days ago, and if I remember correctly they thought it decent in general, and good value.
Review here:
https://www.full30.com/video/741808d16180cedd3d8734bac406d092
If you buy a cheap optic:
don’t expect a repeated zero, or able to even keep zero - even if you baby the thing.
Don’t expect waterproof/fogproof glass.
Don’t expect precise repeatable clicks with your elevation and horizontal knobs.
There are deals to be had with guns and optics, but for the most part, you get what you pay for.
Buy once, cry once and keep it. A good scope can last a lifetime and find a home on many rifles over the years.
After all that, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find an inexpensive scope that works!
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What you pay for good glass will equal what you pay for the rifle, if not more. You do get what you pay for. That said, I’ve found that Nikon gives you the best bang for the buck, although I prefer Leupold.
Interesting because I’m going through the same thing with spotting scopes for bird and wildlife viewing. I keep drooling over Kowa and Swarovski at the upper end, then move to mid-range vendors like Vortex and Meopta and some other upstarts like Styrka. Then I jump back to the top dogs, panic at the price, drop back to the mid tier, and eventually think “Maybe I should just get the Styrka or Celestron.” Wash, rinse, repeat ad nauseam.
I don’t know anything about Monstrum, but you may want to look around here. Haven’t heard anything bad about them; in fact they seem well recommended.
I’ve had great luck with more basic Leupold scopes. They have some hunting scopes with finger adjustable turrets that cost far less than anything in the high end tactical line. You lose lighted reticles, but for a honest shooting at the range that’s no big deal.
I also have a Nikon fixed scope that is the brightest scope I own and bought used for almost nothing.
Can’t argue with that, there’s a lot of nice toys to be had.
Was just throwing it out there. =)
~W
What kind of long range are we talking about?
A lot of what you’re paying for in a more expensive scope is the warranty and the optical coatings that help you see the target better in low light conditions. If you’re not shooting in low light conditions and can baby your equipment maybe you can get by okay with the less expensive stuff.
The more expensive scope makers manufacture their own glass, so quality control is definitely better. The only optics I own are from Burris & Nikon and I’ve been happy with both. Vortex Optics seem to be one of the better bang for the buck optics, from what I’ve read but have no personal experience. Depending on the rifle you’re using it with and amount of recoil, the cheaper scopes may not hold up too well over time.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/this-is-the-best-scope-for-the-money.3918265/
My rule of thumb has always been that one should spend as much on the optics as he spent on the rifle. That is, $1200 rifle gets a$1200 scope. If you can’t afford that, you can’t afford long range shooting, and we haven’t even started talking about ammo or real training. You’ll be much more successful if you follow this.
I qualified expert at times (e.g., when it wasn’t raining hard) but was no expert. ;-)
Don’t know about that brand. But here’s a way to find good optics for lower prices. Learn about the technologies that go into the optics, then look for the optics with the specifications that you want. Look at everything technical about optics, right down to lens coatings and reticle types (etched?).
After some study, if an optic looks promising, then check reviews on discussion boards that focus on long range accuracy. The optic and mount must be tough enough hold zero after firing. There are some good cheap optics that will hold a zero, but they tend to weigh more than expensive optics.
I’m not sure what rifle you want scoped, but here’s the most inexpensive Nikon with bullet drop comp for 223/5.56
https://www.opticsplanet.com/nikon-p-223-3-9x40-bdc-600-rifle-scope.html
at $150. Good basic scope.
If you plan on using a bolt action rifle, try a discussion board that includes Savage rifle enthusiasts for good optics for less. A few of the older Savage owners like to get more technical and advise younger participants to have their custom work done little by little over time. They also tend to need tough optics because of bolt recoil.
Save goes for the AR-15 or AR-10, but you might encounter more semi-auto rifle users who focus more on brand names than specs. Most of them are newer like spending more than study.
I’ve never used Monstrum brand optics. IMO, a good “entry level” line of scopes are offered by SWFA in their house-brand “SS” models (formerly the Tasco “Super Sniper” design, modified and improved). The standard SS glass isn’t as bright as Zeiss or Nightforce, but they do offer “upmarket” HD models as well - with something less than the usual logarithmic cost-to-quality price tag. Give their reviews a quick read-through.
Optiscplanet sells a lot of spotting scopes as does B&H.
A four inch objective lens is a bit hard to mount to a rifle and would make the rifle seriously top-heavy. Spotting scopes can be had half that size (1/4 the lens area), but the bigger ones are a lot brighter at the beginning and end of day. But the big ones get way too heavy for packing and day hikes. Here's a 95 mm Swarovski. You can get a fairly decent used car with high miles for the price of this scope!
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