Cheap tactical scope

[Woodlander]

I’m on a limited budget and looking for any reviews/opinions on a cheap,dialable scope,in the 5-25 mag range. I’ve been looking at the Athlon scopes and also the Rudolph V1 5-25.  My limit is around £300-£350. Is it possible to get anything half decent for that money?  SFP would be my preference,but glass quality and tracking are more important.

thanks

[Re-Pete]

I have one of these   https://www.opticswarehouse.co.uk/product/vortex-viper-6-5-20x50-pa-riflescope/     and they're excellent, and with a lifetime warranty.

Pete

[Woodlander]

Thanks,Pete.  I called OW this afternoon,they agreed,the Vortex is great value,but in his opinion the Rudolph V1 had better quality glass and sells for only £350. 

I’m crap at making decisions,long shot,but has anyone had a look through the Rudolph? Although with that name,they’ll never catch on.   

Maybe they’d send me one of each and I can review them

[Re-Pete]

Well, OW  will certainly do a refund/swap if you're not happy with anything, so why not ask?..................one of the best companies I've ever dealt with.

Pete

[Sherlock]

This review .... and the dialog that takes place afterwards is a good read.

 

https://www.sniperforums.com/forum/optics/45521-rudolph-tactical-6-24-a.html

 

ATB

[Woodlander]

That is indeed a good read,thanks. 

That review was from a few years ago,I imagine they must have ironed out a few of those issues by now,but I’m struggling to find any recent feedback on them.  That Vortex is looking more tempting. 

Anyone any experience with the Athlon Midas,that’s in the for sale section?

[JockStalk]

Have you consider a used vortex PST gen1? 

They can be had for 350 ish. Great value!

[Woodlander]

I would certainly consider one for the right price 

[David Hancock]

As much as I love the team at Optics Warehouse for great advice and stunning service, IMHO, they blew from one scope to another in a short space of time.  It was Vortex - which I find has a very finickity eye relief, then Athlon then Delta, now Rudolph.

The lower price Athlons  - great glass - have a very annoying habit of the windage turret moving - thus changing zero, which is why all my scopes now have locking turrets.

A classic scope with great UK back up from Deben is the Hawke Sidewinder.  Different mags, locking tactical turrets SFP and FFP and choice of rets.

Worth checking out for your budget.

[Woodlander]

Thanks David,great help.  

I’ll pm you, if I may?

Choosing higher end scopes is so much easier, loads of reviews and you generally know what you’re getting.  

[Gwyn]

On 7/30/2019 at 11:49 AM, Sherlock said:

This review .... and the dialog that takes place afterwards is a good read.

 

https://www.sniperforums.com/forum/optics/45521-rudolph-tactical-6-24-a.html

 

ATB

I owned a Rudolph 6-24x50. It was a very good scope with very decent glass. It was the same model as the link but bare in mind, the glass is different in the 5-25 and as far as I know, not as good. I have looked through the lower end hunter series and they look good, not as bright as more expensive scopes. The 6-24 comes out of light optical in Japan so the glass is sharp with a lovely floating dot ret. 

I dont have it anymore as I upgraded to a Zeiss v6.

My uncle has a S&B 4-16 and we compared it against the Rudolph. The S&B was sharper but at low light, there was very little in it.

The review in the link go on about mushy turrets, they are a little mushy but putting lighter oil on them helped a lot. I shot it out to 500 yards and always returned to zero perfectly.

 

[sundancermartin]

If you can afford a little more than £350 I have a PST gen 1 4-16 x 50 which I’m selling for a friend, it also comes with a pair of quality vortex rings

[Woodlander]

I did end up getting a gen 1 pst 6-24x50.

Before I mounted it, I felt the eyebox was very fussy, but once mounted, isn’t an issue. I’m more impressed with the glass than I thought I’d be, and I like the ret.