Thanks all for the support! I contacted many other companies who chose not to participate or failed to respond. I can really only review what's in front of me. Also, some companies like Arken make awesome scopes and I will definitely be reviewing them, BUT their scopes are much less expensive than these so I didn't think it'd be a fair comparison. Tried to keep everything in the $750 to $1,000 range and as close to 3-18 FFP as possible.
Just purchased the Tract Toric 3-15 x 44 FFP scope and it's AWESOME at $800-$900, Awhile back I found the Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2 4.5-27 x 50 for $600! It's super awesome!
You should do another cheap rifle test, and do different rifles compared to the ones that you have already done. Like do a cheap browning or other known brands
The fact that you arent allowed to show us the turret being twisted is just wild. I would love for youtube to explain the reasoning just to humor me. Awesome vid as always!
Good test. I would be interested in the scopes ability to track and hold zero pre and post drop. That seems to be a bigger issue than out of the box. If a scope doesn’t track out of the box that seems to be a non starter.
Primary arms has been making so good scopes as of late. I have one on my 6.5 (PLx) and it looks so nice. I just couldnt justify going Razor HD price over it.
Did you contact Burris regarding the failure of the waterproof test? I'd be curious to know what their response was. I'm considering buying a couple of those Veracity PH scopes.
This video is a prime example of "I love your content, even though it does not apply to me." Most of my scopes are 1-6x, or 2-7x24mm. I love the Athlon BTR series. You should see the looks I get from techno hunters out in the sage or up in the mountains, with their 3lb 6-24x50mm scopes. I am ethically the "fair chase only" type. I do not hunt from blinds, or sit on water or food. I despise road hunters, unless they are genuinely physically disabled. Spot and stalk. Thus, weight is important to me. Also, since I do not shoot over 450 yards, 99% of my big game kills have been at 4x mag. Just works for me. I also do not share your love of chassis rifles, composites, Cerakote, etc. Give me a Win 70 Supergrade in maple any day. I love your content, keep it up. Side note: last year out Mulie hunting in our big, wide sage canyons, I came upon a guy who was lugging a 28" Palma barrel UberLoudenBoomer, that had to 13lbs if it was an ounce. Giant scope, like 3 sun shades on it, a tacticool green chassis of some kind, chambered in 30 Nosler. He took one look at my Tikka T3x Hunter 243 Win, 20" barrel, with an Athlon BTR 2-7X24 it, asked to handle it. He laughed at first when I told him 243, until I showed him a vid of that rifle knocking down a mulie at 373 yards. He offered to trade me on the spot. We were up high, and could see where we were parked, about 3 miles away. Last I saw of him, he had his rifle tied to his giant pack, sweating balls while I cruised on by. Bet this year he has a different rifle/optic.
For where I hunt a 4x is not low enough. Most shots in my area are under 100yd and many are under 100ft. Hunting in the woods is really very different than on grassland or mountains.
Well vortex's only optic that really lines up here is the Strike Eagle 3-18ffp... Leupold doesn't really have anything. Closest would be vx3hd 4.5-14 sub 1k... technically a non side adjust, non fire dot, and non cds vx5hd 3-15, but both of those are SFP
I thought Trijicon Accupoint should maybe be in your tests. Cool to see primary arms in the top, I think when doing the drop test it should be done 3-10 times to have consistency possibly.
@@paulmoss7940True,not waterproof if you drop it into your pool.,..... but personally I don't do that much shooting under water. Maybe in the rain,but my rifle has issues when I fill the barrel with water. Therefore I will continue to gladly use my EP5 and shoot sub one half moa groups.
I watched both your Best Scopes under $500, and under $1,000 videos and appreciate you detailed reviews. I was especially interested to see that the Primary Arms 3-18 SLx & 4x16 GLx scopes did well in your test. Have you tested any of Primary Arms scopes with their ACSS Apollo 6.5 Creedmoor bullet drop compensating reticle? As the 6.5 CM is one of the top selling rifle calibers today; I'm sure there are many like me who would like to see you test & compare their 4.5-27x56 GLx & their 6-30x56 PLx rifle scopes with the ACSS Apollo reticle. I would like to see you review how well you think these scopes would work for both hunting & target shooting with the 6.5 CM. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your research and doing the community a service by keeping us informed. My jaw dropped along with that scope drop test! haha. You sir have my respect! (and sub and like)
No Vortex. 😭 It's ok. I just through my 3-18 Vortex Strike Eagle FFP into my pool attached to a Tikka 6.5 Arctic. Well... The gun is not waterproof. FYI.
Hello from San Diego. I my name is Omar I’m from San Diego and I’m new in this, I’ll like to know if you can help me. I have a Ruger American Gen ll and I take a Leupold vx-3hd and I’m wondering if you can help me and let me know what could be the best bullet for this rifle. I’m looking to hunt dears
Do you really care so much to monetize every video that you won’t show pertinent features for fear of being possibly demonetized, that while you’re making money on all the links and goodness knows how many other sponsor deals you have.
My cousin was in charge of a sniper unit with a federal agency. A rep from ELCAN stopped in with a demo scope. My cuz looked at it and threw it at the wall!😮😅 The rep freaked out asking why he would treat a 7k scope that way. He replied that if the scope isn't capable of that level of impact, it's worth nothing😂
Huge bummer about the Veracity PH. I'm stoked to pick one up soon, I don't think I'll have issues with late season snowy hunts but hopefully they figure out the waterproofing issues!
i put a veracity PH on my 7mm PRC and you are going to love just being able to range, dial to that range and then pew ( mines been through a fair amount of downpours and no water issues as of yet)
I actually did do that, but didn't see any changes so I didn't show it in the review. The drop test didn't seem to affect any of the scopes other than possibly the Riton.
@@backfire thank you for information, despite pool test, still in love with PH, gonna put that on 7PRC rifle, when finally will get one in europe, hopefully from bergara or tikka
I own the Element Titan 5-25x56 FFP and have for about a year now. It's heavy but lighter than the Vortex Razor HD. Comes with a free optional throw lever, parallax down to 15yds, 34mm main tube, reticle illumination with an off setting between brightness adjustments and it tracks PERFECTLY as what was shown in this video. Glass quality is excellent for the price. I only have 2 minor gripes; turret clicks are a little mushy but do get better with use, and the glass quality isn't good enough to easily see mirage. Aside from that, I would 100% buy this again if I had to make the decision again. It was initially advertised as an airsoft optic because the owner is an airsoft fan but it is 100% designed for real guns. They actually test their optics on a .50 BMG. I use the optic for competition long range shooting and it has performed better than I could have hoped. If I ever replace it in the future, it would only be so I can see mirage better; but the glass quality is exceptional and very bright for such a great price. I absolutely recommend it for anyone wanting to get into long range. They have a hassle-free lifetime warranty as any reputable brand should and it is a VERY feature-rich choice. Highly recommended.
@reedehinger2636 mirage is the heat waves coming off the ground that make distant objects blurry. You can read the mirage to see how strong and what direction the wind is blowing
Im really shocked its all generic manufacturers and online retail companies for the most part. Where is the Vortex, Leupold, Bushnell, or anything else with a someone known brand name behind it besides Burris, Primary Arms, and Riton
I'm sure it can happen to any scope. I still really like the Burris. I just probably wouldn't choose it for hunting in Alaska or somewhere that there's a potential of extreme rain or weather.
You should try to include some of the bigger European scopes as well, I really enjoy Zeiss scopes for example, but also there are other premium brands like Leica or Swarovski are also popular among the higher end scopes, I's love to see a comparison including these which i and many other Europeans know and love.
Tracking test right out of the box is one thing, and a good test. Testing long term tracking to see if the scope acquires lag would require heavy manipulation of the turrets that these “deer hunting” scopes likely won’t experience. I was hoping to see a TRACT scope, and would like to know who declined being part of the test. I personally am fine with American assembled with Japanese glass and a scope tube machined in China to certain specs. The whole scope made in China not so much.
also toss in the Athlon Ares G2 BTR 4.5-27, the Crimson Trace Hardline Pro 4-16, Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15, and the Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18. All FFP, all with lifetime warranties.
Thank for the review. I am looking to buy a new scope for a semi-precision rifle and I am looking at scopes in all price ranges. This was a great review and I learned a lot.
Sigh...my local refuse-collection truck is smaller, less-clumsy and half the weight of the ridiculous un-balancing over-made monstrosities they call scopes nowadays... Carry on... Next...
I have a couple Arken scopes and will certainly be reviewing them. I only didn't include them here because they are in a MUCH lower price category and I didn't think that'd be very fair.
I know this is probably out of your purview BUT. I have a Henry .22 that I shoot either a CB short or a regular short. I'm targeting squirrels in my garden at 7-15 meters more or less. Most of my scopes are for more distance shooting (hunting) but I can't seem to find a decent scope for short distances. I'd appreciate your opinion on this. I really enjoy your videos, especially the one that I saw recently, with your son. Great videos.
RUclips doesn't allow you to tell your pick? I've never heard that. And I can go read more stuff after watching this long video. Bummer on not giving your pick.
I see you picked up an Arken EPL after the pool test at 0:57 but I understand you didn't include them for pricing fairness. Can you say if the Arken survived the water at least? Great video by the way!
Totally by accident I grabbed that one during that test because it was sitting near the other scopes I was testing. I’m not sure if it went into the pool or not. I didn’t use it in the rest of the test.
I have loved your videos. You helped me pick my wives cva and my new Ruger gen 2. Spearfishing, we got dialed in, but long range shooting, we are still learning. Was wondering what you do with the used scopes when you're done? Some of us newer shooters would not mind a High end scope with a few nicks and scrapes if you sold them when you were done. You know the old saying, Losers cant be choosers 😅. Thanks for all the info and great videos!
The Element Titan, Riton 7, Blackhound, Hawke, and Vector Continental are grossly overpriced for what they are. The Bushnell Match Pro ED (they elected not to participate with good reason) would probably have failed like the Vector Continental since they're made at the same Chinese factory and share close design. It already failed the drop test on Rokslide.
I’ll always pass on china, likely on others and most likely to go for a made in Japan when it comes down to it. My go-to is Leupold and Nightforce, but didn’t make the shootout when you consider features and quality for prices under $1000.
I really like that Jim will do videos where he evaluates guns and accessories. He is real through and for the most part, he tells it like it is. How would we know what to purchase without this type of information. Jim provides a great service for those of us in the hunting community plus it's very entertaining. A great youtube series.
Burris scope 4-20x50mm has two versions of scope. One with headsup display and one without. The one with headsup display is more than $1,200., the one without is $700 +. I got the wrong one (the cheaper one) without knowing the differences.
You all get so tweaked on the FFP, but for long range, you are typically using top magnification and that's what the reticles have typically been set up for when you buy a SFP scope. I literally use only two settings. All the way down for close in shots and all the way out for further shots. If you do that, you don't need the FFP. THe other nice thing is that the reticle doesn't shrink down to the itty bitty size that many of the FFP's do. For old eyes and deer hunting at least in most places, you don't need FFP or the added expense.
I actually would almost never use max magnification when shooting long range. If you zoom in too much when shooting long range, the recoil shakes you off the target and you can't spot your impact. Top competitors in many long range disciplines are usually shooting around 12x.
Very much disagree, shot my antelope this year at 400 yards on 8x with an FFP optic (Kahles K312i so 3x - 12x mag range), wind holds were needed and the field of view from a lower mag kept me on target. A well designed hunting FFP reticle (of which there are frankly not that many currently in market, but marketing features people don't need sells scopes) will be usable across the magnification range.
I would agree if the SFP scope reticle was setup to be accurate at max magnification. Typically they are setup for some mag level below max so when you go full mag you don't have accurate holdover or windage marks, or ranging marks.
@@BooDamnHoo I'm not familiar with an SFP scope where the subtensions aren't set up for max magnification only. Not that I'm a scope expert, but all SFP scopes I've looked at, reticles were designed around max magnification.
Hey there, recently discovered your channel earlier this year and have really enjoyed your videos. I have a question on scopes, I have 2 rifles: a Browning A-bolt 270 and a Bergara B14 HMR 300 win mag and have a Vortex Diamondback Tact 6-24x50 on the 270. Now my question is, would I be better to buy a different scope for my 300, or put the vortex on my 300 and get a different scope for the 270?
The drop test needs to be done on a rifle and zero and tracking verified after the drop. This is the #1 reason for scope failure in the field and very few pass a test like this, yet imo, it's the most important feature of a scope. Glass quality is meaningless if it can't hold zero on the rifle. Rings play a major roll here to.
Honestly I would have never even considered paying a thousand dollars for any of these scope, I knew none of them were worth that. For $899.00 throughput tye holiday specials you can get a Leupold 5HD 3-15X44, 30MM with side parallax adjustment that completely obliterates all of these scopes by a mile in function, quality and glass.....
In my opinion there are lot of “3rd party” scopes around these days. Why aren’t the big 5 brands not even included. Vortex and NF etc. There are too many random Chinese brands out there now who know one has ever heard of. Why would anyone take a chance and buy something from a company without a proven track record?
Hey I was hoping you could help with a scope recommendation? I’ve read a lot of your comments and think you could help me out. If so I would greatly appreciate it!
@@joshuatriggs2941 I just got a pair of Arken EP5's 5-25x56 and EPL4's 4-16x44 and was very impressed especially with the EP5's. I'd rate them better than the Element Titan and Nexus and Vortex Strike Eagle and about the same clarity as my Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2s and Midas Tacs but with night and day huge much wider FOV. In fact they seem much better quality than most of my $1000 and under scopes. They're very close in comparison to my Athlon Cronus BTR UHD and Tract Toric ELR believe it or not. I really like the really huge wide angle FOV too the EP5 has. I don't really care if Arken isn't known to be waterproof because they have a lifetime warranty and even send you a prepaid return shipping label if you need to use their warranty just like how Vortex does. It appears as though the newest EP5's have clear image quality even at 25x maximum magnification while the older ones were only clear up until around 20x magnification based on the ones I looked through 2 years ago and last year which I thought kind of sucked. I'm extremely pleased with the 2 EP5's I just purchased late November 2023 before their prices went up. I don't see myself buying any more Athlons after this. I really like the very noticeably huge eyebox the EP5 has. My other scopes look more like tunnel vision by comparison. Would I buy more EP5's YES even after their recent $50 price hike. I honestly think it's the best $450 anyone can and will ever spend on a good quality scope with a lifetime warranty. I wouldn't consider the EP5 budget or entry level scope either. It's pretty darn close to my Tract Toric ELR and Athlon Cronus BTR UHD that cost more than triple to 4x the price and I especially like and prefer the huge eyebox and field of view a lot better in the EP5. The only scope I like better than the EP5 is the Vortex Razor Gen 3 6-36x56. Their EPL4 4-16x44 is almost as clear as the EP5 not quite though and I'd recommend it if you need a light weight scope. I'd say it's better than the Athlon Argos, Vortex Diamondback Tactical, Venom, Strike Eagle, Element Helix and Titan, all Ritons, Blackhounds, Bushnells, pretty much most scopes that cost up to around $800. I can't comment on the 6-24x50 EPL4 yet because I'm still waiting for them to arrive. The older ones had very bad chromatic aberration at around 18x according to the last ones I checked out earlier this year but hopefully their newest ones have better glass like the EP5. I highly doubt you will find any better quality scope for the money than the EP5 and EPL4 4-16x44. I seriously think they can genuinely compete with scopes that cost at least double to triple their prices.
I would like to hear more about the Burris. But after seeing the water test and not passing I’m not sure now. Burris has no problem with warranty, I know they will replace it.
On your website for < $1,000, you recommend the Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14×40. Why not the 50? I'm about to get one of these two because of their light weight.
Can you tell us what collimator you are using?Maybe I missed another video where you discuss this? I have seen a similar device used by NightForce. I do a lot of scope work, sighting, calibrating, making dope charts, etc for people. This would be a very handy tool for me.
Thanks all for the support! I contacted many other companies who chose not to participate or failed to respond. I can really only review what's in front of me. Also, some companies like Arken make awesome scopes and I will definitely be reviewing them, BUT their scopes are much less expensive than these so I didn't think it'd be a fair comparison. Tried to keep everything in the $750 to $1,000 range and as close to 3-18 FFP as possible.
im curious do any of the Arken or other cheaper scopes compete with these? or is it really a "you get what you pay for" kinda deal?
What you think about Meopta optika6 3-18 ffp it should be under 1000 also
Just purchased the Tract Toric 3-15 x 44 FFP scope and it's AWESOME at $800-$900, Awhile back I found the Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2 4.5-27 x 50 for $600! It's super awesome!
I own two of the PA GLX FFP scopes and they have been excellent so far. Love the ACSS reticle!
You should do another cheap rifle test, and do different rifles compared to the ones that you have already done. Like do a cheap browning or other known brands
that drop test hurts to watch
Fr
How the heck isn’t athlon in this race?
So bad, I cringed everytime one was dropped
@architekt8937 no locking turrets
@@Mills141 most athlon have locking turrets. The helos gen2 btr does for sure
I'm curious if you reported the water failure to Burris and if yes, what was the response? This was an awesome test, thank you
The fact that you arent allowed to show us the turret being twisted is just wild. I would love for youtube to explain the reasoning just to humor me. Awesome vid as always!
You can, he is just being super cautious
He said he’s been demonetized for that in the past. Just shows how much YT loves the year 84 from the 20th century
@@reabralop It took me a second.... But I see what you did there!
Please please do the best scopes regardless of price. I’d love to hear what you have to say! Thank you for such amazing content!
Good test. I would be interested in the scopes ability to track and hold zero pre and post drop. That seems to be a bigger issue than out of the box. If a scope doesn’t track out of the box that seems to be a non starter.
Half of these scope makers will probably be out of business in less than 10 years. Get a brand with staying power.
Huskemaw, Burris, and Primary Arms probably ain't going anywhere. The rest? Who knows?
Primary arms has been making so good scopes as of late. I have one on my 6.5 (PLx) and it looks so nice. I just couldnt justify going Razor HD price over it.
Arken EP5 would be my choice.
My buddy put one on his Barrett as a joke. And it has stayed there because it’s great. We all thought it would die
I’ve had 6 Arkens. All 6 have been sent back.
@@Chit_126 Well they do have a life time warranty.
@@michaelgomez3044 who wants to deal with a return? Thats a gun out of commission and re zero
I’d like to see a Meopta óptica6 3-18x50 added to your testing.
Where did you acquire the colomiator ?
Did you contact Burris regarding the failure of the waterproof test? I'd be curious to know what their response was. I'm considering buying a couple of those Veracity PH scopes.
This video is a prime example of "I love your content, even though it does not apply to me."
Most of my scopes are 1-6x, or 2-7x24mm. I love the Athlon BTR series. You should see the looks I get from techno hunters out in the sage or up in the mountains, with their 3lb 6-24x50mm scopes.
I am ethically the "fair chase only" type. I do not hunt from blinds, or sit on water or food. I despise road hunters, unless they are genuinely physically disabled. Spot and stalk. Thus, weight is important to me. Also, since I do not shoot over 450 yards, 99% of my big game kills have been at 4x mag. Just works for me.
I also do not share your love of chassis rifles, composites, Cerakote, etc. Give me a Win 70 Supergrade in maple any day.
I love your content, keep it up.
Side note: last year out Mulie hunting in our big, wide sage canyons, I came upon a guy who was lugging a 28" Palma barrel UberLoudenBoomer, that had to 13lbs if it was an ounce. Giant scope, like 3 sun shades on it, a tacticool green chassis of some kind, chambered in 30 Nosler. He took one look at my Tikka T3x Hunter 243 Win, 20" barrel, with an Athlon BTR 2-7X24 it, asked to handle it. He laughed at first when I told him 243, until I showed him a vid of that rifle knocking down a mulie at 373 yards. He offered to trade me on the spot. We were up high, and could see where we were parked, about 3 miles away. Last I saw of him, he had his rifle tied to his giant pack, sweating balls while I cruised on by. Bet this year he has a different rifle/optic.
don't you know turning a turret on a scope is extremely dangerous and RUclips cant be too careful!
Your reviews are so great..that now we need a review on scopes under $2,000.
For where I hunt a 4x is not low enough. Most shots in my area are under 100yd and many are under 100ft. Hunting in the woods is really very different than on grassland or mountains.
You need to include Vortex and Leupold Scopes in this. Thanks!
We know they're good, why would they donate a scope for things they've already tested?
Well vortex's only optic that really lines up here is the Strike Eagle 3-18ffp... Leupold doesn't really have anything. Closest would be vx3hd 4.5-14 sub 1k... technically a non side adjust, non fire dot, and non cds vx5hd 3-15, but both of those are SFP
He literally says why they’re not in here. In addition to Nikon, I might add.
Nikon no makee scopes no mo. I like the older ones.@@taylortisaac
Getting strong Mormon vibes from this guy. Idk why.
I thought Trijicon Accupoint should maybe be in your tests.
Cool to see primary arms in the top, I think when doing the drop test it should be done 3-10 times to have consistency possibly.
In the price range:
Arken EP4L for hunting, EP5 for targets
SH4 is 300 great scope for the price
Arken not really waterproof. Fail.
@@paulmoss7940True,not waterproof if you drop it into your pool.,..... but personally I don't do that much shooting under water. Maybe in the rain,but my rifle has issues when I fill the barrel with water. Therefore I will continue to gladly use my EP5 and shoot sub one half moa groups.
I watched both your Best Scopes under $500, and under $1,000 videos and appreciate you detailed reviews. I was especially interested to see that the Primary Arms 3-18 SLx & 4x16 GLx scopes did well in your test. Have you tested any of Primary Arms scopes with their ACSS Apollo 6.5 Creedmoor bullet drop compensating reticle? As the 6.5 CM is one of the top selling rifle calibers today; I'm sure there are many like me who would like to see you test & compare their 4.5-27x56 GLx & their 6-30x56 PLx rifle scopes with the ACSS Apollo reticle. I would like to see you review how well you think these scopes would work for both hunting & target shooting with the 6.5 CM. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your research and doing the community a service by keeping us informed. My jaw dropped along with that scope drop test! haha. You sir have my respect! (and sub and like)
Absolutely fantastic review! I would love to see the same review, for top tier scopes from the top manufacturers.
Quick question: could you please include the the ARKEN EP5 5-25x56 in the next review. Kind regards and happy shooting
ELP 6-24 30mm Jap glass
Not in same price class 750_1000 range
That's the 500 price review
No Vortex in comparison? Viper PST Gen 2 can be had for under $1000.
Great video. How about a LPVO run off for those of us interested in getting an optic for a semi auto rifle using .223 or 5.56.
No Vortex. 😭
It's ok. I just through my 3-18 Vortex Strike Eagle FFP into my pool attached to a Tikka 6.5 Arctic.
Well... The gun is not waterproof. FYI.
Hello from San Diego.
I my name is Omar I’m from San Diego and I’m new in this, I’ll like to know if you can help me.
I have a Ruger American Gen ll and I take a Leupold vx-3hd and I’m wondering if you can help me and let me know what could be the best bullet for this rifle. I’m looking to hunt dears
Ive Never used the Arken Optics, but, LOVE the PA GLx4 2.5-10x/4-16x. Great turrets and reticle along with glass thats
I can’t believe you didn’t have a Vortex in this price range.
I'm just here to see if anything is superior to the Athlon Ares etr 4.5-30x56 I've been wanting...
The Meopta Optika 6 5-30x56 MRAD would be better for cheaper too ($799.99-$849.99) and it's not made in China.
@@commonsense5709thanks, I'll research that
Do you really care so much to monetize every video that you won’t show pertinent features for fear of being possibly demonetized, that while you’re making money on all the links and goodness knows how many other sponsor deals you have.
I’ve only ever heard of three of these scopes. Are there not better known brands in this price range?
For first focal plane scopes, do you check that the reticle subtensions line up with the calibrated equipment throughout the magnification range?
My cousin was in charge of a sniper unit with a federal agency. A rep from ELCAN stopped in with a demo scope. My cuz looked at it and threw it at the wall!😮😅 The rep freaked out asking why he would treat a 7k scope that way. He replied that if the scope isn't capable of that level of impact, it's worth nothing😂
Should have done the drop test before the tracking test, verifies the internals
Huge bummer about the Veracity PH. I'm stoked to pick one up soon, I don't think I'll have issues with late season snowy hunts but hopefully they figure out the waterproofing issues!
i put a veracity PH on my 7mm PRC and you are going to love just being able to range, dial to that range and then pew ( mines been through a fair amount of downpours and no water issues as of yet)
@@lasthit1890how’s the glass clarity? Burris has a next gen PH with ED glass so you can get last year’s version on sale.
I wouldnt use a hawk on anything but a gas rifle , had problems with them on springers , dont rate hawk scopes
Would be interesting to see turret tests after drop test
I actually did do that, but didn't see any changes so I didn't show it in the review. The drop test didn't seem to affect any of the scopes other than possibly the Riton.
@@backfire thank you for information, despite pool test, still in love with PH, gonna put that on 7PRC rifle, when finally will get one in europe, hopefully from bergara or tikka
Why no leupold or vortex?
I own the Element Titan 5-25x56 FFP and have for about a year now. It's heavy but lighter than the Vortex Razor HD. Comes with a free optional throw lever, parallax down to 15yds, 34mm main tube, reticle illumination with an off setting between brightness adjustments and it tracks PERFECTLY as what was shown in this video.
Glass quality is excellent for the price. I only have 2 minor gripes; turret clicks are a little mushy but do get better with use, and the glass quality isn't good enough to easily see mirage. Aside from that, I would 100% buy this again if I had to make the decision again.
It was initially advertised as an airsoft optic because the owner is an airsoft fan but it is 100% designed for real guns. They actually test their optics on a .50 BMG.
I use the optic for competition long range shooting and it has performed better than I could have hoped. If I ever replace it in the future, it would only be so I can see mirage better; but the glass quality is exceptional and very bright for such a great price.
I absolutely recommend it for anyone wanting to get into long range. They have a hassle-free lifetime warranty as any reputable brand should and it is a VERY feature-rich choice. Highly recommended.
what is "mirage"? Like, what do you mean by that?
@reedehinger2636 mirage is the heat waves coming off the ground that make distant objects blurry. You can read the mirage to see how strong and what direction the wind is blowing
What about the new strike eagle 3-18? Its heavy, but I’d imagine it would be competitive with the options in this video
Im really shocked its all generic manufacturers and online retail companies for the most part. Where is the Vortex, Leupold, Bushnell, or anything else with a someone known brand name behind it besides Burris, Primary Arms, and Riton
Pretty ridiculous that RUclips is that way now. This will definitely start affecting their viewership. Thanks for the informative video anyway.
Thanks for doing these tests for us Jim. Keep up the good work!
why not test the Tract optics... they have proven to be the best scopes for clarity and quality in the price range i have found by far
Burris shocks me. I'd like to see what company says
I'm sure it can happen to any scope. I still really like the Burris. I just probably wouldn't choose it for hunting in Alaska or somewhere that there's a potential of extreme rain or weather.
@@backfireWashington is out lol
Really good video actually.
I’d like to have seen the drop test first. Then the water. Then the tracking…
Wish Meopta Optika6 had been part of this.
I just bought an ARKEN sh4 6-24 on Amazon , new, from ARKEN, for $257!!!
SWFA has been the best for money..you never test them...or did I miss it??????????
You should try to include some of the bigger European scopes as well, I really enjoy Zeiss scopes for example, but also there are other premium brands like Leica or Swarovski are also popular among the higher end scopes, I's love to see a comparison including these which i and many other Europeans know and love.
I've only heard of about 3 of these brands ever in my life. I guess I'm sort of a Leupold person.
Where is the arken scopes? Would have liked to the the epl4 compared to the primary arms as lighter weight hunting option
Excellent video as always Jim, thank you for all your hard work. I am that much wiser after takin in your videos.
Thanks from Canada
Tracking test right out of the box is one thing, and a good test. Testing long term tracking to see if the scope acquires lag would require heavy manipulation of the turrets that these “deer hunting” scopes likely won’t experience. I was hoping to see a TRACT scope, and would like to know who declined being part of the test. I personally am fine with American assembled with Japanese glass and a scope tube machined in China to certain specs. The whole scope made in China not so much.
I’d love to see Tract, Meopta and GPO in the lineup!
Same. I've handled some of those brands in person, and they are very clear. Wish they got more coverage.
also toss in the Athlon Ares G2 BTR 4.5-27, the Crimson Trace Hardline Pro 4-16, Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15, and the Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18. All FFP, all with lifetime warranties.
@@toddmartin3962 the credo hx is sfp
I see that 22 creed hat!! When are we going to see a gun on the channel?????
No Arkens in the running? Pretty surprised by that 🤷♀️
Can you take a look at some high end scopes?
Thank for the review. I am looking to buy a new scope for a semi-precision rifle and I am looking at scopes in all price ranges. This was a great review and I learned a lot.
I'm thinking , what about Vortex ?
Leopold cmon
Id much rather hunt w SFP scope
Sigh...my local refuse-collection truck is smaller, less-clumsy and half the
weight of the ridiculous un-balancing over-made monstrosities they call scopes
nowadays...
Carry on... Next...
Leupold wasn't included?
why no arken
I would have liked to have seen the results of the tracking test after the drop test.
Can we get a similar video with $1000-$1500 range
The main I take away from this test is that the scopes that got a fail were made in China. I buy European whenever possible!
No vortex!?!?
Have you considered doing a review of Arken Optics? I just picked up an EPL4 and would be curious for your opinions/results on this one as well.
I’ll second that I have the ep5 and it’s awesome would like to see a review on there new lighter Weight model for sure
I have a couple Arken scopes and will certainly be reviewing them. I only didn't include them here because they are in a MUCH lower price category and I didn't think that'd be very fair.
I have a couple Arken scopes as well and would be very interested in your feedback.@@backfire
I know this is probably out of your purview BUT. I have a Henry .22 that I shoot either a CB short or a regular short. I'm targeting squirrels in my garden at 7-15 meters more or less. Most of my scopes are for more distance shooting (hunting) but I can't seem to find a decent scope for short distances. I'd appreciate your opinion on this. I really enjoy your videos, especially the one that I saw recently, with your son. Great videos.
RUclips doesn't allow you to tell your pick? I've never heard that. And I can go read more stuff after watching this long video. Bummer on not giving your pick.
I see you picked up an Arken EPL after the pool test at 0:57 but I understand you didn't include them for pricing fairness. Can you say if the Arken survived the water at least?
Great video by the way!
Totally by accident I grabbed that one during that test because it was sitting near the other scopes I was testing. I’m not sure if it went into the pool or not. I didn’t use it in the rest of the test.
@@backfire ah makes sense! Thanks for the reply
I have loved your videos. You helped me pick my wives cva and my new Ruger gen 2. Spearfishing, we got dialed in, but long range shooting, we are still learning. Was wondering what you do with the used scopes when you're done? Some of us newer shooters would not mind a High end scope with a few nicks and scrapes if you sold them when you were done. You know the old saying, Losers cant be choosers 😅. Thanks for all the info and great videos!
No Leupold? No Zeiss? No Vortex? How do you do a sub-$1000 without at least the Leupold and Vortex?
The Element Titan, Riton 7, Blackhound, Hawke, and Vector Continental are grossly overpriced for what they are. The Bushnell Match Pro ED (they elected not to participate with good reason) would probably have failed like the Vector Continental since they're made at the same Chinese factory and share close design. It already failed the drop test on Rokslide.
What’re the odds that last night I asking myself why you haven’t made a video of 1000$ scopes! So badass
What about ARKEN optics? Would be awesome to see how it would compare!
Would love to see the same but for PRS scopes. Great video!
I’ll always pass on china, likely on others and most likely to go for a made in Japan when it comes down to it. My go-to is Leupold and Nightforce, but didn’t make the shootout when you consider features and quality for prices under $1000.
Why are there no Vortex contenders in this contest???
Because Vortex ignored my invitation to participate.
I really like that Jim will do videos where he evaluates guns and accessories. He is real through and for the most part, he tells it like it is. How would we know what to purchase without this type of information. Jim provides a great service for those of us in the hunting community plus it's very entertaining. A great youtube series.
Burris scope 4-20x50mm has two versions of scope. One with headsup display and one without. The one with headsup display is more than $1,200., the one without is $700 +. I got the wrong one (the cheaper one) without knowing the differences.
Wow .....now this is a "scope test" 😮😮😮
You all get so tweaked on the FFP, but for long range, you are typically using top magnification and that's what the reticles have typically been set up for when you buy a SFP scope. I literally use only two settings. All the way down for close in shots and all the way out for further shots. If you do that, you don't need the FFP. THe other nice thing is that the reticle doesn't shrink down to the itty bitty size that many of the FFP's do. For old eyes and deer hunting at least in most places, you don't need FFP or the added expense.
Very true
I actually would almost never use max magnification when shooting long range. If you zoom in too much when shooting long range, the recoil shakes you off the target and you can't spot your impact. Top competitors in many long range disciplines are usually shooting around 12x.
Very much disagree, shot my antelope this year at 400 yards on 8x with an FFP optic (Kahles K312i so 3x - 12x mag range), wind holds were needed and the field of view from a lower mag kept me on target. A well designed hunting FFP reticle (of which there are frankly not that many currently in market, but marketing features people don't need sells scopes) will be usable across the magnification range.
I would agree if the SFP scope reticle was setup to be accurate at max magnification. Typically they are setup for some mag level below max so when you go full mag you don't have accurate holdover or windage marks, or ranging marks.
@@BooDamnHoo I'm not familiar with an SFP scope where the subtensions aren't set up for max magnification only. Not that I'm a scope expert, but all SFP scopes I've looked at, reticles were designed around max magnification.
Hey there, recently discovered your channel earlier this year and have really enjoyed your videos. I have a question on scopes, I have 2 rifles: a Browning A-bolt 270 and a Bergara B14 HMR 300 win mag and have a Vortex Diamondback Tact 6-24x50 on the 270. Now my question is, would I be better to buy a different scope for my 300, or put the vortex on my 300 and get a different scope for the 270?
The drop test needs to be done on a rifle and zero and tracking verified after the drop. This is the #1 reason for scope failure in the field and very few pass a test like this, yet imo, it's the most important feature of a scope. Glass quality is meaningless if it can't hold zero on the rifle. Rings play a major roll here to.
Thanks for your hard work and videos!!!
Why wasn't the Arken Ep5 included in the test?
It’s in a much less expensive price category so I didn’t think it’d be a fair comparison.
No Leupold, Zeiss or Vortex? This is the first backfire video I’ve been disappointed in.
Honestly I would have never even considered paying a thousand dollars for any of these scope, I knew none of them were worth that. For $899.00 throughput tye holiday specials you can get a Leupold 5HD 3-15X44, 30MM with side parallax adjustment that completely obliterates all of these scopes by a mile in function, quality and glass.....
In my opinion there are lot of “3rd party” scopes around these days. Why aren’t the big 5 brands not even included. Vortex and NF etc.
There are too many random Chinese brands out there now who know one has ever heard of. Why would anyone take a chance and buy something from a company without a proven track record?
does NF even have sub 1000 scopes???
The question for me - did they not want to participate or did they not want to send free scopes?
Vortex and Leupold were contacted and they never even responded. I don't think Nightforce makes a scope that fits this category.
Personally,, I like the primary arms optics, even the 3 hundy range works well, for me
Ok late to the party.
How about "older models" Today.
Example Vortex viper PST gen 1.
Of course Arken would refuse to send you another scope to test. Not after you dunked their first one and it failed the water test LOL!!!
Hey I was hoping you could help with a scope recommendation? I’ve read a lot of your comments and think you could help me out. If so I would greatly appreciate it!
@@joshuatriggs2941 I just got a pair of Arken EP5's 5-25x56 and EPL4's 4-16x44 and was very impressed especially with the EP5's. I'd rate them better than the Element Titan and Nexus and Vortex Strike Eagle and about the same clarity as my Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2s and Midas Tacs but with night and day huge much wider FOV. In fact they seem much better quality than most of my $1000 and under scopes. They're very close in comparison to my Athlon Cronus BTR UHD and Tract Toric ELR believe it or not. I really like the really huge wide angle FOV too the EP5 has.
I don't really care if Arken isn't known to be waterproof because they have a lifetime warranty and even send you a prepaid return shipping label if you need to use their warranty just like how Vortex does.
It appears as though the newest EP5's have clear image quality even at 25x maximum magnification while the older ones were only clear up until around 20x magnification based on the ones I looked through 2 years ago and last year which I thought kind of sucked. I'm extremely pleased with the 2 EP5's I just purchased late November 2023 before their prices went up. I don't see myself buying any more Athlons after this. I really like the very noticeably huge eyebox the EP5 has. My other scopes look more like tunnel vision by comparison. Would I buy more EP5's YES even after their recent $50 price hike. I honestly think it's the best $450 anyone can and will ever spend on a good quality scope with a lifetime warranty. I wouldn't consider the EP5 budget or entry level scope either. It's pretty darn close to my Tract Toric ELR and Athlon Cronus BTR UHD that cost more than triple to 4x the price and I especially like and prefer the huge eyebox and field of view a lot better in the EP5. The only scope I like better than the EP5 is the Vortex Razor Gen 3 6-36x56.
Their EPL4 4-16x44 is almost as clear as the EP5 not quite though and I'd recommend it if you need a light weight scope. I'd say it's better than the Athlon Argos, Vortex Diamondback Tactical, Venom, Strike Eagle, Element Helix and Titan, all Ritons, Blackhounds, Bushnells, pretty much most scopes that cost up to around $800.
I can't comment on the 6-24x50 EPL4 yet because I'm still waiting for them to arrive. The older ones had very bad chromatic aberration at around 18x according to the last ones I checked out earlier this year but hopefully their newest ones have better glass like the EP5.
I highly doubt you will find any better quality scope for the money than the EP5 and EPL4 4-16x44. I seriously think they can genuinely compete with scopes that cost at least double to triple their prices.
I would like to hear more about the Burris. But after seeing the water test and not passing I’m not sure now. Burris has no problem with warranty, I know they will replace it.
On your website for < $1,000, you recommend the Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14×40. Why not the 50? I'm about to get one of these two because of their light weight.
Can you tell us what collimator you are using?Maybe I missed another video where you discuss this? I have seen a similar device used by NightForce. I do a lot of scope work, sighting, calibrating, making dope charts, etc for people. This would be a very handy tool for me.
I’m getting tired of the dumb stuff RUclips is doing, it’s time for RUclips 2.0.