odd idea for my rifle scopes

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mdd

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When I was younger money was a lot harder to come by. I still work a full time job with a very modest salary that pays my bills. However, I also have two businesses I've started on the side. (No I'm not selling amway garbage out of my car) I started one five years ago and I am seeing some success with it. I just started another one a couple months ago and am already about six months out on work. It won't turn a true profit for a few years but its gaining steam quickly.
Getting to the point, I have some nice rifles but at the time I bought them in years past it was a hurdle just to pay for the rifle. A nice scope was out of the question. I've often said I wish I had back all the money I spent on cheap scopes to put towards one or two good ones. I often find myself not shooting a rifle because I don't like the scope it wears. So I was thinking today why not dump all the ones I don't like in order to recoup as much as I can. Then put that money towards the new vx-iii leupold I want? Seems reasonable enough to me although it will leave several without glass until I can slowly replace them all.
What do you guys think? Good idea or foolishness?
 
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hoghunting

New member
If they were cheap scopes when you bought them years ago, you probably won't get more than $10 - $20 a piece for them now.
 
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madcratebuilder

New member
Been in the same boat, years ago with alimony, child support, there was very little left for toys. Later as I replaced the economy scopes I had, I listed them for sale and very few sold. I ended up just giving them away, listed them on a local forum as free and was glad to help out someone in a situation I had been in, no money. Ended up meeting some nice guys that I still shoot with.
 
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CTS

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Have you ever looked into the Nikon scopes? I have a few of them and would pick them over a Leupold any day. I know of several gun dealers and a few friends who say the same thing. Leupold's quality has declined in the last 10 years and Nikon has gone the other way. Better light transmission and better overall quality at about half the price.
 
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kd7sgm

New member
I do not think your idea is odd. If you are able to sell them or like madcrate said find someone in need and replace them with better quality is a good idea.
 
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Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
Are any of your rifles mostly "safe queens" and rarely shot? You might sell one or more of those.

However, if the el cheapo scopes are not bouncing off zero and have been at all reliable, I wouldn't do a bunch of worrying.

Lots of good used scopes out there. I'm as happy now with a used Leupold Vari-X II as any of the newer models. Sub-MOA is sub-MOA, and Bambi keeps going flop.
 
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L_Killkenny

New member
I sold off a bunch of take-off scopes, hunting stuff and fishing stuff on Ebay 7 or 8 years ago and got good money for em. Not new price but well above 50%, some as much as 80-90%.

As for should you or not is up to you. I know I've done the same thing you are talking about but with guns instead of scopes. Sold off a bunch of good yet lower end guns this last year to buy new, nicer ones or parts to upgrade/customize the ones I kept. No I don't have or want a bunch of guns but I really really like the ones I have.

LK
 
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Jags93

New member
slappy said:
Have you ever looked into the Nikon scopes? I have a few of them and would pick them over a Leupold any day. I know of several gun dealers and a few friends who say the same thing. Leupold's quality has declined in the last 10 years and Nikon has gone the other way. Better light transmission and better overall quality at about half the price.
Click to expand...

What aspect of Leupold build quality has gone south? I am about to buy my first one.
 
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frank_1947

New member
great idea use a picatinny mount on your rifles or weaver and you can use one scope for many rifles weaver base $7 2 piece rail type
 
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CTS

New member
I am just going on second hand info I guess but, I have had several dealers say that they have had to send more Leupold scopes back for repairs than they ever have in past years, and that they have never had a problem with a Nikon. From personal experience, I can't tell much difference other than a few hundred dollars in price. I was mainly saying to the OP, try a Nikon out before spending well over twice the money on a Leupold. I have both a Nikon Monarch and a Nikon ProStaff and love them both.
 
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Lloyd Smale

Moderator
i did the same thing about 10 years ago. I told myself no new guns untill each and everyone of them had a decent scope. Got rid of all my junk and the cheapest scope i have right now is a fullfield burris. Most have vx2 and vx3 leupolds and nikon monarchs. Anymore the cheapest scope ill buy is a vx2. if i buy a new rifle and cant afford a good scope for it it sits till i can. Many times i will even buy a good scope first then find a rifle to put it on.
 
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mdd

New member
Slappy, I am pleased with my leupolds & have had zero issue with them. I know they are pricey but their service is top notch & here in the USA. I agree nikon makes very nice scopes & I have looked into (& through) them. Don't let your dealer fill you too full of sunshine about nikon though. You can see the volume of problems they have by looking through the natchez magazine. Nikon refurbs & sells their problem scopes w/ a 90 day warranty iirc. Leupolds have a lifetime warranty regardless. Don't get me wrong because I'm not dogging nikon. It's like coke & pepsi...if I get to choose, i'll take the coke. Or in this case, the leupold.
 
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Old Grump

Member in memoriam
I have a fairly large cardboard box full of cheap scopes for the same reason and 3 scopes I can really call quality scopes. I think you have the right idea, save and get what you want, not what you can get cheap because it was cheap.
 
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hounddawg

New member
I guess it is up to you really. I am a fan of cheap scopes for target shooting myself. If I were worried about my scope screwing up when I had that trophy big horn or cape buffalo in sight I would not hesitate to drop 2K or 3 K on my rifles glass. But since all I have been doing the past few years is punch holes in paper seems to me cheaper scopes do the job just fine. Most I have spent on a scope is 400 and have a couple that I paid less than 100 for. I take the extra money and spend it on good hand loading bullets and equipment.
 
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mdd

New member
Hounddawg, I should have clarified a bit. A $500 scope is pretty nice in my world. I can't afford anything in your "nice scope" range :)

Slappy I'm sorry but you are mistaken. If my leupold breaks I send it in, they fix it, and return it to me with warranty still fully in tact. If your nikon fails you send it in, they send you a new one, fix your original one, then sell your original scope as a refurbished item with a 90 day warranty only on the optics. There is no warranty on the tube or anything other than the optics.
That info is straight from the natchez sales rep with whom I just spoke.
Btw, coke is better with whiskey.
 
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hounddawg

New member
same here MDD, I get a kick out of of shooting tight groups with guns and scopes that cost less than what some of the shooters I know spent on their spotting scope. My LR gun is a Savage with a 350 dollar scope, for dialing in loads for my AR I have a $125 Weaver, and on my rimfires I use sub 100 dollar Centerpoints. Now I don't mind paying top dollar for loading dies and top of the line bullets and cases because in my mind the ammo, the barrel, and the person pulling the trigger is what makes for accuracy. I take what I save on scopes and buy Kreiger barrels and Berger bullets.
 
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CTS

New member
Have it your way MDD. To me, a full lifetime warranty is a full lifetime warranty. I go by what the manufacturer says and not a sales rep for a retailer. If my scope breaks they either fix it or send me a new one at their discretion. If they send me a new one, what do I care what they do with the old one? Besides, it's a moot point since Nikons don't break.:)

http://www.nikonhunting.com/uploads/warranties/LifetimeWarrantyCertificate.pdf

Besides, all Leupolds optics are made by Nikkor, a division of Nikon.

As far as whiskey being better with coke, I quess it depends on whether you like some syrupy sweet stuff (coke)ruining your whiskey or not.
 
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mdd

New member
If the whiskey is good enough to worry about ruining it with a pop, then I would be sipping it slow & straight. My point on the scopes is that every leupold has a lifetime warranty regardless of whether its been in for repair before. There are fifty different nikons on that page for sale that are no longer covered for life. Since the issue was pressed, I called nikon technical support regarding the warranty & the nikon tech confirmed what the natchez rep told me. 90 days.
Besides, this conversation isn't about leupold vs nikon. I respect your appreciation of nikon scopes. I hope you can respect my desire to stick with what has served me well in the past.
 
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