Cheap vs Expensive Rifle Scopes
What makes one scope more expensive than the other? Is it worth spending $3,000 on a high-end rifle optic? Or should you save up that money for a nice holiday and go for a cheap scope $200 optic that is just good enough-at least for now?
Some shooters you meet will counsel you to adopt a “buy once, cry once” approach, meaning you shut your eyes and splash on an expensive scope once and for all.
For others, the argument is: why splash so much on an expensive scope when you can get a cheaper option that does a decent job?
Well, in this blog, we are adding a third question: wouldn't it be great if you could get some of those advanced features in a scope that does not require you to break the bank? “Cheaper” doesn't mean “considerably worse,” does it?
Why Do Some Rifle Optics Cost a Fortune?
The differences between a cheap and an expensive scope are quite evident when you examine certain physical components. By just picking them up, you can often tell some remarkable differences like the following:
- the differences in glass quality
- materials and durability
- The quality of the turrets and adjustments
Even the overall look and feel of the optic’s features is usually sufficient to give you some clue as to how good the scope is.
Where the True Value Lies
Examining these physical features and components is insightful, but the real difference between a cheap and an expensive scope becomes truly apparent once you use them.
It is the ease and efficiency of the shooting experience that leads shooters to appreciate top-quality scopes and to splash the cash.
So, how do these features elevate the shooting experience?
1. Glass and Optical Quality
Expensive scopes use high-end glass like ED or HD glass. The advantage of high-end glass (like German Schott ED) glass is that:
- High-end glass makes for brighter images through the scope: clarity is superior, and better brightness and contrast allow you to have a clearer picture of the target.
- High-end glass comes with multi-coated lenses, which improve light transmission, giving the scope a bit of a boost in low-light conditions.
- With most high-end optics, you get wider eye relief and a forgiving eye box. It is easier for you to find a shooting position that is both comfortable and safe for your eyes.
Cheap vs Expensive Scopes: Glass and Optical Quality
| Expensive Scope | Cheap Scope |
| Brighter images with sufficient contrast and no chromatic aberration | Images are often inferior, with blurriness, distortion, and chromatic aberration |
| Multi-coated lenses with superior light transmission | Light transmission is usually poorer, especially in low-light conditions |
| Sufficient field of view and a wide eye relief | Smaller eyer relief and a narrower field of view |
Takeaway
So, high-end glass provides better-quality images, even in low light. Clearer images mean you can see the target better, and therefore, you can be more accurate.
Cheap vs Expensive Scopes: Durability and Build Quality
Expensive rifle scopes are made of aircraft-grade aluminum or magnesium; cheaper scopes are made of cheaper aluminum or plastic.
Superior materials like aircraft-grade aluminum and magnesium make a scope more rugged and durable for shooting in different conditions, while the cheaper magnesium makes for scopes that are less resistant to shock and recoil.
Here is how expensive scopes differ from cheap scopes in terms of materials and durability
| Expensive Scopes | Cheap Scopes |
| Can withstand recoil from powerful calibers | Less resistant to shock and recoil |
| Maintain zero with ease, often with a zero-stop function | Prone to losing zero |
| Fully sealed, nitrogen or argon purged for weather resistance | Not fully waterproof, fog-proof, or shockproof. Can fail in harsh weather |
Takeaway
A high-quality optic is made of solid materials that are durable and weather-resistant. So, going out, you don't have to worry about water getting into your optic or constantly loosing zero.
3. Reticle Tracking and Accuracy
Reticle tracking measures how precisely the adjustments (ie, windage and elevation) match the intended changes. In other words, reticle tracking is how well the reticle moves in response to changes you make on the adjustment turrets.
- When a reticle tracks properly, you can make more precise and concise adjustments and attain a higher level of accuracy when you adjust the scope.
- Expensive scopes feature high-quality turret systems with adjustments that are precise and repeatable.
- A cheap scope, on the other hand, may have inconsistent reticle tracking, meaning your adjustments don’t match the intended changes in a precise manner.
Cheap vs Expensive Scopes: Retile Tracking
| Expensive Scopes | Cheap Scopes |
| Turret tracking is precise and repeatable | Turret tracking might be inconsistent |
| Offer BDC, MOA, or MRAD reticles | You get simple duplex crosshairs, often without holdovers or BDC |
| Locking turrets are available to prevent accidental adjustments | Click adjustments are sometimes spongy or inaccurate. Dialing could be frustrating |
Takeaway
With a high-end optic, the reticle is designed with features to assist you lock in your target quickly. With a low-end optic, you might have to spend more time adjusting, which means it's harder to be accurate (and infernally frustrating) when you are out there.
4. Magnification and Field of View
One of the main differences between a cheap and an expensive scope is whether it is able to deliver on the magnification range advertised without otherwise compromising on quality.
A cheap scope might advertise high magnification, but at maximum magnification, the images tend to grow bleary, and the field of view grows impossibly narrow.
Most expensive scopes are able to not only deliver a wide range of magnification but also offer crisp images at all magnification levels.
Expensive Scopes vs Cheap Scopes: Magnification
| Expensive Scopes | Cheap Scopes |
| Crisp images at all levels of magnification | Images are sometimes blurry at maximum power |
| Wider field of view | Field of view can be narrow |
| More forgiving eye relief and eye box | Eye box is typically tight, and heave positioning is limited |
Takeaway
If you need clear, distortion-free magnification, a high-quality scope is what you need.
Affordable Scopes: A Third Option
It turns out you don’t have to go for a $3,000 scope. It is not an either-or scenario. In between cheap optics of doubtful quality and extravagantly expensive optics, there are affordable rifle optics that will give you good value for your money.
When you get your optic from an affordable brand, you get some of the advanced features of the most expensive scopes at a price that does not break the bank.
Gunnr-An Affordable Brand
Gunnr LPVO scopes hit the ground running last year, and the brand has not received glowing reviews from reviewers and experts alike.
Our brand is focused on providing quality for money. This is a claim that many brands make, but check out the advanced features you get with a Gunnr Odin LPVO:
Gunnr’s ODIN optics offer the ideal magnification range for CQB and all the features and specifications to enable you to be efficient in every possible magnification range within the capabilities of an LPVO, which makes them perfectly versatile for all uses.
- You get true 1x magnification with an illuminated reticle.
- The lenses are made of German Schott ED glass, which gives clear image quality, even in low light, with no chromatic aberration.
- The exterior of each optic is made of 7075 aluminum alloy, which is durable and can withstand harsh hunting conditions.
- They are all tested to withstand 1,000 impacts at 1,000G and 2,000 live-fire rounds.
- They are also waterproof and fogproof. They are built to withstand temperatures from -59°F to 149°F and have an IP67 waterproofing rating.
- They come with cantilever mounts, directly compatible with the Picatinny rails. You can use them with no additional adapters.
More from Gunnr
Check out how other important tips on protecting your LPVO. If you own an AR-15, learn why the Gogunnr optic pairs perfectly with your AR-15.