BSA Scopes ~ How are they?

[PATH]

Most comments I have heard are decidedly negative. Are they even close in quality to Tasco and Bushnell. If they are as bad as people say then how do they stay in business. Are there any good BSA scopes?

[2002gti]

i have a platinum 8-32x50 mounted on my ar. the first time i shot it i didnt have the screws tight enough on the mounts and it shifted. i could not bring it into focus. dont know if it was from the shifting of the scope on recoil or not. i sent it back for warrantee. havnt shot it since........

[444]

"If they are as bad as people say then how do they stay in business."

Because people still believe there is a free lunch.

[Corolla]

There terrible i bought my son an air rifle that came with a bsa scope couldn't even zero the rifle had to purchase another scope now its fine. With the bsa the pellets were all over the target looked like hip shooting new scope for it right through the same hole (or close too). From what i understand the inside always come loose on them.

[V-fib]

I have both a BSA 30mm red dot scope on my S&W 422 pistol and a BSA Spotting Scope with a 20 to 60 Zoom. Both were reasonably priced and have performed very well for the job they were designed to do.

[PATH]

Well I guess I'm gonna have to take the darn things out to the range and pray they work. Will start saving for either a Leupold or Nikon scope for my rifles.

[clown714]

one word

JUNK!

bought a gamo air rifle that came w\bsa 4x32

wouldn't hold zero for crap.

my only experience.

clown

[Spyderman]

I've got one of their 8-32x50 "contender series" target scopes. Bought it for about $89 from Sportsmans Guide a few years back (maybe '99?), and it's done outstanding for the money. The optics aren't as clear as a leupold or burris (duh?!), but they work fine and have a fair range of focus adjustment available. I wouldn't put it on a high dolar and/or high power rifle, but for casual shooting, it's perfect. Plus, it came with rings (cheapies, but certainly functional in this application) and a lifetime warranty.
-SpyderMan

[Tamara]

I think their red dots are a plinker's delight. You could bust an awful lot of 30mm BSA's on your .22 plinker before you paid for one Aimpoint.

[45R]

I purchased one of those little 30 dollar BSA red-dots from Wal-Mart. Its the best cheap investment I've made for a plunker!

[444]

A little story about a BSA red dot.
Some place was advertising these for something like $20.
One of my best friends believes in the free lunch. He calls me up and asks me what I think about it. I ask him what he is going to put it on. He says a S&W revolver in .41 Mag. I tell him not to waste his money, it won't hold up. He argues.
Several weeks later I am shooting at the local gun club. Up drives my buddy Roy. I had never seen him there before or since so maybe it was some kind of divine event. Roy breaks out his Smith and shows it to me. I tell him it looks great and am on my best behavior since his wife and son are with him. He proceeds to zero his blaster. On shot #4 the optic self destructs. It literally comes apart and pieces drop to the ground. I bite my tongue until my eyes water since I don't want to embarass him in front of him family. Roy goes crazy. He is running around, cussing up a storm, making threats to the company............................ Finally I couldn't take it any longer and laughed until I though I was going to wet my pants.
Roys reaction to this experience ?
He bought another BSA scope and put it on a .300 Win Mag.
I never heard how that turned out.


I once had a Ruger 10/22 built. Barrel blank turned down, match chambered, barrel threaded into the action, trigger job, jeweled bolt, I finished a laminated thumbhole stock....................... all the bells and whistles I knew about. I topped it off with a brand spanking new BSA 6-24X scope. Took it out to the range. Before I finished the first magazine I realized that no matter how much I turned the adjustment turrets, nothing was happening. So, I utilized the waranty and sent it back. BSA sent me another brand spanking new scope. Went out to zero it. Before the first shot was fired, I realized that I couldn't turn the power zoom ring. Finally, using all the strength I could muster I got it to move one or two magnification settings. So, I returned home and utilized the warranty and sent it back. As promised, BSA sent me another brand spanking new scope. At this point I remembered the old adage: Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I never opened the new scope.
Maybe a year later someone made a post on TheFiringLine asking advice about cheap scopes. I (along with several others) advised him not to waste his money or time on a cheap scope. He said, there was absolutely no way he could afford anything more than something like $50. I sent him a PM and asked him if he honestly couldn't afford a good scope. He said yes. So, I sent him my third brand spanking new BSA. He never got back to me how it worked out for him.
Oh, and the 10/22 ?
After spending months trying to get the scope to work, I lost interest in it and have never to this day fired it again. I found a smoking deal somewhere along the line on Weaver T36 scopes and bought two. I mounted one on the 10/22 although it has been sitting there for two or three years since then waiting to see if IT works or maybe the rifle is cursed.

[The Plainsman]

and it refused to focus right out of the box. I fiddled and fooled around with it for a while, but to no avail. I put it back in the box, put it on the shelf with every intention of sending it in on warranty, but forgot about it.

Three (or four or five) years later, I dug it out and muttered to myself about wasting my money. Soon thereafter, a worthy twelve-year old expressed a passing interest in a telescope. I promptly gave her the BSA spotting scope (20-60x). She says it works fine and she's happy as a clam, so I guess all's well that end's well.

Personally, I wouldn't buy another BSA if it was the only scope around. :barf:

[johnbt]

I was in a gun shop last week way up in the country. There was a nice old boy in there buying himself a high-end Blaser in .300 WS-something-or-other. Fine looking rifle. A bit later I heard him telling the sales guy and another customer that the BSA Sweet 17 is all he ever uses anymore on all of his rifles.

I don't know what this proves, but I thought I'd share the experience.

I do have a buddy with 2 of the early BSA 6x-24 scopes that are still functioning.

I don't know what this proves either.

John

[hksigwalther]

I have an 8-32X BSA. It had not failed in the short time I've used it (before taking it off andshelving it). What the main problem I had with the BSA is its optical quality. IMO, it is poor. Turret adjustments havea little more play between clicks bit not too big of an issue.

If they are as bad as people say then how do they stay in business.

I think for some folks, optical quality is not as critical in their criteria in choosing optics. Price being a bigger factor. If it magnifies and has a crosshair that's able to be zeroed, it's OK. How long it holds that zero probably doesn't enter their mind before purchase.

If you have the opportunity to do so, try to look through a BSA alongside another scope of higher quality. Note the color of the image and the distortion when you move your head/eye around a little bit. The BEC abd BSA I have are pretty bad in distortions and are slightly tinted yellow. Parallex shouldn't be too big of an issue as the AO (if it has one) can dial it out.

[1 shot, 1 hit]

Hi, i'v read the above coments abaut bsa scopes and cirtainly wont buy one.
but my problem is that; i'v just baught myselve a RWS model 54. Although its onely a air rifle, its one of the best and very accurate because of it's anti-recoil system allawing the pellet to exit the barrel before it's travell can be affected by any vibration. To make it short, its one of the best air rifles there is and ofcause, i also want a very good scope on it. At the moment i'v got a gamo 3-9*40 scope on it but i think thats rubbish (it always mooves even with scope-stop and i just cant shoot accurately with it even at a distance of abaut 20m). Actualy, i just wanted to ask a few questions to help me decide on which scope to buy:

-which is the best materian for mounts or scopes e.g: steel, aluminium...etc?
-which brand (make) is best (highest quality)?
-dos zoom effect the accuracy?
-which are the best scope mounts?
-how do i prevent my scope from mooving araund (is locktite a good idea)?

i'd be happy if anyone could give me some advices and tips on that
Thanks

[FirstFreedom]

I'd put the Cat's Eye line on a cheapie .22lr or PCP airgun - that's their "elite" line, I believe. That's it. Don't put any on a spring piston air gun or a centerfire gun, and don't buy any below cat's eye - junk.

Bushnells are fine scopes for the most part (well, you get about what you'd expect from whichever of the 5 different Bushnell lines you buy from). So don't even be lumping them in with BSA. Elite 3200s and 4200s are very good scopes, and the only scopes to my knowledge with "rain guard" coating, which can be invaluable when hunting in rain or with high humidity.

1 shot, 1 hit: I've done extensive research as to which scopes are strong enough for spring piston airguns like your RWS 54, which are VERY hard on scopes - more so than powerful centerfires even, with the 2-way recoil. I have a database of which scopes are suitable, based on their warranties and whether they exclude spring piston airguns, as well as info gleaned from the internet. In a nutshell, Bushnell is the answer. They go specifically out on a limb and say that all their scopes stand up to airgun recoil (supposedly). Get ANY Bushnell Trophy, or Bushnell Legend, or Bushnell Elite 3200, or Bushnell Elite 4200 that has AO (for focusing down to 10-15 yards). Or, for other brands that are supposed to stand up to spring piston recoil, get a Weaver V16 or Weaver Grand Slam, or a Swift Premier, or if you're loaded, get a Leupold VX3, 6.5-20x40mm with AO (this is probably the ultimate airgun scope, but very expensive). Or, for small (compact) scope choices, get a Leupold "VX" (which I *think* is equivalent to a VX1), 3-9x33mm AO, or a Burris 3-9x32 AO, or Burris 6x32 AO, or Burris 4-12x32 AO.

Don't waste your time with BSA (I even tried the BSA model that is specifically for airguns - the 2-7x32 or thereabouts, and the adjustment knob broke). You need a scope with a good warranty like Bushnell or Leupold or Burris so they will fix it if your airgun breaks it. Nikon's warranty does NOT exclude airguns, but it seems that nothing I've read on the net can independently verify that Nikons are good for airguns, whether Monarchs or Buckmaster or whathaveyou. Plus, Nikons don't have the close range AO that you'll want. I wouldn't mess with RWS or Beeman scopes either - they seem to be of very marginal quality. I also wouldn't mess with the Sportsman or Banner lines of Bushnell. The Banner is supposed to work for spring pistons, (and may in fact since your 54 has the recoil reduction system), but I wouldn't try it. That rifle deserves a Trophy line or better. On a gun that nice, I would put a Bushnell Elite 4200, 4-16x40mm AO, or Bushnell Elite 3200, 4-12x40mm AO, or Bushnell Legend 5-15x40mm AO, or Bushnell Trophy 6-18x40mm AO, or Weaver Grand Slam 6-20x4mm0 AO, or a Weaver V16, 4-16x42mm AO, or Leupold vx, 3-9x33mm AO, or on a budget, a Swift Premier Airgun 6.5-20x44mm AO ($159 here http://www.eabco.com/swiftmildot.htm ). This Swift may actually be your best value here. I also wouldn't mess with the Simmons that are supposedly specifically for airguns - meh. One possible reason you can't hit anything with your rifle is that the scope is moving around (as you say). It may also be the case that the the scope has been broken by the recoil and you just can't tell by looking at it - you only know because the point of impact doesn't stay constant. But, OTOH, since it's a GAMO, maybe it *will* stand up to the recoil once it is tightened down with good rings. :dunno: On a reeeeeeally tight budget, I might even try the RWS model 300, 4x32 AO - about $105 (this is NOT the model 350, which is NOT strong enough for heavy recoil). But you probably wouldn't own a model 54 if you were on that tight of a budget.

I'd use steel rings. That RWS has an 11mm rail I think, which is kinda weird/proprietary, but it's not much bigger than a rimfire rail, so rimfire rings WILL work with it (thankfully). Spring piston airguns also need a "scope rail stop", as I understand it, which is placed on the rail behind one of the rings, to keep the whole ring/scope unit from slowly creeping down the scope rail, which they have a tendency to do, due to weird recoil. However, I have not been able to find for sale a scope rail stop (I need one too). So let me know if you find one for sale. The only ones I've seen are integral to an add-on rail for drilled/tapped guns without integral rails, which I don't need. (Actually, the RWS rail is not integral, it's removable if you want to). To remedy the problem without a scope rail stop, it would be wise (if possible) to simply place the rear ring snug up against (in front of) the "stop" that is already on the rear of RWS rails - but this may not work, however, depending on the scope length, tube/bell configuration, and your proper eye relief.

Yes, use blue loctite on all screws associated with scope mounting.

Good rings? Hmm, there are many - any good name brand that are made of steel - Redfield, Leupold, Burris, Weaver, etc. For the funky recoil of the spring piston guns, if I could afford it, I'd get the Burris signature rimfire rings. The ONLY reason I didn't go with these rings on mine is because I could not find them for sale for low or medium height - the only ones for sale are HIGH in Burris Signature rimfire, 1" rings. But, if you get a 44mm or 50mm scope, you'll want high rings anyway. Probably even for a 42mm scope, like the Weaver V16 4-16x42 AO. Go to www.brownells.com or www.midwayusa.com or www.natchezss.com for rings.

You definitely want an AO feature (adjustable objective) on an airgun scope, so that when shooting things at close range (under 25 yards), you can eliminate parallax, which throws off your point of impact if your eye is not perfectly centered in the scope bell.

P.S. Leupold calls their scopes that have an AO which can focus down to 10 yards "EFR"s, instead of just "A/O". This stands for extended focal range.

P.P.S. Bushnell says that their Elite 3200 and Elite 4200 scopes have been tested to 10,000 rounds of .375 H&H Mag, for whatever that is worth. That's one-way recoil, but still, if true, that's a lot of violent shaking around. So it would be hard to go wrong choosing one of these that has an AO on it.

1shot, 1hit, also, welcome. And that's a fine airgun you've got there. I'm envious. It deserves good glass!

[1 shot, 1 hit]

thanks a lot to "FirstFreedom" youv realy helped me aut there and gave me many useful tips (and thanks for your wellcoming aswell) however, iv gut two more questions;
-is a 1 pice mount better than a 2 pice one?

you might find the idea a bit weard or even totaly stupid but it just came into my mind ;
-how abaut if i fix a second scope rail to my airgun that is not attached to any mooving part but to the stock of the gun the mount will then lead up and the scope will be positioned exactly were it was before just a few cm higher as my gun has the anti-recoil system, the scope will feal no recoil at all that way
what do you thint of that ?
and wat exactly do you think abaut the V16 4-16*42 you'v told me abaut?

[FirstFreedom]

Well, I'd say no, you don't want to have a scope rail attached to the stock, because the stock can move around too much and throw off your point off impact, base on how you're holding the rifle, or how you tighten the screws on the stock, that screws the stock into the action. Especially since these come loose all the time on spring piston airguns. So that's no good. Whatever mounting system you use, however creative it may be, must ultimately be attached to the receiver/action. I would just get a quality rimfire ring of any good brand, or if you want the best, get a Burris "Signature" line ring - the plastic insert helps hold the scope tighter (supposedly) than just steel on aluminum. This results in less movement over time. You could however, of course, get really fancy and remove that rail, and have a gunsmith drill and tap holes in addition to the ones there for mounting the rail, and then go with a standard turn-in ring system. That would be the ultimate in solidness, and you wouldn't have to worry about a "scope rail stop".

Another good place to order scopes is www.riflescopes.com (SWFA). Good service with them.

Here is the Weaver V16 4-16x42mm AO you asked about:

http://www.riflescopes.com/departmen...c_v-series.htm

It's number 849408. It's $290. Scroll down a bit to see it.

Again, that Swift might be hard to beat for the price as well, that I gave you in that link above.

Here's the Grand Slam, 6-20x40. It's $335:

http://www.riflescopes.com/departmen...grand_slam.htm

Here are the Bushnell models being marketed as for airguns:

http://www.riflescopes.com/departmen...ell_airgun.htm

Again, though, I wouldn't risk a Banner or Sportsman line scope on a full power spring piston gun.

Here are the Burris signature rings. You'd want the high for a 42 or 44mm objective scope, and either high or extra high for a 50mm obj scope:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...IGNATURE+RINGS

Actually, no, none of those are rimfire...hmmm.perhaps burris quit making the signature line for rimfire. Well, there are these similar rings:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...+TIP-OFF+RINGS

Actually, see those "Pos-Align" burris rimfires at the bottom of that link? Those are the exact same thing as the signature, seems to me.

Hope that helps. PM me or post here again if you have any other questions. BTW, out of curiosity, are you in Great Britain?

[1 shot, 1 hit]

No i'm not in britain i'm on Mallorca in case you dont know; thats one of the balearic islands belonging to spain (in the mediteranian)
as you call yourselve Firstfreedom i suppose, your american
from all the usefull info you gave me, i gather that a good chice for my beauty is e.g: a bushnell Elite 4200 4-16x40 rain guard scope, mount it with the burris signature rings (or the simmilar ones) put a scope stop behind it just in case and then secure it all with the blue loktite. :
I just wanted to say thanks again for all you help, info and friendlynes !
if i'v got any more questions i'll ask you

[1 shot, 1 hit]

i alredy told you before, that i have a gamo scope and im not very hapy with it. i wanted to know, wether it maybe is because of the mount something that i cant schoot accurately with that scope. so i wanted to sak you wat you think of gamo scopes or even gamo in general. Is it normaly a good brand, is it OK or is it mainly rubbish?

[FirstFreedom]

No problemo. Yes, I'm in USA. No, I don't know anything about Gamo scopes good or bad - they could be OK. Your problem may just be poor quality rings, or possibly the scope is broke (won't hold a zero). The Gamo air rifles seem to be a decent quality for the price, but dunno who makes their optics, or how they are. I'd suspect not-so-good. BTW, I have currently the model 350 RWS, and it's wearing the Burris compact 3-9x32. It's not a bad scope for it's purpose, but not really too clear from 6 power up. But I generally keep it on 3 or 4 power anyway, so it works well for my purposes. Good luck!

PS. Oh yeah, ideally, you'd get rings specifically for the 11mm rail as opposed to rimfire rings for a 3/8th inch dovetail (which is 9.53 mm). But the latter will work in most cases with a little less tightening than what is expected for the rings.

[1 shot, 1 hit]

are you sure abaut these burris signature rings? to me they look a bit thin, unstable and the attachment to the rail looks a bit crappy aswell! i think the idea with the plastic inside, is good but is the rest realy so solid as you say?

[FirstFreedom]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you're looking at exactly. Are you physically handling some in a store? If so, then compare several and look at the solidness and feel and so forth, and maybe ask the salesperson and pick which one looks and feels best or what the salesperson recommends (the former is preferable to the latter). If you're just looking at online pictures or catalog pics, then I don't know what to tell you, except that the Burris Signature rings have a good reputation for being the best or one of the best. I dunno, anyone else have a ring recommendation for 1shot, 1hit? If you get something from Leupold, Redfield, Burris, it's bound to be good, as long as you don't get something from the "economy line" of these makers, like the Leupold "Rifleman" series, etc. There are many other companies making good rings also. Generally, you'll get what you pay for. Since your rifle is already a heavy one, I'd go ahead and go for a thick, solid steel quality ring of whatever make seems best when you do your own comparison.

Also, personally, I no longer like the Millett "Angle-Loc" rings that have 2 screws per ring (one on each side) to tighten them to the base. Althought these are otherwise nice, quality rings, I don't like any rings that dramatically change the point of impact when you tighten one side or the other, so I like rings that have a tightening screw (or 2 screws) on only one side.

[1 shot, 1 hit]

what exactly do i need, to keep my RWS 54 is a perfect condition?
- Lubricants/kleaning fluids?
- cleaning tools?
- haw often do i need to klean/ lubricate the rifle?
- are cleaning pellets a good idea?
- is it better to onely use the maintenance products from RWS to clean/lubricate RWS guns (application needle bore lube, chmber lube, spring lube ...etc)

i want to keep my gun as maintained as possible
please poast back

[FirstFreedom]

i gather that a good chice for my beauty is e.g: a bushnell Elite 4200 4-16x40 rain guard scope, mount it with the burris signature rings (or the simmilar ones) put a scope stop behind it just in case and then secure it all with the blue loktite.

Exactly.

As for maintenance, I'm not an expert there, but I've hear that you don't want to put a steel cleaning rod down the barrel and possibly mess up the rifling. Use a plastic cleaning rod, or possible a brass one - something relatively soft. Or, don't use any rod at all - simply clean it every 300-500 pellets let's say, by using those felt cleaning pellets - that's what I've always done with my RWSs. Always shoot at least 3 of them at a time (3 or 4), or you could damage your rifle if you only shoot one (possibly) - it's not a heavy enough of a pellet, and the piston could slam into the front of the cylinder. First, shoot 3 pellets saturated in a bore solvent. Then, shoot 3 dry felt pellets to take this solvent out. Then, very lightly oil with a quality light oil one felt pellet and put it in with 2 more dry ones behind it, and shoot through. Done.

I'd say, yes, it's a good idea to use RWS or Beeman products to clean/maintain, if possible, as they know what they're doing. I've never actually lubed a spring or piston or chamber myself, so I don't know how often that should be done, or even how to do it, honestly. If you find out, let me know. Thanks.

Of course, after shooting/handling the rifle, always do a couple of swipes down that beautiful blueing with either a rag that has a light oil or CLP on it, or with a silicone cloth, to get your hand oils off of it.